Unless stated otherwise for students enrolled in particular graduate programs, the academic policies and regulations of the Faculty of Graduate Studies generally apply to all students enrolled in graduate programs at York University. They specify the minimum requirements for the award of Masters and Doctoral degrees. In a number of instances, individual graduate programs have additional requirements. These additional or more stringent requirements take precedence over the general Faculty Regulations.
Normally, all students are subject only to the Faculty policies and regulations and the appropriate additional graduate program requirements, if any, which were in effect when they first enrolled in a graduate program as a candidate for a master’s degree or a Doctoral degree.
Senate Policy stipulates that York University, including the Faculty of Graduate Studies, shall make reasonable and appropriate accommodations and adaptations in order to promote the ability of students with disabilities to fulfill the academic requirements of their programs.
The nature and extent of accommodations shall be consistent with and supportive of the integrity of the curriculum and of the academic standards of programs or courses.
Provided that students have given sufficient notice about their accommodation needs, instructors shall take reasonable steps to accommodate these needs in a manner consistent with the guidelines established hereunder.
'Disabilities' shall be defined as those conditions so designated under the Ontario Human Rights Code in force from time to time, and will, in any event, include physical, medical, learning and psychiatric disabilities.
Guidelines with respect to this policy can be found on the University Secretariat website.
Further information is available on the York University Admissions website.
For faculty and staff procedures, please visit Accommodation Procedures.
Any graduate student may petition through their program office to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for the waiving of one or more of the academic regulations and/or other requirements of the graduate program or of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Procedures with respect to academic petitions and appeals of petition decisions are available in the Academic Petitions and Appeals sections of the Faculty of Graduate Studies academic regulations.
Grade reappraisals in the Faculty of Graduate Studies are governed by the Senate Principles Regarding Grade Reappraisals. Procedures with respect to grade reappraisals are available in the Graduate Courses and Grading section of the Faculty of Graduate Studies academic regulations.
Students in the Faculty of Graduate Studies are expected to conform to strict standards of academic honesty as specified in the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty. A lack of familiarity with the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty on the part of a student does not constitute a defence against their application to him or her.
Any breach of academic honesty is a serious offence to both the University community and the academic enterprise. Any suspected breach of academic honesty, no matter how small it may appear, requires investigation. The Faculty of Graduate Studies has established complementary procedures specific to the investigation and resolution of alleged violations of the Senate Policy on Academic Honesty.
For more information, please review our Intellectual Property and Graduate Education webpage.
In cases where a graduate student chooses to avail themselves of the support of a hired/professional editor for their major research paper/project or thesis/dissertation, written permission from their supervisor must be obtained, in keeping with recommendations by the Editors’ Association of Canada. The extent of editing provided must not exceed the guidelines set out by the Editors’ Association of Canada in its Guidelines for Ethical Editing of Graduate Student Texts. The guidelines stipulate that editing must not affect the content or structure of the work. Editing tasks are therefore limited to copy editing, stylistic editing, and proofreading. Substantive editing, which can involve extensive structural revisions and rewriting by the editor, is not permissible.
York University’s Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities applies to non-academic student conduct. Academic student conduct is governed by Senate and Faculty policies and is beyond the scope of the Code of Student Rights & Responsibilities.
Access to student records is governed by York University's Policy on Access to Information and Protection of Privacy and complies with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
By applying for admission to York University and by enrolling in a program at the University, students consent to the collection of their personal information by York University for educational, administrative and statistical purposes. The information is needed to process their admission application and their enrolment and registration in academic programs; to record and track their academic progress; to provide the basis for awards and government funding and for related recordkeeping purposes. Students agree that all information and documentation submitted to the University in support of an application for admission, counselling and disability services, residence accommodation or financial award, or any petition or appeal, becomes the property of the University.
York University may be required to disclose student information in situations where the University is required to comply with the law; as part of law enforcement investigations or proceedings; in situations where personal student health or safety is of concern, or; in compassionate circumstances.
An electronic record of student's achievements at the University is preserved permanently, but all other documentation contained in students' files may be destroyed in accordance with the University’s records retention policies.
A full listing of Senate, University and Presidential Policies, Procedures and Regulations is available on the York Secretariat website.
For incoming or current graduate student requiring accommodations due to a disability, please review our Accommodations for Graduate Students webpage.