Thesis Defense
What should I do to prepare?
Obviously, you need to be very familiar with all aspects of your thesis. Since you just wrote it, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Be ready to discuss the literature you've cited in the thesis, especially critical papers. Be familiar with the literature in your area of study, even if not cited in the thesis. Know the journals and important people in your field. Know the journals and important people in biology and science.
Will my committee ask me about basic biology?
A good idea is to discuss with your major professor and committee members what might be expected at your defense. They might as about basic biology. It's certainly reasonable to expect that anyone with an advanced degree should be conversant with basic biology. If you've been a TA in a basic biology course, then you should be in good shape. A good way to review is to get a basic biology text - a book for a non majors class actually works better - and review the chapter summaries and important topics. Don't panic - no one expects you to know everything, but you should be conversant. If your thesis is on membrane transport in neurological cells, then you won't know all the details of photosynthesis. But you should be able to provide an overview of the basics of photosynthesis.
Any suggestions on strategy for the defense?
Be prepared and willing to talk about things. Sometimes you may know part of the answer to a question and that is OK. If you really get stuck your committee will ask follow up questions to get you thinking in the right direction. You should always make your best attempt to answer a question. You do know things, so don't be afraid to talk about them.
Answer a simple question with a simple answer. Allow the dialogue to develop. For example, if you're asked "What happens in photosynthesis?", don't launch into a giant lecture on all the details of enzymes, reaction centers, light/dark reactions, etc. Just say something like, "Using energy from the sun, water and carbon dioxide are converted into glucose and oxygen." Your committee probably will then begin asking more detailed questions, and you'll be giving more detailed answers. Almost certainly you'll get to the point where you'll have to say "I don't know." The only way the committee can determine what you do know is to take you to the limits of your knowledge, so don’t feel bad when you get to that point!
Everybody is nervous at their thesis defense. Just try not to get yourself so worked up that it affects your performance. Nobody is "out to get you." Your thesis committee and major professor want you to succeed. They have made a major investment of time, energy, and money in you, and they want that investment to pay off for everyone involved!
View this one page Suggestions/Guidelines for the Thesis Defense for additional discussion of some of the topics and expectations that may be part of your thesis defense.
The department requires an oral defense of the Master's thesis in order to graduate. You may schedule your thesis defense when your major professor and thesis committee have reviewed your thesis, and they indicate it is ready for defense. It is best to work with your committee and major professor to decide on a date for your defense. It is a rather severe breach of academic etiquette to announce a defense before receiving permission to do so from the thesis committee. Make sure to enroll in BIO 6960 during the semester you plan to defend your thesis.
The last day to defend varies from semester to semester. The date is usually around finals week but varies. Be sure to review the Thesis/Project Guidelines provided by the University Office of Graduate Studies. The Thesis/Project Guidelines page has deadlines and much additional critical information. It is not a good idea to wait until the very end of the semester. Allow time for changes to be made to the thesis. You may have to allow for some additional discussion with your committee. If changes are necessary, and there's no time to do them, it may delay your graduation into the next semester. Defending at least two weeks prior to the deadline is a good plan.
- Students are responsible for scheduling the defense. Work with your major professor and thesis committee to find a time when all of you can attend.
- Students should reserve a room for the defense. Some rooms can be scheduled in the Biology Department office. Conference rooms in Building 4 as well as classrooms are scheduled by the Dean’s office. Make sure the room you schedule has the equipment you need to give your defense.
Students are responsible for publicizing their defense. At least one week prior to the thesis defense presentation, you must (a) post notices in public places (including the Graduate Program Bulletin Board located outside of the Department mail room) and (b) have your announcement distributed to all department personnel via email as indicated below.
Send an email to the Graduate Coordinator that includes the following:
- The email subject line should be: Thesis Defense Announcement - Student Last Name, Student First Name
- The body of the email should include the following information formatted as shown:
Thesis Defense Announcement
Thesis Title
by
Student Name
Date, Time, Location
Thesis Committee Members:
Professor 1 (Committee Chair)
Professor 2
Professor 3
Your thesis defense abstract must be attached to the email as a PDF.
As always, do things the way your major professor wants them done. The defense typically consists of you giving a public presentation of your thesis research. This talk usually lasts 30-40 minutes and is followed by questions from the general audience. Then you meet privately with your thesis committee to discuss and answer questions about your thesis, as well as any general biological knowledge that your committee feels should be possessed by someone earning an advanced degree in the Biological Sciences.
You will leave the room, and the committee will discuss your defense privately. They will outline areas in your thesis that may need revising, and they will decide if you have passed or failed the defense. They will then call you back into the room to discuss the outcome.
Your major professor will give you a grade in BIO 6960.
What should I do to prepare?
Obviously, you need to be very familiar with all aspects of your thesis. Since you just wrote it, this shouldn't be too much of a problem. Be ready to discuss the literature you've cited in the thesis, especially critical papers. Be familiar with the literature in your area of study, even if not cited in the thesis. Know the journals and important people in your field. Know the journals and important people in biology and in science.
Will my committee ask me about basic biology?
A good idea is to discuss with your major professor and committee members what might be expected at your defense. They might as about basic biology. It's certainly reasonable to expect that anyone with an advanced degree should be conversant with basic biology. If you have been a TA in a basic biology course, then you should be in good shape. A good way to review is to get a basic biology text - a book for a non-majors course works well - and review the chapter summaries and important topics. Don't panic, as no one expects you to know everything, but you should be conversant. If your thesis is on membrane transport in neurological cells, then you won't know all the details of photosynthesis. However, you should be able to provide an overview of the basics of photosynthesis.
Any suggestions on strategy for the defense?
Be prepared and willing to talk about things. Sometimes you may know part of the answer to a question and that is OK. If you really get stuck your committee will ask follow up questions to get you thinking in the right direction. You should always make your best attempt to answer a question. You do know things, so don't be afraid to talk about them.
Answer a simple question with a simple answer. Allow the dialogue to develop. For example, if you're asked "What happens in photosynthesis?", don't launch into a giant lecture on all the details of enzymes, reaction centers, light/dark reactions, etc. Just say something like, "Using energy from the sun, water and carbon dioxide are converted into glucose and oxygen." Your committee probably will then begin asking more detailed questions, and you'll be giving more detailed answers. Almost certainly you'll get to the point where you'll have to say "I don't know." The only way the committee can determine what you do know is to take you to the limits of your knowledge, so don’t feel bad when you get to that point!
Everybody is nervous at their thesis defense. Just try not to get yourself so worked up that it affects your performance. Nobody is "out to get you." Your thesis committee and major professor want you to succeed. They have made a major investment of time, energy, and money in you, and they want that investment to pay off for everyone involved!
Information on the forms that must be submitted after the defense can be found here.