Program Policies and Regulations

Full-Time/Part Time Status & Residency Requirements

All students in the PhD Program are admitted on a full-time basis. In accordance with Graduate Studies regulations, all full-time graduate students are expected to be regionally located to be eligible for funding through Graduate Studies. Classes for the first year of the program are in-person.

Part-Time Status

Part-time status is only available to students who have completed and defended a dissertation Proposal, and who have approval from the program. Students who wish to change to part-time status must see the "Graduate Registration Forms" option under Academics > Academic Record on the myTrent portal.
 

Indigenous Language Requirement

Students will be required to demonstrate an introductory level of understanding in an Indigenous language. This can be demonstrated by:

a) Passing an examination in an Indigenous language (either Mohawk or Nishinaabemowin) administered by the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. If a student speaks a different Indigenous language, the Program will hire a language examiner, on a case-by-case basis, to conduct exams in an Indigenous language other than Mohawk or Nishinaabemowin.

b) Presenting a transcript with a grade of B+ or better in a 1.0 credit course in an Indigenous language taken at an accredited university. Enrolling in a 1.0 credit undergraduate Indigenous language course (such as INDG 2800Y, INDG 2250Y). A grade of B+ or higher must be achieved in the course.

c) Enrolling in two 0.5 credit courses in one Indigenous language (such as INDG 3851H and INDG 3852H) or by taking two of the following courses: INDG 6625H-EDUC 5625H and INDG 6626H-CSID SUST 5626H when they are offered periodically. A grade of B+ or higher must be achieved in both 0.5 credit courses. 

d) Taking a community language course or one-on-one instruction with a fluent language speaker for an 8-month long period. Upon completion of a language course or one-on-one instruction, students must submit a copy of a transcript or letter from a language instructor to the program assistant clearly stating the course taken, the length of the course, the level of language learned, and the letter grade provided to the student. This transcript or letter can come from an Indigenous community outside of Canada. It will be at the discretion of the Director of Studies or the Program Director to approve the letter in cases where a family member of the student has been the language instructor.

Incoming students are assigned a faculty supervisor at the time of admission, based on the student’s initial declaration of research interests. The selection committee will assign the provisional supervisor at the time of acceptance. The permanent supervisor is normally finalized by the end of the first academic year.

Students begin to work with their supervisor in the first year toward the development of a proposal that will be defended at the end of the second year. Once a proposal draft has been completed a committee is established to review the proposal and sign off on it going to a defence. Once the proposal is defended and the student has gained ethics approval, the next stage is to conduct research and write the dissertation. 

Supervisory Committee

Dissertation supervision and committee membership vary in the program. Candidates may choose a single or co-supervisory format for their committee with 2-3 additional committee members providing expertise on particular aspects of the research project.

The primary supervisor must be a tenured Trent graduate faculty member. Other committee members can be chosen from the Regular or Associate Graduate Faculty categories. In addition, the program can appoint individuals to sit on student committees as Special Graduate Faculty. This category is normally reserved for individuals who do not have university faculty appointments. Elders and Knowledge Holders are often appointed to committees as Special Graduate Faculty. 

Appointment of Members to a Supervisory Committee

Students wishing to have an individual appointed to their committee should discuss this with their supervisor. Once the supervisor has signed off, the student may confirm with the individual that they are available and interested in serving on the committee. Once confirmed the student would request a CV from the individual and submit this to the supervisor and the program administrator. The supervisor will then submit the request and the CV to the program to be reviewed by the program committee. Once the committee approves an individual to serve on a committee, they will receive a letter from the program administrator. Appointments are usually for 5 years (but can be renewed if necessary). 

Eligibility to Sit for Comprehensive Exams

Students who have completed their residency coursework are eligible to take the Core Comprehensive exam. Residency coursework includes INDG 6600Y, INDG 6601Y, INDG 6603H, INDG 6630H (if applicable), INDG 6701H and INDG 6720H.

