Exploring the Nature of the Public Doctoral Dissertation Defense: Research-Based Evidence

• In Event: Exploring Processes Involved in Doctoral Education

Abstract

A public oral defense of the dissertation is the norm for most North American doctoral programs. Yet university guidelines are often vague about its purposes, how-to guides suggest almost everyone passes, and students and academics tend to perceive it as less important than the dissertation. While the literature in the U.K. has suggested that the nature of the private dissertation defense is controversial, no research has been conducted studying the nature of the public dissertation defense in North America. This paper addresses this gap by re-analyzing the data for two Canadian studies. It suggests that despite its informality on the surface, the public doctoral dissertation defense is still an exam, but more importantly, a learning experience for the doctoral candidate.

Author

• Shuhua Chen, McGill University