undergraduate dissertation viva

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What is the purpose of an undergraduate viva for a dissertation?

In the viva the supervisor is present who moderates the viva and a second examiner who asks the questions.

Lets say that my supervisor knows that a certain topic included in the dissertation is not my strongest point, would it be fair for a large number of the questions to be directed on this topic? Should my supervisor have made this clear to the examiner in the viva?

• 2 I suspect that vivas / defences vary greatly from country to country. It might be wise for the question and answers to mention to where they refer. –  Flyto May 17, 2015 at 18:46
• The supervisor is not typically present in vivas in the UK, as far as I'm aware. (Mine wasn't anyway though that was 15 years ago.) Can we take it that you're restricting attention to vivas where the supervisor is present? –  Shane O Rourke May 17, 2015 at 22:50
• If your question is specifically about undergraduate viva's, it is actually off-topic here. Is it possible to change your question to be about viva's / defences in general? –  Mangara May 18, 2015 at 6:17

Unlike a typical assessment, the format of viva allows three-way communication between the student, the text of thesis, and the readers / examiners. The opportunity to ask student a question about the text changes the game completely for all parties. For the student, the task is not only to write and present a text with the solution, but also to understand the solution, the questions which may be marginally connected with the topic of the text — a «big picture». For examiners, the goal is not only to check the formal correctness of the arguments, but also to make sure the student can freely use these arguments, and apply them to problems within the big picture.

Answering your specific question: it does not matter, what does the supervisor know. In viva, you, as a researcher, present the thesis. Your skill to be solely responsible for the text you produced is what is tested, not the text per se . It is you, who should focus the examiners on the important parts of your thesis. Through the way how you present the research, you should be able to create a right context, and to attract the attention to the strongest parts of your thesis. Success in this part will invite comfortable questions; failure will result in a number of random questions distributed all over your thesis, which you'll have to answer. If you feel really uncomfortable talking about (some) part of your thesis, you possibly should ask yourself, why this topic is still a part of your thesis in the first place.

• Many thanks for your answer. Is it not difficult to turn the examiners attention to certain bits of the dissertation if they keep asking very specific questions on very tedious bits of algebra? Lastly if throughout the viva the student can not answer a singly question on where certain bits of tedious algebra come from, would they have failed the viva? –  user232183 May 17, 2015 at 15:19

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• Thesis and Examination: The Code of Practice

The oral examination (viva voce)

Information and guidance on preparing for the final viva examination.

Essential practice

All PGR students should be provided with general information about what to expect during the viva in order to prepare them (i.e. an overview of the process, who will be there, how long it might last, what the format is likely to be, etc.). This could be provided by individual supervisors or via an organised session at departmental or faculty level.

Departments' arrangements for preparing PGR students for the final viva examination may involve some of the following:

• Tailored support from supervisors (e.g. discussions about what to expect and which questions may come up, practising answering key questions, signposting students to useful information)
• Offer of a formal mock viva
• Practice of defence of research at Confirmation Review or progression milestones (e.g. interviews or presentations)
• Practice in presenting research and answering questions at conferences or seminars
• Seminars/training sessions addressing topics such as how to prepare for the viva

Arrangements for the oral examination (viva voce)

All examiners are sent a copy of the University's Guidance Notes for Examiners when they receive their copy of the thesis. It is also issued to the internal coordinator where one is appointed.

The guidance contains information on:

• The examination of the thesis
• Arrangements and conduct of the oral examination
• Reporting on the examination

Separate guidance notes on the examination process also exist for candidates and for their supervisors .

Examiners are advised, on appointment, that the oral examination should normally take place within ten weeks of their receipt of the thesis. This is an expectation, not a mandatory requirement.

Viva dates should not be set before the student has submitted and/or the thesis has been sent out. A period of at least one month can be expected to elapse between the thesis being sent out and the oral examination; however, significant delays in the examination process can have a potentially adverse impact on students, especially overseas students' immigration status.  Research, Partnerships and Innovation must be notified of any significant delays in holding the viva examination, either on the part of the examiners or the student.

Permission should normally be sought from the faculty if the viva is delayed for more than four months from the date the thesis was sent to the examiners, unless there is a valid reason, e.g. if the viva has been delayed due to an investigation into potential use of unfair means.

It is the responsibility of the internal examiner (or the internal coordinator where there is no internal examiner) to arrange the date, time, and venue for the oral examination (viva) and to inform the candidate of the arrangements which have been made. Before doing so, the internal examiner, or coordinator, should ensure that the examiners have been formally appointed and have received the thesis.  Students should not be asked to make such arrangements themselves and should not make contact with their examiners prior to the viva.  

Please note that Research, Partnerships and Innovation cannot make arrangements for the oral examination.

Before the oral examination takes place, the examiners are required to read the thesis and independently prepare a written preliminary report. Examiners should not exchange preliminary reports too far in advance of the viva, but it is expected that the preliminary reports will be shared and discussed shortly before the viva, e.g. at a pre-viva meeting. 

Examiners are advised that their judgement of the thesis should be based on what may reasonably be expected of a diligent and capable student after completion of the prescribed period of research and with due regard to the University's criteria for the degree for which the thesis has been submitted.

Oral examinations that are held in person are normally held within the University. Fully or partially remote vivas are also permitted. The student’s supervisor should be available to the student prior to and following the oral examination, to offer advice and support to the student.

The supervisor does not normally attend the viva unless there has been prior agreement by all parties that they may do so. If the supervisor is permitted to attend, they should enter and leave the room at the same time as the student and should participate in the discussion only if asked to provide clarification on a specific matter.

Where an internal coordinator has been appointed, they will attend the oral examination to ensure that University procedures and regulations are followed.

The internal coordinator will play no other part in the examination process but may be called upon for advice or guidance on viva procedures, including the most appropriate recommendation the examiners should make in the light of their discussions.

Conduct of the oral examination

The oral examination is a regulatory requirement for all students undertaking a higher degree by research. The purposes of the oral examination are as follows:

• To enable the examiners to assure themselves that the thesis and the research it reports are the candidate’s own work.
• To give the candidate an opportunity to demonstrate that they can defend the thesis verbally, clarify any issues that the examiners have identified and discuss the subject of the thesis in its wider disciplinary context.
• To enable the candidate to demonstrate a firm understanding of the field of research and thus give the examiners an opportunity to assess the candidate’s broader knowledge of the field or discipline within which the thesis falls.
• To ensure that the candidate’s knowledge and understanding of the subject are of the standard expected for the award of the degree.

The oral examination is an integral part of the examination process and attendance is compulsory. Failure to attend a prearranged oral examination without prior notification to the supervisor and/or internal examiner and/or without good reason or justification for non-attendance, may result in the student failing the oral examination and ultimately failing their degree.

The examination will normally be chaired by the external examiner. The oral examination should normally be conducted in English, except in cases where there are pedagogic reasons for it to be held in another language, or where there is a formal agreement that requires the viva to be conducted in another language.

It is recognised that the viva is a stressful and often lengthy assessment process. Therefore, the normal expectation is for a break to be scheduled at an appropriate point during the viva. If none of the parties want to take a break during the viva then that is acceptable; however, examiners should plan for a break to occur and students should feel empowered to ask for one if this is not the case.

As outlined in the submission of theses section, students will be given the option to provide information to examiners on the impact that Covid-19 has had on their projects via a Covid Impact form. Examiners, in turn, will be reminded upon appointment of the University guidance that "judgement of the thesis should be based on what may reasonably be expected of a diligent and capable candidate after completion of the prescribed period of research and with due regard to the University’s criteria for the award of the degree".

On completion of the oral examination, the Examiners should advise the candidate of their recommendation to the faculty.

For disabled students, DDSS has guidance on what support they may need in the run up to their viva, as well as what information may or may not be shared with external stakeholders, such as external examiners. 

Sharing information with external stakeholders

Viva-related recommendations

Related information

Contact the Research Degree Support Team

Thesis submission

Preparing For Your Dissertation Defense

13 Key Questions To Expect In The Viva Voce

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) & David Phair (PhD) . Reviewed By: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | June 2021

Preparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a “viva voce”) is a formidable task . All your hard work over the years leads you to this one point, and you’ll need to defend yourself against some of the most experienced researchers you’ve encountered so far.

It’s natural to feel a little nervous.

In this post, we’ll cover some of the most important questions you should be able to answer in your viva voce, whether it’s for a Masters or PhD degree. Naturally, they might not arise in exactly the same form (some may not come up at all), but if you can answer these questions well, it means you’re in a good position to tackle your oral defense.

Viva Voce Prep: 13 Essential Questions

• What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?
• How did your research questions evolve during the research process?
• How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?
• How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?
• How generalisable and valid are the findings?
• What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?
• How did your findings relate to the existing literature?
• What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?
• Were there any findings that surprised you?
• What biases may exist in your research?
• How can your findings be put into practice?
• How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?
• If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

#1: What is your study about and why did you choose to research this in particular?

This question, a classic party starter, is pretty straightforward.

What the dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to clearly articulate your research aims, objectives and research questions in a concise manner. Concise is the keyword here – you need to clearly explain your research topic without rambling on for a half-hour. Don’t feel the need to go into the weeds here – you’ll have many opportunities to unpack the details later on.

In the second half of the question, they’re looking for a brief explanation of the justification of your research. In other words, why was this particular set of research aims, objectives and questions worth addressing? To address this question well in your oral defense, you need to make it clear what gap existed within the research and why that gap was worth filling.

#2: How did your research questions evolve during the research process?

Good research generally follows a long and winding path . It’s seldom a straight line (unless you got really lucky). What they’re assessing here is your ability to follow that path and let the research process unfold.

Specifically, they’ll want to hear about the impact that the literature review process had on you in terms of shaping the research aims, objectives and research questions . For example, you may have started with a certain set of aims, but then as you immersed yourself in the literature, you may have changed direction. Similarly, your initial fieldwork findings may have turned out some unexpected data that drove you to adjust or expand on your initial research questions.

