To advise on the exhibition/paper and to attend the master's examination, an external examiner from outside the university may be appointed by the school director, in consultation with the advisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator. The external examiner will submit a written appraisal of the exhibition/paper 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 exhibition/paper may be completed at any time of the year, but candidates must bear in mind the desirability of having the final examination as much in advance of the deadline date as possible. Candidates should be aware of the deadlines posted in the Schedule of Dates in the graduate calendar. Candidates should discuss their thesis write-up with their advisors early in the final semester.

Following the master's examination, the candidate, if successful, will submit the paper and the photographic record of the exhibition to the school where they will be retained permanently.

At the time of the exhibition, the MFA candidate will be expected to successfully complete a final oral examination devoted chiefly to the MFA exhibition with reference to the supporting critical paper. This is a school examination identified as the master's examination. The master's examination committee normally consists of four members appointed by the school director, as follows:

• A member of the regular graduate faculty of the school or retired faculty with Associated Graduate Faculty status, 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 graduate faculty who may be a member of the advisory committee;

• A fourth member 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 school director is responsible for notifying the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies) of the composition of the committee, and for reporting to the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies) the outcome of the examination.

The examination committee is expected to review the exhibition and the critical paper. The student is examined orally on the contents of the exhibition and the paper. Viewing the exhibition may take place over several days; the oral examination should take place following the viewing and must involve all members of the examination committee, including the external examiner (if applicable), as well as the candidate. Both of these components constitute the master's examination. The examination is open to the public; members of the audience may question the candidate only upon invitation of the chair of the examination committee.

The examination is passed and the exhibition/paper approved if there is no more than one negative vote. An abstention is regarded as a negative vote. The report to the Assistant Vice-President (Graduate Studies) will record the decision as unsatisfactory or satisfactory. If unsatisfactory, the candidate may be given the opportunity of 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).

A photographic record of the exhibition and a copy of the critical paper is retained in the school.