Degree Overview

1. All Doctoral students must take and pass one half and one full course:

• One full course (two terms) in advanced research methods (EPID 901)
• One half-course in advanced biostatistics (EPID 823)

Each doctoral level course will have prerequisites from among the Queen's Master's level courses (or equivalents from other Universities). Therefore, students entering Doctoral studies in epidemiology who do not have Master's degrees in epidemiology or a closely related discipline may be required to meet appropriate pre-requisite requirements prior to enrolling in PhD coursework, as determined by the Graduate Education Committee.

In addition to required courses, students may be encouraged to take additional elective courses, as deemed appropriate by their Supervisor. Students should normally expect to complete formal course work within eight to twelve months of admission into the program. In addition, informal sessions will be arranged to help students prepare for comprehensive examinations.

2. All Doctoral students must pass a Comprehensive Exam. Students will be evaluated for their:

• In-depth knowledge in theoretical and applied epidemiologic and biostatistical methods; and, theoretical and applied knowledge in their stream.

To assist in preparing for the examination, students will be provided with a recommended reading list of key texts. They will be expected to prepare for the comprehensive examination mainly through self-directed study, although informal sessions to aid preparation will be arranged and faculty consultation will be encouraged.

The exam will usually be taken after all coursework has been completed and scheduled twice per year at most. It will contain a written and an oral component. Specific content and format will be determined by a Comprehensive Examination Committee.

3. All Doctoral students must complete a research project that culminates in a dissertation that is based on original research of publishable quality.

Residency Status

To become fully involved in a field of study and to be in contact with members of the Department and students in the field, the School of Graduate Studies recommends that students pursue their studies on a full-time basis and be full-time on campus for some part of the degree program. Students will normally be accepted into the program on a full-time basis. The School of Graduate Studies expects that students who are registered in full-time programs maintain this status throughout. Requests for change in status from full-time to part-time are possible, but must be approved by both the Department, and by the School of Graduate Studies. Such requests normally will not be approved until after the student has completed a period of eligibility (13 terms for Doctoral students). After this time, Graduate Studies will support a transfer from full-time to part-time status according to the relevant regulations.
The Department strongly encourages doctoral students to complete their Ph.D. within four years.