phd thesis proposal defence

PhD Thesis Proposal Defense: Common Questions and Feedback

This past two weeks I attended a number of proposal defense of PhD students at my University. In this post, I discuss the general format of a proposal defense as well as discuss the most common questions asked and feedback given to the students by the external examiners.

Structure of a PhD proposal defense

Outcomes of a phd proposal defense, common questions and feedback for chapter 1 of the proposal, common questions and feedback for chapter 2 of the proposal, common questions and feedback for chapter 3 of the proposal, general feedback, final thoughts, related posts.

A proposal defense has: the student defending his proposal, two external examiners, the student’s supervisors, the audience, and the chair of the defense. The defense is structured as follows:

• The chair opens the session by welcoming and acknowledging the student, his supervisors and the external examiners.
• The chair also outlines how the defense will be undertaken including any rules that should be adhered to.
• The chair then welcomes the PhD student to introduce himself and make a presentation (usually 15 minutes).
• After the presentation by the student, the chair opens the floor to the external examiners to give their comments, ask questions and give feedback to the student on how to improve the proposal.
• The student is then required to respond to the questions asked and comments given.
• The chair then makes his remarks.
• Afterwards, the PhD student, his supervisors and the audience are requested to leave the room to allow the chair and the examiners to make their determination. The student and his supervisors are then called back in and the determination is spelt out to them.

There are about 4 possible outcomes after the student presents and defends his proposal:

• The proposal passes with minor or no corrections.
• The proposal passes with major corrections.
• The student retakes the proposal by re-writing it (may include change of topic) and defending it again.
• The proposal is rejected.

Rarely will a student be asked to re-take or will a proposal be rejected especially if it has been adequately supervised. This is because before the proposal is submitted for oral defense, it must be reviewed and signed by the supervisors.

Below is a list of the common questions and feedback for chapter 1:

• What is your working definition of [concepts]?
• Which sector do you want to focus on?
• From a [country/region] perspective, please explain what is the problem?
• How do you intend to solve the problem you have identified?
• What will your proposed solution comprise of?
• Who are the recipients of your proposed solution?
• What is the primary outcome of the research?
• Your objectives use [concept] while your problem statement talks of [a different concept]. What’s the difference between the two [concepts]?
• In the research objectives, there is an interchange and insertion of different words. Be careful about the concepts you use. There needs to be consistency in the concepts used throughout the proposal.
• What is the knowledge gap? That is, what is known and what is unknown that your study will attempt to address?
• How do you relate [different variables included in the topic]? Is one a precedent of the other?
• Are you investigating or examining? The topic says investigating while the objectives talk of examining.
• The presentation does not discuss [sector of focus], the opportunities that exist, and the challenges it faces. This would give the student a good basis for undertaking the research.
• There is no continuity in the objectives.
• There is no discussion of the study’s contribution to knowledge and practice, which is very important for PhD-level study.
• The background has many concepts that throw off readers on what the focus of the study is.
• The problem statement is not focused.
• What is the placement of the study regionally?
• The objectives are too long and broad; they should be specific.
• What is the underlying hypothesis of your study?
• One of the research questions is biased. The researcher should take a neutral stand.

Below is a list of the common questions and feedback for chapter 2:

• Which theories have inspired your work and who are the proponents of those theories?
• For each theory discussed in your proposal, briefly state what it says and how it informs your study.
• How are the theories related to your study?
• Why did you select those theories and not [other theories]?
• There are no empirical studies reviewed in your proposal.
• Your work must converge with other peoples’ work to be able to show the gap that your study is trying to fill.
• How did the choice of theories help you come up with your study’s concepts and variables?
• How will you measure the variables [in the topic]?
• You have just touched the surface of the empirical review, which should be a substantial section of your literature review.
• It is not clear what the research gap is from the literature review.
• After the empirical review, that’s when you now discuss the conceptual framework.
• The conceptual framework should clearly show the dependent and independent variables and their relationships.

Below is a list of the common questions and feedback for chapter 3:

• Kindly explain what your research philosophy is.
• What will your [quantitative] model comprise of?
• How are you going to verify and validate your [quantitative] model?
• Why is the sampling formula appropriate to your sector and study? Justify the sampling formula used in the proposal.
• Justify the choice of the sampling technique [e.g. purposive sampling].
• Justify your choice of data collection and data analysis methods.
• Are you going to use an inductive approach or a deductive approach to your study?
• There needs to be consistency between your objectives and research philosophy.
• If you have a number of population categories, you need to clearly articulate the sampling techniques for each category.
• The data analysis methods should be clearly articulated.
• The ethical considerations of your study should be adequately discussed.
• The data collection instruments should be part of the proposal defense.
• Your choice of research design and methods should be justified.
• What is your unit of analysis?
• Who are your study’s population?
• Will you have different questionnaires for different respondents?
• The data collection tools should have adequate background information questions to enable comparisons across different socio-economic and demographic groups.
• Why are you lagging a variable? Justify the need to lag the variable.
• Justify the choice of the model [e.g. Structural Equation Model].
• Which specific multivariate analysis will you use?
• Which tests are you going to conduct for the model and why? [e.g. normality, multicollinearity tests etc]
• The variables of your study should be defined.

In addition to the chapter-specific questions and feedback given, the students also received feedback on:

• The formatting of their proposals, including the font styles and size allowed, the numbering of the documents,
• The inclusion of front pages such as cover page, declaration, abstract, table of contents,
• The inclusion of back pages such as reference list and appendices which should include letter of introduction, consent letter for study respondents, data collection instruments, and work plan (Gantt chart) for the study.
• The style of referencing recommended by the School e.g. APA, which should be consistent throughout the proposal. The proposal defense should also include some of the citations so as to give it an authoritative feel.

From my observations during the four proposal defenses I attended, a proposal defense is an opportunity for the PhD student to defend his work and to convince the interviewing panel that the student knows what he is doing and what is required of him moving forward. Most of the panellists will do their best to make the student feel comfortable rather than intimidate him so PhD students should not panic when preparing to defend their proposals.

Of importance is adequate preparation before the defense and making sure that the proposal and presentation follow the guidelines provided by the School. Lastly, PhD students should keep in mind that the aim of the proposal defense is to help improve upon the student’s proposal and ensure that the research will meet the scientific rigour and standards of a PhD-level work.

How To Write Chapter 1 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Practical Guide)

How To Write Chapter 2 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Beginner’s Guide)

How To Write Chapter 3 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Detailed Guide)

How To Format A PhD Thesis In Microsoft Word (An Illustrative Guide)

Comprehensive Guidelines for Writing a PhD Thesis Proposal (+ free checklist for PhD Students)

Grace Njeri-Otieno

Grace Njeri-Otieno is a Kenyan, a wife, a mom, and currently a PhD student, among many other balls she juggles. She holds a Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Economics and has more than 7 years' experience with an INGO. She was inspired to start this site so as to share the lessons learned throughout her PhD journey with other PhD students. Her vision for this site is "to become a go-to resource center for PhD students in all their spheres of learning."

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Trapped in dissertation revisions?

How to create a dissertation proposal defense powerpoint (+example), published by steve tippins on june 21, 2022 june 21, 2022.

Last Updated on: 22nd May 2024, 04:14 am

As part of the dissertation process, you will need to create a dissertation proposal defense PowerPoint to present a summary of the plan for your study. You will need to show how important your study is and how it is useful. 

When creating the PowerPoint, keep in mind that you need to make sure all of your audience can understand all aspects of your study.  The exact content for the defense PowerPoint varies by college, discipline and department, so it is important that you discuss with your committee chair about the requirements. However, we will give some general guidelines that apply to most institutions.

The defense typically takes 20‐30 minutes. You should keep the timeframe in mind as you consider the information you will have in your presentation. 

Except for aspects of your presentation, such as the research question(s) or hypothesis(es), do not just read the slides. Instead, explain or expand on what is on the slides. To ensure you keep within the timeframe, practice narrating your PowerPoint presentation. 

Although the APA manual does not provide guidelines for creating a PowerPoint presentation, you will need to follow some of the APA style guidelines within your PowerPoint. 

For example, provide in-text citations for quotes, paraphrases, images, graphs, and other information that should be cited. Also, you will need to provide a list of pertinent references. 

The following are other format requirements for the slides :

• Create 17-20 slides.
• Do not provide a lot of information. Be concise and write a few sentences (approximately 1-7 on each slide). 
• Because your slides will contain only a small amount of information, any extra information that you want to touch on should be put in the notes section of the PowerPoint. 
• Write the information in your slides for visual appeal and optimum communication, using a legible font size. 
• You can use graphics and images to enhance and reinforce the information. However, ensure that they do not distract from your information.
• You can use bullet points but keep them to a minimum of 3-4 for each listing.

Example Dissertation Proposal Defense PowerPoint Template

The dissertation proposal will consist of three chapters, which you will be providing information on in the presentation. Although the contents and order of the contents may vary, there are some basic parts of the proposal that are usually required.  

The following is a breakdown of the usual contents that are included in the presentation. Each of these headings below represents the titles of each slide. The information below the headings is the type of content you will need to provide. 

Title (1 slide) : 

• Dissertation’s Title 
• Department of Program of Study/Name of University
• Chair and Committee Members

Statement of the Problem (1 slide):

• Provide the problem that your dissertation will address. 

Purpose of the Study (1 slide):

• Provide what the study will do relative to the issue(s) defined in the statement of the problem.

Significance of the Study (1 slide):

• Provide the main argument of why the solution to the problem that you propose is important. 

Research Question(s)/Hypothesis(es ) (1 slide):

• Provide the research question(s) or hypothesis(es) relevant to your field of study, written exactly as it is in your dissertation proposal.

The Literature Review (2 slides):  

• These slides should consist of a coherent, organized overview of the main literature that frames your study’s problem, and the gap in literature that your study will address. Make sure that you include the sources. 

Theoretical/Conceptual Framework (1 slide):

• This slide should consist of the theoretical/conceptual framework that will help you make sense of the phenomenon that you will investigate. 

Research Design (1 slide):

• Provide the framework for the methods of data collection and data analysis. Indicate whether the study will be quantitative or qualitative.

Sample and Population (1 slide):

• Provide the population that refers to the entire group that you will draw conclusions about, and the sample that refers to the specific group that you will collect data from.

Data Collection (1 slide):

• Provide the methods by which you will obtain the data. If the research design is quantitative, provide methods such as correlation and regression, mean, mode and median or others. If the design is qualitative, provide methods such as, interviews, questionnaires with open-ended questions, focus groups, observation, game or role-playing, case studies, or others.

Data Analysis (1-2 slides):

• This slide should contain the process you will use to understand, gather, compile, and process the data you will obtain. 

Limitations (1 slide):

• In this slide, explain the nature of the limitations and how they will be overcome during your research. 

Delimitations (1slide):

• Provide the characteristics that describe the boundaries of your study and limit the scope, such as sample size, geographical location, population traits, or others.

References (1-2 slides):

• Only provide those sources that you referred to in the presentation. Do not provide all the sources that you have in your dissertation proposal.

Thank You/Questions (1 slide):

• Use this final slide to thank your committee and to request questions from them.

Note : For information about citing your references, refer to Chapters 9 and 10 of the APA Manual 7 th edition.

For instructions on how to create a PowerPoint, see How to Create a Powerpoint Presentation .

View this video for “ Tips and Tricks for your Proposal Defense Day Presentation ” 

You can find several templates of students’ Dissertation Proposal Defense presentations online by searching for “Dissertation Proposal Defense PowerPoint.”  You can also find one at this webpage .

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide

Written by Luke Wink-Moran | Photo by insta_photos

Dissertation defenses are daunting, and no wonder; it’s not a “dissertation discussion,” or a “dissertation dialogue.” The name alone implies that the dissertation you’ve spent the last x number of years working on is subject to attack. And if you don’t feel trepidation for semantic reasons, you might be nervous because you don’t know what to expect. Our imaginations are great at making The Unknown scarier than reality. The good news is that you’ll find in this newsletter article experts who can shed light on what dissertations defenses are really like, and what you can do to prepare for them.

The first thing you should know is that your defense has already begun. It started the minute you began working on your dissertation— maybe even in some of the classes you took beforehand that helped you formulate your ideas. This, according to Dr. Celeste Atkins, is why it’s so important to identify a good mentor early in graduate school.

“To me,” noted Dr. Atkins, who wrote her dissertation on how sociology faculty from traditionally marginalized backgrounds teach about privilege and inequality, “the most important part of the doctoral journey was finding an advisor who understood and supported what I wanted from my education and who was willing to challenge me and push me, while not delaying me.  I would encourage future PhDs to really take the time to get to know the faculty before choosing an advisor and to make sure that the members of their committee work well together.”

Your advisor will be the one who helps you refine arguments and strengthen your work so that by the time it reaches your dissertation committee, it’s ready. Next comes the writing process, which many students have said was the hardest part of their PhD. I’ve included this section on the writing process because this is where you’ll create all the material you’ll present during your defense, so it’s important to navigate it successfully. The writing process is intellectually grueling, it eats time and energy, and it’s where many students find themselves paddling frantically to avoid languishing in the “All-But-Dissertation” doldrums. The writing process is also likely to encroach on other parts of your life. For instance, Dr. Cynthia Trejo wrote her dissertation on college preparation for Latin American students while caring for a twelve-year-old, two adult children, and her aging parents—in the middle of a pandemic. When I asked Dr. Trejo how she did this, she replied:

“I don’t take the privilege of education for granted. My son knew I got up at 4:00 a.m. every morning, even on weekends, even on holidays; and it’s a blessing that he’s seen that work ethic and that dedication and the end result.”

Importantly, Dr. Trejo also exercised regularly and joined several online writing groups at UArizona. She mobilized her support network— her partner, parents, and even friends from high school to help care for her son.

The challenges you face during the writing process can vary by discipline. Jessika Iwanski is an MD/PhD student who in 2022 defended her dissertation on genetic mutations in sarcomeric proteins that lead to severe, neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy. She described her writing experience as “an intricate process of balancing many things at once with a deadline (defense day) that seems to be creeping up faster and faster— finishing up experiments, drafting the dissertation, preparing your presentation, filling out all the necessary documents for your defense and also, for MD/PhD students, beginning to reintegrate into the clinical world (reviewing your clinical knowledge and skill sets)!”

But no matter what your unique challenges are, writing a dissertation can take a toll on your mental health. Almost every student I spoke with said they saw a therapist and found their sessions enormously helpful. They also looked to the people in their lives for support. Dr. Betsy Labiner, who wrote her dissertation on Interiority, Truth, and Violence in Early Modern Drama, recommended, “Keep your loved ones close! This is so hard – the dissertation lends itself to isolation, especially in the final stages. Plus, a huge number of your family and friends simply won’t understand what you’re going through. But they love you and want to help and are great for getting you out of your head and into a space where you can enjoy life even when you feel like your dissertation is a flaming heap of trash.”

