master thesis verdediging

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Hoe doe je de verdediging en afstudeerpresentatie voor je scriptie?

Gepubliceerd op 1 maart 2017 door Koen Driessen . Bijgewerkt op 13 mei 2024.

Inhoudsopgave

Voor wie doe je de verdediging, hoe is de verdediging opgebouwd, hoelang duurt de verdediging, welke vragen kun je verwachten, opbouw van je presentatie, tips voor het presenteren, heb ik een voldoende als ik mag verdedigen, ervaringen van medestudenten, veelgestelde vragen.

Dit hangt af van je opleiding. Je vaste begeleider en een tweede lezer zijn er altijd bij.

Op de universiteit is het bij sommige opleidingen ook gebruikelijk dat er publiek aanwezig mag zijn. Het publiek kun je zelf uitnodigen. Bijvoorbeeld: familie, vrienden, collega’s (van je stagebedrijf), studiegenoten etc.

Ontvang feedback op taal, structuur, lay-out en bronvermelding

Professionele Scribbr-editors kijken je scriptie na op:

• Academisch taalgebruik
• Onduidelijke zinnen
• Grammaticale fouten
• Interpunctie
• Verboden woorden

Bekijk het voorbeeld

1. Afstudeerpresentatie

Je legt je onderzoek uit door middel van een afstudeerpresentatie. Meestal mag je een computer of beamer gebruiker. Print de sheets ook altijd een paar keer uit voor het geval de techniek je in de steek laat.

Hou er rekening mee dat je begeleider en tweede lezer geen specialist zijn in je onderwerp. Verplaats je in je publiek en zorg dat de afstudeerpresentatie voor hen begrijpelijk is.

Bereid je presentatie goed voor, zorg voor een logische structuur en bekijk onze tips voor een boeiende presentatie.

Sommige opleidingen willen de verdediging kort houden en schrappen de presentatie. Dan geef je een korte uiteenzetting van je scriptie. De opbouw van je verhaal kun je wel hetzelfde houden als de opbouw voor de presentatie .

2. Kritische vragen

Na de presentatie komt het belangrijkste gedeelte: de vragenronde. Hier worden vragen gesteld om te kijken of je het onderwerp en je onderzoek goed begrijpt.

Ga ervan uit dat ze de vragen niet stellen om je ergens op te pakken, maar uit interesse. Voel je dus niet aangevallen en geef rustig en helder antwoord op de vragen die je krijgt.

Krijg je een vraag waar je het antwoord niet op weet? Geef dan aan dat je er even over na wilt denken en vraag of je later op de vraag terug mag komen.

3. Bepalen cijfer

Na de kritische vragen word je (en het publiek) 5 minuten weggestuurd zodat je begeleider en tweede lezer de kwaliteit van je scriptie en verdediging kunnen bespreken. Ze beslissen welk cijfer je krijgt. Na een paar minuten word je teruggeroepen en krijg je hopelijk de verlossende woorden te horen dat je bent geslaagd.

De hele verdediging duurt meestal maximaal een uur: 10-20 minuten presenteren , 15-30 minuten vragen beantwoorden en daarna krijg je  cijfer te horen ( NCOI , Erasmus Universiteit ).

Het kan soms ook minder lang duren, bij de Universiteit Leiden duurt de verdediging maar 20 minuten.

Dit verschilt dus per opleiding, vraag van tevoren goed na aan je begeleider hoeveel tijd jij hebt.

Door jou vragen te stellen over je scriptie wordt gekeken of je genoeg verstand van je onderwerp hebt en of je onderzoek goed is uitgevoerd.

Je kunt uiteraard inhoudelijke vragen over je onderwerp verwachten. Maar ook vragen over je onderzoeksopzet:

• Waarom heb je gekozen voor een deelvragen in plaats van hypothesen ?
• Vind je dat je steekproef groot genoeg is? Is je steekproef representatief?
• Waarom heb je voor kwalitatief onderzoek gekozen in plaats van kwantitatief ?
• Waaruit blijkt dat je onderzoek valide / betrouwbaar / generaliseerbaar is?
• Wat zijn de beperkingen van je onderzoek?
• Zelf denk ik dat x ook een oplossing is voor je probleem. Wat denk jij hiervan?
• Je belangrijkste bron is x? Vind je dit een sterke bron ? Waarom heb je hiervoor gekozen?
• Wat zou je anders doen als je je onderzoek opnieuw zou uitvoeren?
• Wat heb je geleerd van het schrijven van je scriptie?

Voorkom plagiaat en doe de gratis plagiaatcheck.

In de afstudeerpresentatie houd je dezelfde volgorde aan als in je scriptie en licht je de belangrijkste punten toe:

• Introduceer je probleem . Wat is de aanleiding ?
• Wat is je hoofdvraag en/of hypothesen?
• Hoe ben je het gaan onderzoeken ( onderzoeksopzet )?
• Wat zijn de onderzoeksresultaten ? Som niet alle resultaten op. 1-2 slides is echt voldoende!
• Je conclusies .
• Wat is je advies of visie hierop ( discussie )?
• Wat zijn de beperkingen van je onderzoek? Wat is nog interessant om verder te onderzoeken?
• Wat heb je van je scriptie geleerd?
• Doe het uit je hoofd. Voor het oefenen kun je je verhaal wel uitschrijven. Herhaal het verhaal in je gedachten en zorg dat je verhaal in je hoofd klopt en logisch is. Herhaal het als je aan het douchen bent of op de fiets zit.
• Voor een goede presentatie is een goede voorbereiding essentieel. Oefen voor de spiegel of neem het op met camera. Hierdoor heb je minder zenuwen en gaat het beter.
• Hou de slides kort. 10 slides zou voldoende moeten zijn.
• Ga niet in op de details.
• Probeer een verhaal te vertellen in plaats van een opsomming van je resultaten.
• Gebruik enkel termen die het publiek kent (of leg ze goed uit).
• Maak oogcontact.
• Sta er niet bij als een zoutzak. Gebruik je handen.
• Kleed je netjes.
• Lees je scriptie nog even door zodat je precies weet wat erin staat.
• Neem je uitgeprinte scriptie mee, dan kun je altijd dingen opzoeken als iemand refereert naar een bepaald punt in je scriptie.
• Meer presenteer tips .

Meestal wel, maar zeker niet altijd. Als je eerste lezer je scriptie acceptabel vindt, dan mag je verdedigen.

