Neuroscience Graduate Program

 

CONTENT

  1. INTRODUCTION
  2. CONTACT
  3. RESEARCH INTEREST OF NSC FACULTY MEMBERS
  4. APPLICATION / ADMISSION
    • Admission Criteria (M.Sc. & Ph.D. program)
    • Application Forms
    • Deadline to submit an application
    • Once a complete application is received
  5. FUNDING
    • Scholarships
    • Travel Grants for Conferences
  6. ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
    • M.Sc. Program
    • Ph.D. Program
    • Transfer from M.Sc. to Ph.D. program
    • Seminar Courses
  7. COURSES
  8. TRANSFER PROCEDURES TO THE Ph.D. PROGRAM
    • Requirement for Transfer
    • Preparation of the Progress Report and Research Proposal
    • Page 2 of the Research Proposal
  9. PH.D. COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
    • Objective
    • Selection of the Examining Committee
    • Procedures
  10. ADVISORY COMMITTEE
    • Role
    • Composition
    • Frequency of meetings
    • Writing of research proposal
    • Meeting procedures
  11. THESIS
    • Before Submitting
    • While writing the thesis
    • Submission of the thesis
    • Composition of the examining committee
    • Evaluation and defence of the thesis
    • Preparation of the thesis
    • Description of the different sections of a thesis
  12. ADMINISTRATION OF GRADUATE PROGRAM
    • Composition of the NSC Graduate Studies Committee
    • Functions of the members of the NSC Graduate Studies Committee
  13. SUPERVISION OF GRADUATE STUDENTS
    • General Statement
    • Financial support
    • Vacation
    • Dealing with problems
  14. RESPONSIBILITIES & RIGHTS
    • Students
    • Supervisors
    • Course Coordinators
    • NSC Program
    • Rights of Students and Supervisors

FORMS NSC Graduate Program

  1. APPLICATION / ADMISSION
  2. GRADUATE COURSES
  3. SEMINARS & POSTERS
  4. Ph.D. COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
  5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE
  6. TRANSFER TO Ph.D. PROGRAM
  7. THESIS

INTRODUCTION NSC Graduate Program


THE NSC PROGRAM

The Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine offers a graduate program focussing on Neuroscience (NSC coding). Professors of the NSC Graduate Program are located in various locations, including the NSC Program, the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), the National Research Council (NRC) and the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

During training, the student will develop a critical approach to published work and to his own research. Students should have a good general knowledge of their chosen field and a reasonably detailed and up-to-date knowledge of the areas related to their own particular research project.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE NSC PROGRAM

The NSC graduate program resides in the NSC Program of the Faculty of Medicine. A Director and Assistant-Director administer the NSC program on a daily basis according to the NSC program regulation. A NSC Graduate Studies Committee (NSC-GSC) assists the Director and Assistant Director in resolving issues with students or professors, in recommending changes to the program regulation and in ranking scholarship applications when necessary (e.g., NSERC and OGS). Program regulations of the NSC program are decided and voted by at the Professor assembly, which is composed of professors of the NSC program with membership to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) in good standing.

OBJECTIVE OF THIS HANDBOOK

Our programs are governed by the regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS), as outlined in the calendar of that School. The NSC Program has additional requirements and policies. The objective of this handbook is a comprehensive description of the academic requirements and policies for the M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs from both the FGPS and NSC Program. It also contains guidelines about some procedures, including Admission, Advisory Committee, Comprehensive exam and more.

CONTACTS

DIRECTOR
(For information about applications, academic requirements, regulations)

Paul ALBERT
(613) 562-5800 ext. 8307
palbert@uottawa.ca		 ASSISTANT-DIRECTOR
(For information about seminars, posters, comprehensive exam, and thesis)

Len MALER
(613) 562-5800 ext. 8189
lmaler@uottawa.ca
ACADEMIC ADMINISTRATION OFFICER

Nicole Trudel
Roger Guindon Hall, Rm. 2135
(613) 562-5800 ext. 8637
ntrudel@uottawa.ca
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES

CMM / NSC Council

Sarah Hewitt
President
Roger Guindon Hall, Room 3208 
(613) 562-5800 ext. 7373
cmmcouncil@hotmail.com

