Your thesis proposal is when you outline your intended research study and your committee reviews it. In LLE, writing your proposal is embedded within the comps process. In C&P, you write your proposal after completing your comprehensive exam.

The thesis proposal is developed in consultation with your advisor/supervisor. Most students write and revise several draft proposals as their thinking evolves and is shaped in interaction with faculty, peers, research, etc.

Different departments and supervisors have different approaches to the development and approval of a thesis proposal. It is best to discuss this with your faculty advisor or thesis supervisor. Generally, a thesis proposal includes the following:

• a clear statement of the problem addressed in the study, usually in the form of a question or
  questions;

• a rationale or justification for the study, in terms of its implications for educational theory and/or practice, i.e., what will this study contribute to theoretical and/or practical knowledge in your field;

• a critical review of relevant literature, to determine what is and is not known about your problem, what the outstanding issues are, and how your proposal fits with this larger context;

• the assumptions which underlie your research and, where appropriate, the major hypotheses to be tested;

• a description of the methodology and procedures which will be followed in your study and an
  explanation of their appropriateness to the questions being asked in your study;

• a description of how you plan to analyze and interpret the data in your study. In some studies
  this may be subsumed under methodology and procedures;

• a logical and clear plan for carrying out the project, including a tentative timetable.

It depends on who your advisor/supervisor is! The person you are working with might want you write a three chapter proposal or they may want you to write a shorter summary. It depends entirely on who you are working with.

It depends on what program you are in. In LLE, you do have to do a comps/proposal review. In C&P, your committee has to review it so it's like a mini-defence but it's not called a defence.

First you need to write your proposal, get a supervisor, and form your committee. A committee is typically comprised of three graduate faculty members, including the thesis supervisor who must be from your home department. The thesis supervisor must be a Full Member of the graduate faculty of the University of Toronto.

Once the potential composition of the Supervisory Committee has been determined, the proposed members are approached by the thesis supervisor for their agreement. Upon achieving this, the committee is officially formed, its members listed on the Thesis Supervision Approval Form, and approved by the Chair of your home department. It is then submitted to your department. This form also includes the thesis title and signatures of all committee members. Additional materials must be submitted for any Supervisory Committee members requiring the approval of the Chair of the department.