While you might sometimes feel like your dissertation is a flaming heap of trash, remember: a) no it’s not, you brilliant scholar, and b) the best dissertations aren’t necessarily perfect dissertations. According to Dr. Trejo, “The best dissertation is a done dissertation.” So don’t get hung up on perfecting every detail of your work. Think of your dissertation as a long-form assignment that you need to finish in order to move onto the next stage of your career. Many students continue revising after graduation and submit their work for publication or other professional objectives.

When you do finish writing your dissertation, it’s time to schedule your defense and invite friends and family to the part of the exam that’s open to the public. When that moment comes, how do you prepare to present your work and field questions about it?

“I reread my dissertation in full in one sitting,” said Dr. Labiner. “During all my time writing it, I’d never read more than one complete chapter at a time! It was a huge confidence boost to read my work in full and realize that I had produced a compelling, engaging, original argument.”

There are many other ways to prepare: create presentation slides and practice presenting them to friends or alone; think of questions you might be asked and answer them; think about what you want to wear or where you might want to sit (if you’re presenting on Zoom) that might give you a confidence boost. Iwanksi practiced presenting with her mentor and reviewed current papers to anticipate what questions her committee might ask.  If you want to really get in the zone, you can emulate Dr. Labiner and do a full dress rehearsal on Zoom the day before your defense.

But no matter what you do, you’ll still be nervous:

“I had a sense of the logistics, the timing, and so on, but I didn’t really have clear expectations outside of the structure. It was a sort of nebulous three hours in which I expected to be nauseatingly terrified,” recalled Dr. Labiner.

“I expected it to be terrifying, with lots of difficult questions and constructive criticism/comments given,” agreed Iwanski.

“I expected it to be very scary,” said Dr. Trejo.

“I expected it to be like I was on trial, and I’d have to defend myself and prove I deserved a PhD,” said Dr Atkins.

And, eventually, inexorably, it will be time to present.  

“It was actually very enjoyable” said Iwanski. “It was more of a celebration of years of work put into this project—not only by me but by my mentor, colleagues, lab members and collaborators! I felt very supported by all my committee members and, rather than it being a rapid fire of questions, it was more of a scientific discussion amongst colleagues who are passionate about heart disease and muscle biology.”

“I was anxious right when I logged on to the Zoom call for it,” said Dr. Labiner, “but I was blown away by the number of family and friends that showed up to support me. I had invited a lot of people who I didn’t at all think would come, but every single person I invited was there! Having about 40 guests – many of them joining from different states and several from different countries! – made me feel so loved and celebrated that my nerves were steadied very quickly. It also helped me go into ‘teaching mode’ about my work, so it felt like getting to lead a seminar on my most favorite literature.”

“In reality, my dissertation defense was similar to presenting at an academic conference,” said Dr. Atkins. “I went over my research in a practiced and organized way, and I fielded questions from the audience.

“It was a celebration and an important benchmark for me,” said Dr. Trejo. “It was a pretty happy day. Like the punctuation at the end of your sentence: this sentence is done; this journey is done. You can start the next sentence.”

If you want to learn more about dissertations in your own discipline, don’t hesitate to reach out to graduates from your program and ask them about their experiences. If you’d like to avail yourself of some of the resources that helped students in this article while they wrote and defended their dissertations, check out these links:

The Graduate Writing Lab

https://thinktank.arizona.edu/writing-center/graduate-writing-lab

The Writing Skills Improvement Program

https://wsip.arizona.edu

Campus Health Counseling and Psych Services

https://caps.arizona.edu

https://www.scribbr.com/

University of Washington Information School

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Proposal Defense Policy & Procedure

The proposal and its purpose.

The Information School encourages and supports the wide range of dissertation topics and methodologies generated from the study of information science. The dissertation proposal represents a formal understanding between the Supervisory Committee and the doctoral Candidate. This agreement outlines the work to be done and the intellectual rigor the Committee expects from the Candidate. The proposal functions as a map guiding the Candidate towards the effective completion of the dissertation project.

The dissertation proposal should substantially advance the doctoral candidate toward completion of the dissertation.  It may take the form of the preliminary chapters of the dissertation.

The Elements

The doctoral Candidate works closely with the Chair of the Supervisory Committee and other voting members of the Supervisory Committee in determining the composition of the dissertation proposal and in writing the proposal.

The proposal should contain detail sufficient to describe the significance, background and rationale for the dissertation and the work the Candidate will perform for the dissertation.

The following list of elements is typical for a dissertation proposal in the information field.  However, the School recognizes that this list may not fit all dissertation proposals and thus should be considered as illustrative only. 

• Statement of the Problem – includes the background, context in the information field and in the broader scheme of academic pursuits, key questions, significance of the problem, and description of chosen methodology.
• Grounding and Rationale – provides a discussion of need in the area of study which may include a comprehensive review of theoretical, conceptual, technological or methodological precedents which directly relate to the dissertation topic. This section may also include a detailed analysis of the precedents that justify the need for the research, or review the literature that relates to the research.
• Research Plan – details the methods that will be used or the processes that will be followed during the course of investigation. This section describes how the questions posed by the dissertation will be addressed.

The Defense

The Candidate, assisted by the Chair as necessary, schedules a date, a time, and a room for the defense.  The Candidate submits details regarding the proposal defense, including date, time and location of the defense, members of the Supervisory Committee, proposal defense title, as well as an abstract, to the iSchool web calendar, the Chair of the Ph.D. Program, and Student Services Office.

At least two weeks before the scheduled proposal defense date, the final written proposal must be submitted to all members of the Supervisory Committee.  At this time or earlier, the voting members of the Committee, in consultation with the Candidate, determine the length and outline the structure of the defense. 

The defense is a scheduled and announced public event.  Any person may attend.  However, the deliberations of the Supervisory Committee are private.

The Process

Students presents their dissertation proposal orally, with visual accompaniment as desired by the candidate, to the supervisory committee and the public.

The dissertation proposal defense proceeds as outlined below. 

Prior to the start of the examination :

• The Candidate must be physically present at the exam.
• The Chair (or at least one Co-Chair), the GSR, and one general committee member must be physically present at the exam.
• If the Chair is not physically present, then the exam must be rescheduled. 
• If the GSR is not physically present at the time of the exam, a substitute GSR may be secured subject to Graduate School rules.  If no GSR can be found, then the exam must be rescheduled.
• If a general member is not physically present then, the exam should be adjourned and rescheduled to a later time/date.
• A majority of the Supervisory Committee must be physically present at the exam.  E.g. a Supervisory Committee with the minimum 4 required members (Chair, GSR, and 2 general members) must have the Chair, the GSR, and at least one general member physically present at the exam. A Supervisory Committee with 5 members (Chair, GSR, and 3 general members) must have the Chair, the GSR, and at least one general member physically present at the exam.

Once the Exam Starts"

• The Supervisory Committee may meet initially in private, with or without the Candidate present.
• The Chair announces when the Candidate and the public may join the Committee for the defense.
• The Candidate presents the key elements of the dissertation proposal.
• The Supervisory Committee and/or the public questions the Candidate.
• The public may question the Candidate as time permits.
• Finally, the Supervisory Committee reconvenes in private for deliberations.  The voting members vote for one of the following:
• a.  Accept —a PDF version of the proposal will be submitted to Student Services. The proposal will be available to the public for reading.
• b.  Accept with minor revisions —the Committee requests minor revisions, which are approved by a process that is established by the Chair. A PDF version of the proposal will be submitted to Student Services. The proposal will be available to the public for reading.
• c.  Accept with revisions —revisions require approval by the Chair and selected members or the supervisory Committee.  See Process** below.
• d.  Reject —the Supervisory Committee may recommend either 1) that a second defense is permitted after a period of additional preparation, or 2) that the student is dropped from the Ph.D. program in Information Science at the University of Washington.

A simple majority vote is required. In the event that a simple majority vote does not occur, the deliberations of the Supervisory Committee are continued and a decision is made within ten days of the proposal defense date.

If after ten days the Supervisory Committee cannot make a decision, then the candidate may reconstitute the Committee, and schedule a new defense.

*Process for 'Accept with Revisions'

The revision process proceeds as follows:

• The committee informs the candidate verbally of the revisions required and the date by which revisions are to be completed.
• The chair, in consultation with the committee prepares a written description of the required revisions. A copy of the letter is provided to Student Services to place in the student's permanent academic file.
• The chair and the candidate determine the date by which the revisions must be completed, normally within 3 months.
• The chair distributes the written description to the candidate and the committee.
• Two weeks after the revisions are submitted by the candidate, the committee informs the candidate whether the revisions are accepted or rejected.
• If accepted, a paper copy and PDF version of the proposal are submitted to Student Services; at least one copy is available to the public for reading.
• If rejected, the committee recommends, as outlined above, to either permit a second defense or to drop the student from the program.
• If the revisions are not completed successfully within the specified time period, the chair may extend the time for revision to up to one year from the date of the proposal defense. After one year, the chair may petition the Ph.D. committee for an extension.
• If the revisions are not completed successfully in the time frame designated, and if the supervisory committee and the Ph.D. committee concur, the proposal is rejected and the student is dropped from the Ph.D. program in Information Science at UW.

Full Results

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PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Start

• Tips for designing the slides
• Presentation checklist
• Example slides
• Additional Resources

Purpose of the Guide

This guide was created to help ph.d. students in engineering fields to design dissertation defense presentations. the guide provides 1) tips on how to effectively communicate research, and 2) full presentation examples from ph.d. graduates. the tips on designing effective slides are not restricted to dissertation defense presentations; they can be used in designing other types of presentations such as conference talks, qualification and proposal exams, and technical seminars., the tips and examples are used to help students to design effective presentation. the technical contents in all examples are subject to copyright, please do not replicate. , if you need help in designing your presentation, please contact julie chen ([email protected]) for individual consultation. .

• Example Slides Repository
• Defense slides examples Link to examples dissertation defense slides.

Useful Links

• CIT Thesis and dissertation standards
• Dissertations and Theses @ Carnegie Mellon This link opens in a new window Covers 1920-present. Full text of some dissertations may be available 1997-present. Citations and abstracts of dissertations and theses CMU graduate students have published through UMI Dissertation Publishing. In addition to citations and abstracts, the service provides free access to 24 page previews and the full text in PDF format, when available. In most cases, this will be works published in 1997 forward.
• Communicate your research data Data visualization is very important in communicating your data effectively. Check out these do's and don'ts for designing figures.

Power Point Template and other Resources

• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 1
• CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 2

Source: CEE Department Resources https://www.cmu.edu/cee/resources/index.html

• CMU Powerpoint Slide Template

Source: CMU Marketing and Communications

https://www.cmu.edu/marcom/brand-standards/downloads/index.html

• Use of CMU logos, marks, and Unitmarks

Email me for questions and schedule an appointment

Top 7 tips for your defense presentation

1. show why your study is important, remember, your audience is your committee members, researchers in other fields, and even the general public. you want to convince all of them why you deserve a ph.d. degree. you need to talk about why your study is important to the world. in the engineering field, you also need to talk about how your study is useful. try to discuss why current practice is problematic or not good enough, what needs to be solved, and what the potential benefits will be. , see how dr. posen and dr. malings explained the importance of their studies..

• Carl Malings Defense Slides with Notes
• I. Daniel Posen Defense Slides with Notes

2. Emphasize YOUR contribution 

Having a ph.d. means that you have made some novel contributions to the grand field. this is about you and your research. you need to keep emphasizing your contributions throughout your presentation. after talking about what needs to be solved, try to focus on emphasizing the novelty of your work. what problems can be solved using your research outcomes what breakthroughs have you made to the field why are your methods and outcomes outstanding you need to incorporate answers to these questions in your presentation. , be clear what your contributions are in the introduction section; separate what was done by others and what was done by you. , 3. connect your projects into a whole piece of work, you might have been doing multiple projects that are not strongly connected. to figure out how to connect them into a whole piece, use visualizations such as flow charts to convince your audience. the two slides below are two examples. in the first slide, which was presented in the introduction section, the presenter used a flow diagram to show the connection between the three projects. in the second slide, the presenter used key figures and a unique color for each project to show the connection..

• Xiaoju Chen Defense Slides with Notes

4. Tell a good story 

The committee members do not necessarily have the same background knowledge as you. plus, there could be researchers from other fields and even the general public in the room. you want to make sure all of your audience can understand as much as possible. focus on the big picture rather than technical details; make sure you use simple language to explain your methods and results. your committee has read your dissertation before your defense, but others have not. , dr. cook and dr. velibeyoglu did a good job explaining their research to everyone. the introduction sessions in their presentations are well designed for this purpose. .

• Laren M. Cook Defense Slides with Notes
• Irem Velibeyoglu Defense with Notes

5. Transition, transition, transition

Use transition slides to connect projects , it's a long presentation with different research projects. you want to use some sort of transition to remind your audience what you have been talking about and what is next. you may use a slide that is designed for this purpose throughout your presentation. , below are two examples. these slides were presented after the introduction section. the presenters used the same slides and highlighted the items for project one to indicate that they were moving on to the first project. throughout the presentation, they used these slides and highlighted different sections to indicate how these projects fit into the whole dissertation. .

You can also use some other indications on your slides, but remember not to make your slides too busy.  Below are two examples. In the first example, the presenter used chapter numbers to indicate what he was talking about. In the second example, the presenter used a progress bar with keywords for each chapter as the indicator. 

Use transition sentences to connect slides 

Remember transition sentences are also important; use them to summarize what you have said and tell your audience what they will expect next. if you keep forgetting the transition sentence, write a note on your presentation. you can either write down a full sentence of what you want to say or some keywords., 6. be brief, put details in backup slides , you won't have time to explain all of the details. if your defense presentation is scheduled for 45 minutes, you can only spend around 10 minutes for each project - that's shorter than a normal research conference presentation focus on the big picture and leave details behind. you can put the details in your backup slides, so you might find them useful when your committee (and other members of the audience) ask questions regarding these details., 7. show your presentation to your advisor and colleagues, make sure to ask your advisor(s) for their comments. they might have a different view on what should be emphasized and what should be elaborated. , you also want to practice at least once in front of your colleagues. they can be your lab mates, people who work in your research group, and/or your friends. they do not have to be experts in your field. ask them to give you some feedback - their comments can be extremely helpful to improve your presentation. , below are some other tips and resources to design your defense presentation. .

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How to prepare an excellent thesis defense

What is a thesis defense?

How long is a thesis defense, what happens at a thesis defense, your presentation, questions from the committee, 6 tips to help you prepare for your thesis defense, 1. anticipate questions and prepare for them, 2. dress for success, 3. ask for help, as needed, 4. have a backup plan, 5. prepare for the possibility that you might not know an answer, 6. de-stress before, during, and after, frequently asked questions about preparing an excellent thesis defense, related articles.

If you're about to complete, or have ever completed a graduate degree, you have most likely come across the term "thesis defense." In many countries, to finish a graduate degree, you have to write a thesis .

A thesis is a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.

Once you hand in your thesis, you will be assigned a date to defend your work. Your thesis defense meeting usually consists of you and a committee of two or more professors working in your program. It may also include other people, like professionals from other colleges or those who are working in your field.

During your thesis defense, you will be asked questions about your work. The main purpose of your thesis defense is for the committee to make sure that you actually understand your field and focus area.

