Preparing for Your Doctoral Viva
How to Get Through Your Ph.D. Oral Exam and Pass Your Doctorate
A PhD viva is potentially one of the most stressful experiences any student will go through. It doesn't have to be like that. Here are some hints from an expert
You’ve completed and submitted your PhD thesis. You’ve most probably taken a number of research and related studies courses in support of your doctoral studies. You may also have taken and passed written doctoral examinations. You’re coming up to your viva voce examination and wondering what’s the best way of ensuring that you get over the last hurdle, the oral examination. Here are some clues.
First, stay confident. Remember that you’ve written the thesis on which the viva will be based. You actually know more about it and the research on which it is based than anyone else, including your supervisor and the examiners. This gives you a great advantage when discussing your thesis with the examination team.
Second, try to enjoy the event. Remember that you have in front of you two or three people who have taken the time to read your work in detail and who are now going to spend time discussing it with you and who will suggest ways in which it can be improved. The oral examination is actually ‘free’ consultancy on your research and your writing and, if you were going to buy that consultancy, it would cost you a lot of money. Enjoy it. It’s unlikely to happen again for a long time!
Third, remember that the viva voce is not called an ‘oral defence’ for nothing. It is your chance, indeed your obligation, to defend ‘your' thesis. If one of the examiners asks you a question or makes a statement that you think is a misunderstanding of the thesis, one of your arguments, or a point that someone you’ve cited makes, don’t be afraid to say so. A viva should be a discussion between a group of people (including you) who know a lot and who have strong opinions about the subject that you’ve chosen to focus on.
On the other hand, if an examiner asks you about something and you really think s/he’s got it right, then own up and say, ‘that’s a good point’, accepting that it would have been good to have included it. There are a couple of strategies that can be used to deflect this criticism. The first is to suggest that you’ve considered it, but decided that there wasn’t the time to research it and still complete in time. Or perhaps, the point’s inclusion would have meant you over-running your word limit. The examiners may accept your argument, but it won’t work more than twice in one viva!
If the examiner has asked why you didn’t do research into a related aspect of your subject, a second strategy can come into play. Try suggesting that its an area you’d like to undertake research into in your next research project.
Fourth, take a copy of your thesis into the viva with you. You’ll probably not need to refer to it, but having it there is a kind of security blanket. The examiner may say something like: ‘You say here on page 146…’. You can check up exactly what you said before answering. With a copy of your thesis, you’ll feel safer.
Finally, stay cool. If a question doesn’t make sense to you, ask for it to be repeated. If you start to feel wound up or flustered, or just want a refreshment break, ask for a 5 minute break. It’s perfectly all right to ask for a break in proceedings if you feel to need one.
Overall, the viva voce should be a pleasant, but challenging, experience. It’s an experience unlike anything else you’ll ever go through. Make the most of it by being prepared, by being confident, and by remembering that you know more about the topic being discussed than anyone else in the room. Good luck!
