Graduate Center | Home

  • Newsletters

Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide

A woman in front of a bookshelf speaking to a laptop

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/

Grad Coach

Preparing For Your Dissertation Defense

13 Key Questions To Expect In The Viva Voce

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) & David Phair (PhD) . Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021

Preparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a “viva voce”) is a formidable task . All your hard work over the years leads you to this one point, and you’ll need to defend yourself against some of the most experienced researchers you’ve encountered so far.

It’s natural to feel a little nervous.

In this post, we’ll cover some of the most important questions you should be able to answer in your viva voce, whether it’s for a Masters or PhD degree. Naturally, they might not arise in exactly the same form (some may not come up at all), but if you can answer these questions well, it means you’re in a good position to tackle your oral defense.

Dissertation and thesis defense 101

Viva Voce Prep: 13 Essential Questions

  • What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?
  • How did your research questions evolve during the research process?
  • How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?
  • How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?
  • How generalisable and valid are the findings?
  • What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?
  • How did your findings relate to the existing literature?
  • What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?
  • Were there any findings that surprised you?
  • What biases may exist in your research?
  • How can your findings be put into practice?
  • How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?
  • If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

#1: What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?

This question, a classic party starter, is pretty straightforward.

What the dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to clearly articulate your research aims, objectives and research questions in a concise manner. Concise is the keyword here – you need to clearly explain your research topic without rambling on for a half-hour. Don’t feel the need to go into the weeds here – you’ll have many opportunities to unpack the details later on.

In the second half of the question, they’re looking for a brief explanation of the justification of your research. In other words, why was this particular set of research aims, objectives and questions worth addressing? To address this question well in your oral defense, you need to make it clear what gap existed within the research and why that gap was worth filling.

#2: How did your research questions evolve during the research process?

Good research generally follows a long and winding path . It’s seldom a straight line (unless you got really lucky). What they’re assessing here is your ability to follow that path and let the research process unfold.

Specifically, they’ll want to hear about the impact that the literature review process had on you in terms of shaping the research aims, objectives and research questions . For example, you may have started with a certain set of aims, but then as you immersed yourself in the literature, you may have changed direction. Similarly, your initial fieldwork findings may have turned out some unexpected data that drove you to adjust or expand on your initial research questions.

Long story short – a good defense involves clearly describing your research journey , including all the twists and turns. Adjusting your direction based on findings in the literature or the fieldwork shows that you’re responsive , which is essential for high-quality research.

You will need to explain the impact of your literature review in the defense

#3: How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?

A comprehensive literature review is the foundation of any high-quality piece of research. With this question, your dissertation or thesis committee are trying to assess which quality criteria and approach you used to select the sources for your literature review.

Typically, good research draws on both the seminal work in the respective field and more recent sources . In other words, a combination of the older landmark studies and pivotal work, along with up-to-date sources that build on to those older studies. This combination ensures that the study has a rock-solid foundation but is not out of date.

So, make sure that your study draws on a mix of both the “classics” and new kids on the block, and take note of any major evolutions in the literature that you can use as an example when asked this question in your viva voce.

#4: How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?

This is a classic methodological question that you can almost certainly expect in some or other shape.

What they’re looking for here is a clear articulation of the research design and methodology, as well as a strong justification of each choice . So, you need to be able to walk through each methodological choice and clearly explain both what you did and why you did it. The why is particularly important – you need to be able to justify each choice you made by clearly linking your design back to your research aims, objectives and research questions, while also taking into account practical constraints.

To ensure you cover every base, check out our research methodology vlog post , as well as our post covering the Research Onion .

You have to justify every choice in your dissertation defence

#5: How generalizable and valid are the findings?

This question is aimed at specifically digging into your understanding of the sample and how that relates to the population, as well as potential validity issues in your methodology.

To answer question this well, you’ll need to critically assess your sample and findings and consider if they truly apply to the entire population, as well as whether they assessed what they set out to. Note that there are two components here – generalizability and validity . Generalizability is about how well the sample represents the population. Validity is about how accurately you’ve measured what you intended to measure .

To ace this part of your dissertation defense, make sure that you’re very familiar with the concepts of generalizability , validity and reliability , and how these apply to your research. Remember, you don’t need to achieve perfection – you just need to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your research (and how the weaknesses could be improved upon).

Need a helping hand?

dissertation defense preparation

#6: What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?

This question picks up where the last one left off.

As I mentioned, it’s perfectly natural that your research will have shortcomings and limitations as a result of your chosen design and methodology. No piece of research is flawless. Therefore, a good dissertation defense is not about arguing that your work is perfect, but rather it’s about clearly articulating the strengths and weaknesses of your approach.

To address this question well, you need to think critically about all of the potential weaknesses your design may have, as well as potential responses to these (which could be adopted in future research) to ensure you’re well prepared for this question. For a list of common methodological limitations, check out our video about research limitations here .

#7: How did your findings relate to the existing literature?

This common dissertation defense question links directly to your discussion chapter , where you would have presented and discussed the findings in relation to your literature review.

What your dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to compare your study’s findings to the findings of existing research . Specifically, you need to discuss which findings aligned with existing research and which findings did not. For those findings that contrasted against existing research, you should also explain what you believe to be the reasons for this.

As with many questions in a viva voce, it’s both the what and the why that matter here. So, you need to think deeply about what the underlying reasons may be for both the similarities and differences between your findings and those of similar studies.

Your dissertation defense needs to compare findings

#8: What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?

This question is similar to the last one in that it too focuses on your research findings. However, here the focus is specifically on the findings that directly relate to your research questions (as opposed to findings in general).

So, a good way to prepare for this question is to step back and revisit your research questions . Ask yourself the following:

  • What exactly were you asking in those questions, and what did your research uncover concerning them?
  • Which questions were well answered by your study and which ones were lacking?
  • Why were they lacking and what more could be done to address this in future research?

Conquering this part dissertation defense requires that you focus squarely on the research questions. Your study will have provided many findings (hopefully!), and not all of these will link directly to the research questions. Therefore, you need to clear your mind of all of the fascinating side paths your study may have lead you down and regain a clear focus on the research questions .

#9: Were there any findings that surprised you?

This question is two-pronged.

First, you should discuss the surprising findings that were directly related to the original research questions . Going into your research, you likely had some expectations in terms of what you would find, so this is your opportunity to discuss the outcomes that emerged as contrary to what you initially expected. You’ll also want to think about what the reasons for these contrasts may be.

Second, you should discuss the findings that weren’t directly related to the research questions, but that emerged from the data set . You may have a few or you may have none – although generally there are a handful of interesting musings that you can glean from the data set. Again, make sure you can articulate why you find these interesting and what it means for future research in the area.

What the committee is looking for in this type of question is your ability to interpret the findings holistically and comprehensively , and to respond to unexpected data. So, take the time to zoom out and reflect on your findings thoroughly.

Discuss the findings in your defense

#10: What biases may exist in your research?

Biases… we all have them.

For this question, you’ll need to think about potential biases in your research , in the data itself but also in your interpretation of the data. With this question, your committee is assessing whether you have considered your own potential biases and the biases inherent in your analysis approach (i.e. your methodology). So, think carefully about these research biases and be ready to explain how these may exist in your study.

In an oral defense, this question is often followed up with a question on how the biases were mitigated or could be mitigated in future research. So, give some thought not just to what biases may exist, but also the mitigation measures (in your own study and for future research).

#11: How can your findings be put into practice?

Another classic question in the typical viva voce.

With this question, your committee is assessing your ability to bring your findings back down to earth and demonstrate their practical value and application. Importantly, this question is not about the contribution to academia or the overall field of research (we’ll get to that next) – it is specifically asking about how this newly created knowledge can be used in the real world.

Naturally, the actionability of your findings will vary depending on the nature of your research topic. Some studies will produce many action points and some won’t. If you’re researching marketing strategies within an industry, for example, you should be able to make some very specific recommendations for marketing practitioners in that industry.

To help you flesh out points for this question, look back at your original justification for the research (i.e. in your introduction and literature review chapters). What were the driving forces that led you to research your specific topic? That justification should help you identify ways in which your findings can be put into practice.

#12: How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?

While the previous question was aimed at practical contribution, this question is aimed at theoretical contribution . In other words, what is the significance of your study within the current body of research? How does it fit into the existing research and what does it add to it?

This question is often asked by a field specialist and is used to assess whether you’re able to place your findings into the research field to critically convey what your research contributed. This argument needs to be well justified – in other words, you can’t just discuss what your research contributed, you need to also back each proposition up with a strong why .

To answer this question well, you need to humbly consider the quality and impact of your work and to be realistic in your response. You don’t want to come across as arrogant (“my work is groundbreaking”), nor do you want to undersell the impact of your work. So, it’s important to strike the right balance between realistic and pessimistic .

This question also opens the door to questions about potential future research . So, think about what future research opportunities your study has created and which of these you feel are of the highest priority.

Discuss your contribution in your thesis defence

#13: If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

This question is often used to wrap up a viva voce as it brings the discussion full circle.

Here, your committee is again assessing your ability to clearly identify and articulate the limitations and shortcomings of your research, both in terms of research design and topic focus . Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been better to use a different analysis method or data set. Perhaps the research questions should have leaned in a slightly different direction. And so on.

This question intends to assess whether you’re able to look at your work critically , assess where the weaknesses are and make recommendations for the future. This question often sets apart those who did the research purely because it was required, from those that genuinely engaged with their research. So, don’t hold back here – reflect on your entire research journey ask yourself how you’d do things differently if you were starting with a  blank canvas today.

Recap: The 13 Key Dissertation Defense Questions

To recap, here are the 13 questions you need to be ready for to ace your dissertation or thesis oral defense:

As I mentioned, this list of dissertation defense questions is certainly not exhaustive – don’t assume that we’ve covered every possible question here. However, these questions are quite likely to come up in some shape or form in a typical dissertation or thesis defense, whether it’s for a Master’s degree, PhD or any other research degree. So, you should take the time to make sure you can answer them well.

If you need assistance preparing for your dissertation defense or viva voce, get in touch with us to discuss 1-on-1 coaching. We can critically review your research and identify potential issues and responses, as well as undertake a mock oral defense to prepare you for the pressures and stresses on the day.

dissertation defense preparation

Psst… there’s more (for free)

This post is part of our dissertation mini-course, which covers everything you need to get started with your dissertation, thesis or research project. 

You Might Also Like:

Research aims, research objectives and research questions

12 Comments

Jalla Dullacha

Very interesting

Fumtchum JEFFREY

Interesting. I appreciate!

Dargo Haftu

Really appreciating

My field is International Trade

Abera Gezahegn

Interesting

Peter Gumisiriza

This is a full course on defence. I was fabulously enlightened and I gained enough confidence for my upcoming Masters Defence.

