What is a dissertation defense?

It is an activity that involves personal presentation as a scholar or an authority on your subject where you are expected to cogently and clearly explain your work and how it fits with related research and other scholastic work. 

what is a dissertation defense like

It feels like participating in an interview where you are expected to respond to questions and also give explanations. At first, expect to feel nervous, but if you prepare well, it is very easy. Preparation will enable you to have facts, quash doubts, and convince the panel that you are on the right path. 

Tips for dissertation defense

Know the rules

Just like debate or an interview, the dissertation defense has rules that must be adhered to. There are also some cultural values that may be specific to your department or institution when it comes to the thesis defense, and it is usually very important if you can get advice concerning the dissertation defense from your advisor.

Submit dissertation early to get feedback from the committee

It is very important to know your committee and to provide your dissertation to them early so that you can get feedback about areas of concern, make corrections and prepare for defense. 

Know your topic 

You are going to be asked about what you wrote, and your defense must correlate to your topic. Therefore, knowledge about your topic, a problem that you aim to solve, finding, and the significance of your study should be well understood. In short, you need to write a speech in your head based on your thesis key information. 

Practice

Don't go, unprepared. Practice presenting your dissertation to your friends and let them ask you questions. This will build your confidence and give you a sense of readiness to meet the panel finally.   

Check for technicalities and errors  

Check and counter check if your slides are correctly designed and linked. Also, ensure the slide only has the main points. 

The success of your dissertation defense depends mostly on your preparation. Therefore, take the time to prepare for it. Also, make sure you involve your advisor or supervisor in every step of preparation to be informed about any errors or areas that need improvements. 

Are you ready to start preparing your dissertation? Kindly find a well-prepared dissertation table of contents and a template on the attachment below. If you need the help of any export in preparing your dissertation, kindly click here to browse hundreds of service providers.