Long story short – a good defense involves clearly describing your research journey , including all the twists and turns. Adjusting your direction based on findings in the literature or the fieldwork shows that you’re responsive , which is essential for high-quality research.

#3: How did you decide on which sources to include in your literature review?

A comprehensive literature review is the foundation of any high-quality piece of research. With this question, your dissertation or thesis committee are trying to assess which quality criteria and approach you used to select the sources for your literature review.

Typically, good research draws on both the seminal work in the respective field and more recent sources . In other words, a combination of the older landmark studies and pivotal work, along with up-to-date sources that build on to those older studies. This combination ensures that the study has a rock-solid foundation but is not out of date.

So, make sure that your study draws on a mix of both the “classics” and new kids on the block, and take note of any major evolutions in the literature that you can use as an example when asked this question in your viva voce.

#4: How did you design your study and why did you take this approach?

This is a classic methodological question that you can almost certainly expect in some or other shape.

What they’re looking for here is a clear articulation of the research design and methodology, as well as a strong justification of each choice . So, you need to be able to walk through each methodological choice and clearly explain both what you did and why you did it. The why is particularly important – you need to be able to justify each choice you made by clearly linking your design back to your research aims, objectives and research questions, while also taking into account practical constraints.

To ensure you cover every base, check out our research methodology vlog post , as well as our post covering the Research Onion .

#5: How generalizable and valid are the findings?

This question is aimed at specifically digging into your understanding of the sample and how that relates to the population, as well as potential validity issues in your methodology.

To answer question this well, you’ll need to critically assess your sample and findings and consider if they truly apply to the entire population, as well as whether they assessed what they set out to. Note that there are two components here – generalizability and validity . Generalizability is about how well the sample represents the population. Validity is about how accurately you’ve measured what you intended to measure .

To ace this part of your dissertation defense, make sure that you’re very familiar with the concepts of generalizability , validity and reliability , and how these apply to your research. Remember, you don’t need to achieve perfection – you just need to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of your research (and how the weaknesses could be improved upon).

Need a helping hand?

#6: What were the main shortcomings and limitations created by your research design?

This question picks up where the last one left off.

As I mentioned, it’s perfectly natural that your research will have shortcomings and limitations as a result of your chosen design and methodology. No piece of research is flawless. Therefore, a good dissertation defense is not about arguing that your work is perfect, but rather it’s about clearly articulating the strengths and weaknesses of your approach.

To address this question well, you need to think critically about all of the potential weaknesses your design may have, as well as potential responses to these (which could be adopted in future research) to ensure you’re well prepared for this question. For a list of common methodological limitations, check out our video about research limitations here .

#7: How did your findings relate to the existing literature?

This common dissertation defense question links directly to your discussion chapter , where you would have presented and discussed the findings in relation to your literature review.

What your dissertation or thesis committee is assessing here is your ability to compare your study’s findings to the findings of existing research . Specifically, you need to discuss which findings aligned with existing research and which findings did not. For those findings that contrasted against existing research, you should also explain what you believe to be the reasons for this.

As with many questions in a viva voce, it’s both the what and the why that matter here. So, you need to think deeply about what the underlying reasons may be for both the similarities and differences between your findings and those of similar studies.

#8: What were your key findings in relation to the research questions?

This question is similar to the last one in that it too focuses on your research findings. However, here the focus is specifically on the findings that directly relate to your research questions (as opposed to findings in general).

So, a good way to prepare for this question is to step back and revisit your research questions . Ask yourself the following:

• What exactly were you asking in those questions, and what did your research uncover concerning them?
• Which questions were well answered by your study and which ones were lacking?
• Why were they lacking and what more could be done to address this in future research?

Conquering this part dissertation defense requires that you focus squarely on the research questions. Your study will have provided many findings (hopefully!), and not all of these will link directly to the research questions. Therefore, you need to clear your mind of all of the fascinating side paths your study may have lead you down and regain a clear focus on the research questions .

#9: Were there any findings that surprised you?

This question is two-pronged.

First, you should discuss the surprising findings that were directly related to the original research questions . Going into your research, you likely had some expectations in terms of what you would find, so this is your opportunity to discuss the outcomes that emerged as contrary to what you initially expected. You’ll also want to think about what the reasons for these contrasts may be.

Second, you should discuss the findings that weren’t directly related to the research questions, but that emerged from the data set . You may have a few or you may have none – although generally there are a handful of interesting musings that you can glean from the data set. Again, make sure you can articulate why you find these interesting and what it means for future research in the area.

What the committee is looking for in this type of question is your ability to interpret the findings holistically and comprehensively , and to respond to unexpected data. So, take the time to zoom out and reflect on your findings thoroughly.

#10: What biases may exist in your research?

Biases… we all have them.

For this question, you’ll need to think about potential biases in your research , in the data itself but also in your interpretation of the data. With this question, your committee is assessing whether you have considered your own potential biases and the biases inherent in your analysis approach (i.e. your methodology). So, think carefully about these research biases and be ready to explain how these may exist in your study.

In an oral defense, this question is often followed up with a question on how the biases were mitigated or could be mitigated in future research. So, give some thought not just to what biases may exist, but also the mitigation measures (in your own study and for future research).

#11: How can your findings be put into practice?

Another classic question in the typical viva voce.

With this question, your committee is assessing your ability to bring your findings back down to earth and demonstrate their practical value and application. Importantly, this question is not about the contribution to academia or the overall field of research (we’ll get to that next) – it is specifically asking about how this newly created knowledge can be used in the real world.

Naturally, the actionability of your findings will vary depending on the nature of your research topic. Some studies will produce many action points and some won’t. If you’re researching marketing strategies within an industry, for example, you should be able to make some very specific recommendations for marketing practitioners in that industry.

To help you flesh out points for this question, look back at your original justification for the research (i.e. in your introduction and literature review chapters). What were the driving forces that led you to research your specific topic? That justification should help you identify ways in which your findings can be put into practice.

#12: How has your research contributed to current thinking in the field?

While the previous question was aimed at practical contribution, this question is aimed at theoretical contribution . In other words, what is the significance of your study within the current body of research? How does it fit into the existing research and what does it add to it?

This question is often asked by a field specialist and is used to assess whether you’re able to place your findings into the research field to critically convey what your research contributed. This argument needs to be well justified – in other words, you can’t just discuss what your research contributed, you need to also back each proposition up with a strong why .

To answer this question well, you need to humbly consider the quality and impact of your work and to be realistic in your response. You don’t want to come across as arrogant (“my work is groundbreaking”), nor do you want to undersell the impact of your work. So, it’s important to strike the right balance between realistic and pessimistic .

This question also opens the door to questions about potential future research . So, think about what future research opportunities your study has created and which of these you feel are of the highest priority.

#13: If you could redo your research, how would you alter your approach?

This question is often used to wrap up a viva voce as it brings the discussion full circle.

Here, your committee is again assessing your ability to clearly identify and articulate the limitations and shortcomings of your research, both in terms of research design and topic focus . Perhaps, in hindsight, it would have been better to use a different analysis method or data set. Perhaps the research questions should have leaned in a slightly different direction. And so on.

This question intends to assess whether you’re able to look at your work critically , assess where the weaknesses are and make recommendations for the future . This question often sets apart those who did the research purely because it was required, from those that genuinely engaged with their research. So, don’t hold back here – reflect on your entire research journey ask yourself how you’d do things differently if you were starting with a  blank canvas today.

Recap: The 13 Key Dissertation Defense Questions

To recap, here are the 13 questions you need to be ready for to ace your dissertation or thesis oral defense:

As I mentioned, this list of dissertation defense questions is certainly not exhaustive – don’t assume that we’ve covered every possible question here. However, these questions are quite likely to come up in some shape or form in a typical dissertation or thesis defense, whether it’s for a Master’s degree, PhD or any other research degree. So, you should take the time to make sure you can answer them well.

If you need assistance preparing for your dissertation defense or viva voce, get in touch with us to discuss 1-on-1 coaching. We can critically review your research and identify potential issues and responses, as well as undertake a mock oral defense to prepare you for the pressures and stresses on the day.

Psst... there’s more!

This post was based on one of our popular Research Bootcamps . If you're working on a research project, you'll definitely want to check this out ...

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12 Comments

Very interesting

Interesting. I appreciate!

Really appreciating

My field is International Trade

Interesting

This is a full course on defence. I was fabulously enlightened and I gained enough confidence for my upcoming Masters Defence.

There are many lessons to learn and the simplicity in presentationmakes thee reader say “YesI can”

This is so helping… it has Enlightened me on how to answer specific questions. I pray to make it through for my upcoming defense

Lovely to hear that 🙂

Really educative and beneficial

Interesting. On-point and elaborate. And comforting too! Thanks.

Thank you very much for the enlightening me, be blessed

Thankyou so much. I am planning to defend my thesis soon and I found this very useful

Very interesting and useful to all masters and PhD students

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How to prepare for your viva: 8 useful tips

Agata frymus.

21 June 2018

1: Read your thesis

No matter how many times you have done it before, reading your thesis a week or two before the viva is always a good idea. Although I have proofread my thesis several times before the submission, this time my focus shifted : rather than looking for spelling mistakes, typos and missing references, I concentrated on the quality of my argument. What are the research questions posed in each chapter? What are the main findings? And, most importantly, how could this work be improved?

To make sure I actively engaged with the ideas developed by the thesis, I highlighted some parts of the texts and made notes. I also produced a rather short document in which I summarised each of my eight chapters (as well as the introduction and conclusion) according to the following criteria:

• Key arguments and findings
• Methodology and scholarship used

Thinking about my work in those fairly broad terms helped me to understand how to explain it to those who might not be familiar with the specificity of my subject. Additionally, it enabled me to reflect on the potential shortcomings of the research I conducted, which proved instructive during the viva discussion. Although this might sound like a laborious process, let me assure you that it was not. I have spent about a week (if not less) reading the thesis and making notes, and it wasn’t even the only thing I was occupied by (which brings me to my next point).