There are many lessons to learn and the simplicity in presentationmakes thee reader say “YesI can”

Milly Nalugoti

This is so helping… it has Enlightened me on how to answer specific questions. I pray to make it through for my upcoming defense

Derek Jansen

Lovely to hear that 🙂

bautister

Really educative and beneficial

Tweheyo Charles

Interesting. On-point and elaborate. And comforting too! Thanks.

Ismailu Kulme Emmanuel

Thank you very much for the enlightening me, be blessed

Gladys Oyat

Thankyou so much. I am planning to defend my thesis soon and I found this very useful

Augustine Mtega

Very interesting and useful to all masters and PhD students

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

  • Print Friendly

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to prepare an excellent thesis defense

Thesis defence

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.

dissertation defense preparation

Enago Academy

13 Tips to Prepare for Your PhD Dissertation Defense

' src=

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?

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.

' src=

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

Rate this article Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published.

dissertation defense preparation

Enago Academy's Most Popular Articles

Content Analysis vs Thematic Analysis: What's the difference?

  • Reporting Research

Choosing the Right Analytical Approach: Thematic analysis vs. content analysis for data interpretation

In research, choosing the right approach to understand data is crucial for deriving meaningful insights.…

Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Study Design

Comparing Cross Sectional and Longitudinal Studies: 5 steps for choosing the right approach

The process of choosing the right research design can put ourselves at the crossroads of…

Networking in Academic Conferences

  • Career Corner

Unlocking the Power of Networking in Academic Conferences

Embarking on your first academic conference experience? Fear not, we got you covered! Academic conferences…

Research recommendation

Research Recommendations – Guiding policy-makers for evidence-based decision making

Research recommendations play a crucial role in guiding scholars and researchers toward fruitful avenues of…

Concept Papers

  • Promoting Research

Concept Papers in Research: Deciphering the blueprint of brilliance

Concept papers hold significant importance as a precursor to a full-fledged research proposal in academia…

Setting Rationale in Research: Cracking the code for excelling at research

Mitigating Survivorship Bias in Scholarly Research: 10 tips to enhance data integrity

The Power of Proofreading: Taking your academic work to the next level

Facing Difficulty Writing an Academic Essay? — Here is your one-stop solution!

dissertation defense preparation

Sign-up to read more

Subscribe for free to get unrestricted access to all our resources on research writing and academic publishing including:

  • 2000+ blog articles
  • 50+ Webinars
  • 10+ Expert podcasts
  • 50+ Infographics
  • 10+ Checklists
  • Research Guides

We hate spam too. We promise to protect your privacy and never spam you.

I am looking for Editing/ Proofreading services for my manuscript Tentative date of next journal submission:

dissertation defense preparation

When should AI tools be used in university labs?

  • Link to facebook
  • Link to linkedin
  • Link to twitter
  • Link to youtube
  • Writing Tips

How to Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense

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.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

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.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

3-minute read

The 5 Best Ecommerce Website Design Tools 

A visually appealing and user-friendly website is essential for success in today’s competitive ecommerce landscape....

The 7 Best Market Research Tools in 2024

Market research is the backbone of successful marketing strategies. To gain a competitive edge, businesses...

Google Patents: Tutorial and Guide

Google Patents is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn more about patents, whether...

How to Come Up With Newsletter Ideas

If used strategically, email can have a substantial impact on your business. In fact, according...

Free Online Peer Review Template

Having your writing peer-reviewed is a valuable process that can showcase the strengths and weaknesses...

How to Embed a Video in PowerPoint

Including a video in your PowerPoint presentation can make it more exciting and engaging. And...

Logo Harvard University

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Want to Get your Dissertation Accepted?

Discover how we've helped doctoral students complete their dissertations and advance their academic careers!

dissertation defense preparation

Join 200+ Graduated Students

textbook-icon

Get Your Dissertation Accepted On Your Next Submission

Get customized coaching for:.

  • Crafting your proposal,
  • Collecting and analyzing your data, or
  • Preparing your defense.

Trapped in dissertation revisions?

Preparing for your dissertation defense, published by steve tippins on april 4, 2019 april 4, 2019.

Last Updated on: 30th August 2022, 04:43 am

Preparing for your dissertation defense is one of the most important things you’ll do as a doctoral candidate. Now that you’ve completed your dissertation, it’s up to you to present the results to your committee.

However, the results aren’t just about your study. Your committee wants to see what you learned through the process and whether you are ready to take on the responsibility of being a scholar.

What is a Dissertation Defense?

When you finish your dissertation and your committee has said you are ready to move forward, there is a formal meeting–your dissertation defense–where you have the opportunity to explain what you did and what you found.

Your committee then has the opportunity to ask questions related to your work, the implications of what you found, and your future. It is a chance for you to stand before your peers and be welcomed into the academy. Defending your dissertation is one of the great rites of passage into the world of academia.

How to Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense

Rather than write a quick list of dissertation defense tips, I thought I’d create a comprehensive guide to defending your dissertation. After chairing and sitting on countless dissertation committees, these are the steps I recommend you take.

Cultivate The Right Attitude

Perhaps the most important thing to have as you prepare to defend your dissertation is a revised view of your academic self. You’ve spent years gaining knowledge on your chosen subject, and now is your time to shine. While it’s natural to be nervous — after all, you’re jumping the highest hurdle in academia — keep in mind that this is your moment to shine and that you are now an expert on the topic.

One way to look at the dissertation defense is as a rite of passage. You are being tested, and just as with any rite of passage, the more rigorous the test, the prouder you will be of making it through.

During the process of your defense, keep this in mind: your committee tests you not only to ensure your worthiness but also to enable you to see just how much you know; to step into your new role as “expert.”

Prepare For Your Committee’s Questions

With this attitude in mind, you will want to prepare to demonstrate your expertise. That means anticipating questions the committee may have about your research.

black and white photography of a woman defending her dissertation

If your dissertation asserts the likelihood of a recession in the presence of particular economic indicators, your committee will want to know what socio-political conditions are linked to these indicators. If you found that high achieving students are more likely to have had parents who volunteered in their schools, your committee members will likely ask you to speculate about how to increase parent involvement in schools.

In other words, you’ll need to be able to participate in discourse beyond your results — questions that speak to the relevance and implications of your research.

This kind of preparation goes beyond creating a PowerPoint of your findings (though that is necessary too); it’s part of your stepping into your expert role.

One thing I always tell my students is “Be able to explain your topic to your grandparents,” because to elucidate someone who knows nothing about the topic (no offense to the grandparents!) you must know it inside and out.

Of course, you’ll also want to know your topic well enough to discuss the topic with the top researchers in the field, but at this stage, you’ll have read enough of their work that you’ll feel you know them personally. It’s usually more difficult for academics to simplify than to complicate.

To ready yourself for potential questions, give your abstract to a few friends outside your academic program and have them ask you questions about your study. The advantage is their “outsider” perspective; you’ll have fun answering their questions and will likely have to make a few new neuronal connections to do so. Practicing like this will also help you relax during the actual defense.

Here are some questions you may be asked during your dissertation defense :

  • “What are the strengths and weaknesses of your study?”
  • “What was the most surprising thing you found?”
  • “What will you do next with your results?”
  • “If you could do this over, what would you do differently?”

Organize Your Presentation

Keep in mind that your presentation to your committee can double as your presentation to the faculty at any university to which you apply; your preparation will serve a dual purpose. You’ll need, therefore:

  • a concise overview of the literature in which your study is grounded,
  • a clear description of your study’s purpose, methodology, and findings,
  • and a discussion of the implications of these findings.

Naturally, you will need to consult your department’s and college’s specific requirements, but every dissertation committee (and faculty search committee) will want to fully understand these basic elements of your work.

woman in a sleeveless shirt working on her laptop with a cup of coffee

I have provided a list of questions to help prepare your dissertation defense. If you have time restrictions I would put more emphasis upon your results and the implications of your work. Think of organizing your slides according to these questions:

1. Why did I choose to study this? Don’t be afraid to reveal something personal about your motivation, as long as you can do so with poise and dignity. Your committee members will appreciate this humanizing element but keep it brief!

2. What have other people interested in this topic found? If your study is the next clue in the hunt for answers about this topic, what were the clues that led you here? What paths have past researchers gone down — both fruitful and not? What solid theoretical foundation stands under your study?

This portion of your presentation is the easiest to overdo. You will likely need to edit it again and again to ensure it is both concise and comprehensive. Stick to the major themes in your presentation but be prepared to answer questions about less dominant streams of research.

Hack Your Dissertation

5-Day Mini Course: How to Finish Faster With Less Stress

Interested in more helpful tips about improving your dissertation experience? Join our 5-day mini course by email!

3. How did my research question evolve? Answering this question links your research to what has already been established, placing your study in the stream of knowledge. Keep it brief but don’t skip this step, as it is key to showing you as an academic, rather than a student.

4. How did I organize my study? This is a description of the basics of your study and the “whys” of these choices. You can expand a bit here, as the decisions you made at this stage demonstrate your ability to think critically about approaching a research question. Why did you choose your particular methodology? What was the benefit of this design over another option you might have chosen?

5. What did I find? You can begin this section with what you expected to find and why, then explain what you actually found. Keep this section simple and factual.

6. What do the findings mean in relation to the question? Whether or not your findings matched your expectations, they tell you and your colleagues something important about the topic. What is it? Can we speculate that this is a promising area of research, or is this a path we might think of as a dead end? What, exactly, does this study tell us?

7. What’s next for me and for the research? You’ll want to give your committee (and any faculty search committee) a preview of your prospective academic career. What new questions has your study sparked for you? What would you hope other researchers would look at next? How do you intend to fit into the academic conversation on this topic?

Depending on your committee and requirements, you may want to include potential grants you will consider applying for to fund your next study. (This inclusion becomes more important when applying for academic positions.)

Prepare Yourself Mentally

man in black suit and brown shoes waiting on the stairs

Going back to attitude, remind yourself that a dissertation defense is your opportunity to step into your new role. This is your domain now. Breathe deeply and feel the pride that comes with a job well done. Know that you belong in this realm and the dissertation defense is your chance to prove it. Be humble, too; after all, you stand on the shoulders of giants.

Getting enough rest the night before, drinking water and bringing some with you to drink when your mouth gets dry, and being wise about what you consume prior to the defense (maybe go easy on the carbs and caffeine) are all obvious but frequently overlooked pointers. Your committee members want to know you can handle the pressure and take care of yourself under duress .

You might want to give yourself a few minutes of silence and rest before heading in to defend. Take those moments to recognize whatever you’re feeling, then humbly begin your academic career by presenting your most important work to date. And then get ready to roll up your sleeves for the next one. Congratulations, Doctor!