RESEARCH INTERESTS NSC Graduate Program

PROFESSORS WITH PRIMARY AFFILIATION TO THE NSC PROGRAM

CELLULAR/
MOLECULAR
PSYCHIATRY		 SYSTEMS
NEUROSCIENCE 		CELLULAR/
MOLECULAR
NEUROSCIENCE

PROFESSORS WITH SECONDARY AFFILIATION TO THE NSC PROGRAM

CELLULAR/
MOLECULAR
PSYCHIATRY		 SYSTEMS
NEUROSCIENCE		 CELLULAR/
MOLECULAR
NEUROSCIENCE

APPLICATION PROCEDURES NSC Graduate Program

ADMISSION CRITERIA

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Students are admitted under the general regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The NSC program is appropriate to students with a background in

  • Biology
  • Biochemistry
  • Human Kinetics
  • Pharmacology
  • Physiology

Students with a background in chemistry or physics will be considered after taking at least a minimum of 18 credits of courses in biology, biochemistry, pharmacology and/or physiology at the 3rd and 4th year levels.

Applicants whose first language is not English or French require a minimum score of at least 550 in the pencil and paper version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) (or 213 in the computer version). Other tests are also acceptable, see the FGPS calendar for details.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE M.Sc. PROGRAM

An Honours bachelor's degree or its equivalent with at least a "B+"average over the last 90 credits of university studies. Students with a "B" average will be considered on an individual basis and ONLY if they have found a supervisor. Students who do not meet this minimum requirement can take other courses until their GPA calculated over the last 90 credits meets the minimum requirement.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ADMISSION TO THE Ph.D. PROGRAM

M.Sc. degree or its equivalent with at least a "B+" average. It is departmental policy not to accept students directly into the Ph.D. program unless they already have an M.Sc. or an equivalent degree. Applicants who do not hold an M.Sc. degree will be considered for admission to the M.Sc. program, and can request a transfer to the doctoral program after one year provided they meet the conditions outlined (see transfer from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. program).

APPLICATION FORMS

  • The application for admission is completed online at http://www.grad.uottawa.ca/Default.aspx?tabid=1624
  • All documents as per 'Step #10 of the Graduate Studies online application' must be mailed to Nicole Trudel, Academic Administration Officer, University of Ottawa, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, 451 Smyth Road (room 2135), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5. The documents being:
    • Application for Admission form
    • Two Recommendations for Admission forms
    • Official university transcripts

    • To facilitate the review process of your application, we also request that some documents be sent by e-mail to Nicole Trudel ntrudel@uottawa.ca. These documents can be in Word, Wordperfect or pdf format and include:

    • Covering Letter - indicate that you are applying to the NSC program, and which professors you are interested to apply to.
    • Application for Admission Form - you send this form as a saved PDF form.
    • Recommendation for Admission Forms - please ask your referees to send this form as saved PDF file or Word/Wordperfect document.

    Applications are reviewed only after all documents are received by mail and e-mail.

DEADLINE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

There is no deadline for submission of an application.
Applications can be submitted any time during the year.

ONCE A COMPLETE APPLICATION IS RECEIVED

STEP 1: Verification of the academic file of the applicant

The Academic Administration Officer

  • calculates the mGPA according to the rules of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) to determine if the applicant meets the admission criteria.
  • submits applications and preliminary applications to the Director of Graduate Studies.

The Director of Graduate Studies

  • determines whether the academic record of the applicants meet the admission criteria (see above).
  • determines whether the applicant has the necessary background to start a M.Sc. or Ph.D. in CMM. The Director and the CMM Graduate Studies Committee reserve the right to request applicants to take extra course if the background is judged unsatisfactory.

STEP 2: Finding a supervisor

It is the responsibility of the applicant to find a supervisor by visiting the Web
to find out about the different interests of our NSC professors.

Final acceptance to the NSC graduate program depends on the applicant finding a supervisor for the duration of their study.

