Graduate Nursing Student Handbook

PhD and MN Thesis-based students require a Supervisory Committee. The committee normally will consist of a Supervisor and two additional faculty members. If there is a co-supervisor, two additional members are still required.

Students and Supervisors are required to complete the Appointment of Supervisory Committee form within 3 months of starting their program.

DN students require a Supervisory Committee. The committee will normally consist of an assigned faculty supervisor, and at least two additional academic members from relevant faculties and institutions. The workplace mentor will be a non-voting member of the committee. 

Graduate students are expected to meet with their supervisor on a regular basis.

Students are expected to take minutes at all meetings, to be forwarded to your supervisor and committee (and any other attendees) within 48 hours of the meeting for their approval. The meeting minutes should then be sent to nursgrad@ucalgary.ca within 5 days of the meeting, indicating whether or not they have been approved.

Cancelled meetings should also be documented.

Agenda Template
Meeting Minutes Template 

Complete the two mandatory checklists, Expectations and Intellectual Property, within the first two months of working with your supervisor and submit them to nursgrad@ucalgary.ca.

Refer back to the documents regularly to stay on track and maintain a healthy and productive Student and Supervisor relationship.

It is recommended that the documents be reviewed by the Student and Supervisor on a regular basis. 

The Faculty of Graduate Studies provides resources regarding the expectations of a graduate student and a supervisor. 

Please review the Student and Supervisor expectations.

In rare circumstances, a change of supervisor may be required.

Changing your supervisor may lead to a change in your thesis topic, funding, access to research data, and may affect your publications.

Prior to requesting a change of supervisor, please contact the Nursing Graduate office nursgrad@ucalgary.ca.  Each request is handled on a case by case basis.

Information also available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website. 

The general regulations apply to all graduate students. Regulations specific to particular degree programs are outlined in the individual program, found in the Programs section.

Notices of any changes in regulations are available from the program office. It is the student’s responsibility to be familiar with the regulations and deadlines of the Faculty of Graduate Studies as stated in this Calendar, in their graduate program’s Handbook and, for thesis-based students, in the Thesis Guidelines (grad.ucalgary.ca/current-students/thesis-based-students/thesis).

Poor academic standing is defined by any one, or combination, of the following conditions:

1. A student receives a "C+" or lower in any one course.
2. A student does not maintain an annual GPA of at least 3.00 calculated each year at the time of their registration anniversary.

A student who is in poor academic standing will normally be required to withdraw from the program.

It is important to make a solid plan for the completion of all course work to ensure that students will complete their program in a timely manner.

Graduate-level nursing courses for each term are available for you to view through your Student Centre.

The Annual Progress Report (APR) is an annual requirement for MN Thesis-based, DN and PhD students.

The APR is a tool for you and your supervisor to monitor your progress. 

Each year, you must complete the APR in May to review your past work and set goals for the future year.

All University of Calgary students must use their @ucalgary.ca email address for all university business. Once you create your email account, your contact information will be automatically updated to your official @ucalgary.ca address.  

Remember to check your @ucalgary.ca email regularly for course, program and advisory related correspondence. All communication from UCalgary will be sent to the @ucalgary.ca address only.

For support with your UCalgary IT account and IT resources, such as password resets, multifactor authentication, D2L and Office 365, connect IT Support, part of UService.

To successfully engage in learning experiences at the University of Calgary, students taking online, remote and blended courses are required to have reliable access to the following technology:

• A computer with a supported operating system, as well as the latest security, and malware updates.
• A current and updated web browser.
• Webcam (built-in or external).
• Microphone and speaker (built-in or external), or headset with microphone.
• Current antivirus and/or firewall software enabled.
• Broadband internet connection.

The Academic Schedule in Graduate Studies Calendar is the go-to place for important dates.

Frequently used forms and documents can be located on this page.

Master of Nursing Thesis-based, PhD & DN students are automatically registered as full-time students regardless of how quickly they move through their degree program.

Advanced Nursing Practice l and ll (Graduate Certificates) are a specialization certificate, cohort-based, one-year, part-time program, offered via online delivery. 

If a Change of Status is required, it must occur on the anniversary of the student's initial registration by completing a Change of Status form. 

Students must be aware of the Academic Integrity webpage on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

Effective Fall 2023 all incoming students are required to complete the following D2L modules:

• Graduate Student Orientation (GradO)
• Academic Integrity Orientation

Courses will be will be in your D2L at start of the semester. 

Students must create their UCalgary IT account in order to be added to the D2L site

A Change of Course Registration form is required to add/drop after the deadline or to enrol in a course offered by another faculty or department.

If an extension is required beyond the end of term, a deferral of term work form must be completed. Deferrals are granted at the discretion of the faculty member offering the course and with the approval of the associate dean for no longer than 30 days after the last day of the term.

Graduate students wanting to change programs (e.g. from thesis-based to PhD or part-time to full-time) must first consult with their supervisor.

A change in program may result in a change in tuition fees.

A Change of Program Request form must be submitted to the Undergraduate & Graduate Programs Office at nursgrad@ucalgary.ca. 