' src=

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

Related Posts

grad student studying in the library

Dissertation

What makes a good research question.

Creating a good research question is vital to successfully completing your dissertation. Here are some tips that will help you formulate a good research question.  What Makes a Good Research Question? These are the three Read more…

concentrated grad student taking dissertation notes

Dissertation Structure

When it comes to writing a dissertation, one of the most fraught questions asked by graduate students is about dissertation structure. A dissertation is the lengthiest writing project that many graduate students ever undertake, and Read more…

professor consulting students in his office

Choosing a Dissertation Chair

Choosing your dissertation chair is one of the most important decisions that you’ll make in graduate school. Your dissertation chair will in many ways shape your experience as you undergo the most rigorous intellectual challenge Read more…

Make This Your Last Round of Dissertation Revision.

Learn How to Get Your Dissertation Accepted .

Discover the 5-Step Process in this Free Webinar .

Almost there!

Please verify your email address by clicking the link in the email message we just sent to your address.

If you don't see the message within the next five minutes, be sure to check your spam folder :).

Top things to do while preparing for your dissertation defense

You’ve written the defining work of your academic career – and now it’s time to defend it. The prospect of explaining your research and answering questions about it in front of a committee of experts can certainly be daunting. Fortunately, you know the subject matter deeply, so success is mostly a matter of presentation and preparation.

With that in mind, here are eight of the top things to do when preparing for your dissertation defense – from the beginning of your program to the day of your defense.

Attend other people’s defenses: Within the first year or two of your program, start attending the dissertation defenses of other students. [i] This will help you better understand what to expect.

Read your department’s guidelines: Every department has slightly different guidelines for the timeline and preparation of a thesis defense. Read yours early and often, and discuss them with your advisor.

Start your dissertation: This should take between three and four months to write, and you’ll want to submit a completed draft a month before your defense. This means you should start writing your thesis at least five months ahead of time.

Schedule your defense: You should coordinate the date, time and place of your defense as soon as possible, long before your dissertation is completed. [ii]

Submit dissertation and any required paperwork: About a month before your defense, you should submit the final draft of your dissertation for faculty to read. [iii] Your committee members will need time to fully read it and come up with questions.

Research committee members: Talk to other people whose committees they’ve served on, and ask what types of questions they tend to ask, and what their experiences were like. [iv] Read members’ feedback to get an idea of possible questions.

Attend a pre-defense meeting: At the meeting, raise any issues or concerns you have, and ask what questions and issues might be raised during the defense. [v]

Prepare your presentation: Prepare a 15-30 minute PowerPoint presentation, and make it as polished and professional as possible. [vi] Practice giving the presentation, including to friends and family if possible.

Select comfortable, professional clothes: Select your outfit – including accessories – a couple of weeks in advance. You don’t want to worry about what to wear the day before your presentation.

Organize a small reception: If it’s considered appropriate in your department, organize a small celebration following your defense for committee members, friends and family. [vii]

Take a break for a few days: You’re an expert, and you’re prepared. Psychologists believe taking a short break can enhance memory, creativity and problem solving. [viii]

Review everything one last time: The day before your defense, go through your information one last time, and practice your presentation again.

Defend, and amend: Remember, you are an expert presenting your research findings. You likely know more about your topic at this point than the committee members. Do your requested revisions the next day. [ix]

[i] http://www.proquest.com/researchers/graduate-student/expert-advice-thesisdissertation/Defending-your-Dissertation.html

[ii] http://www.proquest.com/researchers/graduate-student/expert-advice-thesisdissertation/Defending-your-Dissertation.html

[iii] http://asq.org/edu/2010/01/career-development/preparing-for-the-oral-defense-of-a-dissertation.pdf

[iv] https://graduate.asu.edu/sites/default/files/dissertation-defense.pdf

[v] http://www.proquest.com/researchers/graduate-student/expert-advice-thesisdissertation/Defending-your-Dissertation.html

[vi] https://graduate.asu.edu/sites/default/files/dissertation-defense.pdf

[vii] http://www.proquest.com/researchers/graduate-student/expert-advice-thesisdissertation/Defending-your-Dissertation.html

[viii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3990058/

[ix] https://graduate.asu.edu/sites/default/files/dissertation-defense.pdf

Related posts

2024 journal citation reports: changes in journal impact factor category rankings to enhance transparency and inclusivity.

dissertation defense preparation

New Web of Science Grants Index helps researchers develop more targeted grant proposals

dissertation defense preparation

Three ways research offices can lead researchers to more funding

dissertation defense preparation

Dissertation Defense

  • Dissertation Defense: Home

Begin Your Preparations

Plan ahead to set yourself up for success, rehearse your presentation, prepare for the day.

  • Student Experience Feedback Buttons
  • Example Defense Questions
  • Attending a Defense
  • Sample Defenses
  • Zoom Resources
  • Dissertation Publishing in ProQuest
  • School of Education Educator Dispositions

Jump to DSE Guide

Your dissertation defense is an important event: the culmination of years of hard work and research. Most of the work that students do on their dissertations is written, so many students feel a bit anxious and unprepared as they work toward the speaking component of their dissertation defense presentation. Here are a few simple things to keep in mind as you begin to prepare:

  • This is your moment and is all about the work you have done, which you should be very proud to present.
  • You are the expert on your specific study. While your committee members are experts in their fields, you are the expert on the unique research that you have completed.
  • You want to be prepared and feel good about the experience, both during and after the defense.
  • You will have chances to present at conferences in the future, so this process is excellent practice.

The dissertation defense is a type of live performance, almost like a musician would give. With that analogy in mind, consider the following tips. 

Best of luck to you as you prepare for your dissertation defense!

  • What will you need during the defense?
  • Where will you be during the defense?  For example, is there a place away from noises and other distractions that would work best for you?
  • Plan for any “what if…?” situations. For example, what will you have as a back-up plan if there is a sudden technical glitch?
  • Use screen-recording software, such as Kaltura Capture available in NCUOne, to record yourself while you practice narrating your PowerPoint presentation. You may want to do this multiple times so that you can improve and become more confident each time you rehearse.
  • Do a self-critique of your recorded presentation rehearsal(s). For example, many students find that they speak more quickly than they think they do, while others notice speaking quirks when listening to themselves on a recording. Finding these little things now will make you more confident on the day of your defense.
  • Ask for others, such as trusted friends, family members, or fellow students to critique your recorded presentation. They may see things that you don’t notice, and may also give you positive feedback and encouragement.
  • You may also want to rehearse live in front of others (in person or online using Skype, etc.) before your defense.
  • Don’t over-rehearse (just like a musician).
  • Intro from Chair.
  • PowerPoint presentation (usually around 30 minutes) from the candidate.
  • Questions from SME/Chair, and perhaps others.
  • Deliberation process (private, between SME/Chair).
  • Powerpoint.
  • Notes (Tip – Since you will be sharing your screen, you will not be able to have your presentation notes visible on the screen, so either print them out or have them on an additional monitor).
  • Technology needs (Test your microphone volume, battery/power on your computer, PowerPoint capabilities/software, location of presentation files on your computer, etc.).
  • Anything you need to feel comfortable (a glass of water and a comfortable chair, for example).
  • On the day of your defense, be sure to arrive early so that you can test your set-up and have everything ready to go.
  • Let your Chair take the lead and set the stage for your performance.  You have worked hard to get to this significant day. 

Was this resource helpful?

  • << Previous: Dissertation Defense: Home
  • Next: Example Defense Questions >>
  • Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023 2:22 PM
  • URL: https://resources.nu.edu/c.php?g=1006027

NCU Library Home

College of Education

  • Our Mission & Vision
  • Leading with Passion
  • Culture & Community
  • Commitment to Equity and Justice
  • Great Minds Think Illinois
  • The Research One Advantage
  • News, Events & Announcements
  • Impact Report
  • Alumni and Advancement
  • College of Education Bylaws
  • Undergraduate Programs
  • Graduate Programs
  • Online Programs
  • Principal & Superintendent Endorsements and Degrees
  • International Programs
  • Course Finder
  • Program Finder
  • Faculty Research Sites
  • Public Engagement
  • Dean's Distinguished Speaker Series
  • Bureau of Educational Research
  • Faculty Directory
  • Curriculum & Instruction
  • Education Policy, Organization & Leadership
  • Educational Psychology
  • Special Education
  • Find Emeritus
  • Find Graduate Students
  • New Faculty 2023-24
  • Undergraduate Students
  • Graduate Students
  • Online Students
  • School and Community Experiences
  • 2024 Convocation

How to Defend Your Dissertation, Virtually

by Nitasha Mathayas, PhD / Apr 9, 2020

Nitasha Mathayas

Tips on preparing, presenting, and celebrating from a new PhD.

On March 24, one day after in-person meetings and instruction at the university were halted and moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic, Nitasha Mathayas earned a new title: PhD. She delivered her dissertation defense—on students’ sensemaking using gesture-augmented simulations—via Zoom to her committee of Curriculum & Instruction faculty, her family, and friends. Over the next several weeks, many doctoral students will face the same situation. Here, Nitasha shares her experience and advice for holding a successful virtual dissertation defense.

Prepare Well in Advance

  • Online meeting setup and structure: Several days before your defense is scheduled, talk to your dissertation committee chair and decide your conferencing platform and how to structure the meeting. One of my committee members, Dr. Stina Krist, hosted the Zoom video conference call and made me a co-host. She also managed the breakout session for the private discussion.
  • Practice, practice, and practice some more on Zoom! (Or whatever video conferencing platform you choose to use.) Don’t just practice your talk like you normally would in person. Try giving the talk a few times to make sure you test everything out. I practiced my talk on Zoom three times with my colleagues and their feedback helped me adjust my pacing and presentation. Shout out to my Education peers for coming online multiple times on late evenings for me. You know who you are!
  • Make adjustments: I like to point when presenting in person. But I could not do that remotely, so instead I added subtle animations and bolded things on my slides. While there is a laser pointer option with PowerPoint, it is better that the slides themselves highlight things you need to emphasize.
  • Strong internet connection: While practicing, I figured out my home internet was not good enough to run the video call and my presentation, so I went to campus (was the only one there, social distancing was practiced), used an ethernet cable, set up a lamp, and ensured my environment looked professional.
  • Professionalism matters: On that note, do everything you can to look professional. Dress formally, use a good webcam that is centered on your face (no weird angles). Use good lighting (add more lamps if needed) and have a clean background (no bright windows, distracting artwork, no pets in the background).
  • Last call: Touch base with your dissertation committee a few days ahead of your scheduled defense to see if they have specific requests. For instance, one of my committee members asked me for my slides ahead of time.

