Doctoral Dissertation Defense Procedures

Preparing for the Dissertation Defense

All doctoral students must hold a formal, public dissertation defense on a date that is acceptable to the dissertation committee. Defenses may take place on any date, but to graduate in a given term, a student must defend on or before the deadline for that term. The defense should be held on campus whenever possible, but remote defenses are also allowed (see Attendance Policies below). 

Students are expected to provide the committee with a full draft of the dissertation at least 3 weeks prior to the formal defense. It is also generally expected that the committee has tentatively approved the dissertation prior to the defense. 

At least 2 weeks prior to the defense date, all committee members must agree that the defense is ready to move forward. If the committee has any reservations about the acceptability of the dissertation, aside from minor revisions that may be discussed at the defense, it is recommended that the defense be postponed until such time as the committee is generally in agreement the defense will be successful.  

Deadlines

• To graduate in a given term, the dissertation defense must take place by Friday of week 9 of that term.
• The student is expected to provide the committee with a full draft of the dissertation at least 3 weeks before the defense date.
• The deadline to submit a defense request is 2 weeks before the defense date.
  • Note: Students should submit the request 3-4 weeks before the defense to allow sufficient time for their committee and department to approve by the 2 week deadline.
• The committee must submit their approval of the outcome of the defense within 2 weeks after the defense. The approval link will be sent to the committee by email. 
• The final, committee-approved dissertation must be uploaded within 2 weeks after the defense.

Doctoral Degree Completion Deadlines

Committee Members' Attendance at the Defense

The preferred, best practice is to have the student and all members of the dissertation committee physically present at the final dissertation defense. However, it is permissible for one core member (not the chairperson or the institutional representative) to waive their attendance and submit any questions to the committee chair in advance. It is also permissible for the student and/or one or more committee members to participate remotely, provided the conditions below are met: 

• Advance agreement of the student and all committee members has been obtained; 
• All remote participants must join in with two-way audio and video connections; 
• Any visual aids or other materials must have been distributed in advance to the remote participants; 
• The committee members must participate in the complete meeting, discussion, presentation, and evaluation; and 
• The student is responsible for making technological and logistical arrangements.  

For "hybrid" defenses, enter the building and room number as the location in the Grad Student Portal, and for each committee member indicate whether they will attend in person or remotely. If a member of your dissertation committee waives their attendance (i.e., does not physically or remotely attend the defense), the faculty member still must submit their post-defense approval within 2 weeks after the defense.

Instructions for Applying for the Defense

1. Submit an Application to Graduate in the Grad Student Portal. The priority deadline is Sunday of week 4 of the graduation term. Specific dates for each term are listed here.
2. Submit a Dissertation Defense Request in the Grad Student Portal.
   • Prior to applying, you should already have obtained a provisional agreement from your committee members that they will be available on the specified day and time you wish to hold your defense.
   • Please be sure to allow yourself enough time for your committee members and department to approve the application by the 2-week deadline (see Deadlines above).
   • If any of the committee members are unable to attend—in accordance with attendance exception policies—you must indicate this as part of the online process.
   • When you submit the Dissertation Defense Request, each of your committee members will receive an email with a link to confirm (or waive) their attendance.
3. After all of your committee members have submitted their confirmation, the graduate coordinator for your department will approve the request on behalf of your program.
   • The Division of Graduate Studies must receive the program approval no later than 2 weeks before the defense date.
4. Approximately one week before your defense date, the Division of Graduate Studies will send an email to you and your committee authorizing the defense to proceed and providing instructions to the committee for submitting their approval after the defense.
5. On the day of the defense, all committee members will receive an email with a link to certify the results of the defense within 2 weeks after the defense.
   • If any of your committee members were not present at the defense, they are still responsible for submitting their approval within 2 weeks after the defense. 

Additional Notes About Your Dissertation Defense

• If you hold your defense after the established term deadline, you will be considered an applicant for graduation for the next term.

  Registration requirements for the final term will vary depending on when you are able to submit your final dissertation to the Division of Graduate Studies.

• Defending during the breaks between terms: The Division of Graduate Studies allows defenses to be held during the break between terms, but some departments may have restrictions on whether students can hold defenses at these times. Please check with your department before scheduling a defense during a break.

  If you schedule your defense during a term break, you will be considered a graduate of the term following the break. Registration requirements for the final term will vary depending on when you are able to submit your final dissertation to the Division of Graduate Studies.

• Counseling psychology, school psychology, and clinical psychology students: Students in these programs may hold the defense and obtain approval of the final dissertation before embarking upon the required year-long internship. The degree will be awarded once the internship is successfully completed.