2.1 MA requirements and timing
2.2 Academic advising and supervision
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2.1 MA requirements and timeline听
The MA is a thesis degree which requires three terms of course work, consisting of 7 approved 3-credit courses at the 500, 600 or 700 level, 2 graduate research seminars (6 credits) and the MA thesis (18 credits). (Total = 45 credits)
The official up-to-date requirements of the MA program are posted on 捆绑SM社区鈥檚 website under Programs, Courses and University Regulations (They can be found at /study/2022-2023/faculties/arts/graduate/programs/master-arts-ma-linguistics-thesis). In the following, we outline the requirements with information about when to take which course.
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Research Project (18 credits)
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Course |
Course name |
Typically taken: |
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LING 690 |
M.A. Thesis Submission (18 credits) |
Winter Year 2 |
The thesis submission course involves research, writing and submission of the M.A. thesis on an approved subject under the supervision of the thesis committee.
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Required Courses (6 Credits)
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Course |
Course name |
Typically taken: |
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LING 601* |
Graduate Seminar 1 (3 credits) |
Fall Year 2 |
|
LING 602* |
Graduate Seminar 2 (3 credits) |
Winter Year 2 |
*Graduate Seminar 1 & 2 offer an opportunity to present on on-going research on the M.A. Thesis, and also involve units with relevant professional training.
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Complementary Courses (21 Credits)
6-12 credits from:
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LING 630 |
Phonetics 3 (3 credits) |
Year 1 |
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LING 631 |
Phonology 3 (3 credits) |
Year 1 |
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LING 660 |
Semantics 3 (3 credits) |
Year 1 |
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LING 671 |
Syntax 3 (3 credits) |
Year 1 |
6-15 credits in Linguistics at the 500, 600, or 700 level.
0-3 credits in a related field at the 500, 600, or 700 level, chosen in consultation with the supervisor and the graduate program director.
Note: The听 4-level courses (Ling 635 Phonetics & Phonology 4, Ling 665 Semantics 4, and听Ling 675 Syntax 4) are听seminars and听can be retaken under a different course number for additional credit, since their content varies from year to year (Ling 735, Ling 765, Ling 775, respectively).
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Timeline and deadlines
In Year 1, students take at least three 3-credit linguistics courses in the Fall and the Winter term, for a minimum course load of 18 credits for Year 1. Course registration for Year 1 is decided before the Fall term and must be approved by the Graduate Program Director. Any deviations from the expected Year 1 course load and/or course selection, as well as any later changes in course registration for the Winter term, require approval by the Graduate Program Director. Course selection in subsequent years must likewise be approved by the Graduate Program Director.
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Year 1 |
3 courses per semester (normally including the 3听required 3-level courses) |
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May 15: |
Constitution of Thesis Committee |
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August 30: |
Submission of Thesis proposal |
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Year 2 |
Graduate seminar courses and one additional course |
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Thesis research and writing To finish all degree requirements by the end of Winter of MA2, the final version of the MA thesis should be deposited by April 15th. To accomplish this, the initial draft of the MA thesis should be submitted at least听4 weeks earlier to myThesis so that it can be sent to the examiner for evaluation. We strongly encourage candidates to complete the MA within 2 years. Absolute deadline: MA theses must be deposited no later than the end of MA3. |
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2.2 Academic advising and supervision of MA students
On arrival, each MA student is assigned to a designated academic adviser (first year advisor). Assignments will be determined weighing areas of expertise, workload and other factors such as sabbatical schedules. There is no commitment on the part of the student or the adviser for this relationship to continue into the MA Thesis stage.
The designated adviser is responsible for:
- Guiding the student through the fellowship applications process (where applicable). This includes reading students鈥� proposals with sufficient lead-time to make comments for revision before submission deadlines.
- Being accessible to the student for a reasonable amount of time to discuss issues related to academic progress (i.e, outside of those purely administrative areas which fall under the mantle of the Graduate Program Director).
In听spring of the first year the MA Thesis Committee should be formed. The student should then fill out the letter of understanding with the MA supervisor or co-supervisors. See section 2.3
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2.3 The MA Thesis
Content of the Thesis
According to GPS thesis guidelines:
"A thesis for the Master's degree must show familiarity with previous work in the field and must demonstrate the ability to carry out research, organize results, and defend the approach and conclusions in a scholarly manner according to disciplinary norms.
An exhaustive review of work in the particular field of study is not necessarily required. Expectation for the level of original scholarship at the Master鈥檚 level varies with the discipline.
The thesis must be written in compliance with norms for academic and scholarly expression and for publication in the public domain (see section: withholding a thesis from circulation temporarily)."
Selection of Committee and Proposal
The committee should be formed by May 15th of the first year. The committee must consist of at least 2 members which includes the supervisor or co-supervisors and should normally be faculty members of the Linguistics Department. When additional expertise is required, students can request to have a committee member from outside the department. Students should fill out the committee form and submit it to the GPD cc鈥檌ng the committee members. It must also be uploaded to myProgress. A thesis proposal should normally be complete by August 30th of the first year. Committee members indicate their approval by signing the proposal. This proposal must be filed with the Graduate Program Director and becomes part of the student鈥檚 official record.2.4 Fast tracking
According to :
"Upon recommendation by the program and approval by Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies听(GPS), academically promising students registered in Master鈥檚 programs may proceed directly to听Doctoral studies without completing the full requirements for the Master鈥檚 degree. 听An applicant for听such a transfer听from the Master鈥檚 program to the Doctoral program in the same academic unit must present both a strong听academic record (CGPA of 3.5 or higher) and strong evidence that they are capable of听successfully completing appropriate research for the Doctoral level. The applicant must have completed a minimum of 2 full-time听terms in the Master's program, up to a maximum of 4 full-time terms, according to the requirements of the academic unit. The student, if approved for fast-tracking, will enter the doctoral program at the PhD2 level."
Requests to fast track are normally made at then end of the Winter term or in the Summer terms of year 1. Students should speak with the Graduate Program Director if they are considering this option to get more details on the process.听