Check—and Double-check—your Tech

  • Connectivity: Before the defense begins, see if your committee members can hop onto the call 10 minutes early to check for issues on both ends.
  • Two screens recommended: In terms of technical set up, I used my laptop and a second monitor. I presented my slides on my laptop and transferred Zoom’s control bar and attendee video to the second screen. This way there was nothing in front of my slides while I used them.
  • Single screen works, too: If you use a single screen, you may have to minimize your speaker view to see your slides. If not, you might have to leave some empty space on your slides so you can put the attendee video there. A few people could not see text on my slides as their video panel obscured it.
  • Test screen sharing options : Zoom has multiple options and things may get confusing if you use PowerPoint's automatic presenter mode. I set mine to use the primary screen only. I did not have access to slide notes, but I did not need them as I had practiced it well enough.
  • Backup hardware: Keep a backup device (or two) ready to go in case you have technical issues. I had a backup laptop with me that I thankfully did not have to use. Yet later that evening, my dock gave out and my second screen went green. I really lucked out there. Phew!
  • Record yourself: You can watch video of practice sessions to critique yourself, and you will also want to remember to record your actual defense.

Present, then Celebrate!

  • Slides: I shared my final presentation file with my committee a few hours before my defense by uploading it to Box. This way they could access the slides at any speed they wanted, and I got to correct some typos without emailing them multiple versions. The upload file was the final version though, it was not a draft.
  • View your committee: Ask other attendees to log off and log onto the call again after all dissertation committee members have joined, so that the committee appears on top of the speaker view.
  • Explain the process: My chair described how we would structure the conversation. My presentation was about 30 minutes. He requested that my committee ask me clarification questions during the talk but to hold substantive questions for later.
  • Questions: There was time for audience questions at the end from non-committee attendees. Audience members were asked to turn their video off during the talk but to turn it back on while they asked me questions. This really helped keep the committee’s videos up on top and I could see them when I needed to.
  • Main room and breakout room: The main room was used for the public portion of the defense and was recorded, and then committee members moved to a breakout room that was not recorded. My family and friends waited with me in the main room while my committee discussed.
  • Audience: I am glad I invited my friends to attend my oral defense. I was nervous and having them there made me much more confident when I talked. And they cheered with me when my advisor informed me that I had passed!
  • Positive takeaways: There were some unexpected perks of my online defense. My friends and family from India were in attendance, which would not have happened if the talk was on campus. This way they were given the same experience as everyone else. Also, the Zoom session was recorded (a personal choice that everyone agreed to but is optional) so I now have a video of one of the most important days of my life to look back upon.
  • Celebrate! Finally, plan to celebrate yourself. You did it! You made it! You deserve it! This is an important milestone, and it is unfortunate that you cannot celebrate in person. I set up a second Zoom party between 6-8 p.m. that evening and invited friends, committee, and family. We all toasted in our respective homes and people hopped on and off the call during that time. I was able to feel thankful and connected for a while. My friends and colleagues have given me so much and I was glad I could cherish that moment.

P.S. I also bought myself a Ph.Diva shirt. It’s not coming off for a few days. No one can smell it but me… phew for social distancing right now! Good luck fellow colleagues. You will all be great!

  • How It Works

Dissertation Defense: Steps To Follow To Succeed

dissertation defense

A dissertation defense is arguably one of the most important milestones in every student’s career. While it signals that your tenure as a student is soon about to close, it validates all your efforts towards your thesis.

Being cautious about including all the necessary details is very important to successfully complete your dissertation proposal defense. This article tells you everything that you need to know about writing a defense that can add great credibility to you as a student.

What is A Dissertation Defense?

The first thing that you need to learn is what is a dissertation defense and what is its purpose. In simple terms, it is a presentation made by a student to defend all the ideas and views that are presented in a dissertation.

The presenter must include details like what is the reason for choosing specific research methods, the theory that has been selected for the paper, and other such points. This presentation is made before an audience that comprises of the university committee, professors and even fellow-students. It is met with questions and answers that gives the student an opportunity to provide more clarity on the dissertation in order to convince the committee to approve it.

Stages of a Dissertation Defense

One of the most important dissertation defense tips provided by several professors is to breakdown the process into three steps:

  • Preparation : This stage involves collection of all the necessary information that must be included in the defense dissertation and making all the arrangements for the actual meeting.
  • The defense meeting : This is where you decide how you will present the defense. The actual meeting is hugely reliant on the performance, body language and the confidence in your oral defense.
  • After the defense meeting : This stage, also known as the follow up, requires you to make the necessary revisions suggested by the university committee. You can even provide bound copies of the whole dissertation to distribute among different members of your departments. In the follow up stage, one must also think about expense that are related to publishing the Ph.D. dissertation defense as well as printing additional copies of the manuscript, if required.

How Long is a Dissertation Defense?

The first thing that a student should know is how long does a dissertation defense last? The length has to be carefully calculated to make the impact that you want. One of the most important steps in the dissertation preparation is to understand how much time each department allocates to the closing oral defense. When you plan in the early stages of your dissertation itself, you can write it in a manner that allows you to defend it in the allocated time.

Usually these meetings including the presentation, the oral defense and the question and answer session last for about two hours. In most cases, these two hours also encompass the time needed by members of the committee to deliberate.

How to Prepare for the Dissertation Defense

Now that you know how long is a dissertation defense, the next step is to prepare well enough to make your presentation impressive.

Here are some tips on how to prepare for a dissertation defense:

  • Watch other students in action to learn about different presentation styles. You can attend defenses of different colleagues in your department as well as other departments in your university.
  • Get all the details about the deadlines and the rules of your college or university about scheduling your defense.
  • Scheduling is also a very important part of your preparation. It is important to note that members of the committee and University chairs need to make time for these defences in a very packed schedule. Coordinate the date, venue and time of your defense as early as possible.
  • Prepare a manuscript adhering to the necessary formatting rules. Review your manuscript thoroughly before you hand it in. During your PH.D, your faculty will also assist you with the defense. For this, they must have a crisp and polished copy of your manuscript.
  • Most colleges have the facility for a pre-defense meeting. This is the best opportunity to sort out any concerns that you may have about the actual meeting. It is a good idea to ask the chairs what types of questions may be put forward and if there are any problems with the defense that need to be resolved. When you prepare for a pre-defense meeting, think of it as the final one and give it your all.
  • Put together all the material that you need for the defense. A detailed, yet to-the-point presentation must be prepared.
  • The final stage of preparation is practicing your presentation over and over again. It is not just the presentation but also the approach towards the questions that you must practice.

Tips To Nail Your Actual Meeting

With these tips you will be one step closer towards a successful defense that will help your dissertation pass and be approved:

  • All meetings should begin by addressing the chair. Make sure you thank all the committee members and the advisors for the efforts that they have put it. This gives you a professional start to the presentation.
  • The presentation should cover the following subjects in brief:
  • The research topic
  • Literature review
  • The methods used for analysis
  • The primary findings of the research
  • Recommendations of additional research on the subject in the focus.
  • Do not get rattled by any discussions among the chairs. They will deliberate on any disagreements or topics of interest. This is a part of the process and is not a reflection of the presentation itself.
  • There are two questions that are commonly asked that you should be prepared for. This includes the weaknesses of the dissertation and the research plans that you have made post-dissertation.
  • Use subtle gestures when you are talking. Do not overuse your hands when doing so. The whole meeting including the question and answer session should have a very formal appeal.
  • The tone of your voice must be assertive without making it seem like you are trying to hard. Be clear and enunciate when you speak.

Once the questions have been answered, the committee will leave the room. Then, after the deliberation, you will be informed if your dissertation has passed or not.

For affordable thesis writing assistance , get in touch our team today. The pricing is cheap but students can be assured of top notch quality in all our final products.

how to restate a thesis

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment * Error message

Name * Error message

Email * Error message

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

As Putin continues killing civilians, bombing kindergartens, and threatening WWIII, Ukraine fights for the world's peaceful future.

Ukraine Live Updates

  • Request Info

American College of Education

  • B.A. in Professional Studies
  • B.S. in Business Administration & Leadership
  • See All Business
  • B.A. in Education Studies
  • See All Education
  • B.S. in Healthcare Administration
  • See All Healthcare
  • See All Leadership
  • See All Nursing
  • See All Bachelor's
  • Business Programs
  • Certificate in Adult Education and Corporate Training
  • Certificate in Content Area Instruction
  • Certificate in Principal Preparation
  • Certificate in Teaching English Learners
  • Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Elementary Education
  • Certificate in Transition to Teaching in Secondary Education
  • Healthcare Programs
  • Certificate in Advanced Graduate Study
  • Certificate in Teacher Leadership
  • Certificate in Texas Educational Leadership
  • Nursing Programs
  • See All Certificates
  • Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction
  • Ed.D. in Early Childhood Education
  • Ed.D. in Instructional Technology

Ed.D. in Leadership

  • Ed.D. in Second Language Instruction
  • Ed.D. in Special Education
  • Ed.D. in Public Health Education
  • Ed.D. in Nursing Education
  • See All Doctoral
  • Ed.S. in Curriculum and Instruction
  • Ed.S. in Early Childhood Education
  • Ed.S. in Instructional  Technology
  • Ed.S. in Second Language Instruction
  • Ed.S. in Special Education
  • Ed.S. in Public Health Education
  • Ed.S. in Leadership
  • Ed.S. in Nursing Education
  • See All Education Specialist
  • M.Ed. in Educational Business Administration
  • M.S. in Organizational Leadership
  • M.A. in Elementary Teaching
  • M.A. in Secondary Teaching
  • M.Ed. in Adult Education and Training
  • M.Ed. in Advanced Studies
  • M.Ed. in Biology Education
  • M.Ed. in Chemistry Education
  • M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction
  • M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education
  • M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
  • M.Ed. in Educational Technology
  • M.Ed. in Elementary Education
  • M.Ed. in English Education
  • M.Ed. in Health and Wellness Education
  • M.Ed. in Higher Education
  • M.Ed. in History Education
  • M.Ed. in Instructional Design and Technology
  • M.Ed. in Integrated Curriculum
  • M.Ed. in Literacy
  • M.Ed. in Mathematics Education
  • M.Ed. in Science Education
  • M.Ed. in Social Science Education
  • M.Ed. in Special Education
  • M.Ed. in STEM Education
  • M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership
  • M.Ed. in Teaching English Learners
  • Master of Healthcare Administration
  • Master of Public Health
  • See All Master's
  • Micro-Credential in Early Childhood Special Education
  • Micro-Credential in Learning Behavior Specialist 1
  • Micro-Credential in Public Health and Health Leadership
  • Leadership Programs
  • See All Micro-credentials
  • Find Your Course
  • See All Courses
  • Find Your Program
  • Academic Calendar
  • Payment Options
  • Grants and Scholarships
  • Virtual Open House
  • Education Solutions
  • K-12 Education Partners
  • Academic Partners
  • Community College Partners
  • Healthcare Partners
  • Business Partners
  • Non-profit Partners
  • Support Services
  • Current Students
  • Alumni Achievement Award
  • Success Stories
  • Current Catalog
  • Internship and Student Teaching
  • Commencement
  • Accreditation
  • History and Mission
  • Rankings and Accolades
  • Social Responsibility
  • Student Right to Know
  • Annual Reports
  • Regulatory Affairs
  • Content Resources
  • Education Specialist
  • Certificates
  • Micro-Credential
  • MyACE Student Login

Achieve more in 2024! Enroll by January 5 for the January 8 start and we'll credit $50-100 back to you!   Enroll Today

How to Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense

December 14, 2021

dissertation defense preparation

If you’re in a doctoral program, there’s no doubt you are dreaming of the day where you’ll be announced as “doctor” for the first time. However, it’s a long road to get there with many steps along the way, the biggest of which is the defense of your dissertation.