Upon successful completion of the required courses in year two, all students will complete a comprehensive examination (INDG 6740H) in Indigenous Studies, which consists of two components: a written scholarly submission and an oral examination in Indigenous Knowledges. There is one opportunity to sit for the oral exam (May-June) and two opportunities to take the written exam (July & January).

Written Exam

Students will submit a scholarly paper or Voicethread presentation (option for students in the Knowledge Basket Pathway) in response to exam questions. Student submissions will undergo a peer review process by an examination committee made up of graduate faculty members who teach and supervise within the PhD Program. Student submissions will be evaluated based upon their ability to demonstrate comprehensively their understanding and use of the core comp bibliography through:

Integration of the four themes (and associated sources) from the bibliography to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of 

1. Indigenous Studies as a discipline; and

    2. The ability to situate themselves and their work within the discipline of Indigenous Studies.

Upon completion of the initial review, the examination committee will consider the submission with respect to the following options:

Pass with Distinction
Pass
Pass (with Minor or Major Revisions)

Students who pass with distinction on the initial submission, will receive this designation on their transcript. Students who pass with minor or major revisions will be provided with comprehensive feedback and the requirement to submit a revised paper within 45 days. After resubmission and re-evaluation by the examination committee, students will have an additional 15 days to submit final revisions. Final decision on revised submissions will be provided by the chair of the exam committee to the program directors.

Failure of the core comprehensive written exam is defined as the inability of a student to produce a revised draft of sufficient quality to meet the scholarly standards expected for publication, despite two submissions and opportunities for feedback and revision. Specifically, failure to effectively address feedback or produce a draft that demonstrates sufficient critical engagement with the themes and readings contained in the core comprehensive bibliography, or lack of participation in the review process, including missed revision deadlines, constitutes a failure of the exam.

Students whose submissions are not revised to expected outcomes for a comprehensive exam after the completion of the review process period (60 days), will be required to meet with the student performance committee and their supervisor to develop a plan of study to retake the exam. Students must retake the exam within six months of the last attempt. Students who do not pass the exam after a second time will be required to withdraw from the program.

Oral Exam in Indigenous Knowledges

A candidate who fails the oral exam is required to meet with the Director of Studies, their supervisor, and the Program Director to develop a plan that will adequately prepare them to retake the oral examination. Retakes of the oral exam are scheduled at the discretion of the Director of Studies and the Traditional Council. If a candidate fails the oral exam a second time, they will be required to leave the program.

Appealing the Results of a Comprehensive Exam

Under PhD Program and Graduate Studies Policy, students have the right to appeal decisions they feel are not reflective of an outcome they prepared for and expected. Making the decision to appeal a negative decision on a comprehensive exam is a serious matter and should not be made lightly. Prior to taking this step, students should meet with the Program Director and discuss the report from the examination committee. 

Process:

Students wishing to file an appeal should review carefully the appeal policy below for each component of the core comprehensive exam and complete the appeal form. The appeal form must be submitted along with relevant documentation to the Program Director within 30 days of receiving a negative result. 

Upon receipt of an appeal, the Program Director will establish an appeals panel as indicated below:

Appealing the Oral Exam in IK

An appeals panel made up of two members of the PhD Council, and one member of the Traditional Council not involved in the original decision will be established by the Program Director. The appeals committee will review the recording of the oral exam and make a determination and report that decision to the Program Director. A graduate faculty member not involved in the original decision will act as the chair of the committee. The panel reserves the right to interview the student and/or Traditional Council Members involved in the original decision. The panel has 45 days to make a determination.

Appealing the Written Take Home Exam on Indigenous Studies

An appeals panel will be made up of two tenured/ tenure-track graduate faculty members from the Indigenous studies PhD Program who were not involved in the original decision along with one external tenured/tenure-track graduate faculty member from another PhD program (the Program Director will select this faculty member). The PhD program director shall serve as the chair of the panel and shall record the decision of the panel. The panel reserves the right to interview the student and/or faculty involved in the original decision. The panel has 45 days to make a determination.