Je kunt dan nog afgekeurd worden als de tweede lezer je scriptie niet goed vindt, of als je tijdens de verdediging niet over voldoende kennis blijkt te beschikken.

Bas: Ik kreeg te horen dat ik mijn verdediging mocht houden. Bij mij (Universiteit van Tilburg) betekende dit dat ik ook al geslaagd was. De afstudeerpresentatie kon alleen nog de hoogte van mijn punt beïnvloeden. Bij mij mocht geen publiek aanwezig zijn en ik moest het kort houden. Bij aankomst bij de verdediging bleek dat de beamer niet goed werkte. Gelukkig had ik mijn slides ook op papier uitgeprint. De verdediging ging verder goed en nadat de tweede lezer en de begeleider samen hadden overlegd kreeg ik mijn cijfer. Een 8!. Een goede tip is om vooraf de locatie van de verdediging al te controleren. Zo weet je zeker dat de beamer het doet en dat je ongestoord je afstudeerpresentatie kunt geven.

Ronald : Mijn afstudeerzitting staat gepland op donderdag 2 juli a.s., maar maandag 29 juni tussen 13.00 en 14.00 uur krijg ik een mail of mijn scriptie verdedigbaar is. Verdedigbaar wilt zelfs nog niet zeggen dat het een voldoende is! De afstudeerpresentatie en verdediging kan dan nog zo goed gaan, terwijl de mogelijkheid bestaat dat de scriptie herkanst moet worden.

Marcel : Ik zit op de uni. Datum is standaard gepland zelfs al voor het verslag is ingeleverd. Je krijgt een week van te voren advies om wel of niet te presenteren van je begeleider.

De presentatie wordt enkel gegeven voor de begeleider, assessor, bedrijfsbegeleider en evt een derde partij. Dus niet voor publiek/ ouders etc.

Dit betekent dan ook dat het publiek kennis heeft van het vak en je dus niet met jip en janneke taal hoeft te spreken.

En dan draag een pak. Compleet afhankelijk van je studie. als je rechten studeert begrijp ik het. Ik studeer af voor communication & multimedia design, daar is een simpel bloesje meer dan voldoende…

Marnix van Essen : Bij ons sturen ze wel een datum waarop je mag verdedigen of bij een onvoldoende een feedback gesprek krijgt. Alleen wanneer je mag verdedigen ben je praktisch al zeker dat je haalt.

Coert de Jong Heb zelf onlangs mn verdediging gedaan. het gaat uiteindelijk om inhoud. bij het HBO TBK utrecht heb ik het volgende toegepast. 1) als je je beoordeling van je afstudeerverslag hebt gehad kijk dan waar je minder goed scoort en verdiep je in deze dingen om het beter te doen tijdens de presentatie. 2) gebruik 2/3 van de tijd om je onderzoek te presenteren en noem alleen de highlights en geen details omdat dat de lijn uit je verhaal haalt. 3) gebruik 1/3 van de tijd om op basis van je onderzoek een blik in de toekomst te werpen en te reflecteren op je onderzoek, dit komt professioneel over. 4) voordat je een PowerPoint in elkaar draait ga je gewoon tegen een kennis het onderzoek vertellen je komt er vanzelf achter wat je wel en niet moet noemen. 5) zo min mogelijk slides, zo veel mogelijk woorden, dit geeft je vrijheid in de presentatie.

Wie aanwezig is bij je scriptieverdediging , hangt af van je opleiding en onderwijsinstelling. Je vaste begeleider en een tweede lezer zijn er altijd bij.

Op de universiteit is het bij sommige opleidingen ook gebruikelijk dat er publiek aanwezig is. Het publiek kun je zelf uitnodigen. Denk hierbij aan familie, vrienden, collega’s (van je stagebedrijf), studiegenoten, et cetera.

De scriptieverdediging bestaat meestal uit de volgende onderdelen:

• Een afstudeerpresentatie waarin je uitlegt hoe je onderzoek is verlopen en wat de resultaten zijn. Meestal mag je hiervoor een scherm gebruiken, zodat je een PowerPoint kunt laten zien.
• Een kritische vragenronde waarbij het publiek vragen kan stellen. De meeste vragen zullen afkomstig zijn van je begeleider en tweede lezer, waardoor ze mogelijk een klein deel van het cijfer bepalen.
• De bepaling van het cijfer . De begeleider en tweede lezer trekken zich even terug, waarna ze het cijfer bekendmaken.

De verdediging vormt maar een klein onderdeel van het scriptieproces en is vaak niet van grote invloed op het cijfer.

Tijdens de afstudeerpresentatie houd je dezelfde volgorde aan als in je scriptie en licht je de belangrijkste punten toe:

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Driessen, K. (2024, 13 mei). Hoe doe je de verdediging en afstudeerpresentatie voor je scriptie?. Scribbr. Geraadpleegd op 5 augustus 2024, van https://www.scribbr.nl/scriptie-tips/scriptie-verdedigen-presenteren/

Wat vind jij van dit artikel?

Koen Driessen

Koen heeft zelf meerdere scripties geschreven en is in 2012 samen met Bas en Richard Scribbr gestart. Hier kun je je scriptie laten nakijken  door professionele taalkundigen.

Andere studenten bekeken ook

Studiekosten aftrekbaar voor belastingdienst in 2018, 8 tips: proefschrift opmaken, vormgeven en laten drukken, scriptie afgekeurd volg dit stappenplan en herkans je scriptie, je ziet plagiaat snel over het hoofd. neem geen risico.

Master Thesis Presentation Guidelines

Guidelines for thesis presentation.

As already explained in September at the kickoff with all DistriNet thesis students, we expect from every thesis student 2 presentations during the academic year. The dates for these presentations will be set by theme. Below you will find more information about the purpose and format of the first presentation .

All students from the Master Computer Science and the Master Applied Computer Science defend a thesis at the end of the academic year . This defense consists of 2 parts. First, the students give an oral presentation of 15 minutes, after which they answer questions from the readers (and possibly from other attendees). (For some topics, there will also be a demo.) The quality of this defense counts towards the final grade for the thesis. The defense also gives students an opportunity to improve their skills in oral reporting.

We obviously can and want to grade our students with respect to specific skills only after due preparation. For this purpose, we schedule a first presentation practice session for all our thesis writers by the end of the first semester.

The practice session follows more or less the format of the defense at the end of the academic year. Just as at the final defense, we expect every student to pay attention to the content as well as the format of the presentation.

