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SFU Physics Thesis and Defence

Thesis Writing and Formatting Resources

SFU Graduate Studies maintains a page with a variety of helpful resources related to the process of getting started, writing, formatting and defending your thesis. We highly recommend that you browse the pages linked below:

Information on writing and correctly formating your thesis for Physics is outlined here:

Thesis Defence Procedures

Planning your thesis defence can take between two and three months from the point when you hand your completed draft to your supervisory committee, so be sure to begin planning early. Carefully review the steps below in advance, and be realistic about the timeline of your defence.

Deadlines

For MSc Defence - Thesis and paperwork needs to be submitted to Graduate Program Assistant 6 weeks before your actual defence date

For PhD Defence - Thesis and paperwork needs to be submitted to Graduate Program Assistant 8 weeks before your actual defence date

Note - Please plan ahead and proceed with the assumption all the deadline are hard deadline and no exceptions will be granted for late requests. Students and supervisors should consult with the GPA early in the semester in which the defence will be held.

There are a number of deadlines associated with planning your defence, and you will need to be very organized to meet the deadlines to get your draft approved by your supervisory committee, schedule your examination committee, complete your revisions, and submit your final thesis draft before the library submission deadline. 

Once you decide that your thesis is near completion and that you are ready to begin scheduling your defence, the first task will be to choose a defence date. 

Note that the SFU Library thesis submission deadline is typically the last day of the last month of the term (with the exception of the Fall term, where the deadline falls early due to holidays.) Most theses require revisions after the defence, so you may wish to leave a 2 week window between your defence and the SFU Library submisssion deadline. This window will allow time for you to complete your revisions and have your senior supervisor review and approve them.

MSc Defence Procedures

Step 1: Choose a Target Date For Your Defence (min. 8 weeks before your intended defence date)

8 weeks before the defence date: Submit your thesis to your supervisoy committee for review

  • Submit electronic copy of your thesis to each supervisory committee member (Internal Examiner do not require a copy at this point). Provide hard copy if requested.
  • Complete any revisions suggested by your Examination Committee
  • Submit your revisions to your Senior Supervisor who will review again and approve them
  • Supervisor is responsibile for finding a date and time for the defence when all committee members - including the internal examiner - are available. Supervisor should email the final date and time at physgrad@sfu.ca
  • (Supervisor will find internal examiner and confirm their availability. Student should not have any contact with the Internal Examiner).
  • Student will gather the approval of their entire supervisor committee stating that "thesis is ready for defence"

 

Step 2: Confirm your Defence Date/Time (Thesis and Paperwork Needs to be submitted 6 weeks before defence date)

6 weeks before the defence date: Student will submit the following to the Graduate Program Assistant (GPA) 

  • Submit the approval of the supervisor committee for your thesis stating that "thesis is ready for defence" in one email at physgrad@sfu.ca
  • Request to book a room for defence and let GPA know if you require zoom link. 
  • Submit approved thesis copy 

Ask your Supervisor to submit the following to GPA in separate email: 

  • Senior supervisor is responsible for finding Internal Examiner who is not already a committtee member and are also responsible for confirming their availability for the date and time. (Student cannot select the Internal examiner and should not have any contact with the Internal Examiner).
  • Supervisor should send email to GPA with Internal Examiner name (student should not be cc'ed in the email). 
  • The Internal Examiner is a member of faculty at SFU, or a person otherwise suitably qualified, who is not a member of the student's supervisory committee. For those seeking a degree under special arrangements, this person shall be from outside the University.

Use the Physics MSc Defence Checklist to track your deadlines

Step 3: Four Weeks Before Defence

4 Weeks before the defence date: 

  • Submit Audio/Visual and Technical Requests to Graduate Program Assistant (e.g. projector, videoconferencing, etc.)
  • Note: Student is responsible for asking each supervisory committee member if they require a hard copy of the thesis.

REMEMBER TO APPLY TO GRADUATE!

Related Links

Supervisory Committee will sign AEC form:

  • Each member of your Supervisory Committee will sign your Approval of Examining Committee form, or send an email to the Graduate Program Assistant, indicating that they have reviewed the thesis and declare it "ready for defence." (Student do not need to take any action, GPA will take care of this).

Step 4: Submit Advertisement Details

Submit the Following Materials to the Graduate Program Assitant, so he/she can promote your defence:

In one-single word file
  • A list of your publications
  • A list of your presentations (including talks or poster presentations)
  • A list of your awards, including internal SFU awards, and awards from outside of SFU
  • An alternative, text-only version of your abstract and title (required only if your title or abstract contains characters that do not translate to text-only formats (e.g. superscirpt or subscript, Greek symbols, equations, etc.)
Related Links

Step 5: One Week Before Defence

Cross-check defence details are listed correctly on the website 

  • Ask for a laser pointer, adapter, etc. as needed.

Step 6: Day of Defence

Arrive 30 minutes early to test the audio/visual for your defence. If any committee member do not arrive for defence, let Graduate Program Assistant know as soon as possible. 

Step 7: Complete Your Revisions After your Defence

COMPLETE YOUR THESIS REVISIONS AND SUBMIT THEM FOR APPROVAL BY YOUR SENIOR SUPERVISIOR BEFORE LIBRARY SUBMISSION DEADLINE

  • Graduate Program Assistant will provide you with a signed copy of the Results, Approval & Degree Recommendation (RAD) form
  • You will need to upload this form with your thesis submission to the SFU library
  • Obtain your Signed Degree Recommendation Form to Include with Your Library Submission from GPA

Step 8: Submit Your Thesis to the SFU Library

Prepare and Submit Your Thesis

Complete Any Formatting Revisions Required by the SFU Library for Publication

Step 10: Submit Your Thesis for Printing and Binding

Once your thesis has been approved by the SFU Library, submit an electronic copy to your Graduate Program Assistant for printing and binding by replying to the email of thesis printing send by Graduate Program Assistant.

