Dissertation Defense

Graduation Timeline and Eligibility

The Graduate Studies Office (GSO) shall publish the Graduation Timeline for each semester before the start of each academic year. The Graduation Timeline shall specify the deadlines, procedures, and administrative requirements for dissertation submission, examination, and graduation for the relevant academic term. It shall also include the University's dissertation formatting and submission requirements.

Students intending to complete the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree during the semester must comply with the published Graduation Timeline and all associated deadlines. Failure to meet any prescribed deadline may result in the postponement of the Dissertation Defense or graduation to a subsequent semester.

To be eligible for the Dissertation Defense, a student must:

• be in Good Academic Standing;
• be registered for dissertation research credit hours during the semester in which the Dissertation Defense is scheduled;
• have obtained the approval of the Main Advisor and Co-Advisor(s), where applicable, confirming that the dissertation is ready for examination;
• have submitted the Notification of Intent to Submit PhD Dissertation for Examination by the deadline specified in the Graduation Timeline; and
• have submitted the complete dissertation approved by the Main Advisor and the Co-Advisor(s), if applicable.

Only students who satisfy the above requirements shall be eligible to undertake the Dissertation Defense.

Dissertation Submission

The student shall prepare the dissertation under the supervision of the Main Advisor and Co-Advisor(s). Before the dissertation is submitted for examination, the student must obtain the approval of the Main Advisor and Co-Advisor(s), confirming that the dissertation is ready for examination.

Following approval by the Main Advisor and the Co-Advisor(s), the student shall submit the initial dissertation abstract and table of contents, together with the Notification of Intent to Submit PhD Dissertation for Examination and all other required documentation, to the Graduate Studies Office (GSO) by the deadline specified in the Graduation Timeline for the relevant semester.

The student shall subsequently submit the complete dissertation to the Graduate Studies Office (GSO) by the deadline specified in the Graduation Timeline for the relevant semester for distribution to the Dissertation Defense Committee (DDC) members, including the external examiner. Prior to submission, the student shall obtain the approval of the Main Advisor and the Co-Advisor(s).

Once the dissertation has been submitted for examination and distributed to the Dissertation Defense Committee members, no changes or updates to the dissertation shall be permitted. Any revisions required following the Dissertation Defense shall be made only in accordance with the decision of the Dissertation Defense Committee.

Scheduling the Dissertation Defense

Following confirmation that the dissertation has been submitted in accordance with the University's requirements, the Graduate Studies Office shall coordinate the scheduling of the Dissertation Defense in consultation with the members of the Dissertation Defense Committee (DDC).

The Dissertation Defense shall be scheduled only after:

• the Intent to Submit PhD Dissertation for Examination has been approved;
• the initial dissertation abstract and table of contents have been submitted;
• the Dissertation Defense Committee (DDC) has been constituted in accordance with the University's regulations; and
• the members of the DDC have confirmed their availability to participate in the examination.

The Graduate Studies Office shall notify the student and the members of the DDC of the date, time, venue, and mode of the Dissertation Defense, and shall coordinate all administrative and logistical arrangements necessary for the examination.

Where an External Examiner participates remotely, the Graduate Studies Office shall ensure that appropriate facilities are available to enable the External Examiner to participate fully in the examination and the subsequent private deliberations of the DDC.

Conduct of the Dissertation Defense

The Dissertation Defense shall be conducted under the supervision of the Independent Chair, who shall ensure that the examination is conducted fairly, impartially, and in accordance with the University's academic regulations.

The Dissertation Defense shall consist of two parts: a public presentation followed by a private oral examination.

Public Presentation

The student shall deliver a public presentation of the dissertation, normally lasting 45 minutes, summarizing the research objectives, methodology, principal findings, original contributions, and conclusions of the dissertation. The presentation shall be followed by a question-and-answer session, normally lasting up to 15 minutes, during which members of the audience may ask questions relevant to the dissertation.

Private Oral Examination

Immediately following the public presentation, the Dissertation Defense Committee (DDC) shall conduct a private oral examination. The private examination shall normally not exceed three (3) hours and shall be attended by the examiners, the Independent Chair, and any approved ex officio participants.

During the private examination, the examiners shall question the student on the dissertation, the underlying research, the originality and significance of the research contributions, the methodologies employed, and any other matters relevant to the examination. Where appropriate, the student may also be required to demonstrate the completed research, including experimental systems, software, prototypes, computational models, or other research outputs.