With regard to the content (= “What do you present?”), we pay particular attention to these points:

• Explain clearly the state of the work on the thesis at that moment.
• To that end, choose the right level of detail, a level that allows you to give, within the time limit, a clear picture of the problem / developed solutions.
• Of course, we also take into account whether what you tell is correct: by all means, do not present any blatant falsehoods.

With regard to the presentation skills (= “How do you present this content?”), we use these guidelines:

• Your presentation lasts between 10 and 20 minutes.
• Bring slides on your laptop. Make sure that you can send those to your mentor, if necessary. A projector will be at your disposal.
• Tailor the level of the presentation to your audience, namely members of the research group as well as your fellow students.

These criteria are very important in our evaluation of the presentations:

• Structure, clarity, and level. Each presentation has an introduction and a conclusion. Introduce yourself clearly. Among other things, we would like to hear what your thesis is about (= purpose of the thesis), which approach you used, what you have already done and what the next steps are. Your fellow students (and not only your mentor) should also be able to understand what you are saying.
• Think through the design of your slides. Don't use a font that is too small, don't put too much information on 1 slide and use color functionally.
• Professional speaking style. Establish and maintain a connection with your audience.

These criteria are important in our evaluation of the presentations:

• Don't stand between the screen and the audience.
• Professional language and pronunciation. Briefly explain terms that are not widely known within the research field.

Any questions about these guidelines? Please don’t hesitate to discuss them with your mentor.

Richtlijnen bij het presenteren van je thesis

Zoals we in september al uitlegden tijdens de bijeenkomst met de DistriNet-thesisstudenten, verwachten we van elke thesisstudent in de loop van het jaar 2 presentaties . De datums voor deze presentaties leggen we vast per thema. Hieronder vind je meer informatie over het doel en het formaat van de eerste presentatie .

Alle studenten uit de Master Computerwetenschappen en de Master Toegepaste Informatica verdedigen een thesis op het einde van het academiejaar . Die verdediging bestaat uit 2 delen. Eerst geven de studenten een mondelinge presentatie van 15 minuten; daarna beantwoorden ze vragen van de lezers (en eventueel vragen van andere aanwezigen). (Voor sommige onderwerpen is bij de uiteindelijke presentatie ook een demo aangewezen.) De kwaliteit van de verdediging bepaalt deels het cijfer voor de thesis. De verdediging heeft ook als doel om studenten te laten oefenen in mondelinge rapportering.

Uiteraard kunnen en willen wij onze studenten alleen beoordelen op vaardigheden als daar een voorbereiding aan voorafging. Daarom organiseren we, rond het einde van het eerste semester, voor iedereen die bij DistriNet een thesis schrijft een eerste oefenbeurt voor de presentatie .

De oefenbeurt heeft ongeveer dezelfde vorm als de verdediging op het einde van het academiejaar. Net als op de uiteindelijke verdediging dien je als student aandacht te besteden aan zowel de inhoud als de vorm van de presentatie.

Voor het inhoudelijke aspect letten we vooral op deze punten:

• Presenteer helder wat op dat moment de stand van het werk aan je thesis is.
• Kies daarbij het juiste niveau van detail, een niveau dat je toelaat om binnen de tijdslimiet een duidelijk beeld van de probleemstelling / ontwikkelde oplossingen te geven.
• Natuurlijk brengen we ook in rekening of wat je vertelt correct is: presenteer zeker geen flagrante onwaarheden.

Voor de vormgeving hanteren we deze richtlijnen:

• Je presentatie duurt tussen de 10 en de 20 minuten.
• Breng slides mee op je laptop. Zorg ervoor dat je die slides indien nodig naar je mentor kan sturen. Wij voorzien een projector.
• Stem het niveau van de voordracht af op je publiek, namelijk zowel leden van de onderzoeksgroep als medestudenten.

Deze criteria zijn zeer belangrijk in onze beoordeling van de presentaties:

• Structuur, overzichtelijkheid en niveau. Elke presentatie heeft een inleiding en een slot. Stel jezelf duidelijk voor. We wensen onder meer te horen wat je thesis inhoudt (= doel van de thesis), welke aanpak je gebruikte, wat je al gedaan hebt en wat de volgende stappen zijn. Ook je medestudenten (dus niet alleen je mentor) moeten kunnen begrijpen wat je vertelt.
• Verzorgde slides. Gebruik geen te klein lettertype, plaats niet te veel informatie op 1 slide en gebruik kleur functioneel.
• Hanteer een professionele communicatiestijl. Houd goed contact met je toehoorders. Kijk regelmatig of ze nog mee zijn.

Deze criteria zijn belangrijk in onze beoordeling van de presentaties:

• Sta niet tussen het scherm en het publiek.
• Professioneel taalgebruik. Verzorg je taal en uitspraak. Vermijd een overtollig gebruik van Engelse vakterminologie. Termen die binnen het onderzoeksdomein niet algemeen gekend zijn, leg je best kort uit.

Nog vragen over deze richtlijnen? Bespreek die zeker met je mentor.     

How to Pull Off Your Thesis Defense With a Great Presentation

You’ve reached the home stretch in your journey toward your post-graduate degree. You’ve diligently studied, researched and performed for years, and all that’s left is your master thesis or doctorate dissertation. 

“ All that’s left,” however, might be the understatement of the century. There’s nothing simple about orally defending your thesis, and this final stage often means the difference between a degree and a program that remains incomplete.

Even after you’ve dedicated months filled with blood, sweat and tears defining your argument, researching your support and writing your defense, you aren’t ready to address the academic panel. You still have to design an effective visual presentation, and the slide deck can make or break your entire thesis.

