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  1. PDF A Guide for Viva Preparation

    The viva voce, shortened to viva, is an oral examination where you are expected to 'defend' your thesis, and the quality of your research will be assessed. The viva will take place usually within 3 months of submitting your thesis; it is a required examination in order to achieve a postgraduate research degree.

  2. PhD Viva Voces

    A viva voce, more commonly referred to as 'viva', is an oral examination conducted at the end of your PhD and is essentially the final hurdle on the path to a doctorate. It is the period in which a student's knowledge and work are evaluated by independent examiners. In order to assess the student and their work around their research ...

  3. What is a viva? PhD viva, viva voce, viva process and more

    A PhD viva or viva voce is an oral examination where you defend your thesis in front of internal examiner (s) from your institution and/or external examiner (s) from another institution specializing in your subject area. There may be up to 5 people on your viva panel. They are testing your knowledge and thought processed to be admitted into the ...

  4. The oral examination (viva)

    The viva (short for viva voce) is an oral examination which 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.

  5. Defending your doctoral thesis: the PhD viva

    Once you have submitted your thesis you will be invited to defend your doctorate at a 'viva voce' (Latin for 'by live voice') or oral examination. The thesis defence can be a daunting prospect, but many people really enjoy this experience of discussing their PhD research with genuinely interested experts. It can also be a useful networking ...

  6. How the viva process works

    The viva is a long-established part of the examination process for a research degree. The main focus of the assessment is on the written thesis/dissertation (and other outputs, for a Practice as Research students). However, the viva, which is the oral part of the assessment, is used to inform the examiners' final assessment decision. The viva ...

  7. 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.

  8. What is the PhD Viva?

    The viva voce is the final assessment for a PhD. It is an oral examination where the student defends their research to two academic examiners. This involves answering questions about your work, typically related to the literature, methodology, your findings and the significance of your conclusions. In some countries (like the USA) the viva is ...

  9. PhD Viva: What it is and How to Prepare

    Viva date allocation and external examiner selection take a maximum of three months from the date of submission, a hard copy of the doctoral thesis. In the meantime, it is recommended to read your thesis at least three times and prepare a presentation that addresses key aspects of your research. It should also include a summary of each chapter.

  10. 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.

  11. Thesis Defense Strategies: Preparing for the Viva Examination

    The Viva Examination, also known as the oral defense or viva voce, is an integral part of the thesis evaluation process. It is a rigorous assessment conducted by a panel of experts who evaluate the candidate's understanding of the research topic and their ability to defend their thesis. The Viva Examination provides an opportunity for the ...

  12. How to Defend a Thesis: An Introduction to the PhD Viva

    The thesis is the written report submitted for a PhD, and the viva is a means of quality control to ensure that only suitable candidates are awarded a PhD by the university. Although part of the purpose of a PhD viva is to ensure that the work is of a high quality, just as importantly it's to check that you were the one who carried it out and ...

  13. 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.

  14. Five top tips to pass your PhD viva

    Officially called the viva voce, meaning 'living voice' in Latin, the viva is an oral examination that sees a PhD student defend their thesis and showcase their knowledge to a panel of academic experts. ... "I had a three-month wait in between submitting my thesis and sitting my viva, but I knew I couldn't spend that time prepping as it ...

  15. How to prepare for your viva: 8 useful tips

    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 ...

  16. 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.

  17. 5 tips for passing your PhD viva

    5. Plan towards the viva exam. From the moment you know the date of your viva voce, work backwards and plan the steps you'll need to take before the day itself. Allow enough time to assess and review your work so that as the day approaches, you can focus on the practicalities.

  18. 'Augmenting' the doctoral thesis in preparation for a viva

    An 'augmented' thesis in four steps. Print out and bind your thesis. This would form the basis of the "object" that I would eventually take into my viva, but it also has the advantage of getting you away from a screen, making you less likely to skip over certain passages as you reread it. As you reread, place sticky markers along the ...

  19. How to prepare your viva opening speech

    In the UK, for instance, the thesis defence usually involves only the examiners and the candidate. Thus, the viva opening speech will be directed at the examiners, who have all read the PhD thesis in advance and are experts in the candidate's research field. In contrast, in the Netherlands, for instance, PhD defences are public events.

  20. After the viva (oral examination)

    Normally the same examiners will examine the revised thesis, but in some cases new examiner(s) may be appointed. If the same examiners are appointed, they will decide whether or not a 2nd viva should be held. If one or both of the Examiners did not previously examine the thesis on its first submission another viva must be held.

  21. Thesis outcomes and corrections

    Thesis corrections. After your viva you are likely to have some corrections to complete before you are awarded your doctorate. The extent can range from a few spelling mistakes to rewriting or adding complete chapters. You may be given a deadline by your examiners or your institution but regardless of this, it is best to aim to complete your ...

  22. How to deal with post-viva PhD thesis corrections

    Create a matrix. You should list all of the suggested revisions in a spreadsheet, together with your notes. This will allow you to create an audit trail as you work through them. To start, create a spreadsheet with three columns. In column one, you list each revision listed in the report on a separate row.

  23. Thesis

    Etymology. The term thesis comes from the Greek word θέσις, meaning "something put forth", and refers to an intellectual proposition. Dissertation comes from the Latin dissertātiō, meaning "discussion". Aristotle was the first philosopher to define the term thesis.. A 'thesis' is a supposition of some eminent philosopher that conflicts with the general opinion...for to take notice when ...