Appealing the Written Area of Emphasis Take Home Exam

An appeals panel will be made up of two tenured/ tenure-track graduate faculty members from the Indigenous studies PhD Program who were not involved in the original decision (one of whom should be on the students dissertation committee) along with one external tenured/tenure-track graduate faculty member from another PhD program (the Program Director will select this faculty member). The PhD program director shall serve as the chair of the panel and shall record the decision of the panel. The panel reserves the right to interview the student and/or faculty involved in the original decision. The panel has 45 days to make a determination.

Appealing to Graduate Studies

In most cases, appeals can be resolved at a program level. However, in rare instances, students can appeal to the Dean of Graduate Studies if they are not satisfied with the decision at a program level. Every effort should be made to resolve an appeal at the program level prior to filing an appeal with Graduate Studies. Students wishing to appeal at a Graduate Studies level can find information necessary to do so in the Graduate Student Handbook available on the Graduate Studies website.

 When beginning work on the dissertation all students are advised to refer to Trent's School of Graduate Studies formatting guidelines.

2.    The final copy of the dissertation presented for defence must be carefully proofread and all errors corrected. A final copy with mistakes of fact, grammar, or spelling will not be approved for defence.

3.    The student and Supervisor will identify a draft dissertation, as the one they wish to have considered by the committee for final approval prior to defence. 

4.    The Supervisor will notify the Program Assistant that a draft is ready and provide them with a copy.

5.    The student will submit the draft to their Dissertation Advisory Committee.  It should normally be read within 4-6 weeks of submission.

6.    The Program Assistant will provide each Dissertation Advisory Committee member (including the Supervisor) with a Step 1 form to complete and return.

7.    The Dissertation Advisory Committee’s approval will be indicated on their Step 1 forms. This form indicates that the committee accepts that the same, common final draft is ready for defence and is free from major or frequent flaws. This approval is required before the dissertation is distributed to the External Examiners for approval to proceed to defence. After the dissertation is submitted, there can be no changes in committee membership, without the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. The approval from the committee should be received at least six weeks before the intended date of the defence.

8.    The Supervisor will provide the Program Assistant with some potential dates for the defence as well as some names for potential external examiners and internal examiners.

9.    The Program Assistant will:

•   Consult the Program Director to choose a Defence Chair.
•    Reach out to the external and internal examiners and request their availability.
•    Provide the external and internal examiners copies of the draft dissertation and a Step 2 form to complete and return 4-6 weeks after they have received the dissertation.
•    Arrange for a defence date based on the availability of the examiners, Dissertation Advisory Committee members and the Defence Chair and then notify the student of this date.

11.    The Examining Committee consists of the Dissertation Advisory Committee, one eligible member from another department and one External Examiner from outside Trent who is a recognized authority in the subject of the dissertation. The date, location, and composition of the examination committee are the internal departmental responsibilities and should be dealt with as the Director instructs. The date of the announcement must be at least 14 days in advance of the date of the defence. The Dean will require the submission of written comments from the External Examiner before allowing the defence to take place.  

12.    At the oral defence the student is asked to present an oral summary (no more than 20 minutes) of the major arguments in their dissertation. 

13.    The dissertation may be accepted as submitted, with minor revisions, with major revisions, or rejected. Time limits may be set for corrections or re-submission of a revised dissertation. The Chair of the Defence is expected to convey in writing to the student any modifications required by the Examining Committee. In the case of a split vote on the dissertation, it is permissible for the Chair to approve the defence as ‘satisfactory’ if the majority makes this recommendation. The External Examiner must be included in the majority.

