Defences

Are you ready? Learn about planning your defence

Graduate Studies provides an overview of the completion and graduation process and all students are encouraged to review the process well in advance of their potential thesis defence term.

The planning stage prior to the thesis defence date is lengthy, and students should contact the Graduate Program Assistant at least two-to-three months prior to the potential date. The GPA will work with the supervisor to complete the necessary paperwork, and will provide the student with guidance to ensure the planning stage goes smoothly.

Students should be aware that the supervisor is responsible for arranging and contacting the examiner(s) for the defence. Students must not have any contact with the examiner(s) prior to the defence; to do so may jeopardize the defence and result in a new committee formation and a delayed defence date.

The following checklists assume that the student has contacted the GPA at least two months prior to the potential defence date. Once a defence date has been confirmed, the GPA will provide the student with specific deadlines that must be met in order for the defence to move forward as scheduled.

The timeline for an MA defence differs from a PhD defence, so students must ensure they are consulting a checklist that corresponds to their program.

• MA Defence Checklist and Deadlines
• PhD Defence Checklist and Deadlines

MA Thesis Defence | Tyler Mierzwa

Do Bars Radiate Crime? A Study of Houston, Texas

• Date: March 28, 2025
• Time: 12:30 pm
• Location: SWH 10121 + Zoom