You spend anywhere from three to seven years working on a research project in graduate school. You’ve learned more and more about less and less until you know everything about nothing. And now it all comes down to this one day. This one presentation is a rite of passage for all budding doctorates.Whether in-person or virtual, your Ph.D. dissertation defense is one of the most important events of your life. It’s likely that you will remember every single detail about the presentation. This guide will give you a framework for success and help you succeed.First, enjoy this process. You are about to embark on an incredible journey. Talk to your professors, committee members, or anyone else that you know who has a Ph.D. They will likely have an exciting story about their defense.Get your new regalia ready. This guide will teach you all of the essentials that you need to know to walk back into the room (or Zoom) after 5-10 excruciating minutes, and hear your committee say, “Congratulations, Dr.”
Table of Contents Before Your DefenseUnderstand: What is the procedure for a dissertation defense?Anticipate: What Questions Will They Ask During My Dissertation Defense?Attend Other Dissertation DefensesPrepare: What Should I Wear During My Defense?PracticeCreating Your Dissertation Defense PresentationPresentation StructureDefense DayPreparationManage StressAfter Your DefenseCelebratePost Defense ActivitiesConclusion
Before Your Defense
Understand: What is the procedure for a dissertation defense?
Each university will have different procedures related to the dissertation defense. Make sure that you read your school’s handbook and website, so you are confident of the process and steps.You will want to pay attention to specific deadlines, forms that you need to fill out, and signatures that you need to receive. For example, the University of Oregon lists a series of specific guidelines for when the oral defense takes place, the deadline to apply for the defense, forms that need to be filled out after the defense, and the defense date https://gradschool.uoregon.edu/academics/policies/doctoral/oral-defense-procedures. There may also be different requirements for different graduate programs. Make sure that you understand the specific requirements for your program and whether there are differences and needs for in-person, or virtual dissertation defenses.Read about the technical requirements as well. If your defense is in person, what type of technology will you have in the room? For a virtual defense, what platform is used for delivery? Will you be on the camera? Will there be live questions or chat? Will you be presenting slides or polls?Make a checklist or document of all requirements so that you can feel confident before you defend your dissertation.
Anticipate: What Questions Will They Ask During My Dissertation Defense?
Think about the defense from the point of view of your chair and the dissertation committee. They will want to understand if you have carefully considered their feedback. They will likely follow up on their previous questions and comments. As you go through this exercise, for each question from your committee, create one two three more questions that are related. This process will help you to shift your thinking and forecast potential questions that they might ask.You should also feel free to reach out to your adviser and the faculty members on your committee. A few weeks before your dissertation, ask your advisor if there are any particular topics or questions that require extra focus. Remember, your advisor wants to see you succeed – they will point you in the right direction.
Attend Other Dissertation Defenses
Another great way to practice for your dissertation defense is to attend other dissertation defenses. Your school may publish a schedule of defenses in your program or other programs. Attend these defenses to get a better understanding of the process, and the general flow of a dissertation defense.You should also check out the growing number of virtual dissertation defenses. Search YouTube for “dissertation defense”. Watching these defenses will give you a good idea of best practices when it comes to a presentation and handling questions.
Prepare: What Should I Wear During My Defense?
You need to look your best while defending your thesis or dissertation. Show your committee that you are capable of success in academia by projecting confidence and professionalism. At the same time, make sure that you are comfortable with well-fitting clothes and shoes.Keep in mind that you will be making a first impression, and speaking at length about a complicated topic. Pay attention to how you feel with what you are wearing. For example, it might be a mistake to buy a new pair of clothes, and wear them for the first time because they may be itchy, or not fit the way that you expected.Takes cues from your department, adviser, and committee to gauge how formal your dress should be. Consider whether your defense will be public or not, or if it will be recorded and broadcast on the internet.Remember, completing your dissertation means that you are a colleague. Dress as a colleague, not a graduate student. Observe your department professors. Do they wear suits or business casual? Always err on the side of formality.Or, like Caitlyn Kirby of Michigan State, you could fashion your clothes out of accumulated rejection letters during your Ph.D.No matter which way you go, make sure that it with your department norms, is comfortable, and makes you feel confident.
