Ph.D. Final Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense) information.

The primary purpose of The Final Oral Examination (Dissertation Defense) is to assess the scholarly attainment of the candidate. The final oral examination is the culminating summative assessment for the research doctorate and, along with the dissertation, determines if the candidate should be awarded the Ph.D. The Ph.D. Committee shall evaluate the accomplishments of the student relative to the program’s defined Learning Objectives, particularly with respect to the student’s mastery of the major, and if appropriate, dual-title and minor fields of study.

Final Oral Examination Requirements

  • The examination must be scheduled at least four (4) weeks prior to the date of the examination with the program's Graduate Program Coordinator.
  • To be Eligible to take the Final Oral Examination the graduate student must:
    • be in good academic standing and must be registered as a full-time or part-time graduate degree student for the semester in which the final oral examination is taken;
    • have a minimum grade-point average of 3.00 for work done at the University as a graduate student at the time the final oral examination is given; and
    • have no deferred or missing grades.
  • The final oral examination may not be scheduled until at least three months have elapsed since the comprehensive examination was passed.

The final oral examination of the Ph.D. candidate is administered, overseen, and evaluated by the entire Ph.D. Committee. Taking both the dissertation and the final oral examination into consideration, the Ph.D. Committee shall evaluate the accomplishments of the student relative to the program’s defined Learning Objectives, particularly with respect to the student’s mastery of the major, and if appropriate, dual-title and minor fields of study.

The final oral examination shall consist of a public oral presentation of the dissertation followed by a closed discussion between the student and the student's Ph.D. Committee.

Final Oral Exam Planning

Leading up to the Final Exam:

  • Advisor and student provide the Graduate Academic Plan (GAP) Form signed by the advisor and the student’s committee to the Graduate Program Coordinator for review.
  • Advisor and student review Graduate School's deadlines pertaining to dissertation formatting review, final review submissions, passing the Final Exam, and the committee's approval deadline for the final dissertation.
  • Student provides advisor approved final draft of dissertation to committee members at least two (2) weeks prior to scheduled date.
    • If committee finds draft not in final form, they must notify the advisor and student at least one (1) week prior to scheduled date

If intending to graduate in the same semester as the Final Exam:

  • The student must file their Intent to Graduate through LionPATH during activation period.
  • The student must pass their Final Oral Exam before the Graduate School’s deadline.
  • The student must submit their Dissertation for format review before the Graduate School’s deadline.
  • The student must submit their Dissertation for final review and approval before the Graduate School’s deadline.
  • The committee must approve the Dissertation before the Graduate School’s deadline.

Thesis and Dissertation Information and Deadlines can be found on the Graduate School's website.

Final Oral Exam Procedures

The final examination is focused on the student’s completed thesis. The student should be able to defend the methodology, findings, and conclusions of the thesis, and be able to relate findings to the pertinent literature. Little time during the examination should be spent on minor editorial comments that can be addressed in separate meetings with the committee members.

Results of Final Oral Exam

A two-thirds favorable vote of the student’s committee is required for successful completion of the Final Oral Examination.

Evaluation of Final Oral Exam performance:

  • Pass without reservation.
  • Fail without reservation.
  • Fail with the opportunity to retake the examination again.

The adviser presents the results of the Final Oral Examination in writing to the Graduate Program Coordinator immediately following the examination. The student’s adviser and committee complete the PhD Assessment Form – Communication Evaluation and submits it to the Graduate Program Coordinator for departmental records.

 IMPORTANT: Enrollment is required to defend but not to graduate. If you successfully defend your dissertation after the Graduate School’s set deadline or fail to upload your dissertation via eTD, you may still graduate in the following semester without needing to enroll in courses. This is contingent upon passing the Final Oral Exam in the prior semester and fulfilling all course requirements.