The questions are usually open-ended and require the student to think critically about their work. By the time of your thesis defense, your paper has already been evaluated. The questions asked are not designed so that you actually have to aggressively "defend" your work; often, your thesis defense is more of a formality required so that you can get your degree.

• Check with your department about requirements and timing.
• Re-read your thesis.
• Anticipate questions and prepare for them.
• Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups.
• Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.

How long your oral thesis defense is depends largely on the institution and requirements of your degree. It is best to consult your department or institution about this. In general, a thesis defense may take only 20 minutes, but it may also take two hours or more. The length also depends on how much time is allocated to the presentation and questioning part.

Tip: Check with your department or institution as soon as possible to determine the approved length for a thesis defense.

First of all, be aware that a thesis defense varies from country to country. This is just a general overview, but a thesis defense can take many different formats. Some are closed, others are public defenses. Some take place with two committee members, some with more examiners.

The same goes for the length of your thesis defense, as mentioned above. The most important first step for you is to clarify with your department what the structure of your thesis defense will look like. In general, your thesis defense will include:

• your presentation of around 20-30 minutes
• questions from the committee
• questions from the audience (if the defense is public and the department allows it)

You might have to give a presentation, often with Powerpoint, Google slides, or Keynote slides. Make sure to prepare an appropriate amount of slides. A general rule is to use about 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation.

But that also depends on your specific topic and the way you present. The good news is that there will be plenty of time ahead of your thesis defense to prepare your slides and practice your presentation alone and in front of friends or family.

Tip: Practice delivering your thesis presentation in front of family, friends, or colleagues.

You can prepare your slides by using information from your thesis' first chapter (the overview of your thesis) as a framework or outline. Substantive information in your thesis should correspond with your slides.

Make sure your slides are of good quality— both in terms of the integrity of the information and the appearance. If you need more help with how to prepare your presentation slides, both the ASQ Higher Education Brief and James Hayton have good guidelines on the topic.

The committee will ask questions about your work after you finish your presentation. The questions will most likely be about the core content of your thesis, such as what you learned from the study you conducted. They may also ask you to summarize certain findings and to discuss how your work will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

Tip: Read your entire thesis in preparation of the questions, so you have a refreshed perspective on your work.

While you are preparing, you can create a list of possible questions and try to answer them. You can foresee many of the questions you will get by simply spending some time rereading your thesis.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense:

You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions. In addition, since you will know who will be on the committee, look at the academic expertise of the committee members. In what areas would they most likely be focused?

If possible, sit at other thesis defenses with these committee members to get a feel for how they ask and what they ask. As a graduate student, you should generally be adept at anticipating test questions, so use this advantage to gather as much information as possible before your thesis defense meeting.

Your thesis defense is a formal event, often the entire department or university is invited to participate. It signals a critical rite of passage for graduate students and faculty who have supported them throughout a long and challenging process.

While most universities don't have specific rules on how to dress for that event, do regard it with dignity and respect. This one might be a no-brainer, but know that you should dress as if you were on a job interview or delivering a paper at a conference.

It might help you deal with your stress before your thesis defense to entrust someone with the smaller but important responsibilities of your defense well ahead of schedule. This trusted person could be responsible for:

• preparing the room of the day of defense
• setting up equipment for the presentation
• preparing and distributing handouts

Technology is unpredictable. Life is too. There are no guarantees that your Powerpoint presentation will work at all or look the way it is supposed to on the big screen. We've all been there. Make sure to have a plan B for these situations. Handouts can help when technology fails, and an additional clean shirt can save the day if you have a spill.

One of the scariest aspects of the defense is the possibility of being asked a question you can't answer. While you can prepare for some questions, you can never know exactly what the committee will ask.

There will always be gaps in your knowledge. But your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. You are not expected to know everything.

James Hayton writes on his blog that examiners will sometimes even ask questions they don't know the answer to, out of curiosity, or because they want to see how you think. While it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, but you would need to do [...] in order to find out.” This shows that you have the ability to think as an academic.

You will be nervous. But your examiners will expect you to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions, for example. Dora Farkas at finishyourthesis.com notes that it’s a myth that thesis committees are out to get you.

Two common symptoms of being nervous are talking really fast and nervous laughs. Try to slow yourself down and take a deep breath. Remember what feels like hours to you are just a few seconds in real life.

• Try meditational breathing right before your defense.
• Get plenty of exercise and sleep in the weeks prior to your defense.
• Have your clothes or other items you need ready to go the night before.
• During your defense, allow yourself to process each question before answering.
• Go to dinner with friends and family, or to a fun activity like mini-golf, after your defense.

Allow yourself to process each question, respond to it, and stop talking once you have responded. While a smile can often help dissolve a difficult situation, remember that nervous laughs can be irritating for your audience.

We all make mistakes and your thesis defense will not be perfect. However, careful preparation, mindfulness, and confidence can help you feel less stressful both before, and during, your defense.

Finally, consider planning something fun that you can look forward to after your defense.

It is completely normal to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions for example if needed. Slow yourself down, and take a deep breath.

Your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. James Hayton writes on his blog that it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", but he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, you would need to do [...] in order to find out".

Your Powerpoint presentation can get stuck or not look the way it is supposed to do on the big screen. It can happen and your supervisors know it. In general, handouts can always save the day when technology fails.

• Dress for success.
• Ask for help setting up.
• Have a backup plan (in case technology fails you).
• Deal with your nerves.

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• Thesis proposal and defence

A doctoral thesis should be based on extensive research in primary sources, make an original contribution to knowledge, and be presented in acceptable scholarly form. Students entering the program with MFA degrees may include studio work as a component of their program of study and thesis project, with the approval of the Humanities Program Director and the student’s advisory committee.

About the thesis proposal

A thesis proposal is submitted and defended in the term following the writing of the comprehensive field examinations. Students are admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. upon acceptance by their advisory committee of the written thesis proposal and its successful oral defence.

The thesis proposal is approximately 25 pages long (double-spaced), and contains:

• a substantive presentation of the thesis question
• a brief review of the literature
• a bibliography
• an overview of the proposed structure (chapter by chapter) of the thesis. It should be a substantial reworking of the initial research proposal.

See a  sample thesis proposal

Thesis proposal defence

The Thesis Proposal defence is especially important in cases where non-paper thesis components are being considered. The student's supervisory committee, in collaboration with the Humanities Director, must assess and approve the nature of the relationship between the thesis components and the pertinence of the chosen medium. The committee must establish the student's competence to work with the chosen medium.

If a student fails the thesis proposal defence, he or she may request a second (and last) attempt, the repeated defence to take place after a period of at least three months from the date of the original defence, and no later than one year after the date of the original defence.

Steps to complete your thesis proposal

• The student develops the proposal in consultation with the Major field supervisor, with input from the Minor field advisors.
• The student submits the thesis proposal to the three members of his or her advisory committee, and if they are satisfied that the thesis proposal is ready to proceed to defence, the supervisor(s) completes an online form to schedule possible dates and times for a defence . Note that this form asks supervisor(s) to indicate whether the students has satisfied the language requirement and if not, the plan for doing so; and, if ethics approval is needed, whether this has been secured or is planned.
• Upon the Director’s approval, a time and date is set for the thesis proposal defence. All three member of the student’s advisory committee participate in the thesis proposal defence, which is chaired by the Humanities Director. It is best if the supervisor can arrange a room for the defence, our space is limited and we do not have a projector or other other such equipment.
• The student gives a brief oral summary of the proposal;
• Committee members engage the student in a discussion of aspects of the proposal and beyond that of the projected doctoral dissertation, touching on such issues as the theoretical framework and methodology to be used, structure of the dissertation, schedule for its completion, etc.;
• During the discussion, committee members may also ask questions about the comprehensive fields exams, especially as the exam topics relate to the student’s dissertation project.
• It is also important at this point in the PhD to ensure that plans are in place for ethics approvals, if needed and for satisfaction of the language requiremen (which is needed prior to submission of the dissertation for defence).
• Following the formal defence, the advisory committee with the Humanities Director assess the student’s performance in camera, and decide on a pass or fail grade.
• A thesis proposal grade sheet for the Thesis Proposal with Defence will be provided to the student's major field advisor who will complete, sign, and submit it to the department. The committee may also indicate on a separate paper whether there are concerns that the student should keep in mind as they proceed towards work on their doctoral dissertation and attach it to the grade form.

Please note the Humanities PhD program changed some sections of its curriculum in 2017. Students in the pre-2017 curriclum stream have their  Thesis Proposal with Defence coded as HUMA 886 (3 credits) , while after 2017 it is coded as  Thesis Proposal with Defence HUMA 894 (6 credits) .

• How to apply
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• Research ethics
• Humanities PhD Graduate Student Association
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13 Tips to Prepare for Your PhD Dissertation Defense

How well do you know your project? Years of experiments, analysis of results, and tons of literature study, leads you to how well you know your research study. And, PhD dissertation defense is a finale to your PhD years. Often, researchers question how to excel at their thesis defense and spend countless hours on it. Days, weeks, months, and probably years of practice to complete your doctorate, needs to surpass the dissertation defense hurdle.

In this article, we will discuss details of how to excel at PhD dissertation defense and list down some interesting tips to prepare for your thesis defense.

Table of Contents

What Is Dissertation Defense?

Dissertation defense or Thesis defense is an opportunity to defend your research study amidst the academic professionals who will evaluate of your academic work. While a thesis defense can sometimes be like a cross-examination session, but in reality you need not fear the thesis defense process and be well prepared.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesHaytonPhDacademy

What are the expectations of committee members.

Choosing the dissertation committee is one of the most important decision for a research student. However, putting your dissertation committee becomes easier once you understand the expectations of committee members.

The basic function of your dissertation committee is to guide you through the process of proposing, writing, and revising your dissertation. Moreover, the committee members serve as mentors, giving constructive feedback on your writing and research, also guiding your revision efforts.

The dissertation committee is usually formed once the academic coursework is completed. Furthermore, by the time you begin your dissertation research, you get acquainted to the faculty members who will serve on your dissertation committee. Ultimately, who serves on your dissertation committee depends upon you.

Some universities allow an outside expert (a former professor or academic mentor) to serve on your committee. It is advisable to choose a faculty member who knows you and your research work.

How to Choose a Dissertation Committee Member?

• Avoid popular and eminent faculty member
• Choose the one you know very well and can approach whenever you need them
• A faculty member whom you can learn from is apt.
• Members of the committee can be your future mentors, co-authors, and research collaborators. Choose them keeping your future in mind.

How to Prepare for Dissertation Defense?

1. Start Your Preparations Early

Thesis defense is not a 3 or 6 months’ exercise. Don’t wait until you have completed all your research objectives. Start your preparation well in advance, and make sure you know all the intricacies of your thesis and reasons to all the research experiments you conducted.

2. Attend Presentations by Other Candidates

Look out for open dissertation presentations at your university. In fact, you can attend open dissertation presentations at other universities too. Firstly, this will help you realize how thesis defense is not a scary process. Secondly, you will get the tricks and hacks on how other researchers are defending their thesis. Finally, you will understand why dissertation defense is necessary for the university, as well as the scientific community.

3. Take Enough Time to Prepare the Slides

Dissertation defense process harder than submitting your thesis well before the deadline. Ideally, you could start preparing the slides after finalizing your thesis. Spend more time in preparing the slides. Make sure you got the right data on the slides and rephrase your inferences, to create a logical flow to your presentation.

4. Structure the Presentation

Do not be haphazard in designing your presentation. Take time to create a good structured presentation. Furthermore, create high-quality slides which impresses the committee members. Make slides that hold your audience’s attention. Keep the presentation thorough and accurate, and use smart art to create better slides.

5. Practice Breathing Techniques

Watch a few TED talk videos and you will notice that speakers and orators are very fluent at their speech. In fact, you will not notice them taking a breath or falling short of breath. The only reason behind such effortless oratory skill is practice — practice in breathing technique.

Moreover, every speaker knows how to control their breath. Long and steady breaths are crucial. Pay attention to your breathing and slow it down. All you need I some practice prior to this moment.

6. Create an Impactful Introduction

The audience expects a lot from you. So your opening statement should enthrall the audience. Furthermore, your thesis should create an impact on the members; they should be thrilled by your thesis and the way you expose it.

The introduction answers most important questions, and most important of all “Is this presentation worth the time?” Therefore, it is important to make a good first impression , because the first few minutes sets the tone for your entire presentation.

7. Maintain Your Own List of Questions

While preparing for the presentation, make a note of all the questions that you ask yourself. Try to approach all the questions from a reader’s point of view. You could pretend like you do not know the topic and think of questions that could help you know the topic much better.

The list of questions will prepare you for the questions the members may pose while trying to understand your research. Attending other candidates’ open discussion will also help you assume the dissertation defense questions.

8. Practice Speech and Body Language

After successfully preparing your slides and practicing, you could start focusing on how you look while presenting your thesis. This exercise is not for your appearance but to know your body language and relax if need be.

Pay attention to your body language. Stand with your back straight, but relax your shoulders. The correct posture will give you the feel of self-confidence. So, observe yourself in the mirror and pay attention to movements you make.

9. Give Mock Presentation

Giving a trial defense in advance is a good practice. The most important factor for the mock defense is its similarity to your real defense, so that you get the experience that prepares for the actual defense.

10. Learn How to Handle Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes. However, it is important to carry on. Do not let the mistakes affect your thesis defense. Take a deep breath and move on to the next point.

11. Do Not Run Through the Presentation

If you are nervous, you would want to end the presentation as soon as possible. However, this situation will give rise to anxiety and you will speak too fast, skipping the essential details. Eventually, creating a fiasco of your dissertation defense .

12. Get Plenty of Rest

Out of the dissertation defense preparation points, this one is extremely important. Obviously, sleeping a day before your big event is hard, but you have to focus and go to bed early, with the clear intentions of getting the rest you deserve.

13. Visualize Yourself Defending Your Thesis

This simple exercise creates an immense impact on your self-confidence. All you have to do is visualize yourself giving a successful presentation each evening before going to sleep. Everyday till the day of your thesis defense, see yourself standing in front of the audience and going from one point to another.

This exercise takes a lot of commitment and persistence, but the results in the end are worth it. Visualization makes you see yourself doing the scary thing of defending your thesis.

If you have taken all these points into consideration, you are ready for your big day. You have worked relentlessly for your PhD degree , and you will definitely give your best in this final step.

Have you completed your thesis defense? How did you prepare for it and how was your experience throughout your dissertation defense ? Do write to us or comment below.

The tips are very useful.I will recomend it to our students.

Excellent. As a therapist trying to help a parent of a candidate, I am very impressed and thankful your concise, clear, action-oriented article. Thank you.

Thanks for your sharing. It is so good. I can learn a lot from your ideas. Hope that in my dissertation defense next time I can pass

The tips are effective. Will definitely apply them in my dissertation.

My dissertation defense is coming up in less than two weeks from now, I find this tips quite instructive, I’ll definitely apply them. Thank you so much.