The dissertation defense is often shrouded in mystery. I equate it to the scene in “The Wizard of Oz” with the mysterious man behind the green curtain. But it doesn’t have to be. I’m pulling back the curtain with tips on how to prepare for your dissertation defense.

Attend a Defense

American College of Education allows you to attend the defenses of your colleagues remotely. This gives you the unique opportunity to see the defense process and understand what to expect. Take it one step further by attending a defense where your dissertation chair is involved so you get a sense of what they’re looking for in the process. I recommend reaching out to your chair ahead of time, as they can even help find a defense that’s a good fit for you to observe.

To find a list of upcoming defenses, go to the Dissertation Calendar in Student Commons. Remember, of course, to be a respectful audience member when attending a defense. While they are open to viewing, it’s still an intimate process solely belonging to the doctoral candidate.

Know the Rituals

The oral defense is similar to a wedding in that there is prescribed way in which events take place. Fortunately, ACE provides doctoral candidates with a detailed dissertation template that you’ll work through with your chair to fine tune your presentation. You’ll likely find yourself with a dissertation of over 100 pages that you’re trying to summarize in a short period of time. Work closely with your course instructor and chair to make sure you’ve addressed everything the dissertation committee is looking for in the presentation. If available, use an oral dissertation rubric as your checklist and guide to ensure you’ve answered the demands of the defense.

Create a Timeline

You have a specific time limit for your dissertation defense. Create a timeline for your presentation. Schedule out every single key point of your dissertation to ensure it’s included. Then, to make sure you adhere to your timeline, practice, practice, practice.

Be the Expert

Remember, you are now the expert on this topic. This is your research and your findings. The committee is not there to dispute your findings. They are there to engage you in scholarly conversation about what you’ve found and celebrate this momentous occasion in your academic career with you.

When you get to your dissertation defense, you’ll have been through a lot with your committee members and chair. It will be the first opportunity for your whole team to celebrate your accomplishment and contribution to your field. Revel in the hard work it took to get to this moment and enjoy it!

American College of Education provides personalized support to doctoral candidates, from the first day of your program to the last minute of your dissertation defense. Explore our fully online doctoral programs .

Amy Vaughan-Roland, Ed.D.

Amy has a strong passion for educating all learners and has over 12 years of experience in special education. She works on her family's dairy farm and is currently a doctoral candidate.

Share this:

Related posts, the best leaders are learners.

February 27, 2024

Journaling: The Write Way to Start Your Day

August 29, 2023

The Secret to Being More Focused and Productive While Working

October 19, 2022

5 Money Saving Hacks That Also Keep Your Health On Track

June 28, 2022

What Do Online Students and Astronauts Have in Common?

June 07, 2022

Banner

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

Profile Photo

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..

dissertation defense preparation

  • 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. .

dissertation defense preparation

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. 

dissertation defense preparation

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. .

  • Tips for designing your defense presentation

How important is your presentation, and cookies?

dissertation defense preparation

  • Next: Tips for designing the slides >>
  • Last Updated: Jan 9, 2024 11:18 AM
  • URL: https://guides.library.cmu.edu/c.php?g=883178

dissertation defense preparation

Dissertation Defense

dissertation defense preparation

What is a dissertation defense?

The final oral examination for a doctoral candidate, commonly known as the dissertation defense, represents the conclusive formal stage prior to the submission of the dissertation manuscript and the conferral of the doctoral degree. This examination centers on the dissertation itself and its relevance within the candidate's area of academic specialization.

A successful defense is the peak of your academic career, so don’t treat it lightly. Make sure that you take enough time to learn everything there is to know about the topic and prepare well. If you look at your paper and it seems raw or unfinished, and especially if your academic advisor says so, it might be best to take another semester for prep. We don’t mean to scare you, but it truly is a responsible moment, and if you fail your defense, all the years of hard work will be wasted.

Defending doctoral dissertation is not going to be easy. If you don’t get to choose the members of your board and you will be met with unfamiliar faces, you might start to panic and feel lost. This is exactly why you need to be over-prepared. In fact, there’s no such thing as being overly prepared when it comes to your defense. Think of all the possible questions your dissertation committee members may have, even the most far-fetched ones, and then find the answers.

Doctoral dissertation defense process

During the dissertation defense, the candidate delivers an oral presentation of their dissertation to the Supervisory Committee (refer to the Supervisory Committee Policy) and to a public audience. The length of both the oral presentation and the subsequent question-and-answer session is determined through consultation between the Committee and the candidate, ensuring it meets the specific requirements and standards of the process.

The dissertation defense process, often the culmination of a doctoral program, is a critical step in the journey towards earning a PhD or similar advanced degree. This process involves several key stages designed to assess the quality, originality, and contribution of the candidate's research. Here's a general overview:

  • Completion of the Dissertation : Before the defense can be scheduled, the dissertation must be completed. This involves conducting original research, writing up the findings, and often, revising the document based on the advisor's feedback.
  • Submission of the Dissertation : Once the dissertation is completed and approved by the advisor, it must be submitted to the department or dissertation committee for review. This submission typically includes a written document detailing the candidate's research findings and conclusions.
  • Scheduling the Defense : After the dissertation is submitted, a defense date is scheduled. The timing of this can vary widely depending on the institution and the specific requirements of the department.
  • Preparation for the Defense : The candidate prepares a formal presentation of their research findings. This presentation is typically structured to highlight the research question, methodology, key findings, and the significance of the work.
  • The Defense Event : The defense itself is a public forum in which the candidate presents their research to the dissertation committee and often, an audience of peers, faculty, and sometimes the general public. Following the presentation, committee members and sometimes audience members ask questions related to the research and the findings.
  • Question and Answer Session : This session allows the committee to probe the candidate's understanding of the research area, methodology, and conclusions. The candidate must defend their research choices and conclusions, demonstrating deep knowledge of the subject.
  • Committee Deliberation : Following the Q&A, the committee deliberates in private to decide whether the candidate has successfully defended the dissertation. Criteria for success can include the originality of the research, the soundness of the methodology, and the significance of the contributions to the field.
  • Outcome Announcement : The committee then informs the candidate of the outcome. Possible outcomes can include pass, pass with minor revisions, pass with major revisions, or fail, although specifics can vary by institution.
  • Completion of Revisions (if required) : If the committee requires revisions, the candidate must complete these before the degree can be officially awarded. The scope of revisions can vary significantly.
  • Final Submission : After any required revisions are made and approved by the committee, the final version of the dissertation is submitted to the university. This often includes submitting bound copies of the dissertation and making it available through the university's library or institutional repository.
  • Graduation and Degree Conferral : Following successful defense and submission of the final dissertation, the candidate is eligible to graduate and receive their doctoral degree.

This process is a significant milestone in an academic career, representing the transition from student to scholar and contributing new knowledge to the field.

Even though it may seem horrible and nerve-racking, the process of defending your dissertation is pretty straightforward. And if you take your time to prepare for it well, you will not have any problems with the defense itself.

The scariest part is presenting your work to a group of professionals. You have to show your proficiency in the field, ability to think critically and withstand criticism. Most colleges and universities will allow you to choose your own committee. So, try to take your pick as early as possible so you’re not left with people the rest of your group didn’t want. 

How to defend dissertation?

Navigating your dissertation defense involves thorough prep, including understanding your institution's format, mastering your material, anticipating committee questions, and perfecting your presentation. During the defense, remain poised, address inquiries with depth, and interact professionally. Post-defense, be ready for revisions. Ensure professional attire, early arrival, and confidence in your expertise. Embrace feedback as growth. Celebrate this significant academic milestone, as it's not only an examination but a showcase of your scholarly journey.

Defending your dissertation is a pivotal moment in your academic career. Here's a step-by-step guide to prepare for and successfully defend your dissertation:

Let’s assume that your dissertation paper is done and approved. The next step after choosing your committee would be preparation. In one of the committee meetings, you will discuss how much time you have for your defense and the Q&A session afterward. Normally, the whole defense lasts about an hour, but it can vary depending on the number of doctoral students defending on the same day. 

Preparing for your defense means getting thoroughly acquainted with your paper. It might seem like a ridiculous piece of advice if you’ve written it yourself, yet, with a paper of that size, it’s easy to get lost. If you’ve used a dissertation writing service , you need to take special care in learning the contents of your paper. 

Prepare a presentation that you will be showing to the committee. Make sure the slides are clear and easy to understand, with most information placed in the speaker notes. You don’t want to overload the slides with text. 

Analyze your dissertation and think of all the possible questions the defense board members may have afterward. It’s hard to anticipate what a professional may ask about your ‘rookie’ paper, so it might help to speak to your academic advisor before the PhD defense . They might shed some light on the inconsistencies and possible lack of analysis in some areas. 

How to prepare for defense day?

When the day of defending dissertation finally comes, no matter how prepared you are, it will still be stressful. So, it makes sense to come over-prepared. Learn your dissertation text by hard.

Find every grammatical mistake and fix it. Get acquainted with every letter and word and really make sure it’s perfect. If you are convinced your paper is perfect, it will be hard for the defense board to convince you otherwise. 

How do I know I’m ready for my PhD dissertation defense?

Your academic advisor is your best friend in this situation. They have lots of experience in the matter, and they will be the first person to tell you if your paper is defense-proof. If you see them doubting or if they are asking lots of questions, use those questions as learning points. 

Most likely, they criticize you not because they hate you. But because they want to show you your gaps in knowledge. This is a powerful tool to help you find blank spots and fill them

What should I bring to my PhD thesis defense?

