Instructor(s): Faculty Advisor

Please Note: Registration in this course is contingent upon Faculty approval and submission of the appropriate signed form to the Records Office by the deadline; see details below.

  • Upper year students may opt to complete a Supervised Upper Year Research Paper ("SUYRP"). This option may be fulfilled by enrolling in a course indicated as an eligible Supervised Upper Year Research Paper course.
  • A SUYRP can only be written under the supervision of a University of Toronto Faculty of Law full-time faculty member. Students must obtain permission from the instructor before making their selection. The general rule is that adjunct faculty may not supervise the SUYRP. In exceptional circumstances, a student can petition the Assistant Dean, Office of the Associate Dean, for permission to do a SUYRP with an adjunct faculty member if a full-time faculty member has agreed to co-supervise.
  • The purpose of the SUYRP contemplates on-going discussion with the supervising faculty member, about the choice of topic and the direction of the paper, and may include: review of a detailed outline, review of a bibliography; review of a draft; and comments back about the draft prior to submission of a final version.
  • To satisfy this option, students may be asked to submit their work in progress to their supervising faculty member and to arrange a schedule of meetings or opportunities for feedback with their supervising faculty member.
  • The length of the paper cannot be less than 7,500 words in total (excluding the bibliography).
  • This option cannot be fulfilled while a student is away on exchange or on a letter of permission.
  • Students completing a SUYRP in a designated course must complete all of the required elements of a course evaluation (e.g. case comments, class presentations) unless they are specifically outlined as different for students completing a SUYRP in the course.
  • Deadlines for the submission of draft work are to be determined between the faculty member and student.

Choosing A Course:

  • Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the instructor well in advance of the deadline for submitting the SUYRP form. Instructors may limit the number of students whom the instructor is prepared to supervise (for e.g., 5 per seminar).
  • Students are advised to read the course description carefully to determine whether or not there is a limitation and consult with the instructor early to avoid disappointment. Even if this is not indicated, instructors reserve the right to limit the number of papers which they will supervise. Instructors may do this on a first-come first-served basis, or may require that students submit an outline (and/or bibliography) prior to approval.

The Process:

  • Students receive an additional graded credit when they complete a SUYRP.
  • 'Supervised Upper Year Research Paper' will show on the transcript in the term in which the supervised upper year research paper is completed.
  • Students will receive the same mark for their SUYRP that they receive in the underlying course.
  • Students have the option to drop the SUYRP credit after the add/drop deadline. This discretion will not be available to students for whom the change would take them below the required 13 credits in the term and 28 in the year.
  • Students must submit a Supervised Upper Year Research Paper Request Form (available on-line, or from the Records Office), signed by the supervising faculty member, to the Records Office by the SUYRP deadline date in each term.
  • Upon receipt of the signed form, the Records Office will place students in the SUYRP course.

Responsibilities: Please note the following general requirements and guidelines.

  • Students must arrange to discuss a topic with an approved instructor in an approved course. Note some instructors are available and would like to do this prior to the start of term; others will prefer to do this once term begins.
  • Students must submit a signed (by the supervisor) approval form by the SUYRP deadline for the term.
  • Students with their supervisor should arrange a schedule of consultations and opportunities for feedback through the term.
  • The schedule of consultations and opportunities for feedback could include:

- Submission of an outline,
- Submission of a bibliography,
- Submission of a first draft,
- Review of first draft with comments, and
- E-mail and in-person discussions about the topic and the development of the paper.

  • Deadlines for the submission of draft work are to be determined between the supervisor and the student.
  • Students must submit the final paper to the Records Office by the relevant deadline for written work in each term.
Evaluation
The length of the paper will be determined between the Faculty member and student but cannot be less than 7,500 words in total (excluding the bibliography).
Academic year
2024 - 2025

At a Glance

First Term
Credits
1

Enrolment

Maximum
200

200 JD