Student with a supervisor at the time the application is submitted

  • The application file is sent to the potential supervisor, who must be a member of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS).
  • The supervisor must confirm that he/she is accepting the student by submitting a signed copy of the "Supervisor Statement for new Graduate Student" form.
  • Upon receiving the Supervisory Form, the administrative assistant proceeds with the final admission procedures. An Offer of Admission will then be mailed to the applicant.
  • If applicable, the applicant will be nominated by the NSC Program for a University of Ottawa scholarship. Information about the University of Ottawa scholarships can be found.

Student without a supervisor at the time the application is submitted

  • A letter is mailed to the applicant confirming that he/she is admissible to the NSC program and inviting him/her to search for a supervisor.
  • The applicant can find a supervisor by visiting the Web and by communicating directly with them.
  • To help the student find a supervisor, the application file:
    • is sent to the professors identified on the Covering letter
    • is added for a period of six months to a Web page accessible only to NSC professors.

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS NSC Graduate Program

Students must have their supervisor place their initials next to the selected courses on the registration form as an indication that they feel the course is appropriate for their student's program.

Students who wish to take a non NSC course must obtain permission from the Director of the NSC Graduate Program. Permission is granted if the course will give the student valuable background for his research and if it is recommended by the student's supervisor. No more than 3 credits of courses can be taken outside the NSC program for both M.Sc. and Ph.D. programs.

M.Sc. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

  1. A minimum of three sessions (one year) on a full-time basis must be spent on a supervised research project;
  2. one seminar course (NSC 8324S; three credits);
  3. six credits of course work, including NSC 5102 or NSC 5104 or equivalents (three credits);
  4. thesis (NSC 7999);
  5. Advisory Committee meetings.

Students may be required to do additional courses to ensure that they have the knowledge and skills needed to pursue their program. Regulations of the FGPS and departmental guidelines for graduate training will apply.

Ph.D. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

  1. A minimum of six sessions (two years) on a full-time basis must be spent on a supervised research project;
  2. doctoral Seminar (NSC 8325S, 3 credits);
  3. six credits of course work, including NSC 5102 and NSC 5104 or equivalents;
  4. comprehensive examination (NSC 9998), in the form of either a defended CIHR-style grant application or an oral examination on selected topics within the field. Ph.D. students must prepare a one page Letter of Intent approved and signed by their supervisor and submitted to the Director of the Neuroscience Program for approval prior to beginning their comprehensive exam proposal. The Letter of Intent is due by the end of the second year of enrollment in the Ph.D. program. The written comprehensive exam is due no later than 2 months following the final approval of the Letter of Intent by the Director;
  5. presentation of the thesis research in the departmental seminar series;
  6. presentation and defense of a thesis based on original research (NSC 9999);
  7. Advisory Committee meetings.

Students may be required to do additional course work that will ensure they have the knowledge and skills to pursue their graduate program. Regulations of the FGPS and departmental guidelines for graduate training will apply.

TRANSFER FROM THE M.Sc. TO THE Ph.D. PROGRAM

Students performing well in the master's program may be recommended for transfer to the doctoral program without being required to write a master's thesis. The conditions to be meet are as follows:

  • successful completion of the seminar and courses required for the M.Sc. program;
  • satisfactory progress in the research program;
  • recommendation by the advisory committee;
  • approval by the graduate studies committee.

Following transfer, all of the requirements of the doctoral program must be met: Doctoral Seminar (NSC 8325, 3 credits), six credits of course work, the comprehensive exam, presentation of the thesis research in the departmental seminar series and the thesis.

  1. To learn more about the procedures for transferring to the Ph.D. program

SEMINAR COURSES

FOR INFORMATION REGARDING SEMINAR AND POSTER SESSIONS PLEASE CONTACT:

DR. PAUL ALBERT AT palbert@uottawa.ca OR
OR NICOLE TRUDEL AT ntrudel@uottawa.ca

OBJECTIVE

To give students the opportunity to present and discuss scientific data.

