PHD DEFENSE INSTRUCTIONS

I. Purpose/Background

PhD students should begin planning for their PhD Defense by meeting with Graduate Advising to ensure they understand all departmental and university requirements for their final degree milestones. Students must allow a minimum of 5 weeks before their planned Public Oral Defense (Defense) date for their committee’s review of the dissertation and making any required content changes. Students are encouraged to start the process as early as possible to prevent delays in their targeted graduation.

    1. Deadlines
      1. The deadline to submit a dissertation and graduate in the same semester as the Defense is at least 4 weeks before the end of that semester’s classes.
        1. Thesis Office Target Dates
        2. Semester Calendar
      2. To graduate in the current semester, the student must conduct their Defense at least one week before the Thesis Office’s Submission Deadline to allow time for Department dissertation approval.
      3. The last day to defend in a semester is the weekday before the next semester’s classes begin.
        1. The student will graduate in a subsequent semester if they miss the Thesis Office’s Submission Deadline.
        2. The student is not required to enroll in classes for semesters following their Defense.
    2. Preliminary Review of Dissertation Format
      1. Before the 11th week of the semester, the student must schedule a Preliminary Review of their dissertation with the Thesis Office.
        1. The deadline to conduct a Preliminary Review is typically 5 weeks before the end of that semester’s classes.
        2. The student may conduct a Preliminary Review once they have completed at least one chapter of their dissertation.
      2. Proof of a Preliminary Review by the Thesis Office is required for Department dissertation approval.

II. Prior to the Defense

    1. Scheduling the Defense
      1. The student will coordinate their Defense date and time with their committee.
      2. Students should contact committee members about scheduling their Defense early in the semester since committee member schedules can make it challenging to find an agreeable date/time.
        1. The student may tentatively schedule their Defense, assuming the committee will approve the dissertation’s content during their review period.
        2. If the committee requires extensive dissertation content revisions, the student may need to reschedule their Defense.
    2. Dissertation Content Approval
      1. The committee must approve the dissertation’s content before the Defense will be announced and scheduled. Committee approval will be recorded by completion of the PhD Dissertation Content Review form. Department Forms
      2. The student must provide their committee members at least two weeks to review and provide feedback on the dissertation’s content.
      3. Content approval may be facilitated by holding individual or group meetings with committee members. At the committee chair’s discretion, a committee meeting may be held for the student to present their dissertation work and for the committee to discuss their evaluation of the dissertation’s content.
      4. At the end of the evaluation period, committee members may request revisions to the dissertation.
        1. If the revisions are extensive, the committee may require another two-week evaluation period of the revised dissertation before determining content approval.
        2. If the revisions are less extensive, the committee may agree to review the revised dissertation more quickly.
        3. Committee members may also allow the student’s committee chair to verify that minor revisions have been completed and waive their right to a second or subsequent review.
      5. Students should plan at least two weeks to make any required revisions; it is rare for dissertation content to be approved without revisions.
      6. Once a committee member is satisfied that the dissertation content meets their standard for approval, they sign the PhD Dissertation Content Review form.
      7. Dissertation content approval before the Defense does not mean that the committee has given final approval of the student’s research or dissertation. Additional changes may be required based on the outcome of the student’s Defense.
    3. Announcing the Defense
      1. The student will provide the completed PhD Dissertation Content Review form and a Defense Announcement form to the Graduate Advising office at least one week before the Defense.
      2. The Defense will not be allowed to take place without these two forms.
      3. Graduate Advising will publicize the Defense using the Defense Announcement form.
      4. If needed, Graduate Advising can assist the student with scheduling a location for the Defense.

III. Conducting the Defense

    1. Minimum Committee Chair Responsibilities
      1. Open the Defense by introducing the student and their research topic.
      2. Announce any specific rules of the Defense (e.g., hold questions until the end of the presentation).
    2. Defense Timing
      1. The student’s oral presentation of their research generally lasts about 45 minutes.
      2. After the oral presentation, a public discussion period is held, generally lasting 15 minutes.
      3. After public discussion, the committee may excuse the public to question the student’s research further.
      4. After further questioning the student’s research, the committee excuses the student and holds a private discussion to decide on the outcome.
      5. The committee reports the Defense outcome on the Report of the Final Oral Examination form.
        1. The student will receive a “Pass” on the defense if the majority of the Committee members concur.
        2. Otherwise, the student will receive a “Fail” and must defend their research again.
      6. The committee chair informs the student of the committee’s decision and submits the PhD Public Defense Approval form to Graduate Advising.

