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Below, we've outlined the basic steps you'll go through to prepare for your defence. You are only responsible for checking that technology requirements, if needed, are ordered by your academic unit. Approximately 2 weeks for the scheduled date of defence, arrange a meeting with your academic supervisor to discuss the format of the defence as well as the length and style of your presentation. Please note that you must not have direct contact with the external examiner regarding the thesis.

There are 4 parts of a thesis defence

1. Introductions: The Chair of the defence will welcome and introduce you and the members of the examining committee. The chair will also outline the procedures that are to be followed during the defence.
2. Oral Presentation: You make a presentation of your thesis research. Your academic department can provide you with guidelines about length, though normally, the oral presentation should not exceed 20-25 minutes.
3. Examination: The examining committee will ask you questions about your presentation, the contents of your thesis, and, sometimes, about other relevant ideas. There are usually 2 rounds of questions, and each person may ask multiple questions during their turn. The external examiner asks the first questions, followed by your academic supervisory committee members, and finally your academic supervisor. After the examining committee is finished, and time permitting, members of the audience are invited to ask questions.
4. Assessment: Everyone who is not a member of the Examining Committee will be asked to leave the room while the committee determines the outcome of your examination. There are 4 possible outcomes:
   1. The thesis is passed as submitted â€“ you may make small corrections and fix typographical errors only.
   2. The thesis is passed conditionally pending revisions – your academic supervisor will ensure that you have attended to the required revisions before you may file the thesis with the library.
   3. The decision is postponed pending revisions. - in this case, the committee will read the thesis after you have made revisions and may also choose to require a new defence.
   4. The thesis may fail and you will be required to withdraw from the university.

Once the Examining Committee has reached their decision, you will be invited to return to learn the result and what, if any revisions are required.

Pro Tips

• Provide a professional looking thesis â€“ correctly formatted, proofread for grammar and typos, properly referenced, and with a correctly formatted bibliography.
• Develop the structure of your oral presentation in consultation with your academic supervisor - it may include the following (but probably not all):
  • research question or hypothesis
  • scope & depth
  • methods or methodology
  • new knowledge generated
  • practical applications
  • future research  
• Practice your oral presentation (timing, length, pace, aids)
  • in the examination environment, if possible, and in front of your supervisor, group members, and friends
  • with those who will provide objective critical feedback - then critique the feedback, and consider presentation adjustments
• Develop questions about your thesis work from your oral presentation and/or the thesis itself. (These questions may be your own or come from others.)
• Think of the defence, and especially the examination part, as a conversation among knowlegable experts, of which you are one.
• Remember you are the expert on the subject of your thesis, and you know more than you realize.
• It is normal that changes and/or edits to the thesis may be required after your defence; the manner in which the thesis is revised is a reflection of your behaviour, your potential as a colleague/collaborator/mentor/leader, and is on file permanently in the library and Library and Archives Canada.
• Complete any required revisions and submit your thesis to the library. You will need to make an appointment with the thesis intake librarian.

What to Bring

You only need to bring your thesis and presentation notes. You may also want to bring your own laptop computer. Normally, your Graduate Program Assistant (GPA) will ensure that the following are available:

• Copies of your thesis abstract for the audience at your defence. Some information about you may also be included with your abstract, such as previous credentials, list of publications, list of awards.
• Appropriate audio-visual or videoconferencing equipment, if required to support your presentation.
• Water for you and the examination committee. (Additional refreshments may be ordered at the discretion of your academic unit)