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Appendix D - Special Case and Interdisciplinary Applications

FOR APPLICANTS

SPECIAL CASE APPLICATION
or
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATION

For doctoral or master's programs where there is no established program.

Interested applicants should contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research by email to: grad.studies@uregina.ca to request a PDF application form. Any questions regarding Special Case applications should be directed to the Manager of Admissions and Registration at: Grad.AR.Manager@uregina.ca

DOCTORAL PROGRAMS
The standard application requirements also apply for Special Case Ph.D. students. In addition to the standard application package, please prepare your proposal in accordance with the headings, 1 through 12, as indicated below.

  1. Proposed Title of Dissertation research
  2. Department/Faculty that will be the academic home of the Ph.D. candidate (a letter of support from the Department Head)
  3. Purpose (Problem statement)
    A concise, clear statement outlining the overall problem being addressed.
  4. Objectives
    Given the purpose, what are the objectives for achieving it?
  5. Background/Rationale
    An abbreviated literature review with supporting documentation for the proposal. This will tell why the research is important and how advanced the field is. It will state the research approach, tasks, and provide a broad outline of the methodology. It should also include a discussion as to why the proposal merits Ph.D. level consideration.
  6. Table of Contents of the Dissertation (if known)
    A brief "projection" of what the chapters will focus on; (not required, but can be a useful exercise for the candidate and helpful in assessing the proposal)
  7. Supervisors and Committee members
    A list of the supervisor/s and committee members, including departmental affiliation. Comment on the academic strengths and the expertise each will bring to the dissertation research.
    One member must be from a department other than the principal one and serves as an internal-external member.  An internal-external committee member must be C or D accredited and serves as a representative of FGSR.
  8. Course List and Schedule
    A list of courses that will form the program, (click here for template) along with the name of the Instructor, and indicate the terms in which the course(s) will be taken. Include a rationale for the combination of course work that will form the program. Note that half the course work or more is to be formally approved courses and no more than half may consist of directed readings courses. Formal approval to take courses from outside the home academic unit must be obtained from the corresponding department or faculty, and the foregoing must be documented in the proposal. Thesis credit hours and non-credit hour degree requirements (i.e. comprehensive, seminars) must be identified.
  9. Funding Sources
    The Ph.D. committee expects a Special Case candidate to receive a reasonable commitment of financial support either through the unit or from the funding sources available to the supervisor(s). Is financial support needed/expected? If so, please provide details.
  10. Letter of Intent (Ph.D.)
    Applicants are to state why they want to do a Ph.D. program in the particular academic unit, and at the University of Regina.
  11. Special Case Ph.D. Proposal Committee Release Form
    Click here to fill out this form.
  12. Submit the Proposal to FGSR (grad.studies@uregina.ca) as an electronic version.

Special Case and/or Interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs are vetted through the Ph.D. committee and changes thereto require the approval of the Ph.D. Committee. Interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs also require Faculty approval. Hence, applicants need to submit all materials well in advance of the prospective admission date.


MASTER'S PROGRAMS
For candidates wishing to enroll in a Special Case or  interdisciplinary master's degree program that is not regularized (e.g., Fine Arts), the following are the guidelines:

Coursework: Coursework for the graduate degree in Interdisciplinary Studies or Special Case must provide the student with the necessary academic background and confidence to embark upon the thesis research. In order to accomplish this aim, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research recommends that the student normally complete a minimum of three graduate level courses in each of at least two disciplines that compose the interdisciplinary framework (e.g., three courses in Philosophy and three courses in Administration). These courses should be chosen in order to provide the interdisciplinary student with the fundamental knowledge that would be expected from graduate student in a discipline-based program.

In disciplines that traditionally require research methodology, data collection, and analysis (i.e., social sciences) it is strongly recommended that students take additional courses in research design and data management (qualitative and quantitative) to ensure that they are capable of successfully conducting their proposed thesis research.

Thesis: The thesis forms the critical component of graduate education. It allows for the student to develop personally and intellectually as an active scholar in pursuit of new knowledge. The thesis also provides the opportunity for the student to make a valuable contribution to the knowledge base of humanity.

Interdisciplinary research is an emerging field of study that requires that scholars move beyond the traditional boundaries of their "home" discipline. It necessitates a broad understanding of the complexity and interrelatedness of problems, the methods to uncover solutions, and the implications for the research community and the public at large. The interdisciplinary thesis is the medium through which these objectives are approached.

Procedures - Application

Interested applicants must contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research by email (grad.studies@uregina.ca) to request a PDF application form.

Special Case:  The standard application requirements are applicable. In addition to the standard application package, please prepare your proposal in accordance with the headings, 1 through 3, as indicated below.

1.  A description of the thesis topic.  The overview must include the following:
            - Title of the proposed thesis;
            - A clear and concise statement of the purpose of the research which included the problem to be investigated and the objectives to be met;
            - A brief review of the relevant literature and proposed methodology
2.  A list of supervisor(s) and committee members with their department/faculty affiliation as well as their academic strengths and expertise is required.
3.  A list of courses that will form the program, along with the name of the Instructor, and indicate the term in which the   course(s) will be taken. Note that half the course work or more is to be formally approved courses and no more than half may consist of directed readings/selected topics courses. Formal approval to take courses outside the home academic unit must be obtained from the corresponding department or faculty, and the foregoing must be documented in the proposal. Thesis credit hours and any non-credit hour degree requirements (i.e. seminars) must be identified.

Special Case Interdisciplinary: The standard application requirements are applicable. In addition to the standard application package, please prepare your proposal in accordance with the heading, 1 through 3, as indicated below.

  1. The rationale for discipline(s) being chosen;
  2. The rationale for the choice of courses (i.e., the perceived contribution of each course toward the interdisciplinary theme;
  3. A description of the thesis topic and why an interdisciplinary approach is required. The overview must include the following:
      - Title of the proposed thesis;
      - A clear and concise statement of the purpose of the research which includes the problem to be investigated and the objectives to be met;
      - A brief review of the relevant literature, proposed methodology and a rationale for using an interdisciplinary approach;
  4. A list of supervisor(s) and committee members with their department/faculty affiliation as well as their academic strengths and expertise is required.
  5. A list of courses that will form the program, (click here for template) along with the name of the Instructor, and indicate the terms in which the course(s) will be taken. Note that half the course work or more is to be formally approved courses and no more than half may consist of directed readings courses. Formal approval to take courses from outside the home academic unit must be obtained from the corresponding department or faculty, and the foregoing must be documented in the proposal. Thesis credit hours and non-credit hour degree requirements (i.e. seminars) must be identified.
  6. Letters of support from the corresponding faculties and/or departments that will form the core of the interdisciplinary program of study.

Once the student has submitted all the necessary documents to apply to a Special Case program, Master's student's applications are then reviewed by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research for approval. Changes to the program of study, supervisor(s) and/or committee members require the approval of the FGSR Office.