  • Presentation Materials : This includes any slides or visual aids you'll use to support your talk. Ensure they are ready and compatible with the equipment available.
  • Laser Pointer : Useful for highlighting specific areas or data on your slides during the presentation.
  • Copy of Your Dissertation : Have at least one printed copy for your own reference. It's helpful for addressing specific questions or sections during the Q&A.
  • Pen or Pencil : For making quick notes or annotations based on feedback or questions you may receive.
  • Notepad : To jot down notes, questions, or reminders during the defense.
  • Bottle of Water : Keeping hydrated is important, especially since you'll be speaking for an extended period.
  • Backup of Your Presentation : Have a backup on a USB drive or accessible online in case of technical difficulties.
  • Any Necessary Forms : Sometimes, there are forms that committee members need to sign post-defense. Check with your department for any such requirements.
  • Questions for Your Committee : Have a list of questions or clarifications you might want to ask your committee after your defense.
  • A Watch or Timer : To keep track of your presentation time and ensure you cover all points within the allotted duration.

Depending on how long is a PhD defense, you will need a different supply. If you are planning to sit through your whole class’ defense, you will need lots of water, some snacks to eat during the breaks, and your presentation materials.

However, if you are allowed to only show up to your defense and not listen to the entire class defend their dissertations, the most important thing you need to have is your dissertation and presentation. And don’t forget to bring some water, it can help you calm down if you get stressed.

Why does the dissertation length vary?

Various elements, such as institutional standards, the research's complexity, the extent of analysis, and the presence of supplementary materials, can determine a dissertation's length.

The length of your defense may also depend on how long is a dissertation . If your dissertation is 70 pages, your defense will definitely run shorter than if it is 300 pages long. The length of your paper will also influence the length of your PowerPoint presentation and the number of questions you get.

But how do you defend a dissertation? Defense is just an academic word for presenting your findings. You do your research, you present it to the board, and they ask you questions. By answering these questions, you defend the legitimacy and academic value of your doctoral defense research.

The key here is preparedness. Being well-acquainted with the contents of your paper and being able to defend it is your key to success. If you’re not sure about some parts of your dissertation, consult your academic advisor. They will be willing to help and advise you on whether you should take another semester to prepare.

Of course, it’s a great thing that ‘ write my dissertation ’ services exist. You can address a service like Studyfy and rely on it completely in the dissertation writing process. If you do, you can order your dissertation chapter by chapter and bring each draft to the professor for their notes and critiques.

What else do I need to know?

The most important part is you need to be prepared to defend dissertation meaning, and you need to know your dissertation by heart and be ready to justify every word in it. Sure, it may sound terrifying but thinking that millions of people have done that before you might give you some ease. 

How long is a dissertation defense?

Normally, defending my dissertation shouldn’t take more than an hour and a half. It usually lasts anywhere between 30 minutes and 1,5 hours.

It depends on your academic level, the number of people defending, and your preparedness. If the committee members sense you’re ill-prepared, they will ask you more questions.

It’s not because they want to thank you, but actually because they want to give you more chances. Asking more questions is usually an attempt to find an area that you’re very good at to give you a chance to redeem yourself.Your doctoral defense ia an important part of your doctoral journey, and it's bound to be more intense than a bachelor’s one. That’s only natural. Since your doctoral dissertation will be more in-depth, show a deeper understanding of the subject and better proficiency. 

The length of your defense will depend on many factors. But the most important one is your preparedness and confidence. If you are not prepared well, the dissertation committee will ask you lots of questions. They do that to find an area of study that you are good at, but at that moment, it might make you even more stressed. So, coming prepared is the best thing you can do for your defense to be successful. 

Using services like Studyfy is also an option. Yet, you must understand that if you show up with a perfectly written paper, yet you have no idea what it’s about, it will raise even more questions. That’s why you must prepare very well, regardless if you write your paper yourself or outsource it. If you still have some questions about how to write a dissertation , make sure to read our guide.

What is the key to dissertation defense?

Comprehensive Preparation: Familiarize yourself with your institution's defense protocols and engage in extensive practice. Segment your thesis for easier presentation, manage timing, highlight essential arguments, and anticipate likely inquiries. Organize a practice defense session to gain comfort with the procedure.

The most important thing you need to do to defend my dissertation is to start your prep early enough. What does it mean to defend your dissertation? Your defense is the pinnacle of all the hard work you've put in your studies throughout the years. Every time you write a paper, you must understand that you may use that research for your dissertation. So, your prep for dissertation defense starts as soon as you enter college.

What is defending a dissertation? Are there dissertation committee members?

Defending dissertation meaning is the process of presenting your research and findings to the board. Regardless if you buy dissertation or write it yourself, you will need to defend it. This is why you need to prepare carefully for your defense - study your paper through and through, think about all the possible questions you may be asked and think of the answers.

The dissertation committee or the dissertation chair are faculty members that will simply ask dissertation defense questions - some about research methodology, and some about the primary role of your work. Before the actual oral defense, try setting up a mock defense with your friend and go over the important topics.

How long is a thesis defense?

It depends on the length of your paper. Since your master’s thesis will probably be a bit shorter than a doctorate dissertation, you can count on your oral defense lasting up to an hour. Again, the length of the doctorate defense depends on how well you are prepared and how you handle the professors’ questions. 

shap

How To Prepare For A Dissertation Defense

Tom Baldwin - Jan 23, 2024

How To Prepare For A Dissertation Defense

The journey of completing a dissertation is a significant achievement, but the final hurdle – the dissertation defense – can be both challenging and rewarding. This crucial step, known as the dissertation defense, allows you to showcase your expertise, defend your research, and prove that you have mastered your subject. In this comprehensive guide on “How To Prepare For A Dissertation Defense,” we’ll explore the intricacies of this academic milestone and provide you with 13+ invaluable tips to ensure you are well-prepared for the defense of your research.

Key TakeAway

  • Start early: Organize, refine, practice – avoid last-minute stress.
  • Prepare for questions: Anticipate them from your dissertation and practice clear answers
  • Rehearse & manage nerves: Practice presentation & body language, and have strategies for mistakes & anxiety.
  • Communicate & respect time: Be open with the committee, and present within the allocated time.
  • Ensure Practical Relevance:Evaluate industry implications, align with career goals, and build a professional network.

Explanation Of Dissertation Defense

Before delving into the preparation tips, let’s understand what a dissertation defense entails. It is a public presentation where you present and defend your research findings before a committee of faculty members. This committee evaluates the quality and originality of your work, challenging you with questions to gauge your understanding and mastery of the subject matter.

15 Tips on How to Prepare for a Dissertation Defense

Successfully defending your dissertation is a significant milestone in your academic journey, marking the culmination of years of research and hard work. The dissertation defense is an opportunity to showcase your expertise, answer probing questions from your committee, and demonstrate the depth of your understanding in your chosen field. To help you navigate this crucial event, here are 15 valuable tips on how to prepare for a dissertation defense.

1. Early Initiation Of Preparations For Dissertation Defense

Commence your preparations early to avoid last-minute stress. Start organizing your materials, refining your presentation, and scheduling practice sessions well in advance.

2. Observation Of Other Candidates’ Dissertation Defense Sessions

Attending other candidates’ defense sessions can offer valuable insights into the process. Observe the dynamics, types of questions asked, and presentation styles to better prepare yourself.

3. Commencement Of Preparations Well In Advance

Begin preparing for your defense well ahead of the scheduled date. Adequate time allows for thoughtful revisions, refining your arguments, and addressing any potential weaknesses in your presentation.

4. Identification Of Potential Questions Arising From The Dissertation And Presentation

Anticipate potential questions by thoroughly reviewing your dissertation. Consider aspects where your committee may seek clarification or request further elaboration.

5. Crafting An Engaging Introduction

Start your defense with a compelling introduction. Clearly articulate the purpose of your research, and its significance, and provide a roadmap for your presentation to capture the committee’s attention from the outset.

6. Preparation For Anticipated Questions From Committee Members

Identify probable questions committee members might ask based on your research. Develop concise and well-thought-out responses to demonstrate your understanding and expertise.

7. Maintenance Of A Question List

Keep a list of potential questions and revisit them during your preparation. This proactive approach ensures that you are not caught off guard during the actual defense.

8. Rehearsal Of Speech And Body Language

Practice your presentation multiple times to refine your speech and perfect your body language. Ensure that your delivery is clear and confident, and conveys enthusiasm for your research.

9. Acquisition Of Strategies For Handling Mistakes

It’s normal to make mistakes. Develop strategies to gracefully handle errors, whether technical glitches or gaps in your knowledge. Maintain composure and redirect the discussion back to your key points.

10. Avoidance Of Rushing Through The Presentation

Resist the urge to rush through your presentation. Speak at a moderate pace, allowing committee members to absorb your content. This deliberate approach also conveys confidence in your material.

11. Visualization Of Defending The Thesis

Mentally visualize yourself successfully defending your thesis. Positive visualization can enhance your confidence and help alleviate anxiety associated with the defense.

12. Incorporation Of Breathing Techniques In Practice

Practice deep breathing techniques to manage stress and anxiety. Controlled breathing can have a calming effect, ensuring you remain composed during the defense.

13. Communication With Committee Members

Establish open lines of communication with your committee members before the defense. Seek feedback on your work, clarify expectations, and address any concerns they may have.

14. Duration Of A Dissertation Defense

While there’s no one-size-fits-all duration for a defense, aim to keep your presentation within the allocated time. Respect your committee members’ time constraints and leave ample room for questions and discussions.

15. Committee Members’ Expectations

Understanding your committee members’ expectations is crucial. Review their areas of expertise and tailor your presentation to align with their interests. This thoughtful approach demonstrates your consideration and respect for their perspectives.

Qualified Tutors

banner image

Duration Of A Dissertation Defense

Duration Of A Dissertation Defense

When it comes to the duration of a dissertation defense, finding the right balance is key to a successful presentation. While there isn’t a strict one-size-fits-all rule, understanding how to effectively manage time during your defense is crucial for both you and your committee members.

Determining the Ideal Presentation Length

Typically, a dissertation defense presentation spans a duration of 20 to 30 minutes. This timeframe allows you to concisely present your research without overwhelming your audience. However, it’s essential to check with your academic institution or department, as specific guidelines may vary.

Strategies for Time Management

1. introduction (5 minutes).

Use the initial minutes to grab your audience’s attention. Clearly articulate the purpose of your research, and its significance, and provide an overview of what to expect during your presentation.

2. Main Presentation (15-20 minutes)

Dive into the core of your research, emphasizing key findings, methodologies, and the impact of your work. Keep the content focused, avoiding unnecessary details that may prolong the presentation.

