Evaluation

[nicks2]

When you're doing a MSc, who grades students in research based thesis? Is it the supervisor, advisory committee, or other professors?

[ontariostudent]

Thesis evaluation is usually pass/fail. Passing means fulfilling all your requirements and successfully defending a thesis in front of a committee and other examiners. From my understanding no one every really "fails" a thesis defense, because your supervisor and committee should not let you defend until you are ready.

 

For an MSc you really only have to demonstrate your ability to do research. You don't need to discover something new or demonstrate crazy findings. If you work hard there should be nothing stopping you from passing.

[nicks2]

I was just looking at this link and it seems that they grade you based on percentage, not pass/fail. http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2008/pg1687.html# Also, http://www.westerncalendar.uwo.ca/2008/pg132.html

 

My question is who does the grading (committee, supervisor)?

[ontariostudent]

I am not at Western but I believe the grading scheme you posted is not used for thesis grading, but for course grading. Those in thesis-based MSc programs have to take a minimal number of graduate courses, which are usually graded on a regular type of ABC scale. In most programs the thesis part is pass/fail and the courses are graded.

 

As for the thesis, the committee and examiners will vote on whether the student passes or fails.

[nicks2]

I am not at Western but I believe the grading scheme you posted is not used for thesis grading, but for course grading. Those in thesis-based MSc programs have to take a minimal number of graduate courses, which are usually graded on a regular type of ABC scale. In most programs the thesis part is pass/fail and the courses are graded.

 

Why do you have to take graduate courses if you're doing a thesis MSc? What are the courses about?

[ontariostudent]

I suggest you look into individual graduate programs that you're interested in before you start posting here. Each program has different course requirements, so I can't tell you how many and which courses you will have to take.

 

The courses in a research based MSc program give you background knowledge that is necessary for your research. Students will often take more than the required amount because the information is useful. Also, by taking courses you have objective evaluation of what you are doing in your program, so when you apply to things later on they will be able to see how you performed beyond the pass/fail of your thesis. In addition, these courses will highlight your areas of expertise. If you want to be a researcher or academic or TA later on, people will want to see what kind of courses you took and how well you did in them. This will show them how suitable you are for the position.