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Psychology

Preparing to defend your thesis or dissertation

This information is only a guide. There may be more tasks or forms required.

Steps & timelines


Pre-defence:

1. Review: Oral exams - Faculty of Graduate Studies - UVic and Graduating from UVic - Students - University of Victoria

2. Review the following thesis/dissertation formatting guides:

3. Sign up for UVicSpace and review the UVicSpace Guidelines.

4. Submit an application for graduation via Online Tools.

5. Your supervisor must confirm to you that your thesis is ready to be submitted to your committee for review. It will have already gone through revisions before you submit it to your committee.

  • Your committee requires at least 2 weeks to read your final thesis. Be sure to also allow for sufficient time to make further revisions.

6. Consult with your supervisor to select an external examiner (EE). For the MSc, they can be within UVic but outside of Psychology. For the PhD, they must be outside of UVic. It is your supervisor’s role to contact the EE.

7. You and your committee will set a date for the oral defence. It must work for everyone, including the external examiner. It should be at least 4-6 weeks in the future. The department or graduate secretary can help with booking a room.

  • You cannot write “TBD” in the room box on your ROE

8. Once your committee has agreed that your thesis or dissertation is “ready to defend”, you will complete/gather the following forms. Please note all defence forms need to be submitted to FGS 20 working days prior to defence for master's and 30 working days prior to defence for PhD.

  • ROE
  • If you intend to temporarily withhold your thesis, submit a withholding form. Approval must be obtained before you upload your thesis to UVicSpace.
  • Human Ethics approval/waiver
  • PDF copy of thesis/dissertation
  • Zoom/other videoconferencing link if any of the defence is being held online
  • External Examiners CV (PhD defence only)
  • Arm’s length form (PhD defence only)

9. Email all the completed forms to the Graduate Secretary at psychgrd@uvic.ca for review. To make sure everything is submitted on time, send the forms about a week before the 20- or 30-day deadline. 

10. The Graduate Secretary will check your forms and let you know if everything is complete. 

11. Set up a meeting with the Graduate Advisor to get their signature on the ROE form (only after you know all your forms are complete). The Graduate Secretary will send the forms  to the Graduate Advisor before your meeting. 

12. After your meeting and all the documents are ready, the Graduate Secretary will send your ROE, the videoconference information, PDF of thesis/dissertation, withholding form, ethics approval, arms length form (PhD only), and external examiner’s CV (PhD only) to Karen McKenzie in FGS at fgssec2@uvic.ca and copy you.

13. Ensure you have registered for UVicSpace. Later, after the oral exam and the final thesis has been approved, you will utilize UVicSpace to digitally submit your final, approved thesis/dissertation.

14. If you plan to pursue a PhD, complete the online application and pay the application fee. Check with the graduate secretary about the application process. No other documentation is required, but you must apply through UVic admissions.

Post-defence:

1. Once you have successfully defended your thesis, you should allow at least 2 weeks for revisions and final approval from your supervisor and/or committee. Therefore, plan to defend by mid-April if you want to complete your degree in the spring term, by mid-August if you want to complete your degree in the summer term and by mid-December if you want to complete your degree in the fall term

2. When all revisions are complete, upload your final thesis/dissertation to UVicSpace.

  • If you log into UVicSpace and don’t see any collections in the “select a collection” drop-down menu, email Sandra Baskett in GARO (sbaskett@uvic.ca) who will attach your account to the correct archival collection.
  • Need help with your software? Contact helpdesk@uvic.ca  
  • Need UVicSpace technical support? Contact uvicspacehelp@uvic.ca
  • Have questions about UVicSpace, copyright, creative commons, etc.? Check the UVic Space FAQ

3. Confirm with the graduate secretary you have uploaded to UVicSpace via email. The graduate secretary will then send these forms to Graduate Admissions and Records (GARO):

  1. A letter recommending your graduation (signed by your supervisor and department chair)
  2. Thesis/dissertation approval form
  3. If you have applied to continue to the PhD program, the graduate secretary will process your admission into the program.

Upcoming deadlines

The next deadlines for meeting all degree requirements are:

  • 3:00 p.m. January 2, 2025 for fall term (spring 2025 graduation)
  • 3:00 p.m. April 30, 2025 for spring term (for spring 2025 graduation)
  • 3:00 p.m. August 29, 2025 for summer term (for fall 2025 graduation)

Graduate Studies allows no exceptions. You must complete your thesis, have your final oral defence, complete revisions and submit a copy of the final version of your thesis with the necessary accompanying documents to GARO by the deadline.

Spring graduation timelines

Meeting the January 2 deadline means your program will be considered complete as of the end of the fall term. You will not have to register or pay fees for the spring term unless you plan to enter the PhD program in January.

You must apply to graduate by November 15 to be eligible for the spring convocation in June.

Suggested timeline to meet the January 2, 2025 deadline:

Final draft of your thesis/dissertation to your committee:

  • MSc: end of October/start of November
  • PhD: mid-October 

ROE form due to Grad Studies (count the exact number of days):

  • MSc: beginning to mid-November
  • PhD: end of October/start of November

Date for oral defence:

  • first 2 weeks of December to allow sufficient time for revisions
  • the defence must occur no later than December 15

Meeting the April 30 deadline means your program will be considered complete as of the end of the spring term. You will not have to register or pay fees for the summer term unless you plan to enter the PhD program in May.

You must apply to graduate by February 15 to be eligible for the spring convocation in June.

Suggested timeline to meet the April deadline:

Final draft of your thesis/dissertation to your committee:
  • MSc: end of February/start of March
  • PhD: mid-February
ROE form due to Grad Studies (count the exact number of days):
  • MSc: beginning to mid-March
  • PhD: end of February/start of March
Date for oral defence:
  • first 2 weeks of April to allow sufficient time for revisions
  • the defence must occur no later than April 15

Fall graduation timelines

Meeting the August 30 deadline means that your program will be considered complete as of the end of the summer term. You will not have to register or pay fees for the fall term unless you plan to enter the PhD program in September.

You must apply to graduate by July 15 to be eligible for the fall convocation in November.

Suggested timeline to meet the August deadline:

Final draft of your thesis/dissertation to your committee:

  • MSc: end of June/start of July
  • PhD: beginning to mid-June

ROE form due to Grad Studies (count the exact number of days)

  • MSc: mid-July
  • PhD: end of June/start of July

Date for oral defence:

  • first 2 weeks of August to allow sufficient time for revisions
  • the defence must occur no later than August 15

Thesis binding

Thesis binding is not required, but here are some resources if you wish to have your thesis or dissertation bound.