Unsure how to design a stellar slide deck to visually present your thesis or dissertation? Check out the following tips to pull off your master thesis defense with a great presentation:

1.   Properly structure your slide deck

Every master thesis defense presentation is unique, but most effective slide decks will follow a similar structure, including:  

• Title - Just like a research paper, your thesis presentation must include a title slide. This should include the same information as any other title page: the title, your name, your academic institution, course name and the name of the academic advisor to your thesis or dissertation. That doesn’t mean your title slide needs to look like the start of any other Frankendeck . Instead, add your text atop a relative image, and adjust the brightness to ensure your text pops.
• Introduction - Your thesis presentation should also include an introduction slide, which details the topic of your thesis, the question your research will seek to answer and any additional objectives to your research, as well as the answer or solution you will be defending.
• Literature review - Following your thesis introduction, design one or more slides that review the literature you researched. This shouldn’t be a full bibliography (although that should be included in the accompanying written account of your research), but instead, the slides should list your most relevant research sources. If the information is featured on a slide, make sure you include its source. 
• Methodology - Your thesis presentation slide deck should also include a slide (or slides) detailing the methodology of your research and argument. Here you want to describe the type of study— whether it’s quantitative, qualitative or a combination of the two, as well as an explanation of why you chose the method or methods you used. If you conducted original research, you will want to detail the study population, sampling methods and other details pertinent to your studies, while you’ll also want to detail how you analyzed your data.
• Results - No thesis presentation slide deck is complete without dedicating slides to illustrate the results of your research. Be sure to include a description of any data you collected through your research, as well as the results of your analysis of the data. What were your most significant findings?
• Discussion - How do the results of your research support your overall thesis argument? Be sure to include slides that discuss your overall findings and how they relate to your original question.
• Conclusion - Concluding slides should restate your original research questions, represent the results of your research, suggest future research and make any final recommendations.
• Ending slide – Close your thesis presentation with a concluding slide that offers an interesting quote or trivia that makes your audience further ponder your topic, a GIF or animation that recaptures the audience’s attention or even a hypothetical question that opens additional discussion from the academic panel. This is your opportunity to make your presentation memorable.

Thesis Presentation vs. Dissertation

Thesis presentation and dissertation are two terms often used in academic settings related to upper education. While they are related, there are distinct differences between the two, which is important to understand as you begin to structure your thesis defense.

‍ A thesis presentation typically refers to the final oral presentation that a student gives to defend their thesis or research project. It is a formal presentation to explain their findings, methodology, and conclusions to a panel of faculty members or experts in the field. The purpose of a thesis defense presentation is to demonstrate the student's knowledge and understanding of the subject matter and to defend the validity of their research.

On the other hand, a dissertation refers to a lengthy and comprehensive research project that is typically required for the completion of a doctoral degree. It involves in-depth research, analysis, and the development of original ideas in a particular field of study. A dissertation is usually written over an extended period and is expected to contribute new knowledge or insights to the field. Unlike a thesis presentation, a dissertation is submitted in written form and is typically evaluated by a committee of faculty members or experts in the field.

2.   Choose which ideas to illustrate

Unless you have an hour to fill with your master thesis defense or doctorate dissertation, you won’t be able to include every idea from your overall research documentation in your slide show. Choose the most important ideas to illustrate on slides, while also keeping in mind what aspects of your research you’ll be able to visually represent.

3.   Define your presentation’s theme

A stellar thesis or dissertation presentation will be professional in appearance, and a cohesive design is an absolute must. Choose what types of typography and color schemes best support your topic. 

Instead of adjusting these settings on each individual slide— a tedious task at best— choose a PowerPoint-alternative presentation software like Beautiful.ai that allows you to customize a theme for your entire slide deck. Choose your fonts and other typography, your color palette, margins, footers, logos, transitions and more, and the cloud-based tool will automatically apply those design specifications to every slide you add to the master thesis defense presentation.

4.   Design simple and focused slides

You might have a lot of information to present, but when it comes to your thesis presentation— or almost any slide deck for that matter— less is more. Be sure every slide counts by focusing on your main points. 

Then, whatever you do, keep your slides simple. Not even an academic panel is going to dedicate much time deciphering a cluttered slide with all too many details. Try to avoid presenting more than one or two ideas on each slide.

5.   Include data visualizations

The whole point of your presentation is to illustrate the concepts included in your thesis. Humans are visual creatures and react strongly to imagery, and the panel evaluating your thesis or dissertation is no exception— regardless of how studious and formal the academics might seem. Illustrate the results of your research with colorful and engaging infographics . You don’t have to be a graphic designer to create them, either. 

Beautiful.ai users can choose from a host of smart slide templates with data visualizations — including favorites like bar graphs and pie charts , as well as less common options like scattergraphs , flow charts and pictograms . Just input your data and watch as our special brand of artificial intelligence creates the infographic for you.  

6.   Practice makes perfect

After spending months researching your thesis or dissertation, writing about your findings and designing a stellar master thesis defense presentation, you would hate to see all your hard work be for naught. That’s still a distinct possibility, however, if you don’t also practice your delivery. 

Practice, practice and practice some more until you know your master thesis defense like the back of your hand. No academic panel will be impressed by a graduate candidate who stumbles through their presentation or appears to be reading from their notes. Know the contents of every slide, as well as exactly what parts of your overall defense you want to deliver during its display. 

Things to keep in mind to help you nail your presentation

The golden rule of any presentation is to keep your audience engaged. You can ensure a more engaging presentation by maintaining eye contact, using appropriate gestures, and speaking clearly. You can also choose to include the audience in your presentation with interactive questions, polls, and slides.

To help boost audience retention, utilize storytelling. Studies show that when facts are presented in the form of a story, people are 22 times more likely to remember them. Talk about powerful.

Last but not least, plan for questions— and not simply by allowing time for them. Watch other thesis defenses delivered at your institution, and consider what types of questions the academic panel might ask, so you can prepare the best possible answer.

Extra credit:

Get started with our PhD Defense Thesis presentation template here .

Samantha Pratt Lile

Samantha is an independent journalist, editor, blogger and content manager. Examples of her published work can be found at sites including the Huffington Post, Thrive Global, and Buzzfeed.

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Hoe bereid je je verdediging voor?

Na het inleveren van je afstudeerrapport /scriptie staat er nog een belangrijke taak op je te wachten: de mondelinge verdediging waarin je je afstudeerscriptie dient te onderbouwen en verdedigen. Een mondelinge verdediging bestaat doorgaans uit een korte presentatie en daaropvolgend kritische vragen omtrent je rapport. We helpen je graag verder met de onderstaande tips.

