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====== Guidelines for Oral Examination of Thesis ======
 
//(University Guideline)//

**{{:facultystaff:phdregulations:guidelines_for_oral_examination_of_thesis.pdf|Download Guidelines for Oral Examination of Thesis}}**

==== Role of the Chair ====

The chair of the examination committee is the official representative of the Assistant Vice-
President (Graduate Studies). The chair serves to administer the examination according to the
approved format of the program. //The chair does not serve as an additional examiner.//

It is the responsibility of the Chair to ensure that the oral examination is conducted in a
professional manner. The Chair must ensure that proper forms from the Office of Graduate
Studies are available and duly completed and signed by the Examination Committee. The Chair
should ensure that adequate time is allotted to the candidate for presentation of research findings, and to the examiners for questions. The details on the time allocation to the candidate and examiners are given in the following paragraphs. It is also the responsibility of the Chair to
ensure that examiners should adhere to the allocated time.

In unforeseen circumstances where a Committee member is unable to attend the examination
(e.g., due to sickness) either in person or by video/teleconference, the Chair will attempt to
receive questions to ask on behalf of the absent member, to be answered by the student to the
satisfaction of the examiners present. If this absent member is the External Examiner of a PhD
thesis examination, and the written thesis Appraisal and/or questions to ask have not been
received, the examination should be postponed.

If during the examination the behaviour of either the candidate or the examiner(s) is
unprofessional, the Chair should provide a warning. If the unprofessional behaviour continues,
the Chair should stop the examination and report to the Graduate Coordinator. The Chair should ensure recommendations for revision of the thesis are completed, and should
withhold their endorsement of the examination (through signing the Recommendation Form)
until such time.

==== Role of the Examiners ====

The examiners have the responsibility to review the thesis as outlined in the University
Guidelines for thesis evaluation. If an examiner feels that there is a major problem with the
thesis, the examiner should inform the candidate in writing with a confidential copy only to the
advisor and Graduate Coordinator. If the candidate and the examiner cannot resolve the
problem before the oral examination, the Graduate Coordinator will act as facilitator. If there is
no agreement, the examination can go forward at the student's request, or postponed on the
advice of the Graduate Coordinator.

==== Doctoral Oral Examination ====

The maximum duration of a PhD Oral Examination is 3.5 hours.

Introduction by Chair- 5 minutes
Presentation of research findings/scholarly work by candidate - 30 minutes (maximum)
Public Question Period -10 minutes
Break - 5 minutes (members of the public are free to leave)
Examination Period (questions only from examiners) - 2 hours and 40 minutes

__Ordering of Questions by the Examination Committee:__
There will be two rounds of questions by the Committee. The questioning by the Committee
will be in the following order:

1) External Examiner
2) Member of the Graduate Faculty (not on the Advisory Committee)
3) Member of the Advisory Committee
4) Advisor or second member of the Advisory Committee

__Suggested time allotted to examination committee members:__

Examiner                         Round 1       Round 2
External                        25 minutes   10 minutes
Graduate Faculty                20 minutes   10 minutes
Advisory Committee Member       20 minutes    10 minutes
Advisor/Advisory Committee Member    20 minutes    10 minutes

Deliberation (in camera) - 35 minutes

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