- About
- Research
- Prospective Students
- Current Students
- News & Events
- News
- Events
- News & Kudos Archives
- 2023 Archives
- Spring 2023 Virtual Geospeaker Event with Ginger Gosnell-Myers
- Scientists dig deep and find a way to accurately predict snowmelt after droughts
- SFU faculty members explore Indigenous epistemologies
- Cracking the Case of Missing Snowmelt After Drought
- 2023 ESRI Canada GIS Scholarship for SFU
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Daniel Murphy
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Kyle Kusack
- Thesis Defence - Congratulations to Matthew Taylor
- 2023 Archives
- Alumni
Program Progression
Graduate Progress Report
Graduate Progress Reports are meant to help students move through their programs in a timely way and to allow for early identification of issues, so that the committee can provide guidance as necessary. Graduate Progress Reports contain:
- a catalogue of a student's academic activities (courses, conference presentations, publications, etc.)
- a summary of milestones (proposal defence, qualifying examination completion) completed during the past year
- the supervisor's evaluation of the student's progress
Students must submit a graduate progress report by May 1 each year (except in cases where their thesis or dissertation defence takes place before May 1). Please visit the Graduate Progress Report page on the Graduate and Post Doctoral Studies website for details on generating and submitting the report. Students who do not complete a graduate progress report risk being withdrawn from graduate studies. Satisfactory progress toward degree completion is required to remain in the program.
How is Satisfactory Progress defined?
The following two conditions are required for satisfactory progress:
- A Satisfactory CGPA - all students are required to maintain a CGPA of at least 3.0
- A Satisfactory Evaluation by the Supervisor - the supervisor rates overall progress as excellent, satisfactory, satisfactory with concerns, or unsatisfactory. A rating of unsatisfactory overall progress will be discussed between the Chair of Geography's Graduate Studies Committee and the supervisor, and can trigger a progress review by DGSC
What happens if progress is not satisfactory?
Unsatisfactory progress can result in several possible outcomes. These may include:
- withdrawal from the program
- provision of a remedial plan to ensure the student is able to make adequate progress as soon as is possible
- a discussion with the student and supervisor and/or the Chair of the Graduate Studies Committee to determine the causes of the issue and the best way to address it
In most cases, unsatisfactory progress is only a temporary concern. Persistent unsatisfactory progress should, however, be expected to lead to withdrawal.