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How to Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense

4-minute read

• 1st August 2023

After years of research and study, you’ve finally reached the grand finale of your PhD years: your dissertation defense. Since defending your dissertation is the culmination of all your hard work, it’s essential to do everything you can to prepare for it.

In this post, we’ll take you through how to ready yourself for your dissertation defense so you can focus on your accomplishments and excel during this crucial professional moment.

What is a Dissertation Defense? 

The dissertation defense is the crowning moment of years of research – the final examination before a PhD student is awarded their doctoral degree.

During a dissertation defense, the student presents their research, methodology, findings, and conclusions to a committee of faculty members and experts in their field. The committee then engages in a question-and-answer session to assess the student’s understanding of the subject matter, the quality of their research, and their ability to defend their work under scrutiny.

Many PhD students consider it to be the defining moment of their academic career and their chance to prove their expertise in their chosen research field.

If all this sounds overwhelming – don’t worry. If you’re a PhD student, you’ll have plenty of time and opportunity to adequately prepare for your dissertation defense. Below are some strategies to help you get ready for this significant occasion in your career.

1.   Know the Requirements

Familiarize yourself with your institution’s guidelines and requirements for the defense process. Understanding the format, time limit, and expectations for the presentation will help you to prepare your material and anticipate any issues.

2.   Review Your Dissertation

Even if you think you know it inside and out, review your dissertation from beginning to end. It may have been some time since you’ve last read and considered certain portions of your research and findings. Consider what your committee might ask about your research questions , data analysis, and conclusions.

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3.   Work on Starting Strong

To begin your defense on a strong note, work on creating a clear and engaging introduction. You can start by briefly outlining the purpose of your study, research questions, and methodology . Try to stay on topic and don’t veer off track by discussing unrelated or unnecessary information.

4.   Practice Presenting

Practice your presentation skills by rehearsing your defense multiple times. Focus on clarity and pacing and try to stay within the allotted time limit. It also helps to record yourself so that you can see yourself from your audience’s point of view.

5.   Practice Q&A Sessions

To build your confidence, enlist friends and colleagues to conduct mock question-and-answer sessions. When practicing, remember to pause before answering questions you’re unsure of. It’s better to take your time delivering a response than it is to give an inaccurate or incorrect answer.

6.   Seek Feedback

Find out if your institution offers mock defense sessions where peers or mentors play the role of the committee, ask you questions, and give feedback . You can also have colleagues, mentors, or advisors review your presentation and offer practical feedback.

7.   Create Visual Aids

Think about any visual aids , such as slides, you may want to use to illustrate your defense and prepare them in advance. Be sure to check that your university allows visuals or images and that they enhance, rather than overwhelm, your presentation.

8.   Stay Calm and Confident

It’s natural to feel nervous but try to stay calm and composed during your defense. Take deep breaths and remind yourself of the expertise you’ve gained through the experience of writing your dissertation.

Expert Proofreading Services

The best way to prepare for your dissertation defense is to have your dissertation professionally proofread. Our editing experts have extensive experience with a wide variety of academic subjects and topics and can help ensure your dissertation is ready for presentation. Send in a free sample of 500 words or less and get started today.

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Preparing for your phd thesis defence.

As you start thinking about the end stages of your PhD, it’s important to understand the processes and timelines related to the thesis defence so that your degree completion is not delayed. Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly.

On this page you will find videos, tools, and information about what the PhD thesis defence is , timelines for the PhD thesis defence , and tips for a successful PhD thesis defence .

All PhD students should also ensure that they read the PhD thesis examination regulations and review the thesis preparation guidelines prior to their oral defence. If your thesis defence will be conducted remotely, you should also review the process for a remote thesis defence .

What is the PhD defence?

Understanding the purpose, processes and possible outcomes of the thesis defence can help you feel more prepared for the defence itself. In this video, you’ll learn about what the defence is, who’s there, what happens, and the deliberation and range of possible outcomes.

Transcript - Demystifying the thesis defence at University of Waterloo (PDF)

You may wish to learn more about some of the topics discussed in this video. Here are some helpful links to learn more:

Examination committee members (including the external examiner): Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on the  PhD thesis examining committee for more information about the committee members, including information about the external examiner and conflicts of interest.

• Closed thesis defences and non-disclosure agreements: Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on guidelines for thesis examination without public disclosure for more information about closed thesis examinations.
• Thesis defence decisions and outcomes: Visit the PhD thesis examination regulations section on  decisions for additional information about decisions and outcomes.
• Thesis submission: Visit the thesis submission webpage for information about the thesis submission process, including approvals that must be obtained before submitting your thesis.
• UWSpace: Visit the Library’s UWSpace webpage for information about what UWSpace is and how to submit, or deposit, your thesis to UWSpace.

Timeline to defence

Early planning considerations.

Well before your defence date, there are several considerations to think about that can help make the end stages of your degree go smoothly and ensure your defence date and degree completion are not delayed:

• Being aware of formatting requirements will save you time on revisions later on – the last thing you want to be doing before submitting your thesis to UWSpace is updating page numbers or your table of contents! Consider using the Microsoft Word or LaTeX thesis template produced by Information Systems & Technology. 
• The Dissertation Boost Camp can help you develop effective writing practices and strategies for completing your thesis, while the three-part Rock Your Thesis workshop series will provide practical guidance for planning, writing, revising, and submitting your thesis project. You can also book an individual appointment to do backwards planning with an advisor. They can help you utilize the planning tools most effectively, while providing hands-on guidance and feedback.  
• If you are using third-party content, including your own previously published work in your thesis, or seeking intellectual property protection (for yourself or another involved party), there may be implications for your thesis or defence. Learn more about copyright for your thesis , and email [email protected] for help with copyright questions related to your thesis.
• Depending on your departmental or discipline’s norms, you may require approval from your entire committee, or just your supervisor. Ensure you talk with your supervisor and/or committee early on to confirm processes and timelines, so you’re not surprised later.
• Depending on your departmental or discipline’s norms, your supervisor may select an external examiner themselves, or they may seek your input. Talk to your supervisor early on about this process, as in some faculties the external examiner may need to be vetted and approved as early as the term before you wish to defend. Remember that there are conflict of interest guidelines around the appointment of the external examiner , and the PhD candidate should not be in communication with the external examiner prior to the defence.
• A PhD thesis must be on display for a minimum of 4 weeks prior to the defence date. To accommodate, you may need to submit your thesis as early as 6-8 weeks prior to your defence. Review your faculty specific backwards planning tool for the thesis submission deadline in your faculty and learn more about the display period in the PhD thesis examination regulations.
• After your successful thesis defence, you will likely have some required revisions to your thesis. It’s important to understand revision timelines , especially if you’re hoping to become “degree complete” before a tuition refund or convocation deadline. Find tuition refund and convocation deadlines in the important dates calendar .
• Following your thesis defence, there are several steps to be taken before your final, approved thesis is accepted in UWSpace. Ensure that you’re aware of these thesis submission steps and timelines in advance.

Backwards planning tools

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, in collaboration with the Faculties, have prepared faculty specific backwards planning tools to help PhD candidates map out the timelines related to their thesis defence and degree completion.

Select your faculty below to download a PDF copy of the backwards planning tool. We encourage you to discuss your ideal timelines with your supervisor(s) and your department graduate program co-ordinator.

• Faculty of Health backwards planning tool (PDF)
• Faculty of Arts backwards planning tool (PDF)
• Faculty of Engineering backwards planning tool (PDF)
• Faculty of Environment backwards planning tool (PDF)
• Faculty of Mathematics backwards planning tool (PDF)
• Faculty of Science backwards planning tool (PDF)

Tips for success

The PhD thesis defence is the culmination of years of hard work! The tips outlined in this video, compiled from recent PhD graduates and experienced thesis defence chairs, cover tips for preparing for your defence, day-of logistics, and defending successfully.

Transcript - Your Thesis Defence: Tips for Success (PDF)

Will your PhD thesis defence be held remotely? We’ve compiled additional tips for success specifically related to the remote defence.

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Proposal Defense Stage (must begin this process at least 3 weeks prior to your proposal defense):

1. Submit your Request a Committee form: https://upenn.bplogix.net/workspace.aspx

• Click Available Forms at the top of the page
• Then, Penn Graduate Forms
• Then, Load Milestones
• Then Committee Formation
• Complete the form to include your committee members and roles
• For Committee Role definitions and Composition, please visit the Academic Rules for PhD Students

2. Schedule Your Proposal Defense

• Beth Dellipriscoli will provide available dates set aside for presentations
• Inform Beth Dellipriscoli of selected date so that she may announce your proposal defense 2 weeks to your presentation. Beth will inform you of the information needed for the announcement.
• Submit the proposal defense notification form to the Doctoral Programs Office (at least 2 weeks before your proposal defense)

3. Directly following your Proposal Defense

• Send the Proposal Defense Certification form to your committee for them to approve
• Send the signed form to Gidget in the Doctoral Office:   [email protected]

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PhD Thesis Proposal Defence Guidelines

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The main purpose of the thesis proposal defence is to enable the Ph.D. student make a position statement with respect to the thesis problem, outline a hypothesis and present a timeline for completion of the thesis.

Guidelines for the Ph.D. Thesis Proposal Defence

1. A doctoral supervisory committee is formed by the supervisor in consultation with the student. The committee consists of the thesis supervisor and at least two other members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Experts in the area outside the university may also be selected as additional members. In addition an external member to the supervisory committee should be appointed using the same procedure as per the 'external' on a research aptitude defense. (Guidelines from FGS attached).

2. Student submits Thesis Proposal Report to the supervisory committee at least 15 days prior to the Defence.

Suggested Outline for Report (maximum 50 pages in length, thesis format)

• Introduction
• Problem/Objective of Research
• Previous work - comprehensive and critical appraisal of literature
• Proposal of new model/technique/idea/approach
• Suitability of the approach for a Ph.D. level thesis
• Hypothesis and anticipated results
• Milestones and timelines for completion
• Bibliography

4. At the defence, candidate makes a 30 minute presentation of the thesis proposal. The presentation will focus on the gist of the problem, previous approaches, new proposal, an argument for why this is suitable for a Ph.D. thesis and timelines for completion. This will be followed by an Q&A session.

5. The supervisory committee gives feedback and an appraisal. On first attempt, the student is given a Pass/Reexamination recommendation only. On second attempt, a recommendation of Pass/ Fail is given. The reexamination must be completed within three months of the examining committee's recommendation.

Guidelines from FGS attached 

(from the  graduate calendar ), 8.4 supervisory committees.

All departments maintain supervisory committees for graduate students in thesis programmes, and many maintain them for graduate research projects as well. Supervisory Committees are selected by the supervisor in consultation with the student, and should complement the expertise available to the student in completing their research programme. The selection of all Supervisory Committees is approved by the Faculty. It is in the selection of Supervisory Committees that the greatest involvement of Adjunct members of the faculty occurs.

Supervisory Committees should meet at least twice a year during the thesis research period and more often in the writing stages of a student's programme. Normally the agreement of all committee members is required before a department brings forward a thesis for examination.

9.4.1 Doctoral Supervisory Committees

All doctoral candidates must have a formally constituted Supervisory Committee, consisting of the Thesis Supervisor and at least two other members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies who are knowledgeable in the field of research. Membership of all doctoral Supervisory Committees must be approved formally by the Faculty.

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PhD Proposals and Defenses

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The Stevens Doctoral Program allows scholars to envision and conduct original, cutting-edge research.

Here are some of our PhD students’ recent dissertation topics.

Our PhD Students’ Recent Dissertation Topics

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Ph.D. Proposal Defense

Upon passing the Qualifying Exam, it is expected that students will choose a Ph.D. thesis advisor, if they have not already done so, and begin their Ph.D. thesis research. Within 12 to 18 months of passing the QE, the student needs to select a Ph.D. Thesis Examination Committee and schedule his or her Ph.D. Proposal Defense.

It is required to email  [email protected] one month in advance if you are presenting your Ph.D. Proposal Defense. The Ph.D. Proposal Defense consists of 1) a written part and 2) an oral presentation to the Ph.D. Thesis Examination Committee.

• The written part consists of an introduction to the field, a problem statement, the objectives of the research and the approach that will be taken, the expected results, and a timeline of the work. A concise review of the literature is expected, along with a bibliography of the most important literature. The length of the written Ph.D. Proposal is expected to be between 15 to 20 double space pages (12pt font) with 1 inch margins.  Members of the Committee should receive the proposal two weeks prior to the defense.
• The Ph.D. Proposal will be presented to the Ph.D. Thesis Examination Committee during a one hour defense/ examination. The student should plan for a 30 minute presentation of the research plan and expected results.

One week prior to your proposal defense, please notify the MSE Chair, Dr. JC Zhao.  

How to Compose Your Committee for the Ph.D Proposal

Speak with your advisor about composing your committee.  Committee criteria:

• Ph.D. dissertation committees require a minimum of five voting members of the Graduate Faculty, including three full members.
• Doctoral Capstone Examining Committees (e.g., Ed.D, Au.D.) require a minimum of five voting members of Graduate Faculty, including three full members or associate members (two of these three must be full members).
• The committee chair should be the candidate's advisor. A committee may have co-chairs. A Ph.D. Committee Chair must be a full member of the Graduate Faculty. In the case of a Doctoral Capstone Examining Committees, an associate member can serve as chair under certain conditions. Co-chair requests should be included in the Nomination of Committee form. If the committee has already been approved, please submit a new form.
• Each committee must have a Dean's Representative as a voting or non-voting member. The Dean's Representative should have a research interest related to that of the student/candidate. The Dean's Rep must also be a tenured member of the Graduate Faculty and must have a tenure home different from the student's program as well as that of the chair and any co-chair. 
• If you include a committee member that is not of the Graduate Faculty , the form of Nomination of Graduate Faculty must be completed in consultation with your advisor and the department. Your advisor must start this process with the department. This process can take at least six weeks for approval.

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Please note: Registration end and submission of the proposal document are on the same date - this being the first day of lectures of each semester. For FS24  this will be 19.02.2024 . PhD students will be notified by e-mail in due time about the submission and defense dates each semester.

Important Dates HS24

Proposal Process

• PhD student registers for the PhD proposal defense and submits proposal document.

The supervisor informs the PhD Coordinator about the arranged reviewers until the registration deadline.  

The proposal committee will consist of the following people:

•    1st and 2nd Reviewer: external (or internal) with expertise in the area (conflict of interest with supervisor ok); to be arranged by supervisor (no approval needed from PhD committee) •    Meta-Reviewer: Member of the PhD committee •    Supervisor; statement from supervisor endorsing (or commenting on) the direction of the proposal •    [optional] further internal/external reviewers

• Reviewers write a review of the proposal and decide about pass/conditional pass/fail on the proposal document. Supervisor hands in a statement.
• PhD student and his/her supervisor will be notified by the Doctoral Committee about pass/conditional pass/fail on the proposal document, and they will receive the feedback from the reviewers.
• PhD student with pass or conditional pass on proposal document prepares and defends his/her proposal at the proposal defense date. For this oral defense of the PhD proposal, the PhD student incorporates the feedback from the reviewers.
• PhD student will be notified by Doctoral Committee about pass/conditional pass/fail on PhD proposal (and if revisions will be necessary).

