By the end of the second year of study, the student must have chosen an Advisor and at least one additional faculty member to form an Advisory Committee. The manuscripts must have a common theme, and the dissertation will include an introduction and conclusion, in addition to the manuscripts. No more than one of the manuscripts may be co-authored, in which case the student also needs to be the first author. All students are required to submit to an examination administered by the PhD Sub-committee to establish reading proficiency in a second language, which shall normally be French. Students who completed one or more of their previous degrees in a language other than English may be exempt from this requirement with the permission of the Graduate Committee.
Participation is required for students in the social demography specialization only.
It involves all demography faculty and students, plus occasional guests. Faculty will present their ongoing research in such a way as to help students choose dissertation topics. Students will present stages of their dissertation in order to have feedback from others besides their Advisor. Students are required to register for this workshop for the entire period of their program. It is a non-credit requirement.