Dissertation Defense
The Dissertation Defense is a formal, oral presentation based on your original, independent research. Following the seminar presentation is a closed meeting with your Certification Committee. Per Graduate School policy, the Dissertation Defense must be completed within five years after completion of the Preliminary Exam. The dissertation must be formatted according to the guidelines of the Graduate School. Please review the Guide to Preparing Your Doctoral Dissertation.
Before and During Your Defense
- Schedule Dissertation Defense, designate meeting chair, and reserve room locations (All committee members must be present in-person).
- Submit your Final PhD Warrant Request Form at least 3 weeks in advance of your scheduled defense.
- Distribute copy of dissertation to Certification Committee members at least 10 days before the date of exam. Students should be prepared to provide hard copies or electronic copies, as preferred by individual committee members.
- Present public seminar and then defend and answer questions posed by Certification Committee in closed meeting.
After Your Defense
- Collect e-signatures on your PhD warrant. Refer to Instructions for collecting e-signatures on PhD warrants.
- Make sure that you make all your committee’s corrections before you deposit your thesis.
- Review your thesis for proper pagination, spacing, font, numbering, etc. before calling it final.
- Ensure your thesis meets accessibility standards. The UW–Madison Document Accessibility webpage has information and resources to help you double check your documents for accessibility.
- Follow all the Graduate School steps to depositing your thesis and completing your degree: https://grad.wisc.edu/current-students/doctoral-guide/#defend-and-deposit-your-dissertation and https://grad.wisc.edu/current-students/doctoral-guide/#graduation
- Be aware of the degree deadlines (https://grad.wisc.edu/academics/doctoral-guide/) for determining when you deposit your thesis
- Request a “Degree Completion Letter for Graduate Students”, which indicates that you have fulfilled the PhD requirements, since most future employers will require it. Complete and submit the request at: https://registrar.wisc.edu/verification/.
- You are required to provide the program with 3–4 printed copies of your corrected, final dissertation. Printed copies are at the expense of the student. The Department of Oncology will cover the cost of binding 1–2 copies for you and 1 copy for your faculty mentor.
- Update your contact information: https://forms.gle/rf3Xv8MBp9sqSH8j9.
- You will remain on payroll or stipend support until the date of your dissertation deposit. Please keep the Graduate Program Manager and your department payroll contact updated on the date you plan to deposit your thesis.