To advise on the thesis and to participate in the master's examination of students in the thesis option, an external examiner from outside the university may be appointed by the school director, in consultation with the advisor and the graduate co-ordinator. The external examiner will submit a written appraisal of the thesis to the school director. The external examiner is expected to attend the master's examination and to assist in evaluating all aspects of the candidate's performance.

The final oral examination, devoted chiefly to the defence of the thesis, is a school examination identified as the master's examination. The master's examination committee normally consists of three or four members appointed by the school's director, as follows:

• A member of the regular graduate faculty of the school who is not a member of the advisory committee, to act as chair of the master's examination committee and to make arrangements therefor;

• A member of the candidate's advisory committee (normally, the advisor);

• A member of the associated graduate faculty or of the graduate faculty who may be a member of the advisory committee;

• A fourth member may be appointed from among graduate faculty from another department, from the school or from the advisory committee, according to school and/or examination requirements. The fourth member may be an external examiner.

If possible, a member of another department should be included on the committee.

The department chair is responsible for notifying the dean of the composition of the committee and for reporting to the dean the outcome of the examination.

The examination is open to the public; members of the audience may question the candidate only upon invitation of the chair of the committee.

The examination is passed and the thesis approved if there is no more than one negative vote. An abstention is regarded as a negative vote. The report to the Dean of Graduate Studies will record the decision as unsatisfactory or satisfactory. If unsatisfactory, the candidate may be given a second attempt. A second unsatisfactory result constitutes a recommendation to the Board of Graduate Studies that the student be required to withdraw (see Unsatisfactory Progress and Appeals of Decisions).