In case of a conditional pass, PhD student incorporates any requested changes into the written proposal (the detailed process for this case is described below).

Proposal Formatting

The PhD thesis proposal must not exceed 20 pages and 80,000 characters (with spaces), illustrations, formula, tables and bibliographies included. A minimum of point 10 font size and 1.5 line spacing must be used. In general, the PhD thesis proposal should not contain any annexed documents.

Proposal Structure and Content

A PhD thesis proposal must contain content on the following topics:

• Introduction/Motivation (1-2 pages)
• Related work (2-6 pages)
• Problem statement (1 page)
• Proposed solution and research idea (2-6 pages)
• References (1-2 pages)
• A dedicated section (e.g., in the prior work section) where the student lists what he/she has published so far
• A “schedule” (ideally as a flow chart) which shows the sequencing of all work packages, from the start of the PhD till the end of the PhD. From the schedule it must become apparent how long the PhD student has worked on the research topic of the PhD proposal and when the PhD student intends to graduate (obtain the PhD). This is particularly important for PhD students who have switched topics. Master Fast-Track students shall indicate that they are in the Master Fast-Track program; to clarify the timing, they shall include their Master studies in the schedule and indicate when they have started to work on the research topic of the PhD proposal.

Note that for some PhD thesis proposals, additional topics/sections not listed above may be useful to add. The order and exact naming of the sections of the PhD proposal is left to the PhD student. The number of pages indicated above are rough suggestions but can vary significantly from proposal to proposal.

Note that your proposal should focus only on your research. It should not contain your list of activities that explained how you got your ECTS points. This document is about your thesis research only.

Useful Questions for your PhD Proposal

When writing your PhD proposal, it may be useful to think about the following questions. Ideally, your proposal answers all of them:

• What problem are you choosing to investigate? What is your hypothesis?
• Why is the problem/hypothesis important/relevant?
• What are the specific research questions your work will address?
• How have others attempted to address this in the past?
• How are you planning to address this?
• How will you answer these research questions (e.g. what is the method/approach and why have you chosen these?)
• How will you evaluate the extent to/success with which you have addressed these research questions?
• What are the expected research contributions of this work? (i.e. what knowledge or research products will your work produce that others in the research community can use?)
• How will you know that you accomplished your goals? (i.e. what is the stopping condition to be applied to your work?)

It might be useful to structure the proposal around these questions.

Proposal Defense

PhD Students have to defend their thesis proposal at an official thesis proposal date organized at least once a term by the end of the 3rd year of their PhD. Candidates are strongly encouraged to defend their proposal earlier (e.g. at the end of their 2nd year), such that the feedback has more impact. The goal of the thesis proposal defense is to ascertain that the candidate has a plan to finish his/her thesis.

In general, the thesis proposal defense must be given in English. In exceptional cases, the presentation can also be held in German, which is more commonly used in certain research fields (e.g. Business Informatics). If you want to give your proposal defense in German, then you must first petition the Doctoral Committee (providing a reason) at least 6 weeks before the proposal defense date.

Prepare a presentation of 20 minutes' duration. There will be a discussion afterwards (20min).

When preparing your proposal defense please take into account that the proposal defense is not a seminar talk. You need to assure us during your talk that you have good answers to the following questions:

• What problem are you choosing to investigate? What is your hypothesis? What is your contribution?
• Why is the problem/hypothesis/contribution important/relevant?
• How will you answer your research questions (e.g. what is the method/approach and why have you chosen these?)
• You need to have a clear plan (independent of possible project involvement)
• What are the expected research contributions of this work? (i.e. What knowledge or research products will your work produce that others in the research community can use?)

In all of this please differentiate between your research contribution and the engineering tasks that you potentially need to undertake. We are interested in the former, not the latter. Also, you might want to consider the use "I" as opposed to "we" in your presentation, such that we know what you are doing personally as opposed to your collaborators (either in the research group or the project).

Please consider adding a detailed example to your presentation for people to be able to follow your ideas. Some things that are obvious to you may not be obvious to others, who are not emersed in your work.

The outcome of the proposal defense is either pass or fail. If you fail you may have to submit a new thesis proposal, defend it again, or both of those. You can only repeat this process once.

Proposal Document Revisions after the Defense (conditional pass)

If you are required to make changes to your PhD proposal and submit a new version to the IfI PhD committee, then please follow the following steps:

• Carefully revise the PhD thesis proposal taking into account all of the feedback you received on your initial version (from all of the reviews and during the defense). Please use a different font color for those text passages where you have made major edits relative to the previous version, to make it easier to find the changes.
• Prepare a second document called "Revision Outline" (1-3 pages) where you briefly describe what parts of your PhD thesis proposal (i.e., pages and sections) you have changed, and how you have changed them, in response to the feedback you have received.
• Submit both of these documents to your advisor and to the IfI PhD committee (by sending them to IfI PhD program coordinator ).

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Dissertation Proposal Defense

The dissertation proposal format and defense procedures are set by the College of Nursing and are not overseen by the Graduate School. Students must be in candidacy status and enrolled in the term they defend their dissertation proposal. Per university policy, post-candidacy students must be enrolled for a minimum of 3 credits every Autumn and Spring semester. Students who defend the proposal in summer term must enroll in NUR 8999 for a minimum of one credit.

• The student, in collaboration with the advisor, selects dissertation committee members following guidelines found in the PhD Handbook. The committee membership must be approved by the PhD Subcommittee prior to the student moving forward with the proposal defense. The Dissertation Committee Approval Form can be found online and is submitted through Beacon .
• The dissertation proposal defense cannot be scheduled until after completion of candidacy.
• The proposal defense includes a public presentation followed by a meeting of the committee with the student. The dissertation proposal defense should be scheduled during standard work hours (8 am-5 pm, Monday- Friday). The proposal defense can be completed on-campus, remotely, or hybrid. If remote or hybrid options are used, all defense participants must be able to see and hear each other during the entire defense.
• Student’s name/email/phone number
• Title for the Dissertation Proposal
• Names and Ohio State email addresses of Committee Chair and all committee members
• Preferred format of the dissertation proposal defense
• Three preferred dates and times for the defense
• If the on-campus option is selected: In addition to the public presentation classroom space, please indicate if a secondary location is needed for the closed portion OR if an office space has already been designated for the closed portion of the Proposal Defense
• If the closed portion of the Proposal Defense will be held in an office space, please list the Newton Hall office number
• Please indicate your AV needs
• Academic Program Coordinator Responsibility: The results of the PhD Proposal Defense Scheduling survey will be routed to the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator. The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will reserve the appropriate classroom space if on-campus format is requested and reserve a Zoom link for the Proposal Defense. If rooms are not available during the three preferred dates for on-campus exams, the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will contact the student for three new potential meeting dates.
• The Graduate Data Manager
• The PhD Program Director
• The student
• All committee members.
• If the defense must be rescheduled, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the Graduate Academic Program Coordinator. The Graduate Academic Program Coordinator will cancel the Outlook invitation and the student will be required to resubmit the PhD Proposal Defense Scheduling survey with new potential times for the rescheduled proposal defense. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure all information included in the Outlook invitation is accurate and all committee members have been included on the invitation.
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• Prior to the presentation and defense, the student must obtain a copy of the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form from the resources area of Beacon . NOTE: This is not the same as the Graduate School’s “Application for Final Oral Examination” form or any other paperwork available at gradforms.osu.edu .
• The final dissertation proposal is due to all members of the dissertation committee at least 2 weeks prior to the proposal defense.
• After private committee discussion, a satisfactory/unsatisfactory decision is reached by means of a vote. Each member of the committee indicates judgment by signing (electronically or otherwise) the Dissertation Proposal Approval Form. The completed form is sent to the Student Data Manager to be archived. An electronic copy of the dissertation proposal with any corrections or updates must be sent to the PhD Program Director within 2 weeks of the defense.
• Acceptance of the proposal by the student’s dissertation committee indicates agreement that it meets the standards and requirements for dissertation research that will be a scholarly contribution to nursing science.

