Thesis Writing and Formatting Resources
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
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. This is esssentially project management, so you need to set a final deadline. All of your other deadlines will stem from this 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.
Step 1: Choose a Target Date For Your Defence (min. 8 weeks before your intended defence date)
This is the step that will determine all of your defence-related deadlines. We recommend that you choose your target date in the following way:
Allow Time For Your Revisions
You may wish to allow for up to two weeks between your targeted defence date and the submission deadline to complete the following tasks:
- complete any revisions suggested by your Examination Committee
- submit your revisions to your Senior Supervisor who will review and approve them
- complete your thesis submission paperwork
Allow for the Busy Schedules of Your Examining Committee
- Once you have a targeted defence date, keep in mind that your entire examination committee needs to be available at the time of the defence.
- You may wish to give them a range of 1 to 2 weeks as well to allow for busy faculty schedules, especially towards the end of the term.
Step 2: Set Your Preliminary Deadlines
Once you have set a target date range, work back from the earliest possible defence date to set your other defence deadlines as follows. If your defence ends up being scheduled later than the earliest date, you can always adjust your other deadlines when your defence date is confirmed.
Note the dates for the following deadlines:
- 6 weeks before your defence date
- 4 weeks before your defence date
- 1 week before your defence date
- 2 business days before your defence date
Step 3: Six Weeks Before Defence
Six weeks before your defence you should complete the following tasks:
Confirm Names of All Committee Members with the Graduate Program Assistant:
- Supervisory Committee
- Internal Examiner (chosen in consultation with your Senior Supervisor)
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.
Submit Thesis for Review by Your Supervisory Committee (the Internal Examiner does not require a copy of your thesis at this point)
- Electronic copies of the thesis are submitted to each supervisory committee member. Hard copies are provided if required. Do not submit to the Internal Examiner at this time.
- Ask your supervisory committee to review your thesis and make any necessary suggestions so it is "ready for defence" by the four week deadline. The Graduate Program Assistant will ask them to sign a form confirming that the thesis is "ready for defence" before the defence paperwork can be submitted to DGS to meet the four week deadline.
- Note: Student is responsible for asking each supervisory committee member if they require a hard copy of the thesis.
Schedule Defence Date and Time of Defence
- Contact Supervisors and the Internal Examiner to schedule a date and time for your defence
- Submit confirmed defence date to the Graduate Program Assistant. Let the Graduate Program Assistant know if you have a room preference.
- Let Graduate Program Assistant know which examination committee members will attend in person
Submit Audio/Visual and Technical Requests to Graduate Program Assistant (e.g. projector, videoconferencing, etc.)
REMEMBER TO APPLY TO GRADUATE!
Related Links
Step 4: Four Weeks Before Defence
Step 5: One Week Before Defence
Step 6: Two Business Days Before Defence
Pick Up Copies of Your Notice of Defence from Your Department Mailbox
- Distribute defence notices to the audience at your defence
Note: You may wish to arrive 30 minutes early to test the audio/visual for your defence
Step 8: Complete Your Revisions
Step 9: Submit Your Thesis to the SFU Library
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.
- 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.
Step 1: Choose a Target Date For Your Defence (min. 10 weeks before your intended defence date)
This is the step that will determine all of your defence-related deadlines. We recommend that you choose your target date in the following way:
Allow Time For Your Revisions
You may wish to allow for up to two weeks between your targeted defence date and the submission deadline to complete the following tasks:
- complete any revisions suggested by your Examination Committee
- submit your revisions to your Senior Supervisor who will review and approve them
- complete your thesis submission paperwork
Allow for the Busy Schedules of Your Examining Committee
- Once you have a targeted defence date, keep in mind that your entire examination committee needs to be available at the time of the defence.
- You may wish to give them a range of 1 to 2 weeks as well to allow for busy faculty schedules, especially towards the end of the term.
Step 2: Set Your Preliminary Deadlines
Once you have set a target date range, work back from the earliest possible defence date to set your other defence deadlines as follows. If your defence ends up being scheduled later that the earliest date, you can always adjust your other deadlines when your defence date is confirmed.
Note the dates for the following deadlines:
- 8 weeks before your defence date
- 6 weeks before your defence date
- 5 weeks before your defence date
- 1 week before your defence date
- 2 business days before your defence date
Step 3: Eight Weeks Before Defence
Eight weeks before your defence you should complete the following tasks:
CONFIRM NAMES OF ALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WITH THE GRADUATE PROGRAM ASSISTANT:
- Supervisory Committee
- Internal Examiner (chosen in consultation with your Senior Supervisor)
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.
- External Examiner
The External Examiner shall be specifically qualified in the field of the thesis and not be a member of faculty at the University.
Note that the student should have no contact with the External Examiner and that the selection of external examiners for the PhD should be carried out by the supervisory committees.
SUBMIT THESIS FOR REVIEW BY YOUR SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE (Internal and External Examiners do not require copies at this point)
- Electronic copies of the thesis are submitted to each supervisory committee member. Hard copies are provided if required. Do not submit copies to the Internal or External Examiners.
- Ask your supervisory committee to review your thesis and make any necessary suggestions so it is "ready for defence" by the six week deadline. The Graduate Program Assistant will ask them to sign a form confirming that the thesis is "ready for defence" before the defence paperwork can be submitted at the six week deadline.
- Note: Student is responsible for asking each supervisory committee member if they require a hard copy of the thesis.
SCHEDULE DEFENCE DATE AND TIME OF DEFENCE
- Consult with your Senior Supervisor who will contact the External Examiner to request a range of available dates and times for your defence
- Working around the External Examiner's schedule provided to you by your Senior Supervisor, contact your Supervisory Committee members and the Internal Examiner to schedule a date and time for your defence
- Submit confirmed defence date to the Graduate Program Assistant. Let the Graduate Program Assistant know if you have a room preference.
- Let Graduate Program Assistant know which Examining Committee members will attend in person
SUBMIT AUDIO/VISUAL AND TECHNICAL REQUESTS TO GRADUATE PROGRAM ASSISTANT (E.G. PROJECTOR, VIDEOCONFERENCING, ETC.)
REMEMBER TO APPLY TO GRADUATE!
Related Links
Step 4: Six Weeks Before Defence
Step 5: Five Weeks Before Defence
Step 6: One Week Before Defence
Step 7: Two Business Days Before Defence
Supply Presentation Materials To Grad Program Assistant for distribution to Anyone On Your Committee Who is Participating Via Video Conference
Include .ppt slides, etc. to be used in the case of a poor video connection or technology failure
Pick Up Copies of Your Notice of Defence from Your Department Mailbox
- Distribute defence notices to the audience at your defence
Note: You may wish to arrive 30 minutes early to test the audio/visual for your defence
Step 9: Complete Your Revisions
Step 10: Submit Your Thesis to the SFU Library
Step 11: 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.
- 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.