Part of the table/ document I produced as I was re-reading my thesis

2: Don’t over prepare 

How long is one supposed to spend on viva preparation? Given the importance of the examination, you might be tempted to think that the longer the better, right? Well…not exactly. After all, everyone I talked to (see point 4) admitted they regretted spending too much time on the prep. Even though I have heard stories of PhDs devoting a month – or more –  solely to viva-related study, I decided to be sensible and spend no longer than two weeks on preparations. Two weeks in which my mind won’t be occupied by anything else but the viva. When I shared my plan with my supervisor, he deemed it extravagant. ‘How long do you need to read something?’, he asked, and I’m glad he did. The thing is, as a PhD student you have spent at least three years researching your topic. At this point, you are the expert in your chosen field; it is probably fair to assume that you do not need weeks and weeks of additional study. You have already done the groundwork. Be confident in your knowledge.

3: Think about the potential questions

One of the best things you can do to maximize your chances of a confident viva performance is to consider the potential viva questions and the way in which you could approach them. There are plenty of websites that provide you with sample discussion points that are likely to be raised by your examiners and most of them are broad enough to be applicable to your thesis, regardless of the specificity of your topic. I used these and these as starting points. Considering the questions in advance will add to your confidence as you will be less likely to be taken by surprise. If you do, however, end up being mildly shocked by the question asked by the examiner, do not panic. It is perfectly fine to take some time to gather your thoughts, or even write main points down on a piece of paper if the question is more complex.

Some of the questions I have been asked at the beginning of my viva included:

• Why have you chosen these particular stars as your case studies? What sparked your interest in them?
• How did you go about conducting your research?
• What are the differences between researching print copies of fan magazines and the online/ digitised versions?

Most of the questions, however, related to specific paragraphs and passages from my thesis. The worksheet I produced as part of the prep process (see point 1), enabled me to anticipate criticism and answer such questions without feeling like I’m losing my ground.

You don’t necessarily need to write your answers down either: one of my friends told me they went on long walks during which their pondered the potential discussion points and subsequent responses.

4: Talk to people who have passed their viva

The views expressed by those who have successfully passed their viva seemed to share a similar tone: it’s nothing to worry about, it’s nowhere as scary as you think it will be, it will be fine, and so on. This, in itself, is quite reassuring. Talking to friends and colleagues about their experiences , however, might give you some interesting insights too. I really dreaded questions relating to the critical choices I made in the process of compiling my thesis: why have I chosen this star/ fan magazine, and not a different one? How should I explain something that was, in many respects, not only an analytical, but also a personal choice? What I understood as a result of those conversations was that simple, honest answers (‘these specific fan magazines are easily available in the digital form and are searchable’/ ‘Pola Negri has something of a cult status in Poland, where I come from’) are often the best ones.

5: Arrange a mock viva

It’s a truism, I know, but confidence is key. Even if you have conducted high quality research, your points will not come across particularly strong if you mumble or are not able to express yourself clearly. Before presenting any paper or a lecture I always, always make sure I practice my presentation in front of friends, family members or anyone who is willing to listen. This gives me a better understanding of how I will behave under pressure , because a certain amount of stress is always there, no matter if I present in front of my boyfriend or an academic audience of 30.

Therefore, I think it is crucial to run a mock viva as part of one’s preparation. It will not always increase your confidence at the actual thing, but it will also give you some useful feedback regarding your answers and performance. For example, my mock viva – which I organised with a fellow PhD student and my supervisor as examiners – made me realise that I need to be more explicit when talking about my methodology, starting with more general terms. Although I have explained the importance of post-colonialism, critical race studies and feminism in structuring my approach, I failed to mention gender and film studies, which are much broader and probably more important categories. Secondly, the feedback I received as the result of this exercise boosted my confidence. Despite the fact my heart was racing/ my hands were shaking/ I felt very anxious, neither of my mock examiners noticed any of it. At the end, the mock examination turned out to be much more stressful than the real one!

Alternatively, you can arrange a mock viva with friends, or even video record your answers on your phone. Whilst watching yourself might sound painful, it could show you that you never come across as bad as you think you do. It’s scientifically proven.

6: Know your examiners

I find interviews/ examinations/ any form of discussion less threatening if I have met the person doing the questioning. This might not work as effectively for everyone, but somehow meeting one of the examiners in person beforehand – even if that meant simply knowing their tone of voice and general demeanour – made me feel much more confident in myself. If you feel the same way, I would suggest you try to meet your examiners in an informal setting. They will probably be fine with a coffee sometime before the viva, as long as you explain your reasoning and stay away from discussing your PhD and the viva itself.

My viva took place on Tuesday. I spent the last couple of days leading too it doing absolutely nothing in terms of preparation, assuming, rather correctly, that it will achieve little more than stress me out.  I went to see a friend over the weekend (we made vegan burritos) and stayed at another friends’ house the night before, watching First Dates. I know that people deal with stress differently, but for me, preparing earlier and then taking my mind off the viva was the best thing I could do. Have a bath/ go on a hike/ exercise the night before; whatever works.

Source: phdcomics.com

8: And finally… Enjoy it!

The viva is a rare opportunity to discuss your research with two people who not only have read your thesis in its entirety, but who are also likely to be specialists in your field . Make the most of the opportunity it offers, and enjoy yourself as you do; after all, you produced a valuable piece of work and there is no reason why you should not feel happy about it.

Agata Frymus  is a Marie Skłodowska Curie post-doctoral fellow at University of Ghent, Belgium, where she works on black cinemagoing in the 1920s and 1930s.​  Her main research interests include silent film, classical Hollywood and the history of gender and race representations in American culture. Agata’s work has been published in  Celebrity Studies Journal ,  Early Popular Visual Culture   and the ​ Historical Journal of  Radio, Film and Television .

Disclaimer: The IAMHIST Blog is a platform that offers individual scholars the opportunity to present their work and thoughts. They alone are responsible for the content, which does not represent the view of the IAMHIST council or other IAMHIST members.

What a timely email to land in my in-box: mine is on the 4th July!

Remember that your examiners will be wanting you to showcase your research in best possible light. Remember that you are the world’s expert in your thesis topic, and that the viva is a rare–maybe a once-in-a-lifetime–opportunity to discuss your work in the greatest depth with experts whom you respect. Remember that you have lived with and love your topic and will naturally be enthusiastic as well as highly knowledgeable about it.

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Viva examinations: guidance

This guidance explains the viva process, how to prepare, what will happen on the day and what the possible outcomes are.

This information is for postgraduate research students. It covers:

• before your viva
• preparing for your viva
• during your viva
• outcomes of the examination

Before your viva

Entry forms.

You must enter the exam via Portico about four months before you are ready to submit. You may not submit your thesis until you have entered for the examination and your examination may be delayed if you have not done this.  

Find out more about examination entry

Your supervisor is responsible for arranging the appointment of your examiners. This should be done at the same time as you complete your examination entry form, four months before you are due to submit your thesis. Examiners are appointed by UCL for their professional services as examiners with expert subject knowledge. A minimum of two examiners, one from outside UCL and (normally) one from UCL are appointed to co-examine all research degree candidates. The examiner nomination form can be found here .

Submit your thesis

Find out more about formatting, binding and submitting your thesis.

Collaborative research projects

If you are contributing to a collaborative research project you must include this information in the introduction to the thesis. You must clearly identify the demarcation between the research you are submitting for examination as an original contribution to knowledge and the work of your collaborators. 

Viva arrangements

Your supervisor (or nominee) will liaise with you and your examiners to arrange and confirm a mutually convenient time and place to hold the viva examination. The viva must not be arranged before the examiners are formally appointed by UCL. It may take place at UCL, or remotely. Your examiners should have your thesis at least six working weeks before the viva and you will receive an email once the thesis has been sent to the examiners. At this point, you will be able to record the viva via the ‘Research Student Administration’ section in Portico. A user guide is available with step-by-step instructions for submitting this information. Your viva should then take place within three months of the dispatch of the thesis to your examiners.

Download the viva notification user guide

Reasonable adjustments

If you or one of your examiners have a disability which UCL cannot accommodate, other reasonable arrangements can be made for the viva. You must make a request in writing when you complete the examination entry form to allow time for arrangements to be made. 

Preparing for your viva

We recommend that you re-read your thesis. Try to anticipate questions, comments and criticisms, and think how you would respond. Although you may not be able to anticipate actual questions to be asked by the examiners, this approach will encourage you to think actively about your work.   You should also refresh your memory of the relevant literature. Do not attempt to re-read every paper in the bibliography of your thesis; instead, re-read carefully some of the more recent key references. If you have left university after submitting your thesis you may be unaware of very recent work. Ask your supervisor a couple of weeks before the viva whether any work of direct relevance to your thesis has been published since you submitted your thesis.

You must not contact your examiners directly at any point leading up to the viva or afterwards.  All contact should be done by your supervisor or other relevant departmental staff member.  

A good way to prepare for your viva is to practice. Your supervisor should give you a mock viva, or arrange for this to be undertaken by a member of your upgrade panel.  

During your viva

A viva is an academic interview at which your examiners will be looking for an understanding of the subject matter of your thesis, an appreciation of its significance to established knowledge in the field, and an awareness of the breadth of the subject area. 

Your supervisor will be invited to attend your viva examination, unless you request otherwise; you must indicate this on your examination entry form. Your supervisor does not have the right to participate in the viva examination but may contribute if invited to do so by the examiners.  

The examiners will expect you to:

• show a critical analysis of your own work and of that of others
• appreciate the limitations of the methods employed and the results obtained by yourself and others
• understand how the broad conclusions of your thesis support, add to or conflict with previous work
• know the major concepts and recent developments in your subject

There is no formal procedure laid down for the conduct of the viva examination. Some examiners prefer to work through the thesis in the order in which it is written. Other examiners prefer to discuss topics. Very few examiners will perform a page by page criticism. You may be asked to prepare a presentation of your work in a suitable format.  