The purpose of the private oral examination is to enable the examiners to assess the student's understanding of the dissertation, the originality and significance of the research, the student's ability to justify the research methodology and findings, and the student's ability to critically evaluate the research within the broader context of the discipline.

Following the completion of the private oral examination, the student and all non-members of the DDC shall withdraw to enable the DDC to deliberate in private and determine the outcome of the Dissertation Defense.

Assessment Criteria

The Dissertation Defense Committee (DDC) shall assess both the quality of the dissertation and the candidate's performance during the Dissertation Defense. The dissertation must demonstrate originality, scholarly merit, methodological rigor, and a significant contribution to knowledge in the field of study. The candidate must demonstrate the knowledge, research competence, and critical judgment expected of the holder of the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree.

In evaluating the dissertation and the candidate's performance during the Dissertation Defense, the DDC shall take into consideration, but not be limited to, the following:

Knowledge and Scholarship

The candidate shall demonstrate:

• comprehensive knowledge and a high level of specialization in the field of study;
• a critical understanding of the relevant scholarly literature and the relationship of the research to the broader body of knowledge;
• the ability to identify, formulate, and justify significant research problems; and
• an understanding of the broader scientific, technological, societal, and professional context of the research.

Research Competence

The candidate shall demonstrate the ability to:

• design and conduct independent research with intellectual and methodological rigor using appropriate research methods and techniques;
• critically analyze, interpret, and validate research findings;
• apply appropriate theoretical, experimental, computational, or analytical methods to address the research objectives;
• critically evaluate the strengths, limitations, and implications of the research; and
• undertake and complete independent doctoral research at the standard expected of the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Original Contribution to Knowledge

The dissertation shall demonstrate:

• a significant and original contribution to knowledge in the field of study;
• research outcomes of a quality appropriate for dissemination through reputable peer-reviewed scholarly publications, where appropriate to the discipline;
• ·originality, technical quality, scholarly merit, and sound organization; and
• clear, accurate, and coherent presentation of the research and its findings.

Communication and Professional Responsibility

The candidate shall demonstrate the ability to:

• communicate the research effectively in both written and oral form;
• defend the research methodology, findings, and conclusions through clear, logical, and well-supported arguments;
• respond appropriately to critical questions and comments from the examiners; and
• demonstrate an understanding of the ethical, professional, legal, environmental, health and safety, intellectual property, and societal considerations relevant to the research, where applicable.

The DDC shall evaluate the dissertation and the candidate's oral defense holistically in determining whether the requirements for the award of the Doctor of Philosophy degree have been satisfied.

Deliberation and Recommendation

Upon completion of the private oral examination, the candidate and all non-members of the Dissertation Defense Committee (DDC) shall withdraw to allow the DDC to deliberate in private. The deliberations shall be chaired by the Independent Chair.

The Independent Chair shall facilitate the deliberations and ensure that the examination is conducted fairly, impartially, and in accordance with the University's academic regulations. The Independent Chair shall not participate in the academic evaluation of the dissertation and shall not vote on the outcome of the examination.

The final recommendation of the DDC shall be based on both the quality of the dissertation and the candidate's performance during the Dissertation Defense, taking into consideration the independent written assessments submitted prior to the examination.

Following the deliberations, the DDC shall agree on one of the recommendations specified in these regulations. The Main Advisor and Co-Advisor(s), where applicable, shall collectively have one vote, shared equally among them. Each remaining examiner shall have one vote. Where the recommendations of the examiners differ, the final outcome of the Dissertation Defense shall be the most restrictive (lowest) recommendation proposed by any examiner.

The Independent Chair shall document the the DDC’s recommendation and submit the examination results to the Graduate Studies Office through the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies of the relevant College. The Independent Chair shall also certify that the Dissertation Defense was conducted in accordance with the University's academic regulations and examination procedures.

The Independent Chair shall communicate the final recommendation to the candidate following the conclusion of the deliberations. Where the recommendation requires revisions to the dissertation, the Independent Chair shall also inform the candidate of the nature of the required revisions and the applicable submission deadlines.

Dissertation Defense Outcomes

Following the Dissertation Defense, the Dissertation Defense Committee (DDC) shall recommend one of the following outcomes:

• Pass;
• Pass with Minor Corrections;
• Adjourned & Re-examination (Dissertation only);
• Adjourned & Re-examination (Dissertation & oral exam);
• Fail.