Here you will find essential resources and strategies to support you through the final phase of your graduate program. From managing timelines and meeting institutional requirements to finalizing your thesis or dissertation, these resources support a smooth and successful transition toward graduation. Explore strategies to stay organized, communicate with your supervisor, and plan your next steps beyond degree completion.
Visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies Graduate Supervision website for more information on Master's Supervision, Doctoral Supervision, Role of the Graduate Program Office, Supervisory Committees, Annual Progress Reports, and Conflict Resolution.
FGS Forms
The following forms are applicable to most graduate students; however, you are encouraged to speak with your Graduate Program Assistant for specific guidance when gearing up to complete your degree:
- Ensure necessary research ethics forms have been submitted and you have an ORE approval certificate (when relevant).
- Ensure necessary supervisor and supervisory committee confirmation forms have been submitted.
- Begin steps to Apply to Graduate at the beginning of the final term of your program.
- Your supervisor, with the GPD, will need to complete and submit the Recommendation for Oral Exam form.
- Submit your thesis or dissertation into York University's Electronic Thesis and Dissertation system (ETD system).
- Complete the Reimbursement of Thesis/Dissertation Production Costs if you are at the stage of defence.
- Complete the Theses Non-exclusive License form.
- Complete, if necessary, the embargo, a delay of publication, form before you graduate.
- Ensure the Revision Approved Memorandum Submission form is signed by the supervisor and chair of the examining committee after you complete any necessary revisions post oral exam.
- Connect with your Graduate Program Assistant to ensure necessary convocation information has been submitted to the Registrar's Office.
General Resources
- Visit Important Dates for convocation timelines and registration.
- Visit Theses Canada. This is a collaborative program between Library and Archives Canada and Canadian universities which aims to acquire and preserve theses and dissertations from participating universities, provide open access to Canadian digital theses and dissertations in the collection and facilitate access to non-digital theses and dissertations in the collection.
- Visit YorkSpace. This is an open access repository that enables York community members to disseminate and preserve their scholarly works in an institutional context.
- Read the YorkU Thesis Dissertation Formats Guide (.pdf). This is a guide for graduate faculty and graduate students that explains important considerations for graduate students considering a thesis/dissertation format that differs from the commonly used monograph or manuscript-based formats.
Doctoral Resources
- Read the YorkU Doctoral Dissertation & Defence Timelines: A Quick Guide for Faculty and Staff (.pdf).
- Visit the Doctoral Dissertation page for information on:
- General Requirements
- Dissertation Proposals
- Research Ethics
- Copyright
- Organization and Technical Requirements
- Doctoral Dissertation Exam Committees
- Scheduling
- Evaluation Guidelines and Results
- Exam Committee Roles and Responsibilities
- Final Submission and How to Submit
- Uploading Files
- Embargo/Potential delay of publication
- Next Steps
Master's Resources
- Visit the Master's Thesis page for information on:
- General Requirements
- Thesis Proposals
- Research Ethics
- Copyright
- Organization and Technical Requirements
- Thesis Exam Committees
- Scheduling
- Evaluation Guidelines and Results
- Exam Committee Roles and Responsibilities
- Final Submission and How to Submit
- Uploading Files
- Embargo/Potential delay of publication
- Next Steps
Congratulations!
Your supervisor and supervisory committee members have assessed your work to be ready for the final milestone of your graduate studies degree. Whether referred to as the ‘Defence’, the ‘Oral Exam’ or the ‘Viva’, the need to prepare for your exam is crucial. While it is both an examination (of the written work and your oral engagement) and a collegial discussion, it is an examination that benefits greatly from preparation.
The aim of the Defence is to:
- engage graduate students in scholarly discourse with experts who have read and reviewed your work closely.
- provide a rigorous opportunity to explain, clarify and defend your work as well as to enter into dialogue with other learned scholars.
How you perform confirms the quality of the thesis/dissertation’s written component or exposes confusions, ideas, or gaps which, because they cannot be sufficiently clarified orally, may need to be further explained and expressed in writing. One thing is certain – your scaffolded preparations for this milestone set you on a path towards successful completion.
- Watch The Road to Defence. Discussion on the goal and structure of the final Defence and its’ oral exam is followed by what to expect and how best to prepare. Recent graduates who successfully defended their work at an oral exam share their top tips.