Presentatie

In veel gevallen begint de mondelinge verdediging met een presentatie. De bedoeling is dat je jouw luisteraars weet te boeien met een overtuigende presentatie. Veel studenten maken de fout om gedurende deze presentatie de inhoud van je afstudeerscriptie te herhalen. Je mag ervan uitgaan dat de examinatoren je scriptie hebben doorgenomen dus herhalen zal in veel gevallen niet de aandacht van de luisteraars trekken. Je kunt dit voorkomen door de volgende onderdelen, afhankelijk van de situatie, meenemen in je presentatie:

• Een verdere uitwerking van jouw implementatieplan. Denk hierbij bijvoorbeeld aan visuele aspecten
• Nog niet eerder benoemde resultaten of een extra diepgang rondom je onderzoek
• Eventuele resultaten met betrekking tot de implementatie van je advies. Zo kan het bijvoorbeeld zijn dat je na het inleveren van je scriptie zelf bent begonnen aan de implementatie ervan. De resultaten hiervan kun je in dit geval laten zien
• Kritische kanttekeningen op je onderzoek, met name op WO-gebied is dit wenselijk

In veel gevallen zal een presentatie van ongeveer 10 minuten voldoende zijn. Zorg voor een aantrekkelijke presentatie met behulp van bijvoorbeeld Prezi of Powerpoint. Daarbij kunnen eventuele hand-outs voor je publiek een leuk effect geven. Vraag uiteraard je begeleider altijd naar de criteria van je presentatie.

Indien je vaak zenuwachtig bent tijdens een presentatie, kan het helpen de presentatie alvast in een vertrouwde omgeving te oefenen. Je kunt je bijvoorbeeld je praatje doen voor je ouders of een goede vriend.

Kritische vragen

Het meest cruciale onderdeel van je mondeling is de vragenronde. Hierin zul je kritische vragen krijgen met betrekking tot de inhoud van je afstudeerscriptie. In veel gevallen zul je moeten kunnen onderbouwen waarom je bepaalde keuzes hebt gemaakt in je onderzoek of hoe je tot je conclusies bent gekomen. De volgende tips kunnen je helpen tijdens deze vragenronde.

Ken je scriptie van binnen en van buiten

Niets is zo onprofessioneel als niet weten wat er in je eigen scriptie staat. Lees je scriptie veelvuldig door voordat je je mondelinge verdediging hebt. Daarbij is het aan te raden om een uitgeprinte versie van je rapport en bijlage mee te nemen naar je verdediging voor eigen gebruik.

Onderbouwing onderzoeksopzet

In veel gevallen zul je vragen krijgen over de gemaakte keuzes in je onderzoeksopzet. Loop in je voorbereiding iedere fase uit je onderzoek na en vraag je af waarom je deze weg in bent geslagen. Zorg ervoor dat je deze keuze goed kunt onderbouwen en kunt uitleggen waarom je niet een ander alternatief hebt gekozen. Je kunt je bijvoorbeeld afvragen waarom je voor een bepaalde onderzoeksmethode hebt gekozen of hoe je op het aantal respondenten voor je onderzoek bent gekomen.   

Onderbouwing representativiteit

Eén van de vereisten van een goed uitgevoerd onderzoek is de representativiteit ervan. Zonder een representatief onderzoek zijn jouw conclusies namelijk weinig waard. Zorg ervoor dat je te allen tijde kunt uitleggen waarom jouw onderzoek representatief is. Dit kun je mogelijk onderbouwen aan de hand van formules en modellen.

Onderbouwing van conclusies uit onderzoek

De conclusies uit je onderzoek zijn cruciaal om te bepalen of je antwoord hebt gegeven op de centrale onderzoeksvraag van je afstudeeropdracht. Goede conclusies kun je onderbouwen op basis van de resultaten uit het onderzoek. Ga bij iedere conclusie die je hebt getrokken na op welk onderdeel van je onderzoek je deze hebt gebaseerd. Vraag jezelf daarbij af of je deze conclusie ook daadwerklijk met zekerheid kunt trekken en deze niet gebaseerd is op eigen aannames. Wees hierbij kritisch naar jezelf, want dit zullen je examinatoren ook zijn.

Adviesrapport

Vaak eindigt je afstudeerrapport met een advies voor het bedrijf waar je hebt gewerkt. Nu je op het punt staat een HBO- of WO-opleiding af te ronden, wordt van jou verwacht dat je dit advies goed kunt onderbouwen. Je moet je dus goed afvragen welke risico’s en welke successen verbonden zijn aan je advies. Het bedrijf moet hier als het ware direct mee aan de slag kunnen. Schets voor jezelf daarom ook een good/worstcase scenario. Laat zien dat je voldoende kennis van het bedrijf hebt verschaft en je jouw advies hierop hebt afgestemd.

Weet waar de zwakke punten in je onderzoek liggen

Ieder onderzoek heeft zo zijn plus- en minpunten. Het is belangrijk dat je deze punten van je onderzoek kent, want er is een grote kans dat je examinatoren deze punten met jou willen bespreken. Kijk daarom zelf eerst met een kritisch oog naar je afstudeerscriptie. Het is altijd beter dat je je zwakke punten kent en kunt aangeven hoe je het beter had kunnen doen.

Tijdens je verdediging

Het kan altijd voorkomen dat je tijdens je onderzoek een lastige vraag krijgt waarop je niet bent voorbereid. Durf bij een lastige vraag even de tijd te nemen om er goed over na te denken. Je kunt eventueel toegeven dat het om een moeilijke vraag gaat. Indien het een zeer kritische vraag is, kun je het beste toegeven dat het daadwerlijk om een beperking in je onderzoek gaat.

Afgestudeerd?

StageMax helpt je ook bij het vinden van een studiegerelateerde startersfunctie! Ben je op zoek naar een baan? Bekijk dan eens ons aanbod aan gave startersfuncties .

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Home Blog Presentation Ideas How To Do a Proper Thesis Defense Using the Right PowerPoint Presentation

How To Do a Proper Thesis Defense Using the Right PowerPoint Presentation

Writing a thesis is stressful, but preparing an oral defense can be even more painful. But it doesn’t have to be; with proper preparation and a good presentation, you will be able to better equip yourself comes time to present your thesis defense.

But what makes a good thesis defense?

A proper presentation helps you with your thesis defense because it helps you capture the panels’ attention and gives you cues and reminders on what to say as well.

It also helps keep your data organized while visually looking good and provides a flow structure for the rest of your presentation.

In today’s article, we will be giving you The Right PowerPoint Templates for Your Thesis Defense and a powerful outline composed of best practices and layouts specifically designed to help you defend your thesis in both written and oral presentations.

In the next segments of this article, we’ll walk you through the most feasible process on how to ace this kind of presentation.

Let’s dive into the outline of what makes a great thesis defense.

Thesis Defense Overview

Similarities.

• Type of Degree

Thesis and Dissertation Distinction Varies on Location

Three most common thesis defense myths, how to use chatgpt to structure your thesis.

• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methodology
• Acknowledgements
• Questions and Answers
• Contact Information
• Tips During Your Oral Defense
• More Quick Tips on How to Present

A thesis defense is composed of two parts – a thesis and a defense.

The thesis, according to Grad School Hub , represents a student’s collective understanding of his or her program and major.

Universities often include a thesis in every course as one of the final requirements to earn a particular graduate or postgraduate degree.

The thesis, however, isn’t just a mere requirement.

It helps the students to grow out of their shell from their respective discipline and give them the opportunity to present all the findings of their study.

Moreover, some people think a thesis is just a long essay, but it’s not. Unlike an essay, a thesis needs to assert something.

This can be considered one of the most crucial research documents that a student makes during their academic schooling .

On the other hand, defense is the presentation of the pieces of evidence to support and prove your research.

It’s the most essential part of the thesis process.

Your presentation has to be prepared to answer questions from members of the committee and any other panel present, and it’s your job to convince them and defend your thesis with ample proof.

Prior to presenting, you have to carefully determine what appropriate evidence should be presented before the panel, depending on what thesis you have to defend.

Thesis and Dissertation Distinguished

A thesis or dissertation is usually required to complete a particular graduate degree. These two words are often used interchangeably by most students when referring to research studies.

But while being almost similar in format or structure, it’s worth noting that they have significant differences that set them apart from each other.

The very reason why thesis and dissertation are treated the same is that these two are both extensive papers. Not just merely long essays like what others are claiming.

Both of these papers are extensive. This is why students are given ample time, usually the entire last semester of the last year of study, to complete all the requirements and finally acquire their degree.

With regards to structure, both papers are very similar with few differences.

Differences Between Thesis and Dissertation

One of the significant differences between the two is to whom the paper is assigned. A thesis is usually required for those students earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree. While a dissertation is for those, who want to obtain a doctorate degree.

However, not all students taking a master’s degree are required to make a thesis. Prior to their enrollment, they have been given a choice of whether they’ll go for a non-thesis program or with a thesis.

Those who have a plan to escalate their degree to a doctorate eventually should take the path of a thesis. This is to prepare themselves for a more extensive dissertation requirement as doctorate students. Otherwise, they will be only limited to earning a master’s degree.

But above all, the most significant difference between the two papers is the purpose for which it is written.

A thesis, like what has been mentioned above, is being done by students obtaining a bachelor’s or master’s degree and has the purpose of testing their understanding of the discipline they’re engaged with.

A thesis is focused on obtaining technical expertise.

On the other hand, a dissertation is made for students to come up with an original study that other researchers haven’t already studied.

USA: In the United States of America, they consider a thesis shorter than a dissertation. In fact, aside from being a requirement to graduate in college, a thesis is now also inculcated in master’s degree programs. And since the dissertation is more extensive, the thesis is treated as preliminary in gaining a doctorate degree.

Europe: The distinction between the two papers is almost opposite to that of the USA. In Europe, a dissertation is only a broader research study from a post-graduate program and not the making of original research. Instead, educational systems in the said continent treat the doctoral thesis as a more elaborate paper writing.

The difference between a thesis and a dissertation might not seem that big, but it’s important that we know what makes them different.

If your upcoming defense gives you pressure and uneasiness, it could be cause you are not sure what to expect. Today we will dispel three common thesis defense myths that will help you be more confident in your presentation.

“Answer all the questions correctly. Otherwise, your thesis won’t get approved.”

You are expected to have a focus on your research.

That being said, you have to study each part of your thesis, every detail, and even your sources.

You have to study and practice how to effectively deliver your presentation.

But don’t overthink to the extent that you’re stressing yourself to know everything perfectly.

Don’t overstress if you can’t answer one of the questions, this doesn’t necessarily mean the committee won’t approve your thesis.

You should know that research is a continuous study.

So you should expect that your committee will always be able to find a gap in your study to fill in future related research .

So in times you don’t exactly know the answer, admit it, and you’ll learn as they give their sides or suggestions.

Making up an answer will only displease your committee, so it’s to be upfront, honest, and transparent.

“The committee is just there to find holes in your study. They don’t care about you.”

One of the typical descriptions students have of the committee is that they are just there to poke holes in your thesis.

Going in with this perspective makes standing before them a nerve-wracking experience.

They’re not your enemy.

In fact, they are there to help you polish your study.

They might challenge you with difficult suggestions and tricky questions.

In the end, they will walk you through the process to come up with better results that won’t only benefit you but also your research.

They care about you and your study, and they’re ultimately there to make your thesis and the research better.  Separate yourself from your work look at it objectively, and don’t take their comments personally .

“If your thesis defense isn’t successful, you have to start your thesis all over again”

An unsuccessful defense is one of the worst-case fears most students have.

One thing that you should be aware of is when you aren’t able to please your committee, you don’t need to start a new thesis again or go back to square one with your existing paper.

It’s unusual that your committee will ask you to change your topic and start from scratch again.

The fact that you’ve been permitted to defend your study means your research is almost complete.

They might suggest further details or ask you for minor revisions, and that’s normal.

But overall, you need to go into this defense thinking that your presentation will be successful. Otherwise, you are already setting yourself up for failure with the wrong mindset.

Remember that positive thoughts attract positive results.

Thesis Defense Presentation Structure and Slides Content

We can use language learning models like ChatGPT to help us curate the structure of our thesis presentation. Let’s see a step-by-step solution on how to apply this.

Step 1: Define the thesis topic and research questions

You can set the environment for ChatGPT to work by explaining what your thesis is going to cover and which specific questions you aim to address through the course of that document. This gives ChatGPT the context from which it shall formulate the structure. A prompt can be written like this:

“Take the role of an academic professional who shall help me to write my thesis. This thesis is going to cover the topic of (insert topic), and through its course, I want to answer these questions: Question 1 – Question 2 – Question 3 – Consider this information as the starting point for this chat.”

Step 2: Ask for an outline

With the previously provided information, ask ChatGPT to generate an outline for your presentation. If some of the points listed in the output don’t convince you, then chat with the interface until you reach a final outline. Then, ask to elaborate on each specific point for information or cues you may have overlooked.

Step 3: Ask ChatGPT which content should you place per slide

Instead of debating how are you going to trim your thesis into a presentation format, ask ChatGPT to do the decision process for you. You can be as specific as asking how many words per slide, how many slides should the presentation have, if you need any visual element, etc.