  1. NSC 8324: M.Sc. program

  2. NSC 8325: Ph.D. program

COURSE CONTENT

  1. Present one seminar
    • The seminar is presented in January (20 minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of questions).
    • The student and supervisor choose the subject of the seminar.
    • It is highly recommended that students either present a research proposal (with literature background) or choose a topic related to their research. Students are allowed to present preliminary data, but such presentation is not compulsory.
    • During the seminar, students should present a review on a selected topic. They should introduce the topic, present current knowledge supported by data (from the literature or their own), integrate the information, and possibly identify future research directions, especially if the seminar is the presentation of a research proposal.
    • Seminars are evaluated by five (5) professors. See Assessment Form and Assessment Guidelines. The evaluation is about student capabilities to present and discuss data and not an evaluation of the research proposal.
  2. Present one poster
    • The poster is presented in April.
    • The poster must be a research poster; i.e., students must present his/her own data. Some data from other colleagues can be presented and must be acknowledged as such in the legend.
    • Students who do not have enough data can present their poster as a research proposal.
    • Each poster must be marked by five (5) professors. See Assessment Form and Assessment Guidelines.
  3. Attend twenty (20) seminars (10 seminars/session):
    • Must include at least 5 seminars from the NSC Program.
    • Other seminars can be any one organized by the different Research Institutes affiliated with the University of Ottawa.
    • Must be taken during the same year the seminar course is taken.
    • Student must submit a report (Seminar report form) at the end of the seminar course.
    • The supervisor must sign the report.
    • Graduate Studies Committee reviews the reports.
    • A failing mark is given to students who do not assist to a minimum of 20 seminars

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUPERVISOR

  1. Supervisors are responsible to teach their graduate students how to prepare seminars and posters. This includes:
    • helping the student in the selection of the seminar topic (if the student does not present his/her own data)
    • a review of the seminar or poster content
    • a review of the quality of slides and graphs
    • running practice sessions and give feedback to the student on his/her presentation
  2. To assess seminar or poster when they are assigned to a session.

Professors who have students presenting seminars and posters are automatically assigned to mark seminar and poster sessions. It is the responsibility of the professors to find a replacement when they cannot attend the session they have been assigned to. A professor can be replaced only by another professor.

ADMINISTRATION OF THE NSC GRADUATE PROGRAM

The NSC graduate program resides in the Faculty of Medicine. A Director and Assistant-director administer the NSC program on a daily basis according to the NSC program regulations. A NSC Graduate Studies Committee (NSC-GSC) assists the Director and Assistant Director in resolving issues with students or professors, in recommending changes to the program regulations and in ranking scholarship applications when necessary (e.g., NSERC and OGS). Program regulations of the NSC program are decided and voted on at the Professor assembly, which is composed of professors of the NSC program with membership to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) in good standing.

Composition of the NSC Graduate Studies Committee

Present Members

Paul Albert Director  2005-2013
Len Maler Assistant Director 2005-2013

Jean-Claude Béïque

 Member 2011-2014
Antonio Colavita Member  2008-2014
Johnny Ngsee Member/interim
Director (2011-2012)		 2008-2014
David Park Member  2011-2014
Steffany Bennett Member 
2009-2012
Xia Zhang Member 
2009-2012
Hsiao-Huei Chen Member 
2009-2012

Composition

  • Two members from Basic Science departments
  • Two members from Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI) - General Campus
  • Two members from the Civic campus (OHRI or Institute for Mental Health Research)

Appointment procedures

  • The NSC Facutly appoints
    • The Director of the program.
    • Two members to the Committee
  • NSC Faculty appoints the Assistant-Director
  • NSC Faculty appoints members of the Committee

Terms of the position

  • Director & Assistant-Director: 4 year term.
  • Committee members: 3 year term
  • All terms are renewable if the professor and their department/institute colleagues agree.

Director

Functions:

  • admission process
  • student progress (including advisory committee meeting and reports)
  • resolve student problems
  • organize ranking of NSERC and OGS scholarship
  • organizes seminar and poster sessions
  • Comprehensive exam
  • M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis

Assistant-Director

Functions:

  • organizes Systems Neuroscience field
  • assists Director in all activities as needed

Committee members:

  • Be present at the NSC-GSC and Professor Assembly meetings
  • Responsible to gather problems faced by students and professors from their respective department/institute.
  • Responsible to advise professors and students of any decisions made at NSC-GSC meetings
  • Be a contact between professors/students and NSC-GSC.

For more information regarding this page please contact Nicole Trudel

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Last updated: 2012.04.17