When to schedule:

Once the Candidate's dissertation has been sent to the External Examiner, a due date for the external report is set.  The candidate and supervisor will be notified by the faculty of Graduate Studies of this due date and the earliest possible date for scheduling the Oral Defence.

You should plan for at least 8 weeks between the submission of the dissertation for external examination and the Oral Defence.  This may seem like a long delay, but it is a safe estimate of the time it takes to ensure a thorough review of the dissertation (by the External Examiner as well as the University Examiners) and any administrative hurdles that might impede the process, especially during peak periods.

The Oral Defence must be scheduled with the Faculty of Graduate Studies at least 4 weeks in advance.

Who schedules:

The Candidate and/or Research Supervisor is responsible for arranging a mutually convenient time with the Members of the Examination Committee, including the University Examiners (but not the Chair), and for booking the exam with the Faculty of Graduate Studies. Exams begin at 9:00 am, 12:30 pm, and 4:00 pm (no 4:00 pm exams are held on Mondays) and normally last for a period of 2.5 - 3 hours.

How to schedule:

To book an exam, please provide the Faculty of Graduate Studies with 2-3 possible dates/times that the committee is available.  You can submit your request via email to Jacqueline Webb.

Note:

The Oral Defence is contingent on a positive report from the External Examiner. The Faculty of Graduate Studies reserves the right to postpone the Final Doctoral Examination if the External Examiner's report is not received three days prior to the examination date; or if a negative report from the External Examiner is received.

It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure the submission of the Approval of University Examiners for Doctoral Dissertation form and completed Examination Programme at least four weeks prior to the Oral Defence.