Chapter 14 - Format for the Thesis Defense & Time Line

From the time you submit the final draft of your thesis SKHS requires 30 working days, not including statutory holidays to finalize the details required to schedule your oral defense. This time line coordinates with the SGS time line of a minimum of 25 working days to prepare for an oral defense. This time line is truly a non-negotiable deadline.

This means you must have your final thesis prepared with the requisite number of copies for your meeting with the SKHS Graduate Assistant 30 working days in advance of the date of your oral examination. At this meeting you will provide the SKHS Graduate Assistant the following information to prepare the Oral Examination Form:

  1. Provide a final confirmation of the committee members, including their names with the correct spelling.
  2. Provide the details associated with your external examiner, including their complete contact information and research website address.
  3. Sign the Form; have your supervisor sign the Form, and submit the Form to the SKHS Graduate Assistant who will obtain the SKHS Director's signature which completes the Form
  4. A copy of the Form will be attached to each copy of the thesis document for each member of the examining committee.
  5. The SKHS Graduate Assistant will retain a copy of the Form in the SKHS Graduate Office.
  6. The original will be included with the package for the Chair.
  7. The PhD Candidate will deliver all copies of the thesis package to Queen's committee members. The Chair's copy will be delivered to the SGS Thesis Coordinator at 425 Gordon Hall.
  8. The SKHS Graduate Assistant will courier the external committee member's copy to the address noted.

It is your responsibility to deliver copies of your thesis on time to all members of your Examination Committee.

The thesis defense follows these steps:

  1. After the Candidate, the Examiners and the Chair have all been introduced to each other, the Candidate is asked to leave the room.
  2. The Chair reads the reports on the thesis submitted by each Examiner, asks for any clarification, and discusses the procedures that will be followed during the exam.
  3. The Candidate is invited to return to the room and is asked to give a brief (10-20 minutes) presentation about their thesis.
  4. Questioning then begins. Each examiner takes 15-20 minutes to ask their questions. The order of questioning is: external examiner, internal-external examiner, internal examiner, head or delegate, supervisor.
  5. There may be two or more rounds of questioning.
  6. When all questions are completed the Candidate will be asked to leave the room.
  7. The Chair will ask the examiners to discuss the Candidate's thesis and performance during the defense. Examiners will be asked to choose one of the three categories of results: passed,referred, failed.
  8. The Candidate will be asked to return to the room and will be told the result.
  9. The Candidate and the Chair will sign the necessary forms required by SGS.