N.B.: We don’t recommend using ChatGPT to retrieve academic references as, in some cases, it can provide faulty results. You can ask if any facts on this presentation need to be checked or similar questions. ChatGPT is a powerful tool, but it shouldn’t be considered a bible, so be extra cautious about grabbing content directly from its outputs.

1. Title Page

This slide should contain the information that is provided on the title page of your hard copy . Here is an example of title page or cover slide for your title defense or thesis presentation.

• The title of your research paper
• Where you are studying
• Name and details of your course
• Name of Adviser

2. Introduction Slide

Your introduction slide should provide the committee with an idea of the following:

• What is the topic area that you are investigating ?
• What are the specific research questions that you set out to answer?
• Why is this question important to answer?
• What were the objectives of your research?

3. Literature Review Slide

It’s not necessary to cover everything that’s currently understood in the available literature. You may want to present the following content under a Literature Review slide:

• Relevant current research that is close to your topic
• Different theories that may apply to your specific area of research
• Areas of weakness that are currently highlighted

4. Methodology Slide

Make sure to touch the factors below within your process, and include the following in the Methodology slide:

• The type of study you have conducted: qualitative, quantitative, or mixed
• The methods that you chose and why
• Details of the population, sampling methods, and other information
• Provide information regarding how you have analyzed the data that you have collected

5. Results Slide

This part should give the committee/audience a good understanding of what you’ve discovered during your research. The statistics & results slide could include the final results of your analysis, here is an example:

• An overall description of the data that you collected during your research
• The results of the analysis that you have done on that data
• What were the most significant findings from your data

6. Discussion Slide

Highlight here the meaning of the findings in relation to your discipline program and the research that you have done:

• What are the major findings, and what do they mean with regard to your research
• How do these findings relate to what others have found in the past
• How can you explain any unusual or surprising result

7. Conclusions Slide

You have to end your presentation with a conclusion summarizing all that you have found within your research. Here is an example of a Conclusion slide in a Thesis presentation:

• Restate your research questions
• Show how your results answer these questions
• Show what contribution you have made
• State any limitations to the work you have done
• Suggest future research
• Make any recommendations

See Also: How to Create a Great Investors Pitch Deck and Close the Deal

8. Acknowledgements Slide

Express gratitude to your advisor, committee members, peers, and others who supported your research journey. This slide provides a moment to acknowledge the collaborative nature of academic work.

9. Questions and Answers Slide

Dedicate a slide for audience questions at the end of your presentation.

Encourage engagement by inviting questions from the audience.

Be prepared to provide clear and concise responses to inquiries.

10. References Slide

Include a slide listing your cited sources throughout your presentation.

Use a consistent citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).

The References slide demonstrates your thorough engagement with existing literature.

11. Contact Information Slide

If you’re open to further inquiries or collaborations, consider adding your contact information.

Include your email address or relevant professional social media handles.

How to use SlideModel AI Presentation Maker for your Thesis Presentation

If you want to save hours of manual time, you can leverage AI tools to make your thesis presentation. The best part of integrating AI tools into our workflow is that we can pair them to get even better results than we expected. With SlideModel’s AI presentation maker , users can create an entire slide deck by introducing these variables:

• Topic of your thesis
• Number of slides to include in your thesis presentation
• Outline checkup

And that’s it! Download the AI-generated presentation in PPTX format or for Google Slides, and edit it if you require adding some extra content. The core elements are already done, and you can save countless hours of hard work.

Tips During Your Oral Defense!

Review your materials.

Even if you already feel confident with your upcoming presentation, you still need to review your materials.

You can bring the hard copy of your thesis with you during the defense, but you don’t want to get lost in your presentation when you forget some specific details and have to scan your papers.

You should know your paper in and out.

Rehearse Your Presentation

It’s not wrong if it sounds like a script when you speak in your oral defense. It’s expected and understandable.

You need to practice your presentation, especially when there’s a time restriction given to every presenter.

You only need to prepare enough slides that would fit your time limit. A hundred slides aren’t suitable for a 15 to 20-minute presentation, nor 10 slides for an hour of defense.

Your rehearsal will be more effective if you practice it in front of an audience.

Note: You will experience complete silence in the defense room. You might feel awkward because, most of the time, you’re the only one speaking out loud.  This is completely fine, and it’s something you should practice in rehearsal should you be afraid.

Narrow the Presentation of Ideas

Regarding your slides, you don’t have to include everything that’s in your paper. You should narrow down your ideas to the main points and the most important details, such as the statistics and findings.

If the members of your committee think you lack details or they want to hear a further explanation, they won’t hesitate to ask you.

Prepare for the Unexpected Questions

The panel tends to challenge the presenters, usually through some hard questions.

Its aim is how well do you you have done your research and how prepared you are.

But as long as you know the ins and outs of your paper, you shouldn’t lose your confidence regardless of which questions they ask.

Just keep in mind that what you’re saying in your oral defense is not in conflict with what is written on the hard copy you provided them.

What To Do When You Don’t Know the Answer

If the committee asks you a question and you don’t know the answer, don’t make up a baseless answer.

Baseless means out-of-context answers or something without proof or backup.

How To Deal With The Nervousness

The committee expects you to be nervous. Of course, it’s normal.

However, one effect of being nervous is the changes in your behavior.

There’s a tendency for you’ll talk fast, which will make it hard for the committee to understand you.

It might also cause you to have a mental block.

So try to slow down. Take a deep breath.

Inhale, exhale.  Remember to breathe!

It’s OK to pause, and it’s OK to take your time; it’s more important that the committee clearly understands what you are trying to articulate.

More Quick Tips on How to Present!

• Introduce yourself at the beginning
• Introduce the title of the presentation
• Don’t read your notes if possible
• Don’t speak too fast
• Put an emphasis on what you’re saying so you don’t sound monotonous
• Look at your adviser once in a while for possible signs
• Stand on the right of the white screen if you are right-handed so you can easily refer to the slide without giving your back to the committee
• Face the audience when you talk
• Keep an eye contact
• Make sure to keep attention to the reactions of the committee and don’t forget to react in turn

We hope you enjoyed this article on how to do a proper thesis defense and how to best prepare for one using proven tips and techniques to help you get through this.  Hopefully, after your defense, you will be set as the one in your class to deliver an inspiring graduation speech for your peers. If you have value, please remember to share this article. We also recommend you read these Thesis Statement Examples for inspiration to create your own professionally.

