MSc Program Guide

To remain in good academic standing, all courses - including research courses - need to be completed with a letter grade of B- or higher. The Department may recommend to the School of Graduate Studies the termination of registration and candidacy of a student who fails to receive a satisfactory grade. Students must adhere to the specific requirements in their sub-discipline. In addition, make sure to review SGS guidance on Understanding Good Standing and Satisfactory Progress. It lays out expectations regarding coursework completion and program length and time limit.

If there are challenges that may be hindering your progress, there are options:

Master's students may transfer to the doctoral program after completing one year of graduate study without writing a thesis. Student must have fulfilled two graduate half-course equivalents with an academic standing of at least B+. All residence and course credits obtained in the first year are then applied toward the doctoral requirements.

To request to transfer to the Ph.D. program, submit the required documents to the Chemistry Graduate Office as ONE PDF file by the first Friday in July.   Using the file naming convention Last Name, First Name_PhDTransfer, upload the documents here in the following order:

  • Program Transfer PDF form from the SGS website. The degree postcodes for MSc and Direct/Transfer PhD are CE MSc and CE PHD U, respectively.  Do not exclude the courses taken in the first year.
  • A letter of request (maximum one-page, free form) for a direct transfer to the Ph.D. program. Please indicate the month and year of first registration in the master's program, courses to date, projects involved in and reason(s) for transfer to the doctoral program; 
  • One-page research proposal for the doctoral program;
  • A web printout of your UofT academic record from ACORN; and 
  • A letter of support from the academic supervisor highlighting the research progress and achievements. Supervisors may directly upload their letter to the designated online folder.

Students in the master's program who wish to continue on to the doctoral program and complete a master's thesis may apply for dual registration for one session. The student will be engaged in full-time PhD studies and part-time master's studies. Only the appropriate PhD fees will be charged. The period of dual registration will be either September 1 to January 31 or January 1 to April 30. Dual registrants are expected to complete all degree requirements for the master's program by the end of the period.

To request dual registration, the Chemistry Graduate Office requires the following documents by the first Friday in July:

  • School of Graduate Studies graduate on-line application. Please contact the Chemistry Graduate Office to acquire access to the website.
  • "Offline" payment form. Payment will be processed by the Department.
  • Two letters of recommendation including one from MSc supervisor, curriculum vitae and ACORN print out of the UofT transcript uploaded to the SGS graduate on-line application system. 
  • Letter of support from potential doctoral supervisor if joining a different group.
  • Students are advised to discuss the potential second reader for the thesis with their supervisor at least two months prior to the submission date. The submission deadlines are scheduled by School of Graduate Studies.  Check the sessional dates for the academic year.
  • Inform the second reader. The second reader must have at least two weeks to review the thesis. Please contact the graduate faculty directly to confirm if the allotted time for appraisal is sufficient in case of other commitments.
  • Guidelines on formatting, submission, copyright and deadlines can be found on the SGS website.   There are none by the department.  Make sure to peruse the Writing at UofT for tips and advice.
  • Student must receive the approval from the supervisor before releasing the thesis to the second reader.  
  • Upload the MSc Thesis Submission PDF Form one week before the SGS submission deadline.
  • Forward the Letter of Support from the supervisor. The letter must indicate the thesis title, verify that the thesis is acceptable in partial fulfillment for the MSc degree and confirm that the recommended revisions on the thesis from the second reader have been completed. The letter must also confirm if the MSc candidate is qualified to proceed towards doctoral studies, if applicable.
  • Forward the letter of support from the second reader. The letter must indicate the thesis title and verify that the thesis is acceptable in partial fulfillment for the MSc degree.
  • Letters of support must be received at the Chemistry Graduate Office by 12 p.m. on the day of the SGS submission deadline. Please inform your readers to upload their letter to our folder. The Graduate Ooffice may only proceed to prepare the SGS Degree Recommendation form once we receive both letters. Without the Degree Recommendation from our office, the School will not be able to request for the candidate to graduate at the Convocation Office.
  • Theses are submitted electronically to SGS and approved by the MSc Completion Office. The thesis must be approved by the appropriate readers before submission. Please refer to Producing Your Thesis for more information.  Carefully follow the SGS' instructions. Theses that do not conform to the formatting guidelines will be rejected and negatively impact eligibility to proceed with graduation.  Enquiries related to thesis submission should be redirected to the MSc Completion Office.

Master's students who finish the degree program requirements in less than the defined program legnth (ie. less than 3 months), regardless of registration option, will be subject to a balance of degree fee. Please make sure to review the School of Graduate Studies' website.

The MCB is a financial aid program aimed to assist master's students who must register beyond the program length (ie. 6 sessions full-time) required for their degree, in order to complete a minimal amount of work remaining due to unanticipated factors beyond their control.  For more information on eligibility and application, please visit the School of Graduate Studies.