Practice
Practice your presentation repeatedly before the day of your defense. You want to understand your pacing throughout the presentation. Practicing will also help you find areas where you need to improve. For example, if, during your practice, you pause, or come up blank on a particular topic, you might need to spend more time reviewing that topic before your defense.It is beneficial to record yourself during these practice sessions. The key here is iteration and review. Don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time. Practice your presentation, watch it, and make changes to improve continuously. Each time you practice, it is like you are working a muscle. You are building up the ability to deliver a strong presentation. During your practice sessions, make sure that you are using appropriate language, emphasizing key points, and pronouncing words correctly. Pay attention to your voice and tone. Make sure that you are speaking loudly, slowly, and clearly. Additionally, make sure that you are using strategic pauses, which will allow you to think, and your audience an opportunity to digest the information.Even though you know your content in and out, and you have your slides to guide you, we recommend writing out your script. One easy way to create a script is to use voice to text during your practice session. The text won’t be perfect, but it will give you an easy rough script, which you can then edit quickly. There are several good options for voice to text. For example, on Mac, if you tap the function button twice, it will begin voice to text. On PC, if you hold the Windows button and tap the letter H, voice-to-text will turn on. The only issue with both of these methods is that voice to text will automatically turn off after a period of Silence. One of our favorite voice to text Solutions is Dictanote, which operates as a Chrome extension, or desktop application. You can also use voice to text on Google docs or slides.How much should you practice? It depends on your comfort level. As a general rule, the more you practice, the better. At a minimum, we recommend practicing your entire presentation at least five times in the week before your presentation (although you should practice more several weeks before your presentation as well). It may sound like overkill, but consider it an investment in your peace of mind and well-being. With enough practice, you will walk into your defense confident and ready for questions.
Creating Your Dissertation Defense Presentation
There will be at least one constant as a newly-minted Ph.D., whether you go into academia, industry, or government. You need to be an effective communicator and presenter. You need to breakdown complicated concepts while delivering a message and being engaging.Practicing your content will help you build the confidence that you need, but how do you create the presentation?The good news is that you have a good starting point with your dissertation or proposal presentation (if you defended a proposal). That said, remember that your proposal is different from the defense. During the dissertation defense, you are going to spend less time covering the background in the first three chapters, and more time on your methodology, results, and recommendations.Be sure to review your graduate handbook and your school’s guidelines for the presentation. Is there a particular format that you need to use? Does your school have restrictions around presentation timing?Make sure that you use human-centered design and format. Do not load your slides with a wall of text. Make sure that your presentation is clean and easy to read.It’s essential to keep it simple. Do not use complicated transitions, sound effects, or excessive videos. It is okay to use a video as a critical component of your presentation, but you should plan for things to go wrong. For example, if your embedded video doesn’t work, what is your backup plan? Consider what your presentation needs, and the bare essentials that you need to deliver it effectively.Use pictures, tables, and figures to replace text when you can.Fill the notes section with a script, even if you don’t plan to use the script on the day of the presentation. The process of building this out will help you during your practice, and make you feel confident during a presentation. Don’t simply paste the text from your dissertation into the notes. It is much better to go through the process of rewording those parts of your dissertation to simplify the concepts even further and reform them into a speaking voice.
Presentation Structure
Use your dissertation to outline the presentation with each specific section. For example, the hypotheses, the relevance of the study, methodology, conclusions, recommendations, and acknowledgments.Make sure that your presentation has a clear structure, consisting of an introduction, body, and conclusion. At the beginning of the presentation, grab the attention of your audience with a compelling story, question, or comment that makes them think. Describe the purpose of your presentation, and outline your plan.In the body of the presentation, present each point, and make sure that your presentation is logical. You may need to reorganize your presentation in a different order than it is laid out in your actual dissertation so that the audience has an opportunity for full understanding. Remember to summarize, and use examples or visuals to illustrate your point.At the end of your presentation, wrap everything up by summarizing the main points or issues, and connect your findings to the purpose of your research. Be sure to thank your committee and audience, and invite questions.