You are not expected to know your thesis by heart, but to refer to the appropriate page when the examiners wish to discuss a specific point. Please ensure that you bring to the viva examination a copy of your thesis paginated in the same way as the copies you have submitted to the Research Degree Examinations Office.

You should not simply answer 'yes' or 'no' to questions nor give a prepared exposition. Try to answer the question as it is put, remembering that you are engaged in an academic conversation.

Be prepared to justify your ideas and conclusions. If the examiners challenge your interpretation but you feel that your case is a good one, muster your arguments and be willing to present your case firmly but courteously. However, if the examiners have identified a genuine weakness, concede the point gracefully. Even if you feel the examiners are unreasonably critical do not become argumentative or allow the discussion to become heated. You can agree to differ and to reconsider the point. All participants in the viva must abide by UCL's Bullying and Harassment Policy . If you make any comments to your examiners which put them under moral pressure, for example alluding to what will happen if they fail you, or if you offer any incentive to your examiners to pass you, they must terminate the examination and report to the Chair of the Research Degrees Committee via Research Degrees in Student and Registry Services.

Outcome of the examination

The following are the three most often received results and the subsequent procedures.

We will email you with reports from your examiners, copied to your supervisor, instructing you to submit the following documents:

• the electronic copy of your thesis 
• thesis deposit agreement form (uploaded with the e-thesis)

We will award your degree once you have met the academic conditions, the Library have confirmed receipt of your e-thesis and the Deposit Agreement form, and you have cleared any outstanding fees. 

The electronic copy of your thesis and thesis deposit agreement form should be deposited to the Library via UCL's Research Publications Service. Please make sure that you remove, or blank out, all personal identifiers such as signatures, addresses and telephone numbers from the e-thesis. Any photographs that you have taken should not show identifiable individuals without their permission and any you have taken of children should mask their faces. If you have any queries regarding this aspect of the process, please contact the Library directly.

UCL no longer requires a printed copy of your final thesis. If you do wish to deposit a hard copy you can do so by sending it directly to the Cataloguing & Metadata department of Library Services by post, or in person at the Main Library help desk.  You will find more information about the process on the existing webpage for e-thesis submission. 

Find out more about depositing an electronic and printed copy of your thesis

Once you have submitted these, we will send an email containing the confirmation of award and your reports to your email address you have recorded on Portico. The degree certificate will follow approximately four months after the official award date.

In the case of an examination for specialist doctorates (including the EngD, EdD and MPhilStud), the award of the degree is also conditional upon students passing all taught elements of their programme of study. The modules should be entered on to Portico by the Department and confirmation these elements have been completed will be passed from the Examinations Department to Research Degrees.

Minor corrections

This is by far the most common result received from the examiners. 

We will email you with reports from your examiners, copied to your supervisor and Faculty Graduate Tutor. The deadline to submit your corrections officially starts from the date of this email, which will also indicate the name of the person designated to check your corrections. This deadline is for you to submit the corrections to the designated checker, and not to submit the final copy of your thesis.

Your examiners may have returned an annotated copy of your thesis to you and therefore you may already be aware of the work required. The designated checker should inform you of the format he/she expects to receive the corrections, although normally this will be in electronic format.

The designated checker should confirm the outcome of the examination within one month of receipt of the minor corrections to the thesis. This is usually done by sending an email directly to Research Degrees.

Once this has been received we will follow the procedure for a pass result.

Resubmission in a revised form

We will email you with reports from your examiners, copied to your supervisor, Departmental Graduate Tutor and Faculty Graduate Tutor. The 12 or 18 month deadline officially starts from the date of this email.

Unlike the outcome for minor corrections, where one person checks the amendments, the resubmission requires you to re-enter for the examination and submit two copies of your thesis for forwarding to the examiners. 

Your examiners may have returned an annotated copy of your thesis to you and therefore you may already be aware of the work required. 

Once you have completed the corrections, you will need to:

• submit a new exam entry form to Research Degrees at least two weeks prior to the expected submission of the thesis
• submit an electronic copy of your thesis to Research Degrees via the UCL Dropbox.  

Find out more about formatting, binding and submitting your thesis. Your supervisor will be emailed to confirm that the examiners are still willing to act and provide their current contact details. This is to avoid the thesis from being sent out incorrectly. We will then send an email to your supervisor and examiners reconfirming their appointment and send the thesis to them via the UCL Dropbox.

If the examiners have requested a second viva, your supervisor will arrange this. In these circumstances, the procedure will follow that of a typical research degree examination.

If a further viva is not required, your examiners are only required to submit a joint report. They cannot award another 18 month resubmission, but can allow minor corrections.

Once the reports are received we will follow the procedure for either the pass or minor corrections result.

Other results

If the result falls outside the above descriptions, we will email you detailing the procedure you will need to follow.

Related content

• Research degrees: examination entry
• Format, bind and submit your thesis
• Doctoral school

How Do I Prepare for a Successful Defence?

Vivas and Presentations

• First Online: 19 October 2023

Cite this chapter

• Sue Reeves   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3017-0559 3 &
• Bartek Buczkowski   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4146-3664 4  

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Once you have submitted your dissertation, you may be asked to do a defence of your dissertation. This could be in the form of an oral presentation, a poster presentation of your findings, or you could be invited to a viva voce. Vivas, as they are usually known, are particularly common for research degrees such as MPhils or PhDs and are essentially a verbal defence of your thesis that is conducted in an interview style format. At a minimum, the viva is a way of checking you authored the thesis yourself and understand the detail, but it is also an opportunity to discuss your research findings and interpretations in depth with experts. Preparation is key for defending your thesis in a viva or a presentation format. With a bit of groundwork, you could even enjoy the discussion, after all the thesis is the culmination of all your hard work, and no one knows it better than you.

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Ratcliffe R (2015) How to survive a PhD viva: 17 top tips. https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2015/jan/08/how-to-survive-a-phd-viva-17-top-tips. Accessed 3 Mar 2023

Further Reading

Levin P, Topping G (2006) Perfect presentations. Open University Press

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Smith P (2014) The PhD viva: how to prepare for your oral examination. Macmillan, New York

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Reeves, S., Buczkowski, B. (2023). How Do I Prepare for a Successful Defence?. In: Mastering Your Dissertation. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41911-9_14

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The Oral Examination (viva) - Doctoral degrees, MSc and MLitt

If you have not been advised of the date for your viva within six weeks of submitting your thesis, you should contact your Degree Committee.

Location of the viva

The viva will normally take place in-person in Cambridge, but you may choose to be examined remotely by video conference. You should inform your Degree Committee of your preference when you notify them of your intention to submit/apply for appointment of examiners. Please also make your supervisor aware of your preference as it may affect the choice of available examiners.

Arrangements where you and one examiner are co-located in Cambridge, with the second examiner participating by video conference, where both examiners are co-located and you participate by video conference, or where you and the examiners are all in separate locations, are permissible provided all parties agree.

In-person oral examination:  In-person examinations may be delayed depending on the availability of the examiners as travel time will need to be factored in. Students who are overseas and returning to Cambridge for their viva should contact the International Student Office for visa advice if their student visa has expired or will be expiring soon.

Video conference oral examination: A guide to conducting vivas by video conference can be found here .

The choice of in-person or video conference viva does not constitute procedural irregularity grounds for complaint should you fail the examination.

Adjustments to the oral examination on the grounds of disability

If you wish to notify examiners of a disability or request adjustments on account of a disability for your viva (either your first year assessment or final examination), you can do this via your Degree Committee by completing and submitting the voluntary disclosure form . It is recommended you do this at least four weeks before your expected date of examination to allow time for appropriate recommendations and adjustments to be made. 

Once you have submitted the form, your Degree Committee will contact the University’s Accessibility and Disability Resource Centre (ADRC) who will advise the Degree Committee on the appropriate course of action. You may be contacted by the ADRC if additional information is required or to provide you with an offer of additional support.

The information provided on the voluntary disclosure form will be kept confidential and will not be used for any other purpose.

If you already have a Student Support Document (SSD) that includes recommendations for adjustments to the viva , and you have given permission for the SSD to be shared with the Degree Committee, you do not have to complete the voluntary disclosure form but may do so if you wish.

What happens at the viva?

• The viva will normally take place in Cambridge, although some may take place via video-conference (please see above)
• It is carried out between yourself and the two examiners and is conducted in English
• It may include an Independent Chairperson if the Degree Committee requires this
• There is no set duration, but a viva will normally last between 90 minutes and three hours
• You may be required to do a presentation - please check with your Department whether this is the case. If you are required to give a presentation, you should be informed at least two weeks in advance of the viva
• The viva cannot be recorded
• Your supervisor cannot attend the viva

Your Department should advise on any department-specific conventions or procedures.

Purpose of the viva

The viva gives the opportunity for:

• you to defend your thesis and clarify any matters raised by your examiners
• the examiners to probe your knowledge in the field
• the examiners to assure themselves that the work presented is your own and to clarify matters of any collaboration
• the examiners to come to a definite conclusion about the outcome of the examination

Possible outcomes of the viva

The possible outcomes are:

• Conditional approval - pass without correction (but for doctoral degrees subject to submission of hardbound and electronic copies of the thesis ); or pass, subject to minor or major corrections 
• Revision and resubmission of the work for a fresh examination
• Revision and resubmission of the work for a fresh examination or acceptance of the MSc/MLitt without further examination (but possibly subject to corrections)
• Not to be allowed to revise the thesis, but offered the MSc/MLitt without further revision or examination (but possibly subject to corrections)
• Outright failure

Notification of the result of the viva

Your examiners are asked not to give any direct indication of the likely outcome of the examination as the official result can be confirmed only by Student Registry on behalf of the Postgraduate Committee. Following your Degree Committee's meeting they will forward their decision to the Student Registry who will email your reports to you, copying in your Supervisor.

Process following the viva

Information about the process following your viva can be found here.

