Scheduling Thesis Defenses

Working with your thesis committee, schedule your thesis defense. Here are some steps and considerations:

  1. When the committee has decided that the thesis is ready to defend, the committee chair and student should reserve a room for the defense.  Map Library conference room reservations can be made through the Map Librarian.  
  2. Once the room is secured (at least two weeks in advance of the defense), the Thesis Committee Chair should notify the Academic Office Coordinator (AOC) of the student's name, thesis title and defense date, time & venue so the event can be posted on the department calendar and an email sent out to invite faculty & grad students to attend.
  3. Also at this time (two weeks in advance of scheduled defense date), the Faculty Advisor should contact the AOC, who will provide paperwork support for thesis defenses.  This entails working with the student and Grad Division to ascertain what requirements remain to be satisfied, including any Incompletes, application for Graduation, format checks, etc. 
  4. One week (7 days) or more in advance of the defense, the Thesis Committee Chair must post a final draft of the thesis to the Department of Geography & Environment Collaborative Site on iLearn.
  5. Assuming the defense is successful, the Thesis Committee Chair will need to make sure that all paperwork needing to be signed is available at the defense.  This will include signature pages from the thesis, Report of Completion, change of grade forms, etc.