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	Pacific University
	Aug 02, 2024   Academic Catalog 2024-2025     Academic Catalog 2024-2025 Introduction This program is open to high-achieving students worldwide who are interested in fundamental vision science, human factors related to vision, and translational research that can be applied to eyecare. It is designed to engage students to explore the broad field of vision science through basic, translational, or clinical research. The curriculum provides fundamental knowledge about all facets of vision and visual performance, including (but not limited to) physiological optics, anatomy and physiology of the human eye, visual perception/cognition, visual neuroscience, eye diseases, public health vision care, sports vision, eye movements, visual search, visual function in learning, and human-computer interaction, as well as other aspects of applied vision. Students will engage in laboratory-based and clinical-relevant research and be exposed to the basic concepts and techniques central to their specialized research topics. The program was created to provide high-quality optometric education and customized rigorous research training. The overarching program goals are to develop students into highly proficient clinicians and talented researchers who are well-prepared for careers in vision science, whether in academia, industry, or leadership in government-supported or non-profit organizations. Degree Requirements To receive a PhD in Vision Science, students must satisfy the following requirements. Students are encouraged to publish papers and present research at conferences, which is essential for achieving their professional goals. Fulfill course requirements with satisfactory performance and maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher:  The minimum credit requirements vary based on students’ backgrounds. Additional coursework may be deemed necessary by the VSG Committee and the student’s advisor. Conduct an early research project:  This can be satisfied with a committee-approved master’s thesis or a peer-reviewed research publication. Demonstrate proficiency in research skills as evidenced by passing the Laboratory Study course. Pass the written and oral comprehensive knowledge examination in four topical areas of vision science. Pass the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Exam. Present the dissertation proposal for the Ph.D. Qualification Exam, obtain approval from the dissertation advisor and the research committee before data collection. Submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal for publication before the dissertation defense. Successfully present and defend the Ph.D. Dissertation Project in public , and deposit it to Pacific University Library CommonKnowledge. Course requirements vary based on students’ backgrounds when matriculating into the program. All students must complete courses from the following seven categories with a minimum of 58.5 credits. Students without a relevant Master’s degree need to take all PhD courses mentioned above, plus complete the whole Master’s degree curriculum. The PhD curriculum consists of coursework in the following six categories. Research Skills: 8.5 credits PhD Research Work: 21.0 credits Vision Science Seminars: 22.0 credits Clinical Skills: 1.0 credit PhD Teaching Experiences: 2.0 credits Electives: 4.0 credits Total: 58.5 credits Research Skills: 8.5 Credits VSC 502 - Scientific & Clinical Writing 1.5 credit(s) VSC 704 - Clinical Research Methodology 2 credit(s) VSC 705 - Statistics for Clinical Research 3 credit(s) VSC 861 - Survey of Vision Science Laboratories 2 credit(s) PhD Research Work: 21 credits VSC 790 - Research Communication 1 credit(s) VSC 756 - Independent Study 1-9 credit(s) (1 credit required to explore the dissertation topic) VSC 801 - PhD Vision Research Colloquium 1 credit(s) (2 credits required) VSC 862 - Laboratory Study 2 credit(s) VSC 902 - Proposal Writing & Grant App 3 credit(s) VSC 991 - Dissertation Research 1-3 credit(s) (12 credits required) Vision Science Core Courses & Seminars: 22 credits VSC 523 - Neuroanatomy of the Visual Pathways 2 credit(s) OR   OPT 535 - Functional Neuroanatomy and Neurobiology     2.5 credit(s) VSC 631 - Common Ocular Diseases 2 credit(s) OR   OPT 639 - Oc Disease III Intro to Post Segment     2 credit(s) VSC 751 - Vision Science Seminar I 3 credit(s) VSC 752 - Vision Science Seminar II 3 credit(s) VSC 811 - Advanced Seminar in Vision & Optics 3 credit(s) VSC 821 - Adv Sem in Ocular Anatomy & Physio 3 credit(s) VSC 841 - Adv Sem in Ocular Func & Vis Perf 3 credit(s) Clinical Skills: 1 credit VSC 660 - Practice of Clinical Skills 1 credit(s) OR   OPT 547L - Lab-Clinical Procedures II     1.5 credit(s) PhD Teaching Experiences: 2 credits OPT 970 - Teaching Experience 1 credit(s) (2 credits required) Electives: 4 credits Electives may be chosen from the following courses or OPT 500, 600, 700, or 900 courses offered by the College of Optometry except VSC 760, VSC 998, VSC 999, and the required courses for the MS in Vision Science degree. VSC 756 - Independent Study 1-9 credit(s) VSC 805 - Project-Based Data Analysis 1 credit(s) VSC 991 - Dissertation Research 1-3 credit(s) OPT 970 - Teaching Experience 1 credit(s) Special approval by the Vision Science Graduate Committee is required for non-optometry courses from Pacific University to count as elective requirements. Special Courses Upon special circumstances, students may take VSC 760   , VSC 998   , and VSC 999    with approval from the program director. Credits earned from these courses are not counted toward the degree requirement. VSC 760 - Curricular Practical Training 1 credit(s) VSC 998 - Continuing Enrollment: Pre-Thesis/Dissertation 1-9 credit(s) VSC 999 - Continuing Enrollment: Thesis/Dissertation 1-9 credit(s) Additional Requirements Early research . Students must conduct and present a research study before applying for the Ph.D. Candidacy Exam. This requirement can be met by successfully defending a Master’s thesis, submitting a Master’s thesis in a vision-science-related field before entering the program, or submitting a manuscript accepted by or published in a peer-reviewed journal with the student being the first author or the corresponding author. The previous Master’s thesis or peer-reviewed paper must be reviewed and approved by the VSG Committee. Comprehensive Knowledge Examination  PhD students must pass the Comprehensive Knowledge Examination (in written and oral forms) to ascertain the breadth of their comprehension of fundamental knowledge in vision science. After completing all advanced seminars and the research methodology course, the student may request to take the exam. The Comprehensive Knowledge Exam Committee is tasked with designing the exam for the student and shall comprise all instructors of the following courses or equivalent: VSC 704 - Clinical Research Methodology     VSC 811 - Advanced Seminar in Vision & Optics     VSC 821 - Adv Sem in Ocular Anatomy & Physio     VSC 831 - Adv Sem in Eye Diseases & Public Health     VSC 841 - Adv Sem in Ocular Func & Vis Perf     The Comprehensive Knowledge Examination includes a written exam and an oral exam. The written exam is conducted first, and the oral examination shall be administered one month after the written examination.  Ph.D. Candidacy (Qualification) Examination In consultation with the student, a research advisor is appointed to advise the student’s dissertation progject. The research advisor works with the student and the program director to form a Doctoral Dissertation Committee to guide the student’s dissertation work. The dissertation committee requires at least four members with expertise related to the student’s dissertation topic, including: The research advisor, who shall serve as the committee chairperson; Three or more committee readers; At least two of the committee members (including the advisor) should be members of the College of Optometry faculty; At least one external committee member who is not a member of the College of Optometry faculty will serve as a referee to evaluate the dissertation defense process. If a non-optometry faculty member cannot serve on the dissertation committee, a College of Optometry faculty will be substituted. All committee members must be members of the graduate faculty at Pacific University. The Director of the VSG Program approves all dissertation committees. Changes of committee members must be requested by the student in writing and approved by the VSG Committee. After passing the Comprehensive Knowledge Exam, a student may submit a dissertation research proposal for the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination to the student’s dissertation committee. The proposal should be formatted as a grant application (e.g., a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Research Service Award pre-doctoral fellowship application) and include the following (or equivalent) elements: Specific aims: Describe the main research questions, and the hypotheses, and outline experiments to test them. Background and significance: Include a focused literature review on the topics and rationale for the importance of the research. Preliminary data or pilot study results: Describe the relevant preparation and research findings the student has conducted as the foundation of the research paradigm or testing of the proposed hypotheses. Research design and methods: Describe the details of the planned research. The research design and methods should be described separately if multiple studies are involved. Once passing the Qualification Examination, the student is advanced to PhD Candidacy and may embark on his or her final step of doctoral dissertation research as approved by the dissertation committee. Manuscript Submission to a Peer-reviewed Journal Publishing is an essential part of the academic career for all graduate students. PhD students must submit at least one manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal approved by the student’s research advisor no later than one week before their defense date. This requirement pushes the student to go through the manuscript preparation process under the guidance of the advisor and research committee. Failure to comply will result in the cancellation of the defense exam, which can be scheduled upon completion of the requirement. Dissertation Writing, Defense, & Deposit The final examination for the degree is a defense of the research in front of the dissertation committee and the public and its write-up report. The PhD candidate must present the results of an original research study and give evidence of excellent scholarship and proficiency in critically relevant research techniques. When applying for dissertation defense, a PhD candidate must indicate how the research proficiency of their research topics has been fulfilled. This can be shown as completion of  VSC 862    with a satisfactory grade and, when applicable, mastery of other relevant research skills (e.g., computer programming skills, advanced statistical methods, neuroimaging techniques, etc.). The candidate’s dissertation committee will evaluate the candidate’s research proficiency as part of the dissertation defense. After successfully passing the dissertation defense, the student must deliver to the Director of the graduate program and the university library an electronic file of the dissertation approved by the student’s Dissertation Committee, along with a scanned signature page signed by the Committee members before the degree is conferred. Program Details Program length. Degree completion takes at least three years, but varies depending on whether the student enters with a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, or any advanced standing (e.g., an OD degree or a post-undergraduate degree in a vision science related field). The total time allowed to complete the PhD degree requirements is seven years. Students entering PhD without an MS degree should complete the MS requirements within five years and the PhD degree requirements within seven years from the student’s enrollment for graduate study. Students who fail to reach the milestones may be removed from both degree programs. Academic Progress Evaluation PhD students should make satisfactory progress toward their degree, evaluated by the Academic and Professional Standards Committee and the Vision Science Graduate Committee.  Students completing the Proposal Exam should meet with their research committee at least once per semester. The committee will determine whether the student has made adequate progress and report this to the program director and the Vision Science Graduate Committee. Any changes to the project’s aims, as detailed in the Dissertation Proposal, should be provided and approved by the Dissertation Committee at these meetings and submitted to the program director. The students may be asked to demonstrate their research progress and proficiency in research communication through public oral presentations. Students receiving unsatisfactory evaluations from their advisor and the Vision Science Graduate Committee may be sent to the Academic and Professional Standard Committee for performance review.    Program Learning Outcomes Upon completion of the PhD in Vision Science program’s degree requirements, students will have the following skills:  Mastery of Knowledge : Graduates will demonstrate fundamental knowledge in a broad range of topics in vision science as well as advanced expertise in specific scientific and clinical domains, understand the mechanisms and interactions between the visual, environmental, and etiological factors of chosen visual conditions, and be able to articulate, synthesize, and apply the learned concepts and skills to establish clearly defined lines of empirical research inquiries. Critical Thinking : Graduates will demonstrate the ability to assess theoretical hypotheses, empirical evidence, and statistical outcomes by evaluating the underlying philosophy, evidence, and biases in their scientific and clinical applications, form well-reasoned perspectives and scientific theories, and apply evidence-based medicine principles at scientific discovery and clinical innovation.  Mastery of Research Skills:  Graduates will demonstrate the ability to apply theories and knowledge to identify the research question, master the analytical and methodological skills to conduct research activities, and use clinical and laboratory equipment to collect, analyze, and interpret the data. Graduates will also demonstrate written and oral communication skills sufficient to publish in peer-reviewed journals, present and lead scientific discussions at a conference, and propose well-rounded research to attract research grants. Competency in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion :  Graduates will demonstrate the ability to promote personal and social participation in effective citizenship, demonstrate leadership in encouraging new and diverse perspectives based on differences in areas such as cultural and socioeconomic background, design or improve an environment to recognize and mitigate one’s own biases, and implement inclusive values in both research inquiries and organizational missions. Graduates can apply their competency in healthcare and research contexts with diverse populations. Leadership : Graduates will establish personal and scholarly goals in advancing scientific and clinical inquiries for the well-being of broad society and community eyecare, demonstrate a mastery of skills and knowledge at a level required for higher education teaching in their fields and mentoring students in their learning and career development, and participate in professional organizations to further these goals. Program Admission Information Popular search terms: No results found for “ ”. Search another word or try popular search words. PhD: HSR Program Details Phd thesis handbook. This thesis handbook is for the PhD students for Health Systems Research and Health Professions Education Research program. Milestones  Phd major milestones. Comprehensive course and exam Form the committee (can happen before comprehensives) Proposal defence Submit protocol for Research Ethics Board (REB), review and approval (approval may take several months, can do scoping reviews while waiting for REB) Research and writing Final oral exam (FOE) Modifications and Thesis Submission Supporting Activities Intake meeting (Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) plus forms for annual review meeting forms) Annual review meeting (emphasis lead and supervisor) and form and financial declaration of employment and awards Meeting with the committee (at least two times annually) [or equivalent communication about thesis progress] Publishing your work  Selecting a Suitable Thesis Topic   Purpose of a phd thesis. The PhD thesis is an original piece of scholarly research. It is a major undertaking that reflects the highest standards of scholarship and makes a significant contribution to knowledge and practice in the field of health systems research. PhD research is one in which there is an element of originality (the work represents a unique contribution to the field) and either the potential for three published papers as a result or an equivalent amount of work. The thesis research is conducted under the guidance of a supervisor and in consultation with the thesis research committee. Introduction – The PhD Thesis Although courses are an important part of the PhD program, it is the research and thesis writing that provide the main opportunities for developing both a broad perspective and in-depth knowledge of a particular area of research. Earning a PhD degree is more than simply completing a few courses, carrying out a piece of research and writing a thesis; it is the process of becoming a well-rounded researcher in health systems research or health professions education research: one that is knowledgeable about theory, methodologically rigorous, and can make a real-life impact. The PhD thesis demonstrates a wide, critical knowledge of the field; an ability to ask appropriate questions and set the research in its proper context; that the appropriate research methods have been mastered; and that the ideas and results are communicated effectively. It is about making an original contribution to a particular research field within a framework of research training. ‘Original contribution’ means finding a gap in knowledge and answering a question posed by that gap. Selecting a Research Topic There are many suitable topics for research in Health Systems Research and Health Professions Education Research. The selection of a research topic should be the result of a consultation between the student and supervisor. A good research topic is one that: Addresses an important real-life problem; Fills in gaps in current knowledge and understanding; Relevant to the field of HPER or HSR, and your emphasis (for HSR); You are passionate about and interested in. Ideas for research topics may come from many sources including your past studies, readings, and perhaps most importantly, personal experiences. By the time you are admitted into the program, you should have already formed a general idea of your thesis topic. While it is important for the topic to be within the general research area of your supervisor, it is not necessary for the supervisor to be an expert in the specific topic. By the time you finish your PhD, you should become an expert on that topic. Review Past IHPME Thesis Topics Selecting a supervisor / role of the supervisor, selecting a supervisor. All PhD students are required to find a supervisor who will act as a mentor and guide as they proceed through their degree. The choice of a faculty member who will supervise the thesis work required to fulfill degree requirements is one of the most critical decisions a graduate student will make and should not be taken lightly. A student will need not only a competent supervisor in a particular area but also willing to act as the student’s advocate when necessary. It is important that the student be able to work and communicate effectively with the supervisor and not feel overwhelmed or intimidated in the relationship. Each student requires the guidance of someone who will stimulate thoughts, who has sufficient interest in the student’s topic to produce insights jointly, and who will challenge the student to think in a novel manner about the research. The following suggestions are included to help students find an appropriate supervisor: Emphasis they are affiliated with Content expertise Methodological expertise (You are NOT restricted to content – someone out of your area with a “method” match can be great!) Ensure that your potential supervisor has the appropriate SGS appointment level: PhD students need a supervisor who is a Full SGS member . If you are interested in working with a supervisor who does not have this level of appointment, you may discuss it with them. They may suggest someone with the appropriate SGS appointment level and/or may serve as a co-supervisor. Students may get to know the potential supervisor whose research interests parallel their own. Consider doing a database ( ProQuest , PubMed , Scopus [2]) search to see what they have published and read some of their recent publications. If possible, talk to other trainees. They will tell you who is a good supervisor. Graduate students working with a specific supervisor are an invaluable source of information. There are tradeoffs in picking a supervisor by seniority/eminence. A very experienced supervisor may help “fast-track” your career. On the other hand, a senior person may not have a lot of time for you. A supervisor is also a mentor, often for the first few years of your career. Someone who is a good mentor can be really helpful. Don’t be afraid to approach potential supervisors cold, i.e., without any personal connection or contact. They expect it. It’s their job (usually among many others) to teach and mentor students. HSR: You may contact the emphasis lead of your area of interest for suggestions For more information visit : Role of the Thesis Supervisor The supervisor provides advice on all aspects of the thesis project. Specifically, they are responsible for providing direction to the student, advice on data sources and potential avenues of approach, instructions on the proper content and form of the thesis, review of the student’s progress, and serving as the first reader of the thesis. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to help the student think through conceptual and methodological issues and to raise questions about possible decisions faced/taken by the student. The supervisor and student are expected to read and sign a Memorandum of Agreement (Student-Supervisor MOU) [PDF] before undertaking thesis work. In HSR, this MOU should be submitted to the emphasis lead at or before the intake meeting in the summer before the start of the program. The supervisor and student are expected to meet on a regular basis at a mutually agreed schedule (many supervisors meet with their students on a bi-weekly basis, but frequency may change depending on need and the stage of the research). Additionally, the supervisor, in conjunction with the student, is expected to complete annual progress reports, annual statement of employment and awards , and meet with the emphasis leads/program directors to discuss it. For more information: What to Do if You Have Challenges Working With Your Supervisor: First, try to discuss it openly with your supervisor. Share your concerns and try to reach mutual agreement. If that doesn’t work, you may contact the Emphasis Leads (HSR) Program Director or Graduate Coordinator Contact the Centre for Graduate Mentorship & Supervision (CGMS) for expert advice Selection of the Thesis Committee   Purpose of the thesis committee  . The thesis committee gives meaningful input into the thesis proposal and supports you through the research to completion and defence of the PhD thesis. PhD Thesis Research Committee The thesis committee should have a minimum of three members (including the supervisor) .   