Dissertation Defense Guide

Your dissertation defense is the culmination of your work for your doctoral degree. During the defense, you'll give an oral presentation of your research and findings and answer questions from the dissertation committee.

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Read time 6 minutes

GCE Editorial Team

Published on Oct 22, 2025

A doctoral degree program is unlike other degrees for several reasons, most notably because a doctoral degree often requires the completion of original research that culminates in a dissertation. Upon completing the dissertation, doctoral degree candidates must defend their work before they can earn their degree.

As a terminal degree, the doctorate is the culmination of all a learner’s academic accomplishments. While some candidates might view the dissertation defense with a few butterflies in the stomach, it’s really an opportunity to demonstrate all of your hard work and how far you’ve progressed, academically, personally and professionally. Ahead of your scheduled defense, take the time to explore the process, identify the questions you’re likely to be asked and figure out the logistics.

What Is a Dissertation Defense?

A defense for a dissertation consists of an oral presentation of one’s dissertation work, including the research methodology, findings and data analysis. The presentation is made to the dissertation committee, including the dissertation advisor or chair.

Candidates are questioned about their knowledge in the field and in the specific dissertation topic they chose. They’re asked to demonstrate the integrity of their research and the validity of their findings, and are required to prove that their work is sound.

At Grand Canyon University, learners in the College of Doctoral Studies undergo two defenses during the doctoral degree process. The first is to defend your proposal for a research topic. Your proposal should be well-researched and thoughtfully developed, although you aren’t expected to be an expert on it at this stage.

The second defense is for your completed dissertation. At this stage, you should be able to confidently answer questions about your topic, research, findings and analysis.

How To Prepare for Your Dissertation Defense

You’ll begin preparing for your defense as soon as the dissertation process starts. As you conduct your original research and write your dissertation, you’ll take a deep dive into your topic. Conducting a thorough literature review and becoming very familiar with all the details of your topic are some of the most effective ways to prepare for your defense.

In addition, you can prepare for your defense by:

Reviewing your dissertation multiple times, identifying areas that you believe may warrant plenty of explanation or justification
Talking to your advisor or chair about what you can expect and what the requirements of your department are
Creating a detailed outline for your presentation
Practicing giving your presentation (with a timer), perhaps in front of family or friends who can offer critique
Researching the members of your dissertation committee to get to know their academic backgrounds and, in doing so, anticipate questions they may ask about your work

During your time in the doctoral program, you may also want to attend defenses of other PhD candidates to get a sense of what to expect.

What To Expect During the Defense

It’s always helpful to know what to expect during the defense before heading into it. You may have specific questions, such as, How long is a dissertation defense? and, Will the defense be open to non-committee members?

It’s important to keep in mind that every university and program establishes its own rules, procedures and guidelines for a doctoral dissertation defense. The length of time for a defense that is typical for one school might not apply to another. Even within the same program, one defense may be longer than the next. Similarly, the exact protocols and procedures may vary a bit.

In general, however, a defense may use the following format:

Presentation: The doctoral candidate will present their work, explaining their research topic, methodology, findings and analysis. It’s important to be clear and precise when explaining how you arrived at your conclusions given the research data you gathered.
Questions and answers: After your presentation, you’ll have a question and answer session. Each member of the committee will ask you about your research, exploring the breadth of your knowledge. After the committee asks its questions, non-committee attendees may be invited to ask any questions of their own.
Deliberation: Following the question and answer session, all non-committee members, including yourself, are typically asked to leave the room (real or virtual). (Sometimes, members of the public are asked to leave after the presentation.) The dissertation committee members then deliberate amongst themselves on whether or not to approve your dissertation and grant your degree. Then, you’ll be called back into the room to hear their decision.

It’s typically acceptable for the PhD candidate to invite their family members, friends and other supporters to the dissertation defense. The defense can be a proud moment in the candidate’s life, as it’s the culmination of all of their hard work and their chance to demonstrate their contributions to the field.

Common Questions From the Committee

The committee will ask a wide range of questions. There is no way to predict exactly what those questions will be in advance, but here are some common ones to consider:

Why did you choose your topic, and why do you feel it's important?
How do you feel your work has contributed to the field?
How did you navigate the multidisciplinary nature of your research?
Why did you choose to use that particular theoretical/conceptual framework?
Were there other research questions that you decided to eliminate or add during your process?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of your chosen research questions?

Of course, you can also expect questions that are specific to your field, research and findings. For instance, if you’re earning a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) with a marketing focus and your research topic is how consumer behavior is affected by high gas prices, you might find yourself answering questions about how you researched gas prices and compared them to historic averages, adjusting for the cost of living and inflation.

Presentation Format and Structure

Before answering any questions from the dissertation committee, you’ll first deliver your presentation.

The format and structure can vary, but may generally involve the following:

Introduction: Introduce yourself, your advisor and the title of your work. Provide a brief intro to your research, including research questions, objectives and significance.
Literature review: Explain current theories and relevant studies, and discuss how your work fills a gap.
Methodology: Discuss your research methodology. Be specific.
Findings: Present your results, using visual elements if helpful.
Analysis: Discuss your conclusions drawn from the results. Explore the implications for your field.

Managing Stress and Emotions

A defense for your dissertation can be stressful. Consider incorporating relaxation techniques into your routine, such as meditation, yoga and deep breathing. If you’re particularly nervous about the prospect of public speaking, consider taking a few public speaking classes or perhaps working with a mental health counselor or life coach.

Keep in mind that by the time you reach your dissertation defense, you’ve already put in the hard work. You’ve done the research, analyzed your findings and discussed your work in great detail with your committee advisor. You would not be standing in front of the committee defending your work formally if your work still had any major holes in it, so try to approach your defense with confidence.

Logistics and Scheduling Tips

Defer to departmental requirements and guidance regarding all of the logistics for your defense. Each department will establish its own procedure for scheduling your dissertation, including how far in advance to schedule it and how to provide notice to all involved parties. Try to avoid scheduling your defense toward the end of a semester, when faculty members will be busy with finals.

Curious about what to wear to a dissertation defense? Always dress professionally, as if you're going to a job interview. Some departments expect the candidate to stand during the presentation, while in other departments, the candidate may sit at a conference table with the committee members. Because of this, it's best to dress formally, but comfortably (avoid high heels).

What Happens After the Defense?

After defending your dissertation, you and all other non-committee members will be asked to leave the room. The committee will discuss your research and your defense and deliberate. Once they’ve reached a decision about whether to approve your dissertation, they’ll invite you back into the room.

If your dissertation is not approved, you may have the opportunity to revise, resubmit and defend it again, subject to institutional and departmental policy.

Explore Doctoral Degree Programs at GCU

Grand Canyon University’s College of Doctoral Studies invites you to explore the doctoral degree programs available at our private Christian university. From DBAs to PhDs to DHAs to EdDs and beyond, you can choose from a wide range of qualitative and quantitative programs. Fill out the form on this page to request a consultation with a university counselor.

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Approved and verified accurate by the Dean of the College of Doctoral Studies on Oct. 9, 2025.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.