To request approval of an FOE, the supervisor must submit the FOE Request Form a minimum of 8 weeks prior to the exam date. The form requires the following information:
- Student Name
- Thesis Title
- Exam date and time
- Examiners
- 1 to 3 from the supervisory committee (including the supervisor(s) – for clarity, in cases of supervision each supervisor counts as 1 examiner)
- 1 to 2 U of T examiners from outside the supervisory committee
- Appraiser info and CV
- Prior to submitting the form, the supervisor must contact their first choice appraiser to confirm they are available for the exam date and willing to write an appraisal.
- A second and third choice for appraiser must also be listed. The supervisor is not required to contact them unless the first choice appraiser is not approved.
- The external appraiser must be a recognized expert on the subject of the thesis and external to the University. They must be at arm’s length from both the candidate and the supervisor. They must be an Associate or Full Professor and should be experienced as a successful supervisor of doctoral candidates through their defense. An appraiser from outside the academic sector may be approved in exceptional circumstances if they possess the qualifications to be appointed to an academic position at this level.
The request will be reviewed by the Associate Chair for preliminary approval, and by SGS for final approval. Once approved, the graduate office will schedule the exam and confirm the details with the student and examiners.