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Grant Golub

April 14th, 2021, looking ahead to the phd upgrade viva.

0 comments | 1 shares

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

With the spring now in full bloom, it’s time to start thinking ahead to the Summer Term. For undergraduates and postgraduate students, that means thinking about final essays, exams, and dissertations. If you’re a first year PhD candidate, it signifies the approaching PhD upgrade viva, the most important milestone in the early part of the PhD process. Now in my second year of the PhD, I’ve had a lot of time and distance to think about my upgrade viva and how one should prepare for it. I want to share some of my thoughts with you if this is an experience on your horizon.

“The PhD upgrade viva is an oral examination at the end of your first year where you must defend your proposed dissertation and the upgrade portfolio you submit in the Summer Term.”

The upgrade viva can definitely be a scary or nerve-racking prospect. I think that started dawning on me several weeks before mine in early June 2020. We had already spent weeks in isolation due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which cast a stressful overhang to everything I was doing last spring. While that hasn’t really changed a year later, the novelty of the coronavirus was still fresh then, and the uncertainty extremely high. The pandemic increased my concerns about the viva, no doubt about it.

Yet, although I thought I was doing a lot to prepare for it, I now realize I could have done a lot more. I think that stems in part from my miscalibrated expectations on what was awaiting me, but I also think I should have been thinking my project through more and making sure I was more than well-prepared to defend it to my examiners, two professors in my department. I think what makes the upgrade viva experience unique to everyone is that they can focus on very different things, depending on the student, which I only realized after talking to other members of my PhD cohort about what they went through. In hindsight, that makes sense, but at the time, I expected some more uniformity in the process. That’s not good or bad one way or the other, it’s just the way it is. I think having that expectation is important heading into that meeting.

I also think it’s vital to spend time thinking through the anticipated critiques of your project and work, and coming up with responses to those assessments. I did this to some degree, but I believe I would have been better prepared if I had spent more time doing this. Your supervisor will be crucial here, and I would devote real time to thinking this through with them. Your supervisor is a valuable resource, and you should use them whenever you can. Their knowledge and experience are only going to help you.

The PhD upgrade viva can be stressful, but it’s also a chance for you to shine, and show what you’ve accomplished during your first year. It’s a chance to talk about your research at length, and you shouldn’t pass up that opportunity to show why your PhD matters and why you’re passionate about it. So spend time preparing for it, but also view it as an opportunity to shine and demonstrate why this project needs to be completed. It’s an invaluable chance, so go and seize the day!

About the author

My name is Grant Golub and I'm a PhD candidate in the Department of International History at LSE. My research focuses on US foreign relations and grand strategy, diplomatic history, and Anglo-American relations.

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How to structure your viva presentation (with examples)

Most PhD vivas and PhD defences start with a short presentation by the candidate. The structure of these presentations is very important! There are several factors and approaches to consider when developing your viva presentation structure.

Factors to consider when developing a viva presentation structure

A PhD viva or PhD defence is often one of the last steps that PhD students have to pass before receiving a doctorate. The viva or defence usually starts with a short presentation of the PhD candidate on the PhD thesis.

It is simply impossible to include everything in a viva presentation.

Therefore, tough choices have to be made in terms of what to include, what to highlight, and what to exclude.

Structuring your viva presentation traditionally

A very traditional viva presentation structure simply follows the structure of the PhD thesis.

Furthermore, it can result in a presentation that is quite boring for the examiners, who have read the thesis in preparation for the viva.

Structuring your viva presentation around key findings

A challenge of this structure, however, is to narrow down the presentation to a handful of key findings.

Structuring your viva presentation around key arguments

So, for example, your key argument 1 is your stance on an issue, combining your theoretical and empirical understanding of it. You use the existing theory to understand your empirical data, and your empirical data analysis to develop your theoretical understanding.

Structuring your viva presentation around case studies

This structure is only applicable when the PhD thesis includes a comparative (case study) analysis, which is quite common in the social sciences and humanities.

Final thoughts on viva presentation structures

Every PhD thesis is unique, and therefore also every viva presentation structure should be unique.

The key to a good viva presentation is to choose a structure which reflects the key points of your PhD thesis that you want to convey to the examiners.

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Ace Your Viva Presentation: Tips and Tricks

The thought of an oral presentation can be a huge source of stress and anxiety for many students, while some just blossom in such situations. If you’re one of the former, though, don’t panic. With decent preparation and practice, you too can successfully master your viva presentation.

But first: what is a viva presentation?

Viva voce is a Latin phrase most often translated as “by word of mouth.”  In academic circles, a viva presentation is an oral exam in which you defend your thesis.

After the thesis is defended, it’s discussed by a small panel. Among those present are the examining professors, but there may also be research assistants, members of the relevant department or even fellow students.

The purpose of this defense is to show examiners how knowledgeable you are on your research topic, that you have internalized what you have learned and know how to apply it.  In effect, it shows that you are well prepared to enter into academic discussion.

In principle, the viva presentation won’t make an entire grade’s difference, but it can tip the proverbial scale in your favor. It does offer some major advantages: You can clear up any ambiguities, assuage any doubts your examiners may have, and show that your stand by your research.

Preparation is key

After months or even years of hard work, the thesis is finished, the last formatting mistakes corrected, the bibliography painstakingly checked one last time and hooray, it’s finished! Time to celebrate! And then you get an invitation to the viva …

So, the wine bottle is re-corked and it’s back to the desk. But the good news is: you’ve actually already done most of the preparation. That’s what all the in-depth research you did to create your thesis was. You’re already an expert on your topic, so now you just need to explain it to your examiners clearly and calmly. That’s why it doesn’t make sense to start preparing for your viva before your thesis is finished and you’ve answered all your own questions.

Your supervisor should already know what to expect and the purpose of the viva is to present your results. Some people just hand in their thesis with huge relief and then put the whole thing out of their mind for a while.

This isn’t necessarily a problem but when the viva presentation is due, you really need to give yourself time to familiarize yourself with the topic again. Re-read your thesis a few times to get your results and methods fresh in your mind and you’ve already done much of the prep work for your viva.

Organizational details

You need to check the examination regulations of your institution to find out what will be required of you during your viva presentation. How long should the presentation last? Who will be present? How will the discussion group be structured at the end? Studies have shown that anxiety is significantly lessened if you know exactly what to expect. Don’t ignore these details.

Make sure you have the right power supply for the projector and whether your slide format is compatible with the projector. An article on slide formats and the difference between 4:3 and 16:9 can be found here .

Know how long your presentation should be. This often depends on what type of work you’re presenting. Be sure to keep this in mind as you create your slides.

Also, think about whether or not you want to provide a handout. Even if it isn’t explicitly required, examiners will often use a handout as a guide when asking their questions, allowing you to better control the discussion that follows.

You can find helpful tips on handouts here .

Lastly, think about what you’re going to wear for your viva presentation. If you’re not sure, take a cue from your examiners. If they wear a suit or dress to other viva presentations, it’s safe to assume that the dress code for your viva will be on the formal side. It’s important to look neat and tidy, but you should also feel comfortable. The wrong shoes or clothing that is too tight can negatively impact the way you present. You can find more helpful tips on clothing here .

Technical details

The most popular tool for giving a viva presentation is PowerPoint. On the day of your presentation, get there early to make sure your devices are working. It also helps to be familiar with PowerPoint’s features, such as Presenter View. This fantastic tool will help you stay on track during your viva presentation. For more information on Presenter View, click here .

In general, the rule for viva presentations is: Keep It Simple . This is a defense of your academic research and your slides should express that. Keep it classic and factual. Use a uniform font and a neutral, preferably white, background. You can use backgrounds from PresentationLoad:

In principle, you should use as little text and as few key points as possible, but it’s also essential to document your research accurately. Room for interpretation can be very dangerous here.

Naturally, it depends on the preferences of the examiners, but a little more text than in normal presentations is definitely allowed. If the nature of your work allows, graphics, photos or flowcharts are a good way to offer some variety and to clearly present complex issues.

How to structure a successful viva presentation

Like your thesis, your viva PowerPoint presentation should follow a certain structure. It is advisable to follow the structure of your thesis. After all, you have already given it a lot of thought and made sure that everything is in a logical context.

This way you can save yourself additional work. But remember – the presentation is not about retelling your thesis word for word. Just give the most important and interesting aspects.

Follow these points to create a solid structure for any viva presentation:

1) Relevance

Your thesis dealt in depth with a particular question, a specific aspect of research. In the first part of your viva PowerPoint presentation you introduce it and explain why it is relevant. What is the benefit for academic understanding, the general public, a specific avenue? Why this question in particular?

This allows you to show your audience why you chose your topic and why they should pay attention to what you have to say. All this needs to be supported by a professional introduction. You can find tips on how to do this here .

2) Background

This is where you set out the background of your research question in more detail, i.e. the most important theories and approaches that already exist on the topic, or which prompted your question. This helps your listeners prepare for any complex interrelationships, and clarifies the basis on which you have built your work.

In this part you set out how you approached your work. Was your research qualitative or quantitative? Did you conduct interviews, analyze data, evaluate a particular body of literature? This is your chance to show your examiners how carefully you worked and explain why you chose this particular method.

4) Findings

Now to present the results of your research. Were there any surprises? If so, how did you deal with them? Are the results consistent, where did you encounter difficulties, and how did you solve them? Use this section to talk about your research in a transparent and honest way. It’s an opportunity to show that you have dealt with the topic seriously and in depth, rather than just choosing the easiest way.

5) Conclusion

At the end, summarize your work clearly and concisely, and answer the research question posed at the beginning. You can also express your personal opinion as to whether you have achieved the result you expected or whether your research has come to a surprising conclusion.

Finally, you will need a well-rounded conclusion to your viva presentation. You can read tips for the perfect presentation ending here .

Whether you have to present your sources at the end of your viva is something to discuss with your supervisor or read up in the regulations. If in doubt, however, it’s better to be on the safe side with a list of sources.

