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Thesis Preparation, Internal Defense, Final Oral Defense and Thesis Submission

Thesis Preparation

The detailed requirements for the thesis document have been established by the UBC Library . The Faculty of Graduate Studies has developed regulations that govern innovative thesis formats and media (e.g. CDRom).

 

Final Steps

When a PhD student has completed a final draft of his/her Thesis and all supervisory Committee members have approved it, the student has two options. After discussion with and advice from the Committee, s/he may elect to send his/her thesis directly to FoGS for transmittal to the External Examiner and for the University's final oral examination. Or s/he may choose to submit the thesis to a Departmental Defence, prior to submission to FoGS. This Departmental Defence simulates conditions at the UBC final oral exam and provides one last opportunity to identify weaknesses in the research and presentation. If a student wishes to proceed directly to the UBC Defence, his/her supervisory committee must agree that the thesis is ready and should submit a Memo to that effect, signed by all members of the Committee, to the PhD Chair (or Department Head, in cases where the PhD Chair is supervisor).

Whichever route is taken, it is strongly recommended that, in the six months prior to completing and defending their thesis, students present their findings to a SCARP research seminar, or similar form of presentation.

The SCARP PhD Defence consists of the Supervisory Committee, one external examiner who has not been involved with the thesis, and the PhD Program Chair, who chairs the exam. Other PhD students who are in residence are expected to attend and other members of the School are welcome. The exam involves a 30-minute presentation by the candidate and response to questions, as required in the final UBC defence. Students must submit their Abstract to the School's PhD secretary at least two weeks prior to their examination, to facilitate advertising their defence.

The Examining Committee determines the result of the SCARP oral defense of the thesis. The possibilities are: pass, pass subject to specified revisions, fail. Decisions are made by consensus or, if necessary, by voting with all except one voting in favour for a pass. At the discretion of the Director (on the advice of the Research Supervisor and Ph.D. Program Chair), a student may be permitted to re-do a failed oral defense.

Except in extraordinary circumstances, students who perform unsatisfactorily in a SCARP Ph.D. thesis defense a second time will be required to withdraw from the program. This decision will be made by the Director, in consultation with the Research Supervisor and Ph.D. Program Chair.

The Ph.D. candidate is expected to make any revisions deemed necessary by the Examining Committee before the thesis is finally approved by his or her Supervisory Committee for transmission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for external review and the University's final oral examination.

Once the thesis is ready for transmittal to the Faculty of Graduate Studies, the Research Supervisor is required to request in writing that the SCARP office prepare a Ph.D. Thesis Transmittal Memo in the standard format. The Ph.D. student has each Supervisory Committee Member formally approve his or her final thesis by signing and dating the transmittal memo. Once the entire Committee has approved the thesis the student brings the transmittal memo to the chair of the Ph.D. Program and then the Director for their approval and signature. A copy of the transmittal memo is put in the student's file and the student submits his/her thesis to the Faculty of Graduate Studies with the original copy of the transmittal memo. The thesis transmittal memo and the final thesis are due in the Faculty of Graduate Studies a minimum of six weeks before the University final oral examination.

 

University Final Oral Examination

The final step in the Doctoral Program is a formal oral thesis defense administered by the Dean of Graduate Studies. Regulations pertaining to the University's final oral examination can be found in a reference booklet entitled " The Final Oral Examination Guide for Doctoral Candidates ".

Important timelines highlighted in the booklet are:

  • Three months before the expected completion of the thesis, the Appointment of External Examiner form must be submitted by the School
  • Six weeks before the final oral examination, submit the thesis and departmental memo to the Faculty of Graduate Studies
  • Six weeks is the earliest date that a defense can be scheduled after the thesis has been transmitted to the External Examiner by the Faculty of Graduate Studies
  • Four weeks before the final oral examination, the Research Supervisor must confirm the date and time of the final oral examination. Submit the Examination Program and the Approval of University Examiners form to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. 

Timelines are subject to change. Students should check for documentation updates a minimum of six months prior to their expected thesis defense date.

 

Thesis Preparation and Submission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies

 

http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/dissertation-thesis-preparation