  • The department will pay for the binding of two discretionary copies: One for your supervisor (if requested only), and one for you
  • You are responsible for covering the costs of any additional copies you may wish to order
  • You are responsible for paper and printing costs as per the Department's thesis printing policy

Printing and binding can take several months. Be sure to update the Graduate Program Assistant with your most current contact information.

PhD Defence Procedures

Step 1: Choose a Target Date For Your Defence (min. 10 weeks before your intended defence date)

10 weeks before the defence date: Submit your thesis to your supervisory committee for review

  • Submit electronic copy of your thesis to each supervisory committee member (Internal Examiner and External Examiner do not require a copy at this point). Provide hard copy if requested.
  • Complete any revisions suggested by your Examination Committee
  • Submit your revisions to your Senior Supervisor who will review again and approve them
  • Supervisor is responsibile for finding a date and time for the defence when all committee members - including the Internal Examiner and External Examiner - are available. Supervisor should email the final date and time at physgrad@sfu.ca
  • (Supervisor will find Internal Examiner and External Examiner and confirm their availability. Student should not have any contact with the Internal Examiner and External Examiner).
  • Student will gather the approval of their entire supervisor committee stating that "thesis is ready for defence"

 

Step 2: Confirm your defence date/time (thesis and paperwork needs to be submitted 8 weeks before defence date)

8 WEEKS BEFORE THE DEFENCE DATE: STUDENT WILL SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING TO THE GRADUATE PROGRAM ASSISTANT (GPA) 

  • Submit the approval of your entire supervisory committee stating that "thesis is ready for defence" in one email at physgrad@sfu.ca
  • Request to book a room for defence and let GPA know if you require zoom link. 
  • Submit approved thesis copy 

Supervisor will email Graduate Program Assistant (GPA) the following details: 

  • Name of Internal Examiner and confirm that they are available to attend the defence on finalized defence date
  • Name of External Examiner and confirm that they are available to attend the defence on finalized defence date
  • Obtain and submit the Curriculum Vitae of External Examiner 
  • Confirm whether External Examiner will attend online or in-person.

The External Examiner shall be specifically qualified in the field of the thesis and not be a member of faculty at the University.

The Internal Examiner is a member of faculty at SFU, or a person otherwise suitably qualified, who is not a member of the student's supervisory committee. For those seeking a degree under special arrangements, this person shall be from outside the University.

Student should not have any contact with the Internal Examiner and External Examiner.

Use the Physics PhD Defence Checklist to track your deadlines

Step 3: Six Weeks Before Defence

6 weeks before the defence date:

  • Submit Audio/Visual and Technical Requests to Graduate Program Assistant (e.g. projector, videoconferencing, etc.)
  • Note: Student is responsible for asking each supervisory committee member if they require a hard copy of the thesis.
  • Working around the External Examiner's schedule provided to you by your Senior Supervisor.

REMEMBER TO APPLY TO GRADUATE!

Related Links

SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE WILL SIGN AEC FORM:

  • Each member of your Supervisory Committee will sign your Approval of Examining Committee form, or send an email to the Graduate Program Assistant, indicating that they have reviewed the thesis and declare it "ready for defence." (Student do not need to take any action, GPA will take care of this).

Step 4: Submit advertisement details

Submit the Following Materials to the Graduate Program Assistant, so he/she can promote your defence:

IN ONE-SINGLE WORD FILE
  • A list of your publications
  • A list of your presentations (including talks or poster presentations)
  • A list of your awards, including internal SFU awards, and awards from outside of SFU
  • An alternative, text-only version of your abstract (required only if your title or abstract contains characters that do not translate to text-only formats (e.g. superscript or subscript, Greek symbols, equations, etc.)
Related Links

Step 5: One Week Before Defence

CROSS-CHECK DEFENCE DETAILS ARE LISTED CORRECTLY ON THE WEBSITE 

  • Ask for a laser pointer, adapter, etc. as needed.

Step 6: Day of Defence

Arrive 30 minutes early to test the audio/visual for your defence. If any committee member do not arrive for defence, let Graduate Program Assistant know as soon as possible. 

Step 7: Complete Your Revisions after your defence

COMPLETE YOUR THESIS REVISIONS AND SUBMIT THEM FOR APPROVAL BY YOUR SENIOR SUPERVISIOR BEFORE LIBRARY SUBMISSION DEADLINE

  • Graduate Program Assistant will provide you with a signed copy of the Results, Approval & Degree Recommendation (RAD) form
  • You will need to upload this form with your thesis submission to the SFU library
  • Obtain your Signed Degree Recommendation Form to Include with Your Library Submission from GPA

Step 8: Submit Your Thesis to the SFU Library

Prepare and Submit Your Thesis

Complete Any Formatting Revisions Required by the SFU Library for Publication

Step 9: Submit Your Thesis for Printing and Binding

Once your thesis has been approved by the SFU Library, submit an electronic copy to your Graduate Program Assistant for printing and binding by replying to the email of thesis printing send by Graduate Program Assistant.

  • The department will pay for the binding of two discretionary copies: One for your supervisor, and one for you
  • You are responsible for covering the costs of any additional copies you may wish to order
  • You are responsible for paper and printing costs as per the Department's thesis printing policy

Printing and binding can take several months. Be sure to update the Graduate Program Assistant with your most current contact information.

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