Defense Day
Preparation
Review the defense schedule so that you will be prepared during the actual defense. Generally, your chair will make brief comments, and you will then make some comments thanking the committee and attendees. Prepare your presentation materials, and organize everything for easy access. For example, if you are doing a virtual dissertation defense, be sure to have notes placed in a convenient location so that you can refer to them while still staying focused on the camera. One way to approach a situation like this would be to put Post-it notes on the wall behind the camera, with key points or topics of particular significance.Make sure that all of your materials cover the essential parts of the dissertation, including the research question, literature review, methodology, findings, and conclusions. Be prepared for committee members to ask you questions related to feedback that they have given you previously. Be prepared to speak about the strengths and weaknesses of your research. Make sure that you are refreshed and prepared. Eat and hydrate before the dissertation defense. Keep some water nearby during your defense. Make sure that you wear comfortable clothes.If you don’t know the answer, it is better to say so, offer to follow up, and give the best solution that you can. If you don’t completely understand the question, it is acceptable to ask for clarification. Importantly, stay relaxed, because no one person can have all of the answers, and it’s unlikely that one question will sink your dissertation. The committee is not out to get you; they want to be sure that you can think critically. Providing a clear, thoughtful answer will show that you can do just that.
Manage Stress
It is normal for you to feel stressed before and during your dissertation defense. It makes sense. You are struggling to balance your commitments with your dissertation. In addition to your actual graduate work, we will have family issues, financial considerations, the question of your future employment. It is critical to make sure that you are managing your stress effectively so that you can deliver a knock out dissertation defense.
Make sure that you are getting enough rest, eating well, and taking the time to do activities that you enjoy. It might feel like you need to stay up until 2 a.m. every morning preparing; however, the reality is that you will be in a much better position if you are well-rested and healthy. Make a schedule and stick to it. When do you do your best thinking? Morning or night? Prioritize your time and organize your schedule so that you can do your work at your most effective thinking time. Exercise, spend time outside, read for pleasure, then make sure that you take care of yourself so that you will be in the best mental and physical state possible for your dissertation defense.
After Your Defense
Celebrate
Congratulations! What a weight off your shoulders. Make sure that you celebrate after your dissertation defense. In a normal world, you might go to dinner or partake in a small celebration with your department. If you are completing a dissertation defense remotely, be sure to build in time to celebrate your accomplishment. For some, your celebration will be a quiet time, or getting some sleep! In any case, you deserve to be proud of yourself for completing this Epic Journey. Well done!
Post Defense Activities
The defense is done – but you are not! Your committee might recommend revisions. If they do, be sure to address all of the modifications very quickly while you are in the right frame of mind.Your goal now is to complete all of the rest of your Department’s requirements for graduation. Thoroughly review the criteria that you have left, such as document revisions, submission deadlines, and signatures that you need to receive. You may need to provide several copies that are printed and organized in a specific way. You will also need to begin preparing for graduation. Make sure that your tuition and other bills are paid and that you have completed all outstanding requirements from your Department. If you are traveling for your graduation, be sure to book accommodations as soon as possible. You will also need to begin the process of obtaining your academic regalia. Some schools will have specific, custom regalia, and others will allow you to customize regalia from a particular vendor. You may need to do a fitting, and so place an order so that you have enough time to receive the regalia before the graduation ceremony. Check your school and Department website for all of the procedures related to graduation and obtaining regalia.
Conclusion
Completing a dissertation is an epic journey which will change your life and opportunities for the future. No matter what stage you are at, know that you are dedication and drive set you apart, and that the ultimate result will be worth it. Enjoy the process! We look forward to calling you doctor.