Timetable and Procedures for the PhD Thesis Defence

There seems to be some confusion about how exactly to go about setting up a PhD thesis defence and what is the timeline to be followed. No wonder: the rules are complicated. This is an attempt to explain the procedures involved; it is not an official document, but an interpretation of the relevant sections of the Graduate Program Manual. When the thesis is clearly nearing completion, but at least two months before the defence, it is time to nominate the external reader/examiner. The graduate chair's office has to prepare a "Request to Invite External Examiner" form and submit it to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research (FGSR). As soon as the thesis is completed, it must be read by the internal members of the committee, who must declare in writing to the supervisor that the thesis is of adequate substance to warrant that the student proceed to the final examination or that the thesis is unsatisfactory and that the student should not be allowed to proceed to the final oral examination. The approval of all the internal committee members is registered on a "Preliminary Acceptance of Thesis" form. Only after this step is completed can the external reader/examiner be invited and the date of the examination set. At least four weeks before the examination date, the external reader must receive a copy of the thesis. Three weeks before the defence, the graduate chair's office must submit to FGSR a "Notice and Approval of Oral Examination Committee" form.