Program Requirements

MSc candidates must satisfactorily complete:

• 13 credit hours of courses which include the required MNSC 5200.01 Medical Neuroscience MSc Graduate Seminar (1 credit hour) and MNSC 6101.03 Principles of Neuroscience: Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience (3 credit hours).
• an additional 9 credit hours of elective courses are required, selected from courses offered by the Department, or where appropriate, from those offered by other departments.
• thesis research (MNSC 9000.00 MSc Thesis), as well as preparation and oral defence of a thesis is required.

PhD candidates must satisfactorily complete:

• MNSC 5230.01 Medical Neuroscience PhD Graduate Seminar and MNSC 6101.03 Principles of Neuroscience: Cellular & Molecular Neuroscience. (Additional courses may be required if no prior neuroscience background.)
• A comprehensive examination (PHDP 8000.00: Doctoral Comprehensive Requirement) should be taken in the second year of the program or not later than one full year prior to thesis submission.
• Thesis research (MNSC 9530.00: PhD Thesis), preparation and oral defense of a thesis are required.

Final decisions about course selection must be made in consultation with your supervisor and approved by your supervisory committee.

For further information about courses consult the Graduate Studies Calendar and, to learn which courses are offered, and when, and where, see the timetable.

In consultation with your supervisor, you need to assemble a supervisory committee. The minimum membership for both MSc and PhD supervisory committees is comprised of the student’s research supervisor and two other faculty members including the Chair, at least one of whom is from the Department of Medical Neuroscience. Students with two Co-supervisors will have a four-member committee, including the Chair.

The function of the supervisory committee is to evaluate and advise you about your thesis research and to evaluate the progress of your academic study and research. The Faculty of Graduate Studies suggests you organize meetings at least twice a year.

Graduate Student Advisory Committee Report form [PDF - 11KB]

Teaching experience through assisting with the laboratory or other components of courses delivered by either the Department of Medical Neuroscience or other departments at Dalhousie University.

MSc students need one term of teaching experience.

PhD students need two terms of teaching experience.

All graduate students are required to attend departmental seminars. MSc students are also required to give one seminar in their second year of study. PhD students are requried to give two seminars on their research. These are components of MNSC 5200.

All PhD students must pass a PhD preliminary (oral) exam, designed to test the depth and breadth of your knowledge in areas related to your research. Students are encouraged to take the exam in their second or third year of PhD study, and it must be taken at least one year before your PhD thesis defense.

All graduate students (both MSc and PhD) must prepare a written thesis and defend it orally before an Examination Committee.

For MSc students, the defense is arranged by the Department and the Examination Committee typically consists of the Supervisory Committee plus one new additional member. If there is no one on the Supervisory Committee from outside the Department of Medical Neuroscience then the additional member should be from outside the Department. The MSc defense will be chaired by a member of Department (typically the Graduate Studies Coordinator or a member of the Graduate Studies Committee).

For PhD students, the defence is arranged by FGS and an External Examiner from outside Dalhousie University will be invited to serve on the Examination Committee. The External Examiner is selected by the student, supervisor and Supervisory Committee and recommended to FGS for final approval. There are deadlines for submission of the thesis (prior to defense) to FGS so that it can be sent to the External Examiner. If you want to convocate in May this deadline is early to mid-February. For the October convocation, the deadline is early to mid-July. The date and place of the PhD defense is arranged by FGS and the defense will be chaired by an FGS appointee.

Thesis Deadlines: Please note that there are deadlines by which a completed (after defense, with all required corrections made) thesis must be submitted to FGS in order for a student to convocate in May or October. For May convocation, the thesis must be submitted to FGS early in April. For October convocation, the thesis must be submitted to FGS late in August.

Thesis Formatting: The format of both MSc and PhD theses must follow the thesis format guidelines by FGS.