Viva presentation: example

Since every viva is different, there is no one example of a great PowerPoint viva presentation. In our blog you will find numerous examples of how a well-structured and appealing PowerPoint presentation can look. For example, here . These should serve as a guide; it’s important to adapt the presentation to your personal requirements and your audience.

Make sure your narrative is clear and consistent throughout your presentation (as it was in your thesis).  It might be a good idea to ask your supervisor to show you good viva presentation example from previous years or to give you tips on where you should focus your attention.

General tips for a successful presentation

Almost there! You’ve created and double-checked your PowerPoint viva presentation and you’re feeling confident about your research work. For many people, though, creating the content is the easy bit; it’s the thought of speaking in front of others that terrifies them. It’s just a fact that in order to defend a thesis, you first have to be attacked .

1. Be prepared for critical questions and comments. Think through what possible aspects of your work might attract criticism, and prepare your rebuttals in advance. It helps to let friends or family read your work and ask questions.

2. The same friends and family can be amazingly useful as a practice audience. Deliver your presentation a few times in front of others and in a relaxed environment. This will help you feel more confident when it comes time for your viva presentation. Your trial audience may discover inconsistencies you’d missed, and can often provide valuable feedback on how your slides look, your speaking style or your body language.

3. Body language is very important when you’re giving your presentation; it can affect your persuasiveness. Stand upright (or sit if you need to). A small amount of movement can emphasize your engagement with the subject, but try not to look restless.  Getting your words across means you mustn’t turn your face away from the audience. Small gestures can underline your words, but too much fidgeting will look like nerves. 

Practising giving your presentation will soon get your body language expressing ease and confidence. To learn how to best prepare for a presentation, read our blog article on the right body language

4. Many people tend to speak far too quickly in presentations, probably to get the whole thing over as quickly as possible. While this is understandable, it means the audience misses half your words! Try to breathe calmly and speak evenly.

Time can seem to speed up when you’re in a stressful situation, so speak more slowly than you think right. And taking a proper breath in between phrases will help ground you.  You can find tips on how to prepare your speaking voice for your viva presentation in this blog post .

Your test audience can give you very good feedback here. When you practice your presentation, use a stopwatch to make sure that you stay within the given limits. Once you know that you won’t overrun even when speaking calmly, you can avoid the temptation to rush during the official presentation.

5. Pro tip: Do you have to give your viva presentation online? If so, some things will of course be different, starting with what program you use to stream your presentation. You can find out what options you have in this blog post . Click here to read more about what to pay attention to when giving an online presentation.

While knowing what you want to say is important, DON’T try to learn your entire presentation by heart. Even if you somehow did manage to, it would end up sounding artificial and you could be easily thrown off track if you miss a word or someone interrupts with a question. The best strategy is to memorize a few key points and speak freely.

Take a deep breath before you start and remember that you have no reason to be nervous. Nobody knows your work as well as you do; you’ve done all the research and can consider yourself an expert on your topic.

And if a mistake does happen, here are some tips on how to react to it with confidence.

If the examiners seem receptive to it, a little small talk before you start can help you to relax. And once you start, remember that you’ve practiced hard and are well prepared to give an impressive viva presentation. Good luck!

Any questions about this article or need help creating a viva presentation? Feel free to contact us at [email protected] for tips. We’d love to help.

We’ve already shared a lot of links with tips on how to improve your presentation . Here are some more that may interest you:

• PowerPoint animations
• PowerPoint Morph
• Humor in presentations
• Add images to your presentation with an app
• PowerPoint slide master
• The right presentation background
• How to create flowcharts

