PhD Thesis Assessment
PhD Thesis
A pdf version of the thesis is submitted by the supervisor to the
studentʼs PhD examining committee via the graduate secretary, who also
schedules a date for the defence.
The evaluation of the PhD thesis by the committee varies in time
depending on the length and quality of the written document. A minimum
time of one month should be allowed. After completion of this evaluation
the Chair of the Examining Committee will submit an email to the
Director of Graduate Studies making their recommendations, including
whether a GAU-internal oral thesis defence of the candidate should be
held, the thesis should be returned to the candidate for major revisions
or should be rejected.
A copy of the thesis will be made available for reading by Faculty
members for at least seven days prior to the defence.
If the recommendation is
positive, a GAU oral
examination
will be scheduled. The purpose of this oral defence is to ascertain
that the candidate has a thorough understanding of the thesis research,
the thesis contains original contributions required for a PhD thesis,
and that the candidate is able to present the essence of the thesis in
a competent fashion, and is capable of defending the thesis in a
convincing manner. The oral defence starts with a presentation of the
thesis research by the candidate, of 30 minutes duration. This is
followed by the questioning period by the Examining Committee members.
If time permits, an opportunity is given to attending faculty members
and the audience at large to briefly ask further questions and offer
comments. After the defence, the Examining Committee convenes and makes
a decision on the acceptability of the oral defence to the GAU.
If the decision is positive, the supervisor will propose the members of
the PhD examining committee and the contact information of two potential
external examiners to the Director of Graduate Studies via email. The
candidate must prepare one thesis document, including all required
revisions, for submission to the School of Graduate Studies via the
graduate secretary. The graduate secretary will then contact the
supervisor and student to arrange submission of the thesis to the other
committee members.
The School of Graduate Studies will conduct a University PhD oral
examination as outlined in the Procedures for the Submission and
Assessment of Doctoral Theses,
which is available from the School of Graduate Studies.