IV. After the Defense

Once the student has final dissertation and Defense approval, they must submit their dissertation to Graduate Advising for a format review and to obtain the Department Chair’s approval.

    1.  Department Format Review
      1. The student must at least one week for Graduate Advising and Department Chair to review the dissertation.
      2. For the format review, the student will provide Graduate Advising with:
        1. An MS Word document or .pdf of their committee-approved dissertation.
        2. A Grammarly report showing that there are no major grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. Grammarly set-up
        3. Proof of Preliminary Review of format from the Thesis Office.
    2. Thesis Office Review
      1. After the Department Chair approves the dissertation, Graduate Advising will notify the student to submit their dissertation to the Thesis Office for approval and publication. Thesis Office instructions
      2. The Thesis will inform the student if any format corrections are required.
      3. The student should make any requested changes and resubmit their dissertation within two days.
      4. The student will continue to work with the Thesis Office until all formatting requirements are met.
      5. The Thesis Office will notify the student when their dissertation is approved and provide them with instructions to submit their dissertation to ProQuest for publication.
    3. Dissertation Approval Requirements
      1. The student’s dissertation must be approved by the Thesis Office no later than eight months after their Defense.
      2. The eight-month deadline includes department format approval, Thesis Office final approval, and the student’s upload of their dissertation to ProQuest.
      3. If this requirement is not met, any prior approvals of the dissertation will be voided. The student will have to reenroll in class, re-submit, and re-defend their research.

V. Degree Conferral and Graduation

    1. Graduation Clearance
      1. The student will be cleared to graduate in the current semester if they have met all requirements before the Thesis Office’s deadline to upload to ProQuest.
      2. If the student has not met the deadline to upload to ProQuest, they must apply to graduate in the subsequent semester.
    2. Degree Conferral
      1. Commencement and the College of Engineering’s Convocation occur once a year after the end of the Spring semester, generally in early May.
      2. Students cleared to graduate in Spring may participate in Commencement and Convocation after the end of that Spring semester.
      3. Students cleared to graduate in Summer or Fall may participate in Commencement and Convocation after the end of the following Spring semester.

VII. Checklist

A summary of events is shown below. All events should occur earlier when possible.

    • ☐ Thoroughly review the Thesis Office’s policies and handbook
    • ☐ Tentatively schedule (date and time) the PhD Public Defense
    • ☐ Conduct a Preliminary Review with the Thesis Office
    • ☐ Obtain committee chair permission to send draft dissertation to committee
    • ☐ Send draft dissertation to committee
      • ☐ Allot committee two weeks to review and provide feedback on dissertation content
      • ☐ Revise dissertation content as required from committee feedback
      • ☐ Obtain committee members’ signatures on the PhD Dissertation Content Review form
    • ☐ Announce Public Defense (at least one week before the scheduled Defense date)
      • ☐ Provide the completed PhD Dissertation Content Review form to Graduate Advising
      • ☐ Provide the Defense Announcement form to Graduate Advising
    • ☐ Conduct Public Defense
      • ☐ Obtain committee members’ signatures on PhD Public Defense Approval form
      • ☐ Provide PhD Public Defense Approval Form to Graduate Advising
    • ☐ Allot one week for department Format Review
      • ☐ Provide a copy of the approved dissertation, Grammarly report, and proof of Thesis Office’s Preliminary Review to Graduate Advising
      • ☐ Revise dissertation formatting if required
    • ☐ Submit department-approved dissertation to the Thesis Office
      • ☐ Obtain e-signatures from Committee members and Department Chair
      • ☐ Correct any indicated deficiencies and return revisions within two days
      • ☐ Upload the Thesis Office approved dissertation to ProQuest