3. Question and Answer Session (10-15 minutes)

Allocate sufficient time for the committee members to pose questions and engage in discussions. This segment is equally important, allowing you to demonstrate your depth of knowledge and critical thinking skills.

Adapting to Institutional Guidelines

Different institutions may have specific guidelines regarding the duration of a dissertation defense. Some may allow a more flexible timeframe, while others adhere to a strict schedule. Familiarize yourself with these guidelines and adjust your presentation accordingly.

Practice for Precision

Rehearsing your presentation is crucial for gauging its duration. Time yourself during practice sessions to ensure that you can comfortably cover all essential aspects within the allocated timeframe. This practice not only enhances your time management skills but also contributes to a more polished and confident delivery.

Flexibility and Adaptability

While adhering to the recommended timeframe is important, be prepared for unexpected adjustments. Committee members may have additional questions or engage in more extended discussions, so it’s essential to be adaptable without compromising the quality of your responses.

What Are The Expectations Of Committee Members?

Committee members expect a well-prepared and articulate presentation that showcases your research’s significance and contribution to the field. They anticipate thoughtful responses to their questions, demonstrating your mastery of the subject matter.

Q1: Can I Bring Notes Or A Script To My Defense?

Yes, you can bring notes, but avoid reading directly from a script. Use your notes as a reference to stay on track and provide concise answers.

Q2: How Should I Handle Challenging Questions?

Approach challenging questions with composure. If you’re unsure, admit it, and express a willingness to explore the topic further. Your honesty and openness can earn respect from the committee.

Q3: Is PhD Defense A Formality?

No, a Ph.D. defense is not merely a formality. It is a significant academic event where a candidate presents and defends their research findings before a committee to demonstrate their expertise and contribute to the field. It involves rigorous questioning and assessment of the candidate’s work.

In conclusion, the dissertation defense is a culmination of your academic journey, requiring meticulous preparation and confidence in your abilities. By following these 13+ tips, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate this challenging but rewarding experience. Remember, your defense is not just an assessment; it’s an opportunity to showcase the depth of your knowledge and the significance of your research. Embrace the process, stay focused, and celebrate your achievements as you successfully defend your dissertation. 

user

I'm a prolific academic freelancer, has completed over 150 online classes and authored more than 600 essays, providing academic assistance to students globally.

Why Wait? Get Our Help Now!

  • Let’s Get Started

Standard pricing starts from: $9.99

Dissertation Genius

Dissertation Defense Preparation Power Series

January 2, 2024 by Dissertation Genius

Part 2: Dealing with Technical Requirements

dissertation defense preparation

Welcome to part two of a four-part power series on successfully preparing for your dissertation (or thesis) defense. Each part in this power series helps you adequately prepare for each stage in the dissertation defense process. This way, by the time you read and implement the strategies of all four parts, you should walk into your dissertation defense and let all hell break loose! In a ‘successful’ hell kind of way of course. The four-part series includes the following:

Part One   – Preparing the PowerPoint

Part Two – Dealing with Technical Requirements

Part Three – Shifting into the Right Mind Set

Part Four  – Conducting the Actual Presentation

By taking the strategies and suggestions of all four articles in this power series seriously, not only will you help yourself reach the dissertation promised land, but you will also be able to do it easily and effortlessly!

In part one, we talked about how to help you prepare a PowerPoint presentation that you will use during your defense. Now that you have created your PowerPoint and sent it to your advisor for review, it is time to take care of the technical requirements of your defense. This is the subject of this particular article and we discuss what things you should prepare for on a technical level (computer, room, documents, etc.).

Dealing With The Technical Requirements

In general, there are three levels of technical requirements that you must take care of before the day of your presentation. These include:

  • The actual room
  • The technology & equipment
  • Documents & paperwork.

Preparing the Room

First of all, when the date and time have been set for your defense, do not wait one single moment to find out in which room you will be presenting in. Also, as soon as possible, visit the room (when it’s empty and not in use of course). If you are presenting virtually, be sure to choose a room in your home or office that makes you feel comfortable and confident. Make sure that the room is appropriate for your presentation by considering factors such as size, seating, appropriate number of power outlets, environmental control, cleanliness, and lighting. You want to make sure that your audience and committee members are sitting on comfortable chairs, that there is proper lighting, and that the tables & power outlets are set up appropriately for your presentation equipment (the testing of your equipment will be discussed below). If you are at home make sure that your background is neat- otherwise choose a professional virtual background to use in Zoom. If you feel there are any issues with the room in any way, either resolve them or request another room as soon as possible . In under no circumstances should you wait until the last minute to resolve any issues with your room or, even worse, to request a different room.

Preparing & Testing the Technology

Securing Equipment

Since you will be presenting using PowerPoint, you will need a computer (preferably a laptop) and some kind of projector. You will also need your actual PowerPoint presentation file to use while conducting your equipment test. Also, you can secure any piece of recording equipment (optional) if you choose to record your presentation. This can be any type of voice recorder, tape recorder, or simply your smart phone. If you are presenting virtually, use zoom and record the session.

If you are having any trouble securing any of these, talk to your advisor or email them as soon as possible while cc’ing any relevant authority to communicate the urgency of this matter and to have it resolved as soon as possible. Securing the equipment of your defense is no light matter, so make sure you never ever treat it as such.

Testing your Equipment

Next, after securing the appropriate equipment, and after ensuring your laptop or computer has Microsoft Office PowerPoint installed, make sure you test all your equipment. To conduct this test, make sure you ask for the projector that you will be using on the presentation day. If it is not available at the time you ask for it, ask when it’ll be available for you to run a test, and then conduct a test on that particular day.

In addition, do not consider conducting your test in any random place. Make sure you test all your equipment in the same room that you will be conducting your actual presentation in. If you do not do this, even if you have fully-functioning equipment, you may still face technical issues or delays on the day of your defense such as not having power cables long enough to reach certain outlets, or having the room structured in a way where you won’t be able to display the screen output on the appropriate wall. Therefore, do not underestimate the importance of conducting an equipment test in the same room that you’ll be conducting your presentation in.

When you conduct the test, you should do so by actually simulating a small part of your PowerPoint presentation as close to the same conditions as will be on the day of your defense. There is no need to simulate the entire presentation since the goal here is to simply test that your equipment, hardware and software, is working properly.

In particular, you will want to set up the equipment in the same manner it would be set up during the real presentation. Therefore, set up everything as you would during the real thing and, when you display your actual PowerPoint presentation on the projector, make sure you flip through some of your slides to ensure that your file has no issues on this particular computer/laptop especially if it is different than the computer/laptop you used to create your PowerPoint. Finally, record and resolve any issues as soon as possible.

Preparing the Paperwork

There are several things you will need for your presentation besides the technology. These include the following:

  • PPT Handouts – If you are presenting in person, prepare PowerPoint handouts for each member of your committee. Try to make sure that there are no more than 2-3 slides per handout page. This is to make sure that the members of the committee could actually read the content within each slide on the page. Furthermore, prepare your own personal PowerPoint handouts (aim for 1-2 slides per page) containing notes at the bottom of each slide (which will not be viewable on the screen display to your audience).
  • Copies of Your Dissertation – This fully depends on university guidelines as some universities require that you give a copy of the entire dissertation to each committee member during your defense. Other universities require copies of the full dissertation to be handed out long before the defense and on the day of the defense. Regardless, your university will certainly have guidelines about how to disperse hard copies of your dissertation.
  • Copies of References used in your PowerPoint – Committee members will be extremely thankful if you provide them with a copy of all complete references for citations that you used in your PowerPoint presentation . This way, each committee member will have the option to check the full reference of anything cited in your presentation. Remember, impressing the committee will have them overlook inadequacies in other parts of your presentation and giving them a copy of full references for anything cited in your PowerPoint will do exactly that.
  • Prepare any Official Paperwork to be Signed – Your university may require that you prepare certain papers and documents to be signed on the day of your defense. Make sure you have all these official documents and also make extra copies and have them on hand just in case.

Have a Backup Plan

When you secure all the equipment you need for your presentation, make sure you TRIPLE CHECK EVERYTHING . Testing was mentioned above but its importance cannot be overemphasized. Conduct a test of all your equipment and do so in the same room in which you will be conducting your presentation . In particular, make sure that:

  • All equipment is available
  • All equipment is fully-functional
  • You can manage all equipment easily

However, no matter how much time you spend preparing, and how many times you test something beforehand, you may still experience surprise emergency setbacks during your presentations. Therefore, it is imperative that you have backup plans in place which should at least include:

  • Preparation of PPT transparencies
  • A flash drive that has your presentation
  • Preparation of the actual PPT slides (PPT handouts) which will allow you to continue your presentation without the use of any technology whatsoever.

Stage two of the dissertation defense process consists of taking care of all the technical issues of your upcoming defense. These include securing the particular room that you will be presenting in and making sure this room is fully appropriate to conduct your presentation in.

Next, you should secure all the required equipment and make sure they will be available on the day of the presentation . You should also conduct thorough testing of your equipment which includes both hardware and software testing.

Finally, you should prepare all necessary paperwork & documents and also have on hand a backup plan in case things go wrong during your presentation.

Taking care of the technical issues of your presentation will go a long way in giving you peace of mind in the certain technical areas of your presentation. It will also go a long way in maximizing the effectiveness of your presentation and in making sure everything runs smoothly on the big day.

But, it is also imperative that you gain peace of mind in the physical and mental aspects when preparing for your defense, and this is exactly what the next part of the ‘Dissertation Defense Prep’ POWER Series talks about: “Dissertation Defense Prep” POWER Series Part Three: Shifting into the Right Mindset

Schedule a Free Consultation

  • Email * Enter Email Confirm Email
  • What services are you interested in? Dissertation Assistance Dissertation Defense Preparation Dissertation Writing Coaching APA and Academic Editing Literature Review Assistance Concept Paper Assistance Methodology Assistance Qualitative Analysis Quantitative Analysis Statistical Power Analysis Masters Thesis Assistance
  • Yes, please.
  • No, thank you.
  • Comments This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

535 Fifth Avenue, 4th Floor New York, NY 10017

Free consultation: (877) 875-7687

[email protected]

  • Testimonials

wpChatIcon

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Shenandoah University

The Big Little University Rising

Shenandoah University News

Watch this d.prof. candidate’s dissertation defense.

March 6, 2024

Richard Reeves, candidate for the degree of Doctor of Professional Studies: Organizational Leadership, will defend their dissertation “Estimating Non-instructional Staffing Levels Using Administrative Data” on Wednesday, April 3, at 3 p.m. The committee is composed of John R. Goss, III, Ph.D. (chair); Jeff W. Coker, Ph.D.; and Tara Lawley, Ph.D.

