What Does Dissertation Defense Mean? A Quick Guide

Your dissertation is one of the most important things in both your educational career, and your professional career. If you’re pursuing a doctorate in any field, from the hard sciences to the humanities, you will be required to present a dissertation, also known as a thesis. When you’ve written your paper, you will then be subject to a dissertation defense. During this process, you will defend your conclusions and research against the scrutiny of a committee of experts.

No one ever feels entirely prepared for their dissertation defense. It will probably be one of the most nerve-wracking events in your entire life. However, there are things you can do to prepare yourself for the day before it comes. Here are some guidelines for approaching your defense with knowledge and preparation.

• Know what to expect. Discuss the process in detail with your advisor. There are various “rituals” associated with defending your thesis, which can vary from place to place. It will usually take place in a meeting room, and at some point, you will be dismissed for the committee to deliberate.


• Attend other peoples’ dissertation defenses. One of the best ways to get a feel for what to expect is to attend other candidates’ defenses. Many committees will let you sit in as an observer. It’s best to do this on a regular basis while you’re working on your doctorate, so you’ll know very far ahead of time what the process is like.


• Know how much time you will have. Find out how much time is allotted for the defense, so that you can plan your presentation to fit within the time constraints. Most of the time, you’ll have around two hours, although this can vary.


• Create a PowerPoint presentation. A sleek, professional-looking PowerPoint presentation is a great way to provide a visual accompaniment to illustrate your oral presentation. This should include slides presenting your dissertation title, area of research, department or program, and other information. Include a statement of the problem that you’re addressing, as well as statistics and data relevant to your research. Your background, methods, data, and conclusions can all be represented using slides. Make sure to plan your presentation so that it fits within the time allottment.


• Plan to answer questions. The committee will ask you numerous questions about your thesis, so it’s important to plan ahead of time for the types of questions they might ask. You will want to be able to discuss your methodology, limitations of your study, and other factors that the committee might call into question.