Congratulations, if you
are getting ready to defend your dissertation you are almost finished.
The dissertation defense represents one of the final hurdles you
will face in completing your degree, and it is important to be
prepared. Although the graduate handbook might describe this stage
as an oral presentation of your research, the traditional defense
is an oral exam that most graduate students are likely to pass.
You can pass your defense with a grade of (1) “Pass As Is,” (2) “Pass
With Minor Revisions,” (3) "Pass With Major Revisions,” or
rarely (4) “Reject.”
Your defense is meant to be a useful exercise,
though at times it might seem like a form of hazing. During the
defense, you will be asked to present the main arguments of your
dissertation, followed by a question and discussion period. You
are responsible for clearly and succinctly presenting the arguments
of your document and for responding to questions from faculty.
In particular, you should be able to demonstrate not only your
control over the discipline specific knowledge and theoretical
arguments of your paper, but also your knowledge of counter-arguments
and alternative interpretations which may arise in the questions.
Shortly after the defense, the entire committee will meet to evaluate
the quality of your document and the overall presentation.
Use the following strategies to help you
prepare for your dissertation defense.
Research Your University’s Process
One of your first steps in preparing
for this milestone is to familiarize yourself with how the process
works at your university so you know exactly what to expect. Otherwise,
you might be caught off guard! A Harvard friend who had been working
almost 10 years on his dissertation and was now preparing his defense
told me casually, “I think our defense takes 20 minutes.” I
quickly informed him that, to the contrary, the defense can be
a long, arduous process that lasts up to three hours. At some universities,
the process takes place before writing the dissertation;
at others, it is done after the document is complete. In either case,
you must be prepared to defend, debate, conceptualize, synthesize,
and explain your research in great detail.
Practice, Practice, Practice
t’s normal to be nervous at
a defense. However, taking every opportunity to practice before “the
real deal” can diffuse a great deal of stress and anxiety you
might otherwise feel. Your defense should definitely not be
the first time you publicly present your research for feedback. Take
advantage of forums such as on-campus “brown bag” seminars
or informal gatherings with friends and colleagues. Practicing in
these kinds of informal settings allows you to hone your presentation
skills in a relaxed atmosphere, and will increase your self-confidence.
It will have the added benefit of establishing your expertise and
enhancing your professional reputation, and will also help prepare
you for key career events such as job interviews, teaching a class,
or presenting at a regional or national conference.
If you are required to give a PowerPoint
presentation, be sure to practice this with friends, as well. Avoid
simply reading what is on the screen! PowerPoint is a tool to help
you synthesize information; the screen should not include every
word you want to say but, rather, concise bullet points that serve
as “prompts” for the points you want to make. There
is nothing more frustrating than having someone read off the screen.
I have often felt like screaming at a presenter, “I have
a Ph.D.; I know how to read for myself!”
 Attend a Colleague’s Defense
Perhaps nothing better prepares
you for a defense than actually seeing the process firsthand.
Defense hearings are sometimes open to the public, and actually
witnessing the event can give you tremendous insight regarding
how to prepare for your own. Before doing so, however, be sure
to ascertain what your own department or school believes is appropriate.
If no one in your department has ever attended another
student’s defense, it might not be wise to break this tradition,
even if the graduate student handbook deems defense hearings
as “open to the public.”
If you can’t attend other students’ defenses,
gather information by asking your colleagues about their own
experience. Questions should include:
• How did it begin?
• How did the advisor facilitate the process?
• How difficult were the questions?
• How did you know it was over?
• Did anyone other than committee members attend the hearing?
Know Your Document Inside and Out
During your defense, you are considered
the expert in your discipline. Come prepared to answer details about
every aspect of your dissertation … and then some!
Be sure to go through your dissertation
with a fine-tooth comb a few hours before your defense. Although
you have written every word, and are already intimately familiar
with the contents, it’s still important to refresh your
memory by reading the entire document before your defense.
Your committee will bring a copy of the document with them and
will be prepared to ask very specific, detailed questions about
it. Be sure to bring a copy of your own, and that your draft/version
is identical to the one your committee members have.
A good tip is to spiral bind ($2.50
at Kinko’s) your copy of the document. This will give you
a psychological edge because you will be able to easily turn
to the requested pages of the document when the committee begins
firing questions at you.
Take time to repeat every question,
and breathe before answering it. And, while an answer of “I
don’t know” is not expected, if you find that you
really don’t know the answer to a question, be
sure to gracefully note the issue/point to consider for future
research.
Prepare an Executive Summary
e sure to prepare a one- to two-minute
summary about why you came to graduate school, why you chose the
topic you did, and what the overall findings of your research have
been. This will not only get your defense off to a good start,
it will also help you later in the job market, where you’ll
have a ready answer for common questions such as, “What’s
your research about?” or “What are you working on these
days?
Come Well Rested And Dress For Success
Don’t stay up the night before
your defense worrying. Get a good night’s sleep; your defense
will be smoother and sharper if you are well rested, ready and alert.
You will need to have your wits about you to answer the barrage of
questions that will come your way.
How you're dressed sets the tone of the
defense. You don’t need to run out and spend a lot of money
on clothes for the defense, but you should make sure your attire
is professional. Dressing conservatively is always the safest route;
your attire will give you a competitive edge and make a positive
impression. Make sure that there is no gum or candy in
your mouth when the defense hearing begins.
Be Confident: You’re Ready For This!!!
Go into this process with
the self-confidence of knowing that you know more about your dissertation
topic than anyone else in the room; after all, you’ve been
working on this document for months … if not years! YOU are
the expert. Work from that point of reference.
And, finally, reassure yourself that your
advisor would not have scheduled the defense unless he/she thought
you would pass. If your advisor has agreed to a defense date, he/she
believes that you are ready!!!
This article was written by Dr. Carter for FinishLine, the free
monthly newsletter of TA-DA!
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