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A viva - more properly a viva voce examination - is a form of examination where you have to defend your work verbally in front of at least two examiners. This form of examination is always used instead of the poster presentation for students who are resitting a failed project externally but very rarely for any other student. If a viva is necessary it will be timetabled for 30 minutes at a date before the end of term for undergraduates and the academic year for postgraduates and you will be warned several days in advance.   It is an examination and, for external resit students at least, failure to attend the viva without a compelling reason is an automatic fail. The viva will be formal. As well as your two markers, there may be a moderator (another member of staff) who will oversee the viva. The moderator will only see the introduction and conclusion chapters of your dissertation, so it is important that the introduction clearly sets the scene for the project and the conclusion presents all the main findings. At the viva, you will be expected to defend your work, state the main achievements, discuss shortcomings and respond to detailed questioning from the examiners. Often in vivas, the examiners ask you to begin by briefly describing your project and its main findings. If you are asked to do this, be brief. You are not required to do a formal presentation (e.g using an OHP or powerpoint). All you are doing is providing a short verbal overview of your work - you could note the main points of your work on cue cards in advance of the viva to help you do this. For the viva, you would probably be given a couple of minutes to briefly describe your project and its main findings before detailed questioning began. This tests your ability to summarise informatively. The viva should make clear that the work is your own, that you understand what you have done, can explain how the project was developed, can clearly explain why particular tools were used from amongst those available, can show that you have read widely, can accept the project's shortcomings and discuss its achievements and can show an understanding of how it could be improved or worked on in the future.   Last modified: Thu Apr 3 17:36:35 2014. Online ordering is currently unavailable due to technical issues. We apologise for any delays responding to customers while we resolve this. For further updates please visit our website: https://www.cambridge.org/news-and-insights/technical-incident We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings . Login Alert > Research in Medicine > Submitting a thesis and preparing for the viva voce examination Book contents Frontmatter 1 Introduction 2 Deciding whether to do research 3 Deciding when to do research 4 Selecting a research degree 5 Choosing a department, research supervisor and project 6 Applying for research positions and funding 7 Getting started 8 Overcoming frustration 9 Writing scientifically 10 Publishing a paper 11 Attending scientific meetings 12 Writing a thesis 13 Submitting a thesis and preparing for the viva voce examination Further reading Appendix: Information for research students wishing to study overseas 13 - Submitting a thesis and preparing for the viva voce examination Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 May 2010 Access options Save book to kindle. To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle . Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply. Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service . Submitting a thesis and preparing for the viva voce examination Juliet Usher-Smith , University of Cambridge , George Murrell , University of New South Wales, Sydney , Harold Ellis , University of London , Christopher Huang , University of Cambridge Book: Research in Medicine Online publication: 05 May 2010 Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511676116.014 Save book to Dropbox To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox . Save book to Google Drive To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive . Imperial College London Imperial College London Latest news. Plant-based UPFs linked with higher risk of cardiovascular disease EU climate policy: French manufacturers cut emissions by 43 million tonnes Imperial endorses Culture of Care plan to guide next 10 years of animal research Graduate School Imperial students Professional Development Courses for Doctoral Students Online learning resources Passing your Viva The Viva Process Passing the viva: beginning the viva process. The success guide for doctoral students explain that the viva is an opportunity for you to discuss your findings, as well as to demonstrate you have become an independent researcher:  “Your viva is a chance to show your in-depth knowledge of your subject area and discuss the important research findings that you have made - whether they are positive or negative. A doctoral degree is a training process. Your examiners are there to establish you have achieved this training and that the work contained in your thesis is your own. They want to see that during the course of your degree you have started to become an independent well-rounded researcher who is making a valuable contribution to the research community”.  There is more information on the  Progression and Feedback pages.  Expand the questions below to learn more.  Viva Process What is the viva process. During the viva you will discuss with examiners your research: why and how you developed it, what are the main and innovative findings, what is the impact of your research. The viva is an open book exam, you will have a copy of your thesis with you to use it during your discussion and refer to specific parts (College regulations, paragraph 6.6, p. 8: A candidate for the PhD or MPhil degree is required to bring to the viva voce examination a copy of their thesis paginated in the same way as the copies submitted electronically to the College). What paperwork needs to be completed for the viva to be arranged? You will need to complete the “Nomination of examiners and entry form” at least 4 months before the submission of your thesis, as explained in the Student records and data webpage:   You should aim to submit your examination entry forms at least four months before you would like to submit your thesis, or four months before your final submission deadline.  This means submitting your forms no later than 44 months after your start date if you are a full-time student, or 88 months after your start date if you are a part-time student.  As indicated in the Student records and data webpage:   Complete Section I and forward this form to your supervisor(s). Please ensure the form is completed fully by referring to the guidelines at bottom of the form.  Your supervisor will then complete Section II, including nominating two examiners for your viva examination following the Procedure for appointment of examiners for research degrees (PDF, 196 kb). Once your supervisor has completed Section II they should forward it to the Director of Postgraduate Studies for your Department for approval, and they will return it to us.  The examination entry has a life of 18 months, during which the thesis can be submitted for examination. After 18 months, the entry will be cancelled, and another entry form will need to be completed.  More information available on the  Examination Entry Forms  web page.  How are examiners chosen for the viva? Internal and external examiners are nominated in the section II of the “Nomination of examiners and entry form” (see question above).   As indicated in the Procedure for appointment of examiners for research degrees (paragraphs 4 and 5, pp. 1-2):  : The role of the   is essentially that of custodian of the College regulations and standards. Staff appointed as internal examiners for MPhil, PhD, EngD or MD(Res) examinations should fulfil the following criteria:   According to the same document, exclusion criteria are (paragraphs 7, 8, 9 and 15, p. 2-3):  There is more information available on the Procedure for Appointment of Examiners for Research Degrees (MPhil, PhD, MD(Res), EngD) document (PDF, 196 kb). Who arranges where the viva examination takes place? The viva is typically organised by your supervisor or a staff member of your department:  Once you have submitted your thesis, the Registry will ensure that copies are provided to your examiners, in advance of your viva examination.  Your supervisor, or another member of staff in your department/division, will be responsible for organising the viva and making all the necessary arrangements.  There is more information available on the Student records and data webpage – Vivas section . Should I prepare a presentation for the viva? A formal presentation with slides is not usually required. However, since one of the first questions might be “explain me in 5 minutes your research project”, you are suggested to prepare it (similar to an elevator pitch, with no slides). During this short presentation you can refer to a specific section of your thesis as support to your explanation.   You can practice your speech at the workshop provided by the Graduate School:  “Advanced presentations ”.   Can I request a break during the viva? Yes, breaks are allowed according to the College regulations (Appendix 4, paragraph 16, p. 9):  There are no set requirements about the conduct of viva voce examinations, nor about their duration, but they should be conducted in such a way that the candidate has adequate opportunity, encouragement and time to explain his/her research and to defend the thesis. It is recommended that, during a long viva voce examination, examiners should allow short break(s) at appropriate point(s) (see also paragraph 44).  What is the role of my supervisor during the viva? According to the College regulations (paragraph 8.1.8, p. 10):   The supervisor shall not be invited, unless the candidate indicates otherwise at the point of entry to the examination, to attend the viva voce examination of his/her PhD or MPhil candidate. If invited to attend as an observer, the supervisor does not have the right to participate in the examination of the candidate but may contribute if invited to do so by the examiners. Otherwise the viva voce examination shall be held in private. In exceptional circumstances and also in the early stages of a joint or collaborative degree the Provost may appoint an independent observer to attend a candidate’s viva.  What are the possible outcomes? Outcomes are defined in the College regulations (paragraphs 8.2.3, pp. 10-11). Appendix 4 (paragraphs 23 and 24, p. 4) contains a summary of it:   Paragraph 24: Examiners should not consider option (e) unless they have first considered and rejected as inapplicable the preceding options; and should not consider option (f) unless they have previously considered and rejected as inapplicable all the previous options (see also paragraphs 28 and 29).  ¹ The examiners may require the candidate to make specified minor amendments to their satisfaction within three months. The amendments required should be set out clearly, normally in writing, and normally be provided within two weeks of the viva voce examination. The examiners (or one of their number nominated by them) may arrange directly with the candidate for the amendments to be made. The examiners may, however, wish this to be arranged through the College Registry. In either case the examiners should complete the Report form (see paras 25 and 32) and return it, with the required enclosures, to the College Registry normally within two weeks of the oral.  What are the assessment criteria? Criteria are defined in the College regulations (paragraph 5.1, pp. 4-5):  How can I handle my nerves before and during the viva? The Success guide for Doctoral students contains tips to overcome stress and relax before and during the viva.  Before the viva:   Anticipate questions - Ask your supervisor to provide you with a list of questions that they would anticipate may be asked. Identify areas that you are uncertain about and discuss further with your supervisor if you have concerns about what you could be questioned on.  Mock viva to practice - You may find your supervisor or department will automatically organise a mock viva. If not, ask your supervisor if they will conduct a mock viva with you, perhaps including another member of the research team who is familiar with your research work and could ask you relevant questions.   You can have the opportunity to practice a mock viva during the Finish Up and Move On (FUMO) course , organised by the Graduate School.  Review your material - Make sure you have not missed anything along the way. If there is anything you are unsure of, make time to focus on that area again. Mark up key parts of your thesis. Remember you are allowed to take a copy of your thesis into the examination. You can refer to it if needed, such as when discussing key figures and tables in relation to the data that you have generated. Some time may have passed since you submitted your thesis, so make sure you are up to date with relevant publications published after your thesis submission. If you don't you may find that your examiners are more up to date on relevant published research findings than you.  Keep calm - When re-reading your thesis and revising for your viva do not let yourself get too stressed. Allow yourself plenty of time to prepare for the examination. Do not leave things until the last minute - especially not the night before the viva.   Allow yourself time to relax, eat properly, and sleep. You will function better in your viva if you are not tired, hungry and grumpy - and you'll make a better impression on your examiners (there is more information on the  Progression and Feedback page). During the viva, important things to remember are:   Just as when delivering any other presentation, remember to breathe, pause between sentences and engage with your examiners. Regular eye contact is key.  If you do not understand the question, ask the examiner to repeat it. If you do not know the answer to a question, just be honest and say so.  When answering questions, take a moment to think before you speak. That way you will ensure you give a detailed but concise answer and will avoid waffling in an unfocused manner (there is more information on the  Progression and Feedback page).  Imperial College London – Regulations for the award of the MPhil and the PhD Imperial College regulations - Appendix 4: Conduct of Viva Voce Examinations for Research Degrees and Related Matters Guidelines and Checklist for Examiners for MPhil and PhD degrees  Procedure for appointment of examiners for research degrees Student records and data – Examination information Success guide – Doctoral students  Get the Reddit app Got a question about going to uni in the UK? Want to find out more and speak to others about their course/uni? Not sure if you can eat something that's been loafing in your fridge for 3 weeks, and gone a dubious shade of purple-green? This is the place for you. If you want to post a survey for your dissertation, please make sure your post includes all information required by the rules linked in our wiki! Are Undergraduate Dissertation Viva's difficult? Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts Graduate Writing Welcome to the Purdue OWL This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use. Subsections This website exists as an ongoing collaborative experiment in digital publishing and information sharing. 