Should a student require additional time to complete their program, they must consult with their supervisor. The student and supervisor must work together to make a formal request by submitting a Program/Candidacy Extension Request form to the Undergraduate & Graduate Programs Office.

Students may request a Leave of Absence (LOA) as a service request through their Student Centre. Additional information regarding eligibility, as well as impacts on funding and program progression, is available from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Students must complete a Voluntary Withdrawal Service Request via their Student Centre if they wish to withdraw from their graduate program. 

More information about voluntary and involuntary withdrawals is available from the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Graduate students may be approved to take a course at another university, with the approval of their supervisor and the Faculty of Nursing Associate Dean Graduate Programs. 

The formal request requires completion of a Western Dean's Agreement form. Tuition and general fees at the University of Calgary and applicable general fees at the host institution must be paid. The student is responsible for contacting the host university for information on their fees and deadlines.

To ensure Nursing students follow documentation standards and guidelines which align with the College of Registered Nurses of Alberta (CRNA), please review the Student Signature on Documentation Guidelines.

Current nursing students and alumni may require documents verifying their nursing education, including concepts covered and theory, clinical and lab hours. The Graduate Programs Office can assist you with having these documents prepared.

All graduate students are responsible for registering in the correct courses each semester to progress through their degree.  

Fall and Winter registration opens April; Spring and Summer registration opens February.  

Please refer to the course progression page to find the courses you require each semester. 

Thesis-based students who have completed all of their required coursework will need to activate their registration each term. 

All thesis-based students must activate their registration annually even if they are not taking courses.

It is the student's responsibility to activate their registration and ensure they meet graduation requirements. Instructions for activating/initializing registration are available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website.

When commencing your graduate program, make sure you understand your tuition and general fees, and learn which awards you are eligible for.

UCalgary offers a payment plan which allows students to pay tuition and fees in installments over the term, rather than all at once. 

Full-time students will automatically incur fees for Health & Dental Plan available through the Graduate Students' Association. Students with other benefit coverage may choose to opt-out.

Your T4A and other tax forms are available for download through your Student Centre. 

The purpose of funding graduate students is to provide financial support to individuals pursuing full-time graduate studies in the absence of significant professional work. 

The Graduate Award Competition (GAC) encompasses a broad range of awards funded by donors and the University of Calgary.

GAC competition opens November 1. Deadlines to submit award applications are set individually. To confirm the deadline for your program, check your GAC online application. Late applications will not be accepted

Note: GAC awards are open to research-based students only.

Graduate Nursing Students are encouraged to submit an application to the Program Recommended Awards. Awards are available to students enrolled in full-time studies unless otherwise indicated in the Terms of Reference.

Applications open April 15 with deadline to submit June 2. 

The PRAs are disbursed in the Fall term.

The Graduate Student Association Financial Support & Awards. 

There are a number of external funding opportunities for students. Students are encouraged to seek out these opportunities, including federal scholarships such as the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) scholarships.

The Faculty of Grad Studies awards website lists federal, provincial, UofC, Indigenous and other external awards. Students can search the Graduate Awards Database for specific criteria (e.g. doctoral) and/or keywords (e.g. nursing). 

Students are also encouraged to seek out external funding opportunities for Registered Nurses, including but not limited to Alberta Registered Nurses Educational Trust and the Canadian Nurses Foundation.

All student funding is paid through direct deposit. Students must enter their banking information into their Student Centre.

Students will take one course each semester over four standard semesters (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.) You must successfully complete the previous course with B- or higher grade to progress to the next course.

Students who do not attend Connect Days will normally be withdrawn from the associated course, as per the Academic Calendar.

Each graduate certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice is part-time and takes one year to complete. The maximum completion time for each graduate certificate is two years. The maximum completion time for the Laddered Certificate Pathway to the MN course-based degree is six years.

MNTB  

Required Courses 

• NURS 611 - Fall - Theoretical Knowledge and Advanced Nursing Practice (3 units)
• NURS 683 - Fall - Qualitative Designs and Analysis (3 units)
• NURS 630 - Winter - Quantitative Research and Statistics (3 units)
• NURS 690 - Winter - Cultivating Personal Leadership (3 units)
• NURS 632 - Spring - Writing Proposals for the Nursing Profession (3 units)
• Additional electives, as necessary. Examples are Hermeneutics and Advanced Statistics.

MNCB 

1. Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice I (12 units) (prior to admission to MN program)
2. Graduate Certificate in Advanced Nursing Practice II (12 units) (prior to admission to MN program)
3. Plus successful completion of the following core courses (12 units)

• NURS 683 - Fall -Qualitative Designs and Analysis (3 units)
• NURS 630 - Winter - Quantitative Research and Statistics (3 units)
• NURS 690 - Spring - Cultivating Personal Leadership (3 units) OR
• NURS 635 - Spring - Implementation Science for Health Professions (3 units) (only if previously completed NURS 660 - Fall - Cultivating Personal Leadership)
• NURS 632 - Summer - Writing Proposals for the Nursing Profession (3 units)        

Students who wish to proceed with a Manuscript-based Thesis along with their supervisor and supervisory committee members should plan early on in their program and carefully review the guidelines. 

