Thesis Defense Guidelines

1
Thesis Defense Guidelines

• UTSI-NSBE
• Academic/Technical Excellence Seminar

2
General Guidelines

• Defense should summarize thesis
• Do not count on all committee members to have
  given your thesis a thorough reading prior to the
  defense
• Present enough information for members to
  understand what you did, why you did it, and what
  the implications are of what you did. Also
  include suggestions for future research

3
More Guidelines

• Satisfy your advisor first and foremost!!!
• No surprises! Advisor should not learn anything
  new in the defense
• You are not ready to defend until your advisor
  thinks you are
• Try to keep rest of committee informed, but
  advisor is most important

4
Preparing Presentation

• Make sure text is large enough to be readable
• Ensure any inserted graphics, tables, etc. are
  clear
• Use spellcheck, but ALSO proofread. Do both, not
  one or the other
• Save often, keep multiple copies - (Murphys law
  inevitably strikes, just be ready to recover)

5
Preparing to Present

• If using overhead
• Test machine ahead of time (days in advance and
  on day of event)
• Arrive early to set up
• Make sure transparencies are numbered (in case
  you drop them)
• Have paper copies as a backup (in case machine or
  power fails)

6
Preparing to Present

• If using computer
• Load presentation and test machine ahead of time
  (do not be struggling with machine operation
  during the defense)
• Arrive early to set up
• Have transparencies and/or paper copies as a
  backup (in case machine or power fails)

7
Fielding Questions

• Decide to take questions at end or during
  presentation
• Questions may be inquisitive, curious, or hostile
• Inquisitivecommittee member wants you to bring
  out an area of your research you didnt explain
  to his satisfaction
• Curious committee member simply wants to know
  more about what you did or the field under study
• Hostile committee member is trying to expose an
  area of inadequacy

8
Inquisitive Question

• Answer question to best of your ability
• Never try to answer more than you know
• At this point you should know everything related
  to your specific research problem, but nowhere
  near everything related to your field
• Allow advisor to step in (only if he initiates)
• If a question goes beyond the scope of your
  research - and you do not know it - explain that
  you dont know and that your research is not
  intended to address that area

9
Curious Question

• Answer question if you can
• Good to show relevance of your work to other
  areas of study, particularly those of interest to
  other committee members
• Do not let the defense spend a lot of time on
  unrelated areas

10
Hostile Question

• Dont let the question get to you - remain
  professional
• Sometimes a case of a committee member out to get
  you or a conflict between two committee members
  or evidence that you didnt do all the work you
  were supposed to do
• Answer to best of ability, but DO NOT fake
  answers
• Best if your advisor comes to your rescue
• If committee member is flat out wrong, point out
  error, but do not engage in an argument with him
• If you are wrong, admit the error and move on as
  quickly as possible