Hotel Management System

Preparing for a Thesis Defense

Kate Hemeon, M.A.

Family Studies and Gerontology Department

Upon the approval of your thesis committee and the appointment of an external examiner,

the date for your defense is selected. The thesis defense committee includes the three

members of your thesis committee plus an external reviewer.

The thesis defense may be, arguably, the most important step in the thesis process.

Although it may seem intimidating, the defense provides you with the opportunity to

share your research with peers, colleagues, and members of the community at large. It

allows you to showcase your efforts and present your findings in a supportive

environment.

There are two parts to a thesis defense: (a) the presentation of the findings by the student,

and (b) questions by the thesis defense committee (and others present) that follows this

presentation.

The thesis defense presentation:

The development of your thesis presentation is your first opportunity to showcase your

work. Your presentation should be about one-half hour long and should concentrate on

your findings and recommendations. A sample outline of your presentation might look

like this:

• goal/objectives of the research (2 min)

• literature review/theoretical framework (5 min)

• methodology (5 min)

• findings (10 min)

• recommendations (5 min)

Hint: Practice your presentation at home. This will help increase your comfort

level with the slides and speakers notes, the timing of each piece of your

presentation and allow you to remain within the recommended time for the

presentation. Practice will provide you with the means to speak to your work

without relying on your speakers notes word-for-word. Some of the best

presentations I’ve seen are done by those who don’t have to rely on their speakers

notes, but can expand on their statements in their own words.

The findings and recommendations are the crux of your thesis defense presentation. The

literature review, theoretical...