Ask your Supervisor to Explain the Process
Graduate students will have heard about ‘the Defence’ since their first year in the program, but may have erroneous, assumptive or incomplete information about its intent and process. Ask your supervisor and/or Graduate Program Director to demystify the Defence for you, including the process, the typical patterns found in defences in your program/discipline, the role of the various examiners and the possible outcomes and subsequent next steps. Graduate student best practices include attending defences leading up to yours, so as to see how this milestone unfolds and to lessen the anxiety that comes from a lack of awareness.
Preparation is Key
You’ve taken months to write and revise your thesis/dissertation. You know it best, as does your supervisor. Once you’ve submitted your final work to your supervisor, they take the reins and work with the Graduate Program to secure examiners and date(s). This is your time to develop the presentation you’ll give at the exam and ready yourself for anticipated questions.
Prepare in Chunks:
Normally, you will be provided 20-30 minutes to provide an oral presentation (at a moderate pace) of your work. Many students use powerpoint slides to do so, along with prepared notes accompanying each slide. Strive to hit the highpoints in your presentation, and avoid attempting to include everything from every chapter. Explore good practices when using powerpoint slides including 1-2 minutes of speaking time per slide, limiting text, prioritizing key visuals or points that support the main argument or point, and the use of prepared speaking notes to accompany the presentation. Many students have found it beneficial to provide a handout for the examining committee’s reference during the defence’s presentation component. If a creative component accompanies your scholarly work, be sure to build in presentation time for this. Discuss a draft with your supervisor, and seek feedback.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Students are encouraged to practice your presentation often. This will build your confidence, and expose any areas you feel less confident with, and which would benefit from refinement. Students can practice staying on script and avoiding going rogue. Additionally, repetition assuages nerves leading up to the day, helping you to feel increasingly comfortable with the presentation itself, the words you’ll say and the presentation style they’ll enact.
Gear Up for Questions
In addition to refining your oral presentation, preparing responses to potential questions you’ll be asked at the defence is important. You can anticipate questions related to your topic, it’s importance and contribution to the field; how it’s situated in the current literature and/or research or creative work landscape; the research questions, methods and theoretical underpinnings; the key findings, analysis and the perennial favorites at oral defences including: “What did you decide to leave out to explore in the next phase of your scholarly work?”; “What surprised you most in your work?”; and the ever popular “What’s next for you?” Grad Coach has a helpful video and a good list of questions to anticipate along with suggested ways to prepare for these.
The Week Before
You’ll want to avoid cramming during the final week before. Now is a good time to settle in and re-read your entire work front-to-back. Experience what your examiners will just have experienced – your words. Being freshly prepared for the exam is key to being ready for whatever you’ll be asked.
The Day Before
Self-care and de-stressing are the central goals for the day before your scheduled defence. Identify and commit to a self-care and rest plan choosing self-care strategies that make sense to you. Getting enough rest and being well nourished and hydrated cannot be understated. With your supervisor, discuss a plan to deal with nerves. Finally, to avoid any unnecessary stress related to traffic or transit delays, make plans to arrive well in advance of the scheduled start of your defence to allow time to settle in, see your supervisor, and breathe.
The Big Day
You have worked so hard to get here. Remember, you know your work best. You’ve reviewed your work, you’ve carefully prepared your oral presentation, including mulling over word choices, order, and the most salient points. On the day, some students might like to run some questions with their supervisor, while others might like to come early to the space, set up and then have some down time with family or be alone. That is up to you. Your supervisor is there to provide reassurance, ground you in an attempt to keep nerves under control, and to reviewing any last-minute items including the order of events, as they can feel very formal and off-putting for some students, especially when asked to leave the room ahead of their presentation and after the final round of questions.
Post-Defence
The defence can be a celebratory moment, as well as a mixed experience due to revisions being requested. Your supervisor will have briefed you on the possible scenario outcomes of a defence including the real possibility that revisions are necessary. Understand this as typical.
Allow yourself the time needed to absorb the scholarly experience of your defence, and to congratulate yourself for achieving that portion of your studies. Schedule time with your supervisor to go over the feedback and requested revisions, being sure to ask for clarity and guidance. It’s important to:
- Ensure you fully understands the required revisions and due dates
- Ensure that your revisions are clear, and to create a cover memo explaining where and how you have addressed each required revision
The best thesis or dissertation is an accepted one, so dig deep and bring forward the determination and grit that sustained you throughout your degree. Let’s get it done!
- Download and keep your own copy of Gearing up for Your Defence: General Guidance for Graduate Students (.pdf)
- View the Ph.D. Completion Fund which is support for eligible doctoral students in their final term of full-time study. Information includes eligibility, when to apply, how to apply and allocations.