Evaluation Procedures
Generally, students are expected to meet in a timely fashion the progression requirements and recommended milestones of their program. A student whose progress or academic performance in the program is considered unsatisfactory may be required to withdraw. In addition, a graduate student must maintain at least a 75% average over all courses of the degree program and achieve 65% or higher in each graduate course used as credit toward the graduate degree. Failure to achieve this standard will result in a requirement to leave the program.
Courses
The quality of students’ work is gauged by evaluating the students’ performance in a number of areas, as appropriate to the objectives of the particular course. Students may be evaluated for work done in any combination of the following: essays, projects or other writing assignments, tests or exams, seminar presentations, oral participation in seminars, and problem solving. Numeric (percentage) grades are used for all courses.
Research paper
In addition to completing the equivalent of four full courses (eight half-courses), each student is also required to write a research paper. As a first step, the student must submit a proposal on a topic relevant to Linguistics or Applied Linguistics by June 30th, which must be approved by the Linguistics Graduate Board. The Board will also, in consultation with the supervisor, recommend the composition of an Advisory Committee. The student’s Advisory Committee consists of a supervisor and a second reader. The role of the second reader is to provide a different perspective on the formulation and direction of the research paper.
Language Requirement
Students whose undergraduate studies do not include at least one language other than English will be required to take a course or courses to pass the equivalent to the first undergraduate year at UWO, or demonstrate equivalent proficiency in a language other than English before graduating. This requirement can be completed at any point during the program, but students who are admitted without a second language are encouraged to begin their language study as soon as possible.
Duration of Program
The Master’s degree will normally be completed in six terms of continuous enrolment. The usual progress towards the degree involves the student taking the equivalent of two and a half full courses (five half courses) the first year, and one more course (two half courses) as well as the research seminar in the second year; directed research and writing begins at the end of the first year and is completed during the second year.
