Graduate Dissertation Defense

When the dissertation is near completion, the student and their committee will discuss scheduling the dissertation defense, the capstone event of the program. Students submit their completed dissertation to their full committee at least two weeks before the defense date, or by a date determined by the committee. In the defense, the student will present their work to a public audience, followed by a Q&A. The student will also meet with their committee privately to discuss the dissertation in response to the committee’s questions. The student will know the outcome by the end of the defense.

According to university guidelines (https://catalog.upenn.edu/pennbook/academic-rules-phd/) the defense will be chaired by the dissertation supervisor. At least three members of the dissertation committee must participate in the defense, and it is the expectation of the English Department that all committee members be present for the defense. In cases of an emergency, the Graduate Chair will assist in alternative arrangements. Defenses may be conducted in-person, virtually via video conferencing (e.g., Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams), or in a hybrid format with some individuals participating remotely and some in-person.

The defense is announced on the department listservs and calendar and consists of two parts. The public portion (1 hour) will be open to all faculty and students within the Graduate Group of English. Other guests of the student may attend. The public portion will consist of a 20-minute presentation by the student on the main arguments and chapter summaries of the dissertation, followed by a Q&A moderated by a member of the committee. The private portion (1 hour) consists of a conversation between the student and the committee members, which offers the opportunity for further questions, more detailed discussion, candid evaluation, recommendations for revision, and suggestions for future plans for publication.

Immediately after the private portion, the student will step out and the committee will confer to decide whether or not to ask for specific revisions before final submission.  If revisions are deemed necessary, the committee chair will be responsible for evaluating the revisions and approving the dissertation in its final form.