The purpose:

• to ensure that the Candidate is able to present and defend the dissertation and its underlying assumptions, methodology, results, and conclusions in a manner consistent with the doctoral degree being sought;
• to communicate the results of the work to the campus community.

The structure:

• the Candidate makes a public presentation of the dissertation (roughly 30 minutes)
• the Examining Committee questions the Candidate
• members of the audience are invited to ask questions of the Candidate
• the Examining Committee holds an in-camera discussion
• the Chair conveys the findings of the Examining Committee to the Candidate

The Final Oral Defence usually lasts two an a half hours.

Please note:

• late audience members may not enter the exam room once the Final Oral Defence has begun
• a positive report from the external Examiner is required for the Final Oral Defence to occur

Relevant Resources:

The oral defence procedure is outlined in the Exam Instructions.  A copy is provided to the Examining Committee before the oral defence and can be found below.  The evaluation protocol for the oral defence is detailed in the Chair Report Form.  The Chair Report Form will be filled out and submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the Examination Chair shortly after the oral defence.  Below is a sample chair report form.

• Sample Chair Report Form
• Exam Instructions
• Doctoral Dissertation Approval Form