Publication is an expectation in research intensive universities. In research intensive universities, Nursing Graduate Students need to be brought into an ethos of making publication a priority in their program. In the response to recommendations from the 2014 Unit Review, the Faculty of Nursing undertook the development of a policy to guide Faculty and Students related to authorship on publications.

Writing Support offers creative coaching to help you become a more effective communicator.

MN students must have their proposal approved by the Supervisory Committee and the appropriate ethics review board. All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed and approved the student's draft thesis document before an examination can be scheduled. 

Taylor Family Digital Library

Graduate Nurse Resources Training

Dr. Alix Hayden, Nursing Librarian

Whether you are in the planning stages or the conducting stages of your research, the library has resources and services that will be useful to you throughout the research life-cycle. Some of these resources or services are available on the website.
 

Required Courses

• NURS 783: Winter - Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
• NURS 724: Winter - Philosophy, Knowledge and Research in Nursing
• NURS 726: Spring - Developing a Scholarly e-Portfolio
• NURS 744: Fall - Health Policy & Advocacy
• NURS 721: Fall - Advanced Quantitative Research Methods

Doctoral students must have their research proposals approved in principle by their supervisory committee prior to candidacy. Students must receive formal approval of their research proposals from the supervisory committee before proceeding to ethical review and implementation of the project. The examination has a written and an oral component.

Please see the links to the Faculty of Nursing Candidacy Regulations as well as information on the Faculty of Graduate Studies website on Exams and Candidacy.

Following successful completion of candidacy students must receive ethics approval. Students must receive formal approval of their research proposals from the supervisory committee before proceeding to ethics review and implementation of the project. The Research Office in the Faculty of Nursing will help you with your ethics application.

Taylor Family Digital Library

Graduate Nurse Resources Training

Dr. Alix Hayden, Nursing Librarian

Whether you are in the planning stages or the conducting stages of your research, the library has resources and services that will be useful to you throughout the research life-cycle. Some of these resources or services are available on the website.

All members of the Supervisory Committee must have reviewed and approved the student's draft thesis document before an examination can be scheduled. 

Your supervisor is responsible for making arrangements for your defense exams. 

The Graduate Programs Office must receive the examination information from the supervisor a minimum of 8 weeks prior to the oral examination date. 

If the oral examination (MNTB, PhD, DN) is preceded by a separate public presentation, this information must be provided to the Nursing Graduate Office with the submission of the exam time frame form. This arrangement must be communicated to the examination committee members.

A list of all proposed attendees must be submitted to the Graduate Programs Office a minimum of one week prior to the examination.

Following the successful final defense of the thesis, and after completing all required revisions to the thesis, the student is responsible for completing and submitting the required paperwork to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. 

Once those documents have been submitted and approved, the student will be able to submit the final thesis to The Vault.

MNCB program is only available to students upon completion of the Graduate Certificates Advanced Nursing Practice l & ll with a minimum GPA of 3.0

Course-based students have a total of six years to complete the program.

Students are responsible for applying to graduate prior to the deadline or they remain as a registered student and are required to pay applicable tuition and general fees. 

Once you have a confirmed examination date you should apply to graduate.

Students who have completed their program can generate a Letter of Degree Completion from the Student Centre if they have been cleared for graduation and their account is in good financial standing. These letters are a means for the student to provide proof of degree completion before they have received their parchment and final transcripts.

A directory of student services available at the University of Calgary. 

Wellness Services offer a variety of mental health services, which can be accessed by students. More information is available here.

The Faculty of Nursing offers a  Nurse Practitioner (NP), Mental Health and Wellness Clinic available to all Nursing students, staff and faculty. 

The University Library offers a wide variety of services, facilities and information resources to assist you with your research and practice information needs.

The Awards & Financial Aid Office can provide information regarding awards, bursaries, loans and other forms of funding for your studies. They are also the only office that is able to complete documentation related to loans, etc.

NGSA is a student-led volunteer association which aims to connect and empower graduate nursing students through services, leadership, and professional development. 

NGSA role is to foster a supportive community of nursing graduate students through:

• providing opportunities for professional development
• promoting social interaction and collaboration among graduate students, faculty, and community members
• representing the interests of nursing graduate students to the Graduate Students Association (GSA) & Faculty of Nursing Graduate Programs Committees.

UNS is a student organization offering leadership and participatory opportunities with members chosen/elected by their peers.

UNS endeavours to enrich the lives of nursing students professionally, academically and  socially through a variety of initiatives including faculty, university and community volunteerism, fundraising  for causes inside and outside the faculty and events. The UNS plays a vital role in communication to nursing students across all years of the undergraduate program.

UNS executive members sit on a number of faculty committees, providing opportunities to learn – and potentially have a say – about the governance of the faculty. All students are encouraged to become involved in any way that is comfortable: email is checked on a regular basis at uns@ucalgary.ca and participation in any form is always welcome.