Application to Defend Dissertation or Thesis

Upon submission of your dissertation/thesis and application to defend, no further changes may be introduced to the dissertation or thesis until after the defense. Please also note that there are no defenses scheduled between June 15 and September 15, or during holidays or scheduled breaks, and so students should plan accordingly. External examiners (PhD and DPT) will not be contacted until the examination copy and application for defense have been received by the Registrar. A minimum of 2 months (for PhD and DPT) and 1 month (MDiv, MA) should be expected between the receipt of the examination copies by the Registrar and the date of the defense. However, the time may take longer depending upon circumstances. Defenses are usually about 2 hours in length and are normally scheduled at 10:00 am or 2:00 pm on Wednesday to Friday when classes are in session, and any day of the week when classes are finished. Date and time will be determined by the Registrar in consultation with the VP Academic’s office, based on faculty and external examiner availability. All defenses are assumed to be in person. Remote attendance via Zoom may be permitted in extenuating circumstances by the VP Academic.