In consultation with the supervisor, the student selects two or more additional members for their committee. In the case of co-supervision, only one additional member is needed. Students and supervisors are encouraged to form a committee that can properly support the student, both methodologically and in content expertise. The supervisor , who functions as the Chair of the thesis research committee, must have a full membership to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and an appointment through IHPME. See “ IHPME Requirements to be a Supervisor ” for additional requirements. Committee members can have a graduate faculty membership (full or associate membership with SGS) elsewhere within the University of Toronto, these faculty do not have to apply for an appointment with IHPME. Clinical faculty with appointments elsewhere in the university that do not have a GFM need to apply for it through IHPME. They can send their CV to ihpme.appointments@utoronto.ca and will receive the details and a link for the application submission. It is possible to appoint a committee member from outside the university. In this instance, the supervisor must obtain a copy of the outside member’s CV and forward it to the IHPME Appointments Officer ihpme.appointments@utoronto.ca who will explain the application process to obtain the GFM. When all committee members have been selected and have agreed to serve, the  Step I (Committee Confirmation)  form should be completed by the student, signed by the student and supervisor, and submitted to the Graduate Assistant. This information will be placed in the student’s file.  Thesis Proposal Approval Process Phd thesis research proposal. The thesis research proposal is developed with the supervisor and the supervisory committee in a series of iterative steps. Normally the committee meets to discuss the thesis research project generally, after which, drafts of the proposal are submitted to the supervisor and committee for feedback and revision. The thesis research proposal is usually 20-30 pages in length, double-spaced, excluding references. In consultation with your supervisor, you may write a longer proposal and then shorten it to the required length for the proposal defence. This longer version may serve you later as the basis for some of the chapters of the final thesis. In developing the research proposal, students should consider the format of the thesis . The two formats used in IHPME are Traditional Thesis and Publication-Based Thesis. The proposal should contain the following elements: Title: The title should give a clear indication of the topic being studied. The Problem : The proposal should contain a description of the study problem which includes specification of the study question(s), justification for their selection in relation to previous research and to the literature, and the potential relevance of the research findings. Theoretical Framework and Background Information : Following a concise and critical review of the theoretical and research literatures, the proposal should discuss the major theoretical premises and the salient concepts which underlie the problem or question(s).  The proposal should then outline a framework, based on literature, for analyzing the problem and question(s). Design and Methods (some aspects may vary depending on the nature of the study): The type of research design should be clearly explained (e.g., survey, descriptive, interpretive, experimental, etc.) as should the reasons for selecting it, including its merits and limitations. The questions and/or hypotheses for the thesis research are formulated clearly. Sampling and recruitment procedures should be clearly outlined, including theoretical and practical reasons for selecting the population or database from which the sample is to be drawn. Sample size, or details of any database, should be included. Data collection methods should be described in detail as should their relationship to the theoretical and conceptual issues associated with the thesis research project.  The methods of analysis appropriate for the study design should be fully described and justified, including their strengths and weaknesses. The proposal should be clear about any conceptual or theoretical issues relating to the analysis of the data. Research Plan (timeline): The proposal should include a detailed plan, with estimates of time needed to complete each phase of the proposed research. Alternatives should be outlined for those elements of the plan which may prove problematic. Proposal Approval Once the supervisor and committee approve the proposal: The supervisor and/or committee identify an external examiner. The external examiner must be external to the student’s committee, and possess expertise in an area related to the thesis research.  For the proposal, this can be someone within the University of Toronto, ideally outside of IHPME.  There is no formal requirement for the external examiner to be at arm’s length from the student or supervisor at this stage, however the chosen examiner must be able to examine the student appropriately and without bias.   The supervisor/committee must get the CV of the external examiner. HSR: ihpme.grad.assist@utoronto.ca HPER:  ihpme.hper@utoronto.ca The external examiner will be reviewed by the graduate coordinator for approval. Once the external examiner is approved, the supervisor or the student must send the research proposal to all members of the proposal examination committee including the external examiner at least four weeks prior to the meeting The graduate assistant will secure a chair for the defence and notify the student and committee as soon as possible. Proposal Assessment Criteria (see below) are provided to each reviewer and are intended to serve as guidelines for the assessment. The Proposal Defence You should schedule 2 hours for the proposal defence. There must be at least 4 voting members present, including the external examiner. During the proposal defence, the student presents a brief summary (20 minutes max) of the thesis research proposal to the examination committee, followed by one or two rounds of questions and responses. Each committee member gets approximately 10 minutes to ask questions in the first round.  The student then leaves the room and the examination committee votes on the proposal with the following options:  Approved (with a note of decisions regarding additional material and/or analyses to be included in the thesis that were not in the proposal)  Not approved (specify reason, and conditions to be fulfilled prior to re-examination. Date of reconvened examination (must be within 1 year) The supervisor is responsible for recording the discussion and recommendations and revisions. Following the meeting, the supervisor is responsible for meeting with the student to discuss revisions recommended during the proposal approval meeting. Research Proposal Assessment Criteria The following criteria are to be considered by the supervisor and proposal examination committee members in adjudicating the merits of the student’s proposal. To what extent is the research question focused and researchable? To what extent is there a coherent and relevant review of the literature in support of the research question? To what extent are the design and methods appropriate and clearly articulated? Are sampling and recruitment strategies and other sources of information well thought out and appropriate? Are the variables clearly described and their operational definitions outlined  (in quantitative research:)? Are the planned analyses appropriate? Is the proposal work plan feasible? The student can proceed to collection of data and preparation of their thesis research ONLY AFTER APPROVAL of their proposal has been obtained from the Approval Committee and only after Ethics Approval has also been obtained. Submission of Thesis Project for Ethics Review In accordance with the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans – TCPS 2 , all students conducting research that involves human participants (or data collected from them) must obtain University of Toronto research ethics approval for their research in addition to any approvals required by other institutions such as those of research sites or the home institutions of their supervisors.  Note that depending on the research site, risk level and other factors, ethics approval may take several months. For research based at Toronto Academic Health Science Network (TAHSN) hospitals, students need to obtain Research Ethics Board (REB) approval from the hospital first, and then submit the REB approval letter, approved application form, Research protocol, and appendices for administrative review by the University of Toronto REB. Administrative reviews are normally approved within two weeks. Once received, students should submit a copy of the REB approval letter to the Graduate Assistant to put in the student’s file. Applications for approval can only be submitted after the proposal has been approved. Students must be listed as a researcher or investigator with the relevant Research Ethics Boards. While the University of Toronto sometimes exempts student research from full ethics review, students must apply for such exemptions and supply the appropriate documentation to the IHPME graduate office. Students must never assume that their research is exempt from ethics approval. Students who do not have documented University of Toronto ethics approval will not be allowed to proceed to their defence. IHPME students are required to take the online tutorial TCPS 2: CORE (Course on Research Ethics), an introduction to the 2nd edition of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2) . Upon completion, you will be able to print or email a Certificate of Completion to be submitted to the IHPME graduate office. UofT REB Application The Office of Research Ethics at the University of Toronto has launched an online application process. Here is the landing page to submit an application: My Research  Please consult the Research Involving Human Subjects resource and Federal Guidelines (TCPS2) For more information on Research Ethics, or if you have questions about submission, please contact: ethics.review@utoronto.ca  or 416 946 3273. Research and Writing Once the research proposal is approved and ethics approval is obtained the student may begin working on their doctoral research including participants’ recruitment, data collection, data analysis and writing. Some parts of the research such as scoping or systematic reviews may begin before REB approval is obtained. However, it is not advisable to begin before the proposal is approved because the proposal examination committee may have some comments and suggestions to improve the study. Research and writing are conducted under the guidance of the supervisor in consultation with the thesis research committee. The committee should meet as a whole at least twice a year and submit a meeting report to the graduate assistant after each meeting . Writing support: Many students find writing to be one of the hardest parts of PhD. The Writing Centre , the Graduate Centre for Academic Communication (GCAC) and the Health Sciences Writing Centre both offer support for graduate students including one-on-one consultations.  Financial Support for Research and Publication Ideally, your supervisor will have some grants to cover some research-related expenses you may incur, such as compensation to study participants, transcription of interviews, travel for  data collection, presentation at conferences, or publication in open access journals  IHPME offers a small grant (currently $500) to support students. Many conferences offer travel fellowships for students to present their work.  SGS also offers a research travel grant and a conference grant for students. The University of Toronto has signed agreements with a number of publishers to support open access publication of research . Final Oral Exam (FOE) When the supervisor and thesis committee agree that the thesis is complete and ready for defence, they may proceed with setting up the final oral exam (FOE). The process of setting up the FOE takes approximately two months as outlined below; thus, you will need to plan ahead.  Please consider the SGS deadlines and recommended dates and timeline below: June 24, 2024 July 8, 2024 August 19, 2024 September 16, 2024 September 30, 2024 November October 16, 2024 October 30, 2024 mid-December 2024 January 15, 2025 January 24, 2025 March (in absentia*) or June January 20, 2025 February 3, 2025 March 17, 2025 April 11, 2025 June 8 weeks before the FOE Student or supervisor must submit the completed booking request form and full CVs of all proposed external appraiser and external and internal examiners to the graduate assistant (the external appraiser is often the same person as the external examiner).  Graduate assistant contact: HPER: ihpme.hper@utoronto.ca The external and internal examiners will then be approved by the IHPME Graduate Coordinator and then by the School of Graduate Studies. This may take up to two weeks. 6 weeks before the FOE The student submits the thesis to the graduate assistant to send out to the external and internal examiners. The graduate assistant will send the thesis and letters to the examiners.     The student is responsible to send the thesis to their committee.  2 weeks before the FOE A written appraisal from the external examiner should be received 2 weeks before the FOE. The supervisor and student should discuss the written appraisal and how to respond to the comments during the FOE. 2-1 weeks before the FOE SGS will secure a chair for the FOE. The graduate assistant will notify the student, committee and examiners of the appointment of the chair and the time and location of the defence. Day of the exam The student should arrive 15-30 minutes early to meet with the graduate assistant and set up the room..  The Examination Committee SGS provides comprehensive guidelines for the FOE and the composition of the exam committee.   The initial process for the FOE is to select an external appraiser and the members of the FOE committee. The FOE committee includes at least four but no more than six voting members. IHPME strongly encourages selecting a date and time that accommodates the entire FOE committee. The FOE committee includes: Up to three members of the student’s supervisory committee may vote at the examination. Additional members of the supervisory committee may sit on the FOE as non-voting members. An external examiner.  SGS distinguishes between external appraiser, who reviews the written thesis and provides a written assessment, and external examiner who is part of the examination committee. While SGS allows different people to serve as external appraiser and external examiner, IHPME strongly prefers that the external appraiser also serves as the external examiner (who is a voting member of the FOE committee). An internal examiner Optional: a departmental representative (usually the emphasis lead, program director, or graduate coordinator) who is a voting member of the FOE committee. Examiners and Appraisers : It is the responsibility of the supervisor and student to nominate a suitable External Examiner/Appraiser. The supervisor recommends the External Examiner to the Program Director and the Graduate Coordinator for approval.  All examiners and appraisers must have: An appointment with a graduate department (for examiners at the University of Toronto, this is the School of Graduate Studies). Note: Internal examiners may be granted a temporary appointment for the purpose of the thesis examination if sufficient advance request (greater than 2 months) is made to the Program Director (who in turn makes the request to the IHPME appointments committee). Recognized expertise in the field being examined. External Appraiser: Must be external to the University of Toronto as well as to its affiliated teaching hospitals and their research institutes.  Must be a recognized expert on the subject of the thesis, and an Associate or Full Professor at their home institution, and experienced as a successful supervisor of doctoral candidates through to defence. An appraiser from outside the academic sector must possess the qualifications to be appointed to an academic position at this level.  has served as Masters or PhD Supervisor / Supervisee of the Candidate or the Supervisor; has, in the past six years, been a departmental colleague (e.g. in the same research institute or hospital division) of the Candidate or the Supervisor, or has collaborated on a research project, grant, scholarly work or publication, with either of them. Note: The Vice Dean (Students), in considering nominations of external appraisers, will assess whether the nominee is at arm’s length.  According to SGS, the FOE committee must include “at least two examiners who have not been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis. Those eligible include the External Appraiser, members of the faculty appointed to the Candidate’s graduate unit, and members of the faculty appointed to other graduate units of the University.” However, in IHPME we apply stricter rules:    The External Examiner:   Although the external appraiser need only fulfill the role of Appraiser i.e., provide a written assessment of the thesis, and need not ultimately vote, IHPME strongly encourages Appraisers to act as External Examiner and to vote at the examination committee. The External Examiner can participate in person or by teleconference/ online. If the external appraiser is unable to serve as an examiner, we expect the external examiner to meet the same criteria as the external appraiser in terms of their academic rank and conflict of interest Similarly, IHPME applies stricter criteria for the Internal Examiner in that: The PhD internal examiner should have an associate professor rank or higher The PhD internal examiner may be internal to the University of Toronto. Preference is for an examiner who is external to IHPME, however, this is not a strict requirement and those who are internal to the department of IHPME are eligible The PhD internal examiner must have an arm’s-length relationship with the student and supervisor as defined by the same criteria as the external appraiser. In rare cases, when it is proven difficult to find an internal examiner who meets the above criteria, the Graduate Coordinator may approve an internal examiner who meets the SGS criteria but not the stricter IHPME ones. What to Expect at the Defence A quorum of the Defence Committee must be present. Guidelines for the PhD Final Oral Examination – SGS The student is asked to leave the room. The defence Committee discusses the internal and external reviews. The student is recalled and presents their thesis (maximum 20 minutes, uninterrupted). One or two rounds of questions are posed to the student. (*Note: Questions can be asked about both the oral presentation and written thesis.) Student is asked to leave the room. The defence Committee votes on the acceptability of both the thesis and the oral defence. The Supervisor informs the student if modifications are required. After the Defence Adjourn: if there is more than one negative vote and/or abstention, the examination is adjourned and a reconvened examination must be held within one year Pass: There are three options the thesis may be accepted “in present form”, with “editorial corrections” (one month to make changes with supervisor approval), or requiring “minor revisions” (three months to make changes with sub-committee approval).   See SGS Guidelines for the Doctoral Final Oral Examination (FOE) for more detailed information for each case. After modifications and approval, the supervisor or subcommittee convenor informs SGS that the student has made the corrections, and the student uploads the thesis to ProQuest.   