Members of the community are invited to attend this defense via Zoom ( https://su.zoom.us/j/93650279302 ). Questions? Contact Dr. Goss at [email protected] .

Recent News

Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy student in blue scrubs, gloves, cap and mask, holding a vial.

Shenandoah Pharmacy Program Expands Online Options

Four-Year Pharm.D. Available Both In-Person & Online

From left to right - Becca Hopkins, Eve Stanley and Lainey Griffin, wearing hand-painted costumes for Arte in Movimento dance company's "Walking Artwork" show. All three are Shenandoah graduates, and Stanley is the artistic director of the dance company.

New Dance Company Builds On A Thoroughly Shenandoah Foundation

Artistic director, company dancers, and composers are Shenandoah alumni and students 

Michael Forest

Forest ’85, ’86, Announces Retirement After 30 Years of Service at Shenandoah

March 4, 2024

Suzanne O'Driscoll

Shenandoah University Dean of Students Suzanne O’Driscoll Named ACE Fellow

Dr. O’Driscoll is one of 26 fellows chosen by the American Council on Education

March 1, 2024

Monthly Archives

  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • Mission & Vision
  • Strategic Plan 2025
  • Accreditation
  • Online Privacy Policy & Practices
  • Contact Admissions
  • Visit Shenandoah
  • Conservatory Audition Requirements
  • Admitted Students
  • Get Social with SU Admissions
  • Find Local Hotels
  • All Programs & Majors
  • Search For Courses
  • Health Care Programs
  • Online Programs
  • Athletic Majors & Careers
  • Undecided Students
  • Registering Courses as a Visiting Student
  • Academic Calendars
  • Academic Catalogs
  • Faculty Directory
  • Learning Support Services
  • All-Steinway School
  • Transformative Teaching & Learning
  • Commencement
  • Smith Library Hours
  • Databases and e-Resources
  • Research Guides
  • Tuition & Fees
  • Payment Plan
  • Transcript Requests
  • Parent/Person Proxy
  • Office of the Registrar
  • Online Services
  • Information Technology
  • IT Help Desk
  • Shenandoah Email
  • Login to Hornet Hub
  • Login to Canvas
  • Login to WEPA
  • Events Calendar
  • Athletics Calendar
  • Performance Calendar
  • Join a Club
  • Intramural Sports
  • Worship Services
  • University Bookstore
  • Career & Professional Development
  • Disability Services
  • Health & Safety
  • Student of Concern
  • Title IX & Sexual Misconduct Policy
  • Dining & Catering Services
  • Shenandoah Today
  • What’s New at SU
  • SU Quick Facts
  • SU Google Extension
  • SU Chrome Browser Extension
  • Campus in Google Maps
  • Sustainability
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Apply for GCP
  • Parking Permits
  • Submit a Work Order
  • Employee Departmental Forms
  • Departments & Offices
  • Room Reservations
  • Conservatory Venue Reservations
  • Filing a Complaint
  • Campus Safety
  • Emergency Operations Plan
  • Sign Up for Emergency Alerts
  • Campus Closure Policy
  • Text Only Site

I Am A…

  • Application Information
  • Financial Aid
  • Hornet Central
  • Areas of Study
  • I’m Not Sure What To Major In
  • First Year Seminar
  • Education Abroad
  • I’ve Been Admitted
  • Transferring Credit
  • Campus Locations
  • Campus Events
  • Campus Dining
  • Etrieve E-forms
  • Academic Advising
  • Community Service
  • Commencement Information
  • Search all Courses Offered
  • Course Registration Information
  • Undergraduate Summer Courses
  • Winchester & Beyond
  • Family Weekend
  • Employee Forms
  • Etrieve E-forms and Content
  • Human Resources
  • Create or Edit Your Faculty Profile
  • Child Care Center
  • Work Orders
  • Faculty Handbook
  • Center for Transformative Teaching & Learning
  • Alumni Association
  • Request Your Transcripts
  • Give Back to SU
  • Search for Courses
  • Shenandoah Conservatory Arts Academy
  • Performances

Quick Links

  • Campus Maps
  • University News

IMAGES

  1. The Ultimate Guide to Delivering an Outstanding Dissertation Defense

    dissertation defense preparation

  2. Dissertation Defense Preparation Process With Practice And Revision

    dissertation defense preparation

  3. The Ultimate Guide to Delivering an Outstanding Dissertation Defense

    dissertation defense preparation

  4. What is a Dissertation Defense

    dissertation defense preparation

  5. The Ultimate Guide to Delivering an Outstanding Dissertation Defense

    dissertation defense preparation

  6. The Ultimate Guide to Delivering an Outstanding Dissertation Defense

    dissertation defense preparation

VIDEO

  1. Problem of Practice Dissertation Defense Presentation

  2. Clemmons Dissertation Defense Video

  3. State Level Orientation Programme on Dissertation Preparation

  4. Final Dissertation Defense Online

  5. Final defense presentation #thesis #research #presentation #practicalresearch

  6. Dissertation Defense Reflection

COMMENTS

  1. Defending Your Dissertation: A Guide

    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. ... "In reality, my dissertation defense was similar to presenting at an academic conference," said Dr. Atkins. "I went over ...

  2. Preparing For A Viva Voce (Dissertation Defence)

    Learn how to answer 13 key questions in your viva voce, the oral defense of your dissertation or thesis. Find out what the committee is looking for and how to prepare for each question with examples and tips.

  3. How to prepare an excellent thesis defense

    6 tips to help you prepare for your 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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 ...

  7. Preparing For Your Dissertation Defense

    Last Updated on: 30th August 2022, 04:43 am. Preparing for your dissertation defense is one of the most important things you'll do as a doctoral candidate. Now that you've completed your dissertation, it's up to you to present the results to your committee. However, the results aren't just about your study. Your committee wants to see ...

  8. The Perfect Defense: The Oral Defense of a Dissertation

    Dr. Valerie Balester of Texas A&M University talks about how to prepare and what to expect when defending your dissertation.#tamu #Dissertation #Defensehttp:...

  9. Top things to do while preparing for your dissertation defense

    Attend a pre-defense meeting: At the meeting, raise any issues or concerns you have, and ask what questions and issues might be raised during the defense. [v] Prepare your presentation: Prepare a 15-30 minute PowerPoint presentation, and make it as polished and professional as possible. [vi] Practice giving the presentation, including to ...

  10. PDF Faculty and Candidate Guide to the Dissertation Oral Defense Introduction

    Dissertation Oral Defense as a stimulating, challenging, and even exhilarating experience. Preparation of the Dissertation Manuscript . The dissertation is a formal academic work and, as such, is expected to follow the conventions of scholarly writing. As the author of the document, the candidate is responsible for his or her own writing.

  11. Preparing for the Defense

    Prepare For The Day. Talk with your Chair about the process. The general format is as follows: Intro from Chair. PowerPoint presentation (usually around 30 minutes) from the candidate. Questions from SME/Chair, and perhaps others. Deliberation process (private, between SME/Chair). Have everything ready to go the day of your defense, including:

  12. Preparing For Your Dissertation Defense (Viva Voce): 9 ...

    Learn about the 9 critical questions you need to be ready for as you prepare for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a viva voce or oral defense...

  13. How to Defend Your Dissertation, Virtually

    Here, Nitasha shares her experience and advice for holding a successful virtual dissertation defense. Prepare Well in Advance. Online meeting setup and structure: Several days before your defense is scheduled, talk to your dissertation committee chair and decide your conferencing platform and how to structure the meeting. One of my committee ...

  14. PDF Tips for Preparing for the Thesis Defense

    The thesis defense is a long‐awaited and hard‐earned personal event, as well as a major professional presentation. Obviously, you want to be mentally prepared for a discussion and explanation of your work, and putting forth a good impression through appearance and conduct is an important part of a successful defense. You probably have

  15. Perfect Dissertation Defense: Your Complete Guide

    One of the most important dissertation defense tips provided by several professors is to breakdown the process into three steps: Preparation: This stage involves collection of all the necessary information that must be included in the defense dissertation and making all the arrangements for the actual meeting. The defense meeting: This is where ...

  16. How to Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense

    Take it one step further by attending a defense where your dissertation chair is involved so you get a sense of what they're looking for in the process. I recommend reaching out to your chair ahead of time, as they can even help find a defense that's a good fit for you to observe. To find a list of upcoming defenses, go to the Dissertation ...

  17. PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Start

    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 ...

  18. Mastering Your Dissertation Writing and Defense: A Comprehensive Guide

    Mindfulness techniques such as mindfulness meditation, reflection, and self-compassion can help you stay grounded and focused amidst the challenges of dissertation defense preparation. By cultivating mindfulness, you can approach your defense with greater clarity, awareness, and resilience. Celebrate Your Achievements:

  19. Dissertation Defense Preparation

    Preparing for the defense of the dissertation involves several steps: International Students Must Visit the International Office First - Email [email protected] (preferably three to six months in advance) to start appropriate administrative action to keep you in compliance with visa regulations after your defense, as well as apply for the EAD card ...

  20. Preparing Your PowerPoint

    Preparing Your PowerPointTopic 3: Preparing for Defense. In this activity, you will draft your PowerPoint for your proposal defense. During your defense you will typically have 10-15 minutes for your presentation. There are approximately 9-12 slides. They have read the study, so focus more on findings and implications, less on literature.

  21. Dissertation defense guide

    Here's a step-by-step guide to prepare for and successfully defend your dissertation: Learn the specific format of your institution's defense, which typically includes a presentation and Q&A session. Develop a clear and concise presentation that covers the main points of your research. Practice it multiple times.

  22. How To Prepare For A Dissertation Defense Like a Pro

    15 Tips on How to Prepare for a Dissertation Defense. Successfully defending your dissertation is a significant milestone in your academic journey, marking the culmination of years of research and hard work. The dissertation defense is an opportunity to showcase your expertise, answer probing questions from your committee, and demonstrate the ...

  23. Dissertation Defense Preparation Power Series

    Part 2: Dealing with Technical Requirements Welcome to part two of a four-part power series on successfully preparing for your dissertation (or thesis) defense. Each part in this power series helps you adequately prepare for each stage in the dissertation defense process. This way, by the time you read and implement the strategies of all […]

  24. Watch This D.Prof. Candidate's Dissertation Defense

    Richard Reeves, candidate for the degree of Doctor of Professional Studies: Organizational Leadership, will defend their dissertation "Estimating Non-instructional Staffing Levels Using Administrative Data" on Wednesday, April 3, at 3 p.m. The committee is composed of John R. Goss, III, Ph.D. (chair); Jeff W. Coker, Ph.D.; and Tara Lawley ...