14.    If major revisions are required, the Chair of the Examining Committee will arrange a sub-committee from the Examining Committee, usually including the Dissertation Supervisor as Chair, to ensure that all the required revisions, specified in writing by the Defence Chair, are made. The Examining Committee may choose to require a second defence by the student before the sub-committee. Upon written certification by the sub-committee that the required revisions have been made to their satisfaction, the Chair of the Defence will then authorize acceptance of the dissertation.

15.    The Chair will ensure that the members of the Examining Committee will sign the Thesis Approval Form and the “Ph.D. Dissertation Defence Final Report” and that it is submitted to the Program Assistant after the defence.

16.    Minor revisions will be supervised by the Dissertation Supervisor who will certify in writing to the Director of the Indigenous Studies PhD Program that the required revisions have been made.

17.    Any revisions must be completed and accepted within the time limits established by the Examining Committee. 

18.    The final approved copy of the dissertation will be submitted to graduaterecords@trentu.ca by the student and must be uploaded to the University's thesis repository.

Student Accessibility Services (SAS) 

1. Incoming graduate students seeking formal accommodation with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) should register with SAS. It is recommended that incoming students register two months in advance of the start of term, (i.e. register July 1 for September 1 term start).  Booking early is advisable.  You can register with SAS prior to getting an acceptance letter.

    

2. Following your appointment, you will receive a formal letter of accommodation from Student Accessibility Services. The Director of Graduate Studies will be copied on this letter.

    

3. Immediately following your assessment with SAS you need to meet with your Program Director and/or Supervisor to determine your revised plan of study.  This plan might include moving to part-time studies or another means of reduced course load.

Proficiency in English usage, both written and oral, is essential to pursue graduate studies at Trent University. It is required for applicants to demonstrate an adequate level of English proficiency, regardless of their citizenship status or country of origin. 

The following tests are acceptable forms of proof of English language proficiency:

• TOEFL iBT, iBT Home Edition, iBT Paper Edition (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The minimum acceptance score is 93 (with a minimum score of 22 in both speaking and writing). Trent University's Institution Number for official TOEFL test result submission is 0896.
• CAEL or CAEL online (Canadian Academic English Language Test). The minimum acceptable score is 60, with at least 60 in Writing Proficiency.
• IELTS (International English language Testing Services) - Academic testing. The minimum acceptance score is 6.5, with no band below 6.0.

Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of application submission to be considered.  Trent University reserves the right to request English language proficiency results from any applicant.  

• Please note: Duolingo and PTE are NOT accepted by the School of Graduate Studies at Trent.

Applicants must make their own arrangements for taking language tests and having the results sent to the School of Graduate Studies in time to meet application deadlines.

English Proficiency Exemptions:

Applicants who completed two or more years of post-secondary education at a university in Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the USA are exempt from this requirement. 

If you have completed two or more years of post-secondary education in a non-exempt country at a university where the primary language of instruction is English, the School of Graduate Studies is prepared to consider alternate proof of English language proficiency. 

• Examples: letter or document from the post-secondary institution confirming the language of instruction is English or a copy of your transcript that specifically states on it that the language of instruction is English

Exemption documents should be uploaded through the myTrent portal > Academics > Admissions > Graduate Applications Documents Upload (cloud icon) > under the English proficiency test result option. 

Contact graduateadmissions@trentu.ca 

Families and Field Trips

Families are welcome to accompany you on any day or overnight trips. However, we have limited funding, which only covers students in the program. Given the high cost of accommodation and food, students will be asked to cover costs for family members that accompany them on any overnight trips. 

The program normally books two students into one room when travelling away from campus. If you are bringing your family and need your own room, you would be expected to pay the additional cost that would be incurred. As an example: if a room costs $150 per night, then the program will reimburse you half of that cost for that room which is $75.00. You would need to book this room on your own and submit an expense reimbursement form to the program administrator. The same would apply to meals eaten out while travelling. The program can cover your meals as a student but not those of your family. You would submit a reimbursement form for the meals and the hotel upon returning. You must submit original receipts with the form.