As of September 1, 2009, the School of Graduate Studies will ONLY accept the submission of theses in electronic format. Please view SGS – Producing your Thesis webpage for information on electronically submitting your thesis. Students failing to complete all steps by the SGS deadlines will be required to register and pay fees for another term. The School of Graduate Studies notifies students about convocation arrangements 4–6 weeks in advance. Finance Your Degree At IHPME, we offer a variety of financial supports to help you succeed in our graduate programs. Learn More About this Program Hsr program co-director. Emily Seto Email Address: emily.seto@​utoronto.ca Katie N. Dainty Email Address: katie.dainty@​utoronto.ca Co-leads the management of the HSR Program. Graduate Administrator Zoe Downie-Ross Phone Number: (416) 946-3486 Email Address: ihpme.grad.admin@​utoronto.ca Coordinates student records, graduate funding, and student-related awards. Graduate Admissions Christina Lopez Email Address: ihpme.admissions@​utoronto.ca Manages admissions and responds to all related inquiries. Graduate Assistant Nadia Ismail Phone Number: (416) 946-4100 Email Address: ihpme.grad.assist@​utoronto.ca Coordinates various graduate initiatives including defences, student events, and graduation. HSR Program Assistant Anita Morehouse Phone Number: 416-946-3922 Email Address: ihpme.hsr.courses@​utoronto.ca Manages the HSR courses including enrolment, grades, and access to Quercus. Counselor Education PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision Student Handbook SECTION IX. DISSERTATION PROCESS As the culminating scholarly experience, the dissertation serves as a performance assessment of the doctoral candidate’s ability to conduct original scholarship on an important question in CES, and to present and interpret the findings in a clear, logical, and appropriate form. The dissertation must make a significant contribution to the professional body of knowledge in the area of study. The dissertation document describes the research conducted, reports the results obtained, shows the relationship of the research to the scholarly work that preceded it, and shows the significance the research has in furthering understanding of the issues under investigation. Ph.D. students are encouraged to conduct a manuscript-based dissertation; however, they have the option of conducting a traditional dissertation. Ph.D. students work with their advisors to determine the best fit for the dissertation process. Manuscript-Based Dissertation A manuscript-based dissertation provides a number of benefits to the Ph.D. student, the Advisor and the scientific community: for instance, experience in the manuscript writing process, an easily accessible demonstration of original research and ability to communicate, timely dissemination of results, and a direct measure of the investment provided by funding agencies. Ph.D. students who conduct a manuscript-based dissertation have the opportunity to develop a research agenda and submit 2-3 manuscripts for publication as first author. The manuscript-based dissertation engages Ph.D. students in the research process under intensive mentorship by their dissertation advisor. Students typically begin working with their dissertation advisor on a research project in Year 1. The process is designed to be developmental so that the student moves from the role of a research assistant to becoming fully independent in conducting all phases of a research project. In Year 1, the student works alongside the advisor, assisting the advisor with data collection or analysis of data already collected. In Year 2, the student takes a more active role in running the research protocol, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. In Year 3, the student leads all aspects of the research project including study design, IRB approval, data collection, data analysis, and manuscript preparation. While the benefits are substantial, the manuscript-based option will challenge students as the process for peer- reviewed publications is rigorous and the journal articles will need to be supplemented with additional information in order to ensure a cohesive dissertation/thesis. Multiple first-author manuscripts are required for the manuscript-based Ph.D. dissertation and least one manuscript must be in press by the time you defend. All other manuscripts must be submitted by the time you defend. Manuscript-based Format For a manuscript-based Ph.D. dissertation, each publication stands as a chapter. As publications are very concise documents of research findings, supplemental text must be included within the dissertation to not only support the publication, but to also seamlessly integrate the publication into the dissertation. As such, in addition to the requirements outlined in the Graduate College’s Standards and Guidelines for Theses and Dissertations handbook, a manuscript-based Ph.D. dissertation must include the following: An abstract that clearly and succinctly summarizes the overarching scope of work that includes the motivation, hypothesis and objectives of the research, approach, key results and concluding remarks. The first chapter should be an introduction that includes the background needed to clearly relate the publication(s) to the entire body of work associate with the dissertation. For each publication (i.e., chapter), a paragraph must be included prior to the references that clearly specifies the role and contributions of the author and co-authors. A concluding chapter that outlines the principal findings and implications of the total research effort. In addition, the Advisor or supervisory committee may request additional supplemental information (introduction, background, literature review, methods/experimental, results, discussion and appendices) that supports the total research effort. Registration for Dissertation Credit Following admission to candidacy, a candidate may register for dissertation credit. Once initially registered for dissertation credit, the student must be in continuous enrollment (fall and spring semesters) until the dissertation is completed. Each semester a student should consult with the dissertation committee chair to determine the variable credits (1-12) for which to register. A student will receive a grade of “IP” (in progress) each semester until the dissertation is completed. If an unexpected emergency arises, the candidate may request a leave of absence, but during that leave, assistance may not be received from the dissertation committee.   Dissertation Advisor and Committee The dissertation advisor and a minimum of three committee members have the responsibility of guiding research and assessing the quality of the finished product. The advisor must have expertise in the area of the candidate’s research. The program advisor may continue with the candidate as the dissertation advisor, but the candidate may invite another member of the faculty to serve as dissertation advisor. In consultation with the dissertation advisor, the student forms a dissertation committee consisting of graduate faculty. Emeritus professors are eligible to serve. At least one member from outside the College of Education should participate. The committee is approved by the Graduate College. Once formed the composition of the committee may be changed per approval to assure that the candidate receives the most useful support possible. Responsibilities of the dissertation advisor include: Guiding the student in the selection of committee members Assisting the student in defining and developing a proposal for the dissertation research Overseeing the dissertation research Assisting the student in the organization of the dissertation defense and the dissemination of research results Responsibilities of dissertation committee members include: Reviewing the dissertation proposal and providing assistance and support for the research activities of the candidate Judging the quality of the dissertation and recommending approval and further action to the Dean of the Graduate College The Dissertation Proposal For students conducting a traditional dissertation, following admission to candidacy and in consultation with the dissertation advisor and committee, a candidate develops a dissertation proposal. The dissertation must follow guidelines of the current Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . The proposal must include the following: Statement of the research question, including its potential to contribute to knowledge in the area of study Review of relevant research Methods/procedures Timeline for completion of the dissertation Students conducting a manuscript-based dissertation will discuss with their advisor the content included in the proposal. The proposal must at least include the items described above. With permission of the dissertation advisor , the candidate disseminates the proposal to the dissertation committee. It is the committee’s responsibility to ensure that the candidate is prepared and that there is agreement among committee members regarding each aspect of the proposal before the presentation meeting is held. Upon agreement between the candidate and committee members, a date for a proposal defense is selected and the candidate notifies the program coordinator of the scheduled date. Students need to submit the Graduate College online announcement form at least two weeks in advance of the oral defense; earlier if the information is available. The program coordinator will then notify the graduate faculty and students in the Ph.D. program of the time, date, and location of the oral evaluation. The candidate is responsible for providing the program coordinator with an electronic copy of the committee-approved proposal (including a 100 word abstract) two weeks in advance of the proposed meeting. The program coordinator will apprise all graduate faculty of the meeting, post the time and site, and disseminate the abstract electronically. The meeting is to be open to all faculty and students who wish to attend. Once agreement is reached and the committee approves the proposal, the Dissertation Contract is signed and added to the student file. Dissertation Style and Format The candidate has the responsibility of assuring that all elements of the dissertation conform to appropriate standards as specified in the Graduate College Standards for Preparation of Theses and Dissertations, and in the current edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. A Dissertation that does not conform to the Standards and Guidelines for Theses and Dissertations will be returned by the Graduate College to the student for corrections. Dissertation Defense The purpose of the dissertation defense is to provide an opportunity for the educational community to engage with candidates in thoughtful dialogue and discussion regarding issues raised from the research. The defense is a public event, and all graduate faculty in the university will be invited to attend. Following approval by the Dissertation Advisor, the dissertation committee must receive the completed dissertation at least two weeks prior to the scheduled date of the defense. The candidate is responsible for completing BOTH the College of Education online announcement form AND the Graduate College online announcement form at least two weeks in advance of the oral defense; earlier if the information is available. The program coordinator will then notify the graduate faculty and students in the Ph.D. program of the time, date, and location of the oral defense. The Oral defense: The Graduate College will assign a Graduate Faculty Representative, who begins the proceedings and oversee the defense process. The candidate’s dissertation advisor chairs the defense. The oral defense includes a public portion that includes the presentation and questions from the public, and a private portion that includes a more in depth questioning of the candidate. Background of study Brief review of relevant literature Research question(s) Methodology Implications and Recommendations Introduction Brief Review of the Literature Research Question(s) Methods, Findings Discussion including Implications and Direction for Future Research (if appropriate) and Limitations Conclusion including overall Implications and Recommendations At the conclusion of the discussion, the committee retires to decide whether the dissertation is (a) approved as is, (b) approved with minor revisions—to be reviewed by the Dissertation Chair, (c) approved with major revisions—to be reviewed by the entire committee, or (d) not approved. Upon final revisions, it is the responsibility of the dissertation chair to read and sign an approval sheet indicating that the dissertation meets the standard of the program. The final copy of the dissertation is then submitted to the Graduate College. Final Dissertation Copies Upon submission, the student is required to sign a form that authorizes limited duplication privileges by the Library. The Library will pay for binding one circulating copy. Duplication and binding costs for all additional copies of the dissertation are the responsibility of the student. Final bound copies of the dissertation must also be distributed to each member of the candidate’s committee and one to the Dean of the College of Education. Completion of the Program No later than the semester prior to the anticipated completion of the dissertation, the candidate must complete an “Application for Graduate Degree” form, which can be obtained from the Graduate Admissions Office or online. This form, along with the required diploma fee, is to be submitted to the Graduation Office, by the stipulated deadline stated in the Academic Calendar. If there are changes in the expected date of graduation, the candidate must notify the Graduate College. All requirements for the degree must be completed within 7 years of the enrollment of any course included in the candidate’s program of study. Student Rights to Appeal A student may appeal to the Department Chair, Associate Dean of the College of Education, and Graduate College decisions made by program advisors and dissertation committees. If the student is not satisfied with the decision, an appeal is made to the Department Chair. The next appeal is to the Associate Dean of the College of Education and finally to the Dean of the Graduate College. At anytime, the student may use the University grievance process described in the Boise State Student Handbook , available from the Office of the Dean of Student Special Services. PhD. Dissertation - Appendix A The Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision Dissertation Contract should be filed following a successful proposal defense. The form collects information and verification regarding: Student ID Number Date of completion Title of dissertation Meeting proposal date Record of changes Student submitting dissertation Program Advisor to student submitting dissertation Committee Member (1-4) Doctoral Program Coordinator Download Printable Appendix A Form (PDF) Department of Counselor Education 166 COMMENTS Dissertation Proposal Defense: 12 Tips for Effective Preparation Preparing for your Dissertation Proposal Defense. 1. Anticipate Questions. In your presentation, try to answer all of the questions you expect your committee to ask. That way, you control the material. Your committee will be more satisfied with your preparation and understanding and it will be less likely that you have to answer questions that ... PhD Thesis Proposal Defense: Common Questions and Feedback Structure of a PhD proposal defense. A proposal defense has: the student defending his proposal, two external examiners, the student's supervisors, the audience, and the chair of the defense. The defense is structured as follows: The chair opens the session by welcoming and acknowledging the student, his supervisors and the external examiners. Proposal Defense The proposal defense is a public event. However, the deliberations of the supervisory committee are private. The supervisory committee records an official decision using the dissertation proposal defense form. Once the proposal has been defended and accepted, the candidate is cleared to finish writing the dissertation. How to Create a Dissertation Proposal Defense ... Get customized coaching for crafting your proposal, collecting and analyzing your data, or preparing your defense. The following are other format requirements for the slides: Create 17-20 slides. Do not provide a lot of information. Be concise and write a few sentences (approximately 1-7 on each slide). Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide Jessika Iwanski is an MD/PhD student who in 2022 defended her dissertation on genetic mutations in sarcomeric proteins that lead to severe, neonatal dilated cardiomyopathy. She described her writing experience as "an intricate process of balancing many things at once with a deadline (defense day) that seems to be creeping up faster and faster ... Proposal Defense Policy & Procedure The dissertation proposal defense proceeds as outlined below. Prior to the start of the examination: The Candidate must be physically present at the exam. The Chair (or at least one Co-Chair), the GSR, and one general committee member must be physically present at the exam. If the Chair is not physically present, then the exam must be rescheduled. PDF Proposal And Dissertation Defense Summaries Guide inimum of 8 months between the proposal defense and the dissertation defense.The student is required to submit a dissertation manuscript and dissertation. Manuscript requirements: tsThe Dissertation Defense Summary requirements (see appendices 1.3 - 1.5):Provide a succ. nct, one-page description of what you have accompli. PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Start This Guide was created to help Ph.D. students in engineering fields to design dissertation defense presentations. The Guide provides 1) tips on how to effectively communicate research, and 2) full presentation examples from Ph.D. graduates. The tips on designing effective slides are not restricted to dissertation defense presentations; they can ... How to prepare an excellent thesis defense Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense: 1. Anticipate questions and prepare for them. You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions. PhD Dissertation and Defense Process PhD Proposal Defense. The PhD proposal is a pivotal step in a doctoral student's academic progression at Rutgers University. It lays out a comprehensive framework, aligning the student's research direction with the benchmarks of the ECE Graduate Program. The proposal typically comprises several chapters, some of which may naturally evolve ... PDF Preparing for PhD Thesis Defense ur department Chair will approve the thesis for registration using the same online system. Then, requests for review and approval will go to the Arts, Sciences and Engineering Dean of G. duate Studies office and finally to the office of the University Dean of Graduate Studies. When all of these officials have appro. PDF Guidelines for Preparing Your Doctoral Thesis Proposal Guidelines for Preparing Your Doctoral Thesis Proposal. Department of Materials Science and Engineering September 6, 2017. One of the requirements for the PhD in Materials Science and Engineering is the preparation and defense of a thesis proposal. Your thesis proposal outlines a research problem and general approach which, if carried through ... Thesis proposal and defence A thesis proposal is submitted and defended in the term following the writing of the comprehensive field examinations. Students are admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. upon acceptance by their advisory committee of the written thesis proposal and its successful oral defence. The thesis proposal is approximately 25 pages long (double-spaced ... 13 Tips to Prepare for Your PhD Dissertation Defense 1. Start Your Preparations Early. Thesis defense is not a 3 or 6 months' exercise. Don't wait until you have completed all your research objectives. Start your preparation well in advance, and make sure you know all the intricacies of your thesis and reasons to all the research experiments you conducted. 2. How to Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense 3. Work on Starting Strong. To begin your defense on a strong note, work on creating a clear and engaging introduction. You can start by briefly outlining the purpose of your study, research questions, and methodology. Try to stay on topic and don't veer off track by discussing unrelated or unnecessary information. 4. Preparing for your PhD thesis defence Even if your thesis defence seems far away, there are several planning considerations you can consider early on to help the end stages of your PhD go smoothly. On this page you will find videos, tools, and information about what the PhD thesis defence is, timelines for the PhD thesis defence, and tips for a successful PhD thesis defence. PDF Proposal Defense PowerPoint Template Proposal Defense PowerPoint Template. The primary purpose of this defense is to propose methodology for answering your research questions. This document was created for educational purposes. Students are encouraged to discuss the expectations for the defense presentation with the EdD Dissertation Committee. Tips for Creating and Delivering an ... Dissertation Committee and Proposal Defense Submit the proposal defense notification form to the Doctoral Programs Office (at least 2 weeks before your proposal defense) 3. Directly following your Proposal Defense. Send the Proposal Defense Certification form to your committee for them to approve; Send the signed form to Gidget in the Doctoral Office: [email protected] PhD Thesis Proposal Defense: Questions & Comments In this video, I list the most common questions asked and feedback given during a PhD thesis proposal defense.To see the list of all the common questions and... PDF Thesis/Dissertation Process: From Proposal to Defense preparation and approval of a thesis or dissertation. The entire process is covered, from the thesis. roposal to the defense and publication o. e thesis. The appendices contain online resources. If you have any other questions, please c. tact the Graduate School's main office at 874-2262. For convenience, the document will focus on the thesis ... PhD Thesis Proposal Defence Guidelines Guidelines for the Ph.D. Thesis Proposal Defence. 1. A doctoral supervisory committee is formed by the supervisor in consultation with the student. The committee consists of the thesis supervisor and at least two other members of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Experts in the area outside the university may also be selected as additional members. PhD Proposals and Defenses Monday, February 5, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. Mladen Kolar (Chair), Rad Niazadeh, Haifeng Xu (Department of Statistics, University of Chicago), and Sanmi Koyejo (Department of Statistics, Stanford University) 2023 Defenses and Proposals. Defense: "Essays in Banking and Inequality". Agustin Hurtado. Ph.D. Proposal Defense The length of the written Ph.D. Proposal is expected to be between 15 to 20 double space pages (12pt font) with 1 inch margins. Members of the Committee should receive the proposal two weeks prior to the defense. The Ph.D. Proposal will be presented to the Ph.D. Thesis Examination Committee during a one hour defense/ examination. PhD Proposal and Proposal Defense The PhD thesis proposal must not exceed 20 pages and 80,000 characters (with spaces), illustrations, formula, tables and bibliographies included. A minimum of point 10 font size and 1.5 line spacing must be used. ... The goal of the thesis proposal defense is to ascertain that the candidate has a plan to finish his/her thesis. In general, the ... Dissertation Proposal Defense The dissertation proposal defense should be scheduled during standard work hours (8 am-5 pm, Monday- Friday). The proposal defense can be completed on-campus, remotely, or hybrid. If remote or hybrid options are used, all defense participants must be able to see and hear each other during the entire defense. Scheduling the PhD Proposal Defense: Program: Vision Science, PhD Pass the Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Exam. Present the dissertation proposal for the Ph.D. Qualification Exam, obtain approval from the dissertation advisor and the research committee before data collection. Submit a manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal for publication before the dissertation defense. PhD: HSR Program Details The thesis committee gives meaningful input into the thesis proposal and supports you through the research to completion and defence of the PhD thesis. PhD Thesis Research Committee. The thesis committee should have a minimum of three members (including the supervisor). In consultation with the supervisor, the student selects two or more ... SECTION IX. DISSERTATION PROCESS Dissertation Defense. The purpose of the dissertation defense is to provide an opportunity for the educational community to engage with candidates in thoughtful dialogue and discussion regarding issues raised from the research. The defense is a public event, and all graduate faculty in the university will be invited to attend. PDF THE COMPUTER SCIENCE PhD PROGRAM AT CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY Upon completion of the thesis proposal the student must complete a Doctoral Candidate Contractual Agreement Form provided by the Graduate Programs Manager. 12.4 Thesis Defense The student's thesis committee decides whether to accept the thesis based on its content and the outcome of the thesis defense, which is a public presentation PDF PhD in Psychology: Clinical Psychology Program of whom is the major professor, by March 1 of their first year. Students must write a thesis proposal, which they must orally defend at a meeting of their committee (i.e., the thesis proposal hearing). Then, when the research is completed, students write the thesis itself and defend it at another meeting of the committee (i.e., the thesis defense). essay homework paper phd project resume review study thesis