Comprehensive examination timeline
The comprehensive examination will be held upon completion of all coursework, and no later than the seventh semester of the student’s program.
Comprehensive examination procedure
The examination will be both written and oral. The candidate will be required to prepare a paper on the theoretical background of his or her research project. The comprehensive examination will cover material related to this paper as well as fundamental topics in the context of boreal ecosystems and agriculture. The topic will be assigned by the Examination Committee, which also determines the submission date for the paper, and the date of the examination. The Graduate Officer will communicate the seminar topic and guidelines to the student six weeks, if possible, but not less than four weeks before the examination. This paper will form the basis of a public seminar. The Examination Committee will question the candidate about the paper, the topic and its broader relationship with Boreal Ecosystems and Agricultural Sciences. Candidates will also be required to prepare and present one public seminar (to members of the SSE) on the topic of their thesis during the four-year degree period. Students are required to submit a thesis, present their final thesis to members of the SSE, and satisfactorily defend their thesis in an oral examination following the SSE presentation. The thesis is expected to be an original and substantial contribution to research in the areas of their relevant research project.
Composition of Thesis examination committee
- one external examiner (from outside MUN),
- one internal examiner (from a related program within MUN),
- two supervisory committee members,
- and a chair (drawn from BEAS program members who are not members of the supervisory committee).