1. MasterDoc PowerPoint Template

Creating a Thesis presentation should be a straight forward task; based on your thesis document and following the tips described above you have a high level structure already outlined. The MasterDoc PowerPoint template provides professional layouts with texts and image placeholders; so you can create document like slides using your thesis defense as your content. This template is ideal for a highly detailed documents, where visuals and words unite to illustrate one concept per page. The result is an asset that can be read and digested more quickly than either your thesis document or a presentation created for assisting a speech. A document created with the MasterDoc PowerPoint templates is meant to be printed or distributed, read on screen without the accompaniment of a presenter or used in an e-learning platform as pure learning content.

Use This Template

2. Thesis Presentation PowerPoint Template

You had invested a considerable time researching, testing hypothesis and confirming your thesis. Craft your thesis presentation with the same level of detail you applied in your work. Using the Thesis Presentation PowerPoint Template you will focus only in your content and your message. The layouts, images,design and structure will be taken care by the template.

3. Master Thesis PowerPoint Template

The Master Thesis PowerPoint Template is a professional document designed for postgraduate degrees presentations. It provides simple sections that follow  the structure and best practices of traditional research thesis presentations. Starting with the introduction to the theory and state of the art scenario; following with hypothesis research and its findings and concluding with the confirmation or negation of the initial thesis statement.

4. Essay Outline PowerPoint Template

Your thesis defense can be accompanied by an essay, that states your thesis and argues about it using several supporting paragraphs. This kind of document is ideal to be an intermediate step between reading assisting to the thesis presentation and reading the complete thesis documentation. It has more information that your thesis defense abstract, but does summarizes the supporting evidence and examples that allows the argument of each idea behind the thesis. You can use the Essay Outline Template to present your Essay outline and create an essay linked to your thesis defense documentation.

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Academics, Degree, Dissertation, Doctorate, Education, Faculty, Master, PhD, Student, Thesis Filed under Presentation Ideas

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36 Responses to “How To Do a Proper Thesis Defense Using the Right PowerPoint Presentation”

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Dissertation Defense | Strategies & Tips

Introduction

The doctoral program, the dissertation stage, what is a dissertation defense, what is the structure of a dissertation defense, preparation for your dissertation defense, what happens after you defend your dissertation.

The dissertation is the centerpiece of a graduate student's career at the doctoral level. It is a demonstration of a doctoral student's ability to conduct and present research with the skills necessary to contribute to scientific knowledge. As a result, the dissertation defense (sometimes called a thesis defense in non-American contexts) is the main opportunity for doctoral students to demonstrate they can contribute to scholarly discussion.

Many graduate students think of the dissertation defense as a final examination or a job interview. It is often a key final step to complete the doctoral degree.

Graduate studies are the venue in which students build expertise in a particular field and focus area. There are different kinds of graduate degrees, but what separates the doctoral journey from all others at this level is one's ability to generate or discover new knowledge through research. Mastery of trivia or encyclopedic knowledge is far less important to doctoral studies than a systematic organization of that knowledge through established research methodologies .

Requirements for a doctoral degree will vary depending on the institution and the program and may include coursework, comprehensive examinations, research experience, and an established record of research publication . In most cases, however, graduate students complete a doctoral degree when they successfully defend their dissertation.

The culmination of a doctoral program is the graduate student's demonstration of their abilities to conduct and present research in academic work. Not only must students show their understanding of theories, methods, and argumentation necessary for contributing to scientific knowledge, they must also navigate the intricacies inherent to academic institutions in a way that shows that they can cohesively work with and engage scholars.

The dissertation represents this understanding and mastery of skills necessary to work in established academic contexts. The research in a dissertation is deemed credible and worthy of being considered scientific knowledge when a university approves it and adds it to its repository, which is made available to all of its members so they can, in turn, conduct research and generate knowledge. However, this approval comes after a lengthy process that involves assembling members of the academic community together to review and develop research.

To be sure, the main objective of dissertation research is to present new knowledge, but the manner in which students conduct that research should also illustrate their understanding of how to generate insights rigorously, ethically, and in collaboration with others. As a result, doctoral programs, while varying with each other on some level, share a number of core characteristics outlining a long-established process of facilitating dissertation research.

Dissertation committee

A dissertation requires an audience of knowledgeable academic scholars who can comment on and critique the research. A committee made up of faculty members internal or external to the student's university fulfills this role by guiding the research, providing feedback, and asking questions about the resulting dissertation. Is the research that the student has produced "state of the art"? Does it meet reasonable standards of research rigor and transparency? Will the research make a valuable contribution to future academic discussions or practical developments outside of the academy?

It's the job of dissertation committee members to help develop and critique the research. Through this process, graduate students can refine their research design and attain guidance on key theories and methodologies . In turn, committee members gain insight from fresh perspectives on the graduate student's research.

The main committee member is your dissertation chair, which might be your supervisor or a committee member who is most knowledgeable about the research you want to conduct for your dissertation. Beyond that, a good committee member is an established scholar who can provide useful insight about the research context, the issues or theories currently being discussed within the research context, and the methods used to further develop those theories.

Oftentimes, students rely on a faculty member whose classes they have taken to serve as committee members. Students might also identify potential external committee members in academic conferences or by asking for recommendations from their professors.

Dissertation proposal

Designing a robust and rigorous study often requires discussion among colleagues within academia so that research methods can be refined before all the data is collected and analyzed.

The proposal stage gives doctoral students a chance to gather preliminary feedback on their prospective research as well as an opportunity to practice their ability to defend their expertise in their chosen field and focus area. At the dissertation level, this aspect of an academic career is represented by the proposal.

The dissertation committee approves the study design as an indication that the dissertation research has potential. Think of the writing and presentation of the dissertation proposal as a practice run for the eventual defense, while the substance of the proposal, in many cases, becomes part of the final dissertation as it details the underlying theories and methodology for the study.

Dissertation research

While the proposal lays out the research design , the study itself is where you will collect and analyze all the data necessary for the findings and discussion sections of your dissertation. Needless to say, the theoretical developments and actionable insights will come from this part of the dissertation process.

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The oral defense of your dissertation synthesizes every step of the research process you have undertaken for your research project. It's best to look at it like an opportunity to show off your expertise about the research in your field and, more importantly, your methodological process for developing your original research.

What is the role of a defense?

The defense is the main forum in which you share your research with the larger academic community. Some think of it like a job interview or a test where the committee members assess the worthiness of the research and the student who conducted it. Others consider a defense to be more of a coming out party, a critical event where the student is elevated from a novice scholar to an established expert in their chosen research field.

However it is interpreted