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April 12–19, 2024 Public reception on Wednesday, April 17 from 6–8PM Green Hall Gallery & 32 Edgewood Gallery Featuring work by Joji Baratelli, Lily Campbell, Hannah Foley, Chiara Hardy, Eunice Kiang, Alexander Laurent Rubucalva, Olivia Marwell, Kaia Mladenova, Mikiala Ng, Elizabeth Olshanetsky, Tilman Phleger, Nathan Puletasi, Anthony Skinner, Talia Tax, Sarah Teng, Stephanie Wang, Maya Weldon-Lagrimas, Kaci Xie, Kaitlyn Greenwell, Eric Hurley Doddy, Seyma Kaya, Michael Wang (Hanjiang), and Alice Mao. Last edited by: Lindsey Mancini Edit access: Everybody Yale School of Art’s Spring 2024 receptions are open to the public. All visitors are encouraged to be fully vaccinated and boosted. Masks are also strongly recommended. During all other gallery hours, exhibitions are only open to the Yale Community (current ID holders) and their invited accompanied guests. Find all upcoming receptions on our public events calendar here > YALE COMMUNITY & INVITED, ACCOMPANIED GUESTS Spring 2024 Gallery Hours: * Monday-Friday: 11AM-6PM, Saturday + Sunday: Noon-4PM. Bahasa Indonesia Eastern Europe Moscow Oblast Elektrostal Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Altitude, Area, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna . Information Find all the information of Elektrostal or click on the section of your choice in the left menu. Update data Country Oblast Elektrostal Demography Information on the people and the population of Elektrostal. Elektrostal Population 157,409 inhabitants Elektrostal Population Density 3,179.3 /km² (8,234.4 /sq mi) Elektrostal Geography Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal . Elektrostal Geographical coordinates Latitude: , Longitude: 55° 48′ 0″ North, 38° 27′ 0″ East Elektrostal Area 4,951 hectares 49.51 km² (19.12 sq mi) Elektrostal Altitude 164 m (538 ft) Elektrostal Climate Humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification: Dfb) Elektrostal Distance Distance (in kilometers) between Elektrostal and the biggest cities of Russia. Elektrostal Map Locate simply the city of Elektrostal through the card, map and satellite image of the city. Elektrostal Nearby cities and villages Elektrostal Weather Weather forecast for the next coming days and current time of Elektrostal. Elektrostal Sunrise and sunset Find below the times of sunrise and sunset calculated 7 days to Elektrostal. Day Sunrise and sunset Twilight Nautical twilight Astronomical twilight 8 June 02:43 - 11:25 - 20:07 01:43 - 21:07 01:00 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:00 9 June 02:42 - 11:25 - 20:08 01:42 - 21:08 01:00 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:00 10 June 02:42 - 11:25 - 20:09 01:41 - 21:09 01:00 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:00 11 June 02:41 - 11:25 - 20:10 01:41 - 21:10 01:00 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:00 12 June 02:41 - 11:26 - 20:11 01:40 - 21:11 01:00 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:00 13 June 02:40 - 11:26 - 20:11 01:40 - 21:12 01:00 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:00 14 June 02:40 - 11:26 - 20:12 01:39 - 21:13 01:00 - 01:00 01:00 - 01:00 Elektrostal Hotel Our team has selected for you a list of hotel in Elektrostal classified by value for money. Book your hotel room at the best price. Located next to Noginskoye Highway in Electrostal, Apelsin Hotel offers comfortable rooms with free Wi-Fi. Free parking is available. The elegant rooms are air conditioned and feature a flat-screen satellite TV and fridge... from Located in the green area Yamskiye Woods, 5 km from Elektrostal city centre, this hotel features a sauna and a restaurant. It offers rooms with a kitchen... from Ekotel Bogorodsk Hotel is located in a picturesque park near Chernogolovsky Pond. It features an indoor swimming pool and a wellness centre. Free Wi-Fi and private parking are provided... from Surrounded by 420,000 m² of parkland and overlooking Kovershi Lake, this hotel outside Moscow offers spa and fitness facilities, and a private beach area with volleyball court and loungers... from Surrounded by green parklands, this hotel in the Moscow region features 2 restaurants, a bowling alley with bar, and several spa and fitness facilities. Moscow Ring Road is 17 km away... from Elektrostal Nearby Below is a list of activities and point of interest in Elektrostal and its surroundings. The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Saryg-Bulun (Tuva) << Previous page Pages:  379-406 In 1988, the Tuvan Archaeological Expedition (led by M. E. Kilunovskaya and V. A. Semenov) discovered a unique burial of the early Iron Age at Saryg-Bulun in Central Tuva. There are two burial mounds of the Aldy-Bel culture dated by 7th century BC. Within the barrows, which adjoined one another, forming a figure-of-eight, there were discovered 7 burials, from which a representative collection of artifacts was recovered. Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather headdress painted with red pigment and a coat, sewn from jerboa fur. The coat was belted with a leather belt with bronze ornaments and buckles. Besides that, a leather quiver with arrows with the shafts decorated with painted ornaments, fully preserved battle pick and a bow were buried in the coffin. Unexpectedly, the full-genomic analysis, showed that the individual was female. This fact opens a new aspect in the study of the social history of the Scythian society and perhaps brings us back to the myth of the Amazons, discussed by Herodotus. Of course, this discovery is unique in its preservation for the Scythian culture of Tuva and requires careful study and conservation. Keywords: Tuva, Early Iron Age, early Scythian period, Aldy-Bel culture, barrow, burial in the coffin, mummy, full genome sequencing, aDNA Information about authors: Marina Kilunovskaya (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Vladimir Semenov (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Candidate of Historical Sciences. Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail: [email protected] Varvara Busova  (Moscow, Russian Federation).  (Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). Institute for the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Dvortsovaya Emb., 18, Saint Petersburg, 191186, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Kharis Mustafin  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Technical Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Irina Alborova  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Candidate of Biological Sciences. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Alina Matzvai  (Moscow, Russian Federation). Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.  Institutsky Lane, 9, Dolgoprudny, 141701, Moscow Oblast, Russian Federation E-mail:  [email protected] Shopping Cart Items: 0 Cart Total: 0,00 € place your order Price pdf version student - 2,75 € individual - 3,00 € institutional - 7,00 € Copyright В© 1999-2022. Stratum Publishing House 329 IMAGES How to be prepared for Dissertation Viva Dissertation Viva (PDF) M.Ed. Dissertation Viva voce POSSIBLE QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS Undergraduate Dissertation Purchase A Dissertation Viva; Purchase A Dissertation Viva, Buy M.Ed. Thesis/Dissertation VIVA VIDEO Important viva questions from Dissertation//Thesis, MA English M.M.P. G. College Kalkankar M.A. Sem-4 Ancient History, Culture and Archaeology Dissertation Viva How to Survive a PhD VIVA 7 Steps Problem Statement Template! (𝙎𝙀𝑪𝙍𝑬𝙏!) M.Sc. Dissertation Viva #crsujind @Sukhikoth208 M.Ed. Thesis/Dissertation VIVA COMMENTS PDF Student guidance for the Undergraduate Research Project Viva Voce Viva voce is Latin for 'by word of mouth'. Additional benefits of the. viva voce. Those who are less confident with the written word to demonstrate their learning; Some instant feedback on your research and performance; You to pass on your learning to staff at the university; Practice in presenting your ideas; What is the purpose of an undergraduate viva for a dissertation? 2. There is no single purpose of the viva, but broadly speaking it tests a student's ability to act like a researcher. It is not easy to define what does "being a researcher" mean, but the list of skills required definitely includes such things as: understanding the importance of the problem and its place in a wide picture of research. The oral examination (viva voce) Viva dates should not be set before the student has submitted and/or the thesis has been sent out. A period of at least one month can be expected to elapse between the thesis being sent out and the oral examination; however, significant delays in the examination process can have a potentially adverse impact on students, especially overseas ... Preparing For A Viva Voce (Dissertation Defence) Preparing for your dissertation or thesis defense (also called a "viva voce") is a formidable task. All your hard work over the years leads you to this one point, and you'll need to defend yourself against some of the most experienced researchers you've encountered so far. It's natural to feel a little nervous. How to prepare for your viva: 8 useful tips Be confident in your knowledge. 3: Think about the potential questions. One of the best things you can do to maximize your chances of a confident viva performance is to consider the potential viva questions and the way in which you could approach them. There are plenty of websites that provide you with sample discussion points that are likely ... A guide to a successful viva Refresh your knowledge of year 2 undergraduate chemistry as well as complex mechanisms such as the Mitsunobu reaction. You want to avoid any situations where you've forgotten something ... your thesis after your viva. Don't be disheartened by this though - try to think of your viva as a step in producing the best thesis you possibly can ... Viva examinations: guidance A viva is an academic interview at which your examiners will be looking for an understanding of the subject matter of your thesis, an appreciation of its significance to established knowledge in the field, and an awareness of the breadth of the subject area. How Do I Prepare for a Successful Defence? An undergraduate viva could be 20-30 mins, but a PhD viva could be more variable and even up to 4 hours including breaks, depending on the subject area, and the subsequent discussions. ... before moving on to more detailed questions about the thesis. If the viva discussions are very long there could be a comfort break, and if you need a break ... PDF Preparing for the viva What is the viva? reflect Preparing for the viva - Undergraduate What is the viva? The viva is an oral examination in which internal and/or external examiners will ask you questions about work already completed. You will have the opportunity to talk about your work and present your ideas. The oral examination (viva) The viva cannot be recorded; Your supervisor cannot attend the viva; Your Department should advise on any department-specific conventions or procedures. Purpose of the viva. The viva gives the opportunity for: you to defend your thesis and clarify any matters raised by your examiners; the examiners to probe your knowledge in the field Looking Ahead to the PhD Upgrade Viva Looking Ahead to the PhD Upgrade Viva. Estimated reading time: 7 minutes. With the spring now in full bloom, it's time to start thinking ahead to the Summer Term. For undergraduates and postgraduate students, that means thinking about final essays, exams, and dissertations. If you're a first year PhD candidate, it signifies the approaching ... How to structure your viva presentation (with examples) A very traditional viva presentation structure simply follows the structure of the PhD thesis. This means that the viva presentation covers all parts of the thesis, including an introduction, the literature review, the methodology, results, conclusions, etcetera. Example of a traditional viva presentation structure. Ace Your Viva Presentation: Helpful Tips & Tricks! Follow these points to create a solid structure for any viva presentation: 1) Relevance. Your thesis dealt in depth with a particular question, a specific aspect of research. In the first part of your viva PowerPoint presentation you introduce it and explain why it is relevant. What is the benefit for academic understanding, the general public ... Dissertation project: Vivas Dissertation project: Vivas. A viva - more properly a viva voce examination - is a form of examination where you have to defend your work verbally in front of at least two examiners. This form of examination is always used instead of the poster presentation for students who are resitting a failed project externally but very rarely for any other ... Submitting a thesis and preparing for the viva voce examination 13 - Submitting a thesis and preparing for the viva voce examination. 13 - Submitting a thesis and preparing for the. viva voce. examination. Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 May 2010. Juliet Usher-Smith , George Murrell , Harold Ellis and. Christopher Huang. The Viva Process The viva is an open book exam, you will have a copy of your thesis with you to use it during your discussion and refer to specific parts (College regulations, paragraph 6.6, p. 8: A candidate for the PhD or MPhil degree is required to bring to the viva voce examination a copy of their thesis paginated in the same way as the copies submitted ... What to expect at undergraduate dissertation viva? : r/UniUK One of my module assignments was a 15 minute viva. It is essentially a q&a conversation. The more you know what your are talking about the better, also confidence is key. Hey So I have a viva coming up soon and I'm wondering how it would go, what to expect and what the examiners are looking for from me. Undergraduate VIVA The grade impact will vary from university to university and course to course. On my course, it was simply a case of passing or failing, and failing the viva would mean failing the course. Also on my course, people can also do double dissertation modules where it counts for 10%. Are Undergraduate Dissertation Viva's difficult? : r/UniUK The most difficult thing would be time management and answering any questions they may have for you. Assuming you have some sort of handbook/guide you can consult, there will be a section about vivas. Highly suggest you go through it because it will tell you how to prepare for it and what to expect. Assuming there's a time limit of let's say 30 ... Graduate Writing Thesis & Dissertation. Thesis & Dissertation Overview Thesis and Dissertation: Getting Started; Conducting a Personal IWE; Setting Goals & Staying Motivated Ways to Approach Revision; Genre Analysis & Reverse Outlining; Sentences: Types, Variety, Concision; Paragraph Organization & Flow; Punctuation; University Thesis and Dissertation Templates Office of Undergraduate Research For her senior thesis, Amélie Lemay worked with Ian Bourg, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and the High Meadows Environmental Institute. She developed complex simulations of how PFAS molecules, a critical class of environmental contaminants, move and interact at the interface of water and air (Photo by Sameer Khan).... Admission to MSEE & MSCOMPE Programs Admission to Classified Standing (Domestic): Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements: Bachelor's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering from an ABET accredited engineering program in the USA. A minimum grade point average of 2.85 (based on 4.0 scale) in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units of technical course work. Spring 2024 Undergraduate Thesis. Show. Exhibition identity by Shiyun Deng and Allison Yoon, Graphic Design MFAs '25. April 12-19, 2024. Public reception on Wednesday, April 17 from 6-8PM. Green Hall Gallery & 32 Edgewood Gallery. Featuring work by Joji Baratelli, Lily Campbell, Hannah Foley, Chiara Hardy, Eunice Kiang, Alexander Laurent Rubucalva, Olivia Marwell ... Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia Elektrostal Geography. Geographic Information regarding City of Elektrostal. Elektrostal Geographical coordinates. Latitude: 55.8, Longitude: 38.45. 55° 48′ 0″ North, 38° 27′ 0″ East. Elektrostal Area. 4,951 hectares. 49.51 km² (19.12 sq mi) Elektrostal Altitude. The Unique Burial of a Child of Early Scythian Time at the Cemetery of Burial 5 was the most unique, it was found in a coffin made of a larch trunk, with a tightly closed lid. Due to the preservative properties of larch and lack of air access, the coffin contained a well-preserved mummy of a child with an accompanying set of grave goods. The interred individual retained the skin on his face and had a leather ... Geographic coordinates of Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia Geographic coordinates of Elektrostal, Moscow Oblast, Russia in WGS 84 coordinate system which is a standard in cartography, geodesy, and navigation, including Global Positioning System (GPS). Latitude of Elektrostal, longitude of Elektrostal, elevation above sea level of Elektrostal. Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery and Museum Zvenigorod's most famous sight is the Savvino-Storozhevsky Monastery, which was founded in 1398 by the monk Savva from the Troitse-Sergieva Lavra, at the invitation and with the support of Prince Yury Dmitrievich of Zvenigorod. Savva was later canonised as St Sabbas (Savva) of Storozhev. The monastery late flourished under the reign of Tsar ... assignment essay homework paper phd report resume speech thesis