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Overview
Successfully defending your dissertation - also called the Final Oral Examination - is a requirement for the Ph.D. (UT Graduate Catalog). Before your defense, you should talk with your supervisor to clarify expectations, including how the meeting will be structured. We also recommend reviewing the Graduate School's Final Oral guidelines early in the process.
During the defense, students typically give a brief (10-15 minute) overview of the dissertation - summarizing key hypotheses, methods, and findings. Visuals or handouts are optional. Keep your presentation concise; the majority of the meeting is dedicated to questions and discussion with your committee.
Helpful Links
Reserve a Room for your Defense
Request for Final Oral (RFO) Form
Report of Dissertation Committee (RODC) Form
Grad School Email address (RFO and RODC submission): GradStudentSVCS@austin.utexas.edu
Working with your Supervisor
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Electronically (recommended): instructions below
Expand title Instructions Electronic RFO Instructions (DocuSign)
Before starting, notify your committee members that they will receive the RFO form via DocuSign for signature.
What You'll Need (gather this before starting the form!):
Name and emails for your: Supervisor, Co-Supervisor or Member 2, Members 3 & 4, EDP Graduate Adviser. (Members 5-7 are optional).
Final Oral exam details: date, time, building and room number
IRB approval details (if applicable): mark "yes" and include your IRB study number
Step 1: Start the DocuSign Form
Use this link to begin: DocuSign Request for Final Oral Form >
Step 2: Track the Form
After submitting, DocuSign automatically sends the form to your committee for signatures. You can track and monitor the signature progress via DocuSign.
Step 3: Submit to the Graduate School
Once all signatures are complete:
Open the final email from DocuSign and click "View Completed Document"
On the DocuSign site, click "Download" and choose "Combined PDF" (this includes the certificate of completion)
Save the file, and email the PDF to the Graduate School at gradstudentsvcs@austin.utexas.edu
Hard copy: Download the form, collect physical signatures, and email the completed form to the Graduate School. If needed, your supervisor may sign on behalf of an absent member (with written approval from the member).
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All committee members and the EDP GSC Chair must sign the Report of Dissertation Committee Form (RODC), .
Signatures must either be in-person on a printout of the form, or via Docusign: Docusign RODC Form >
No proxies are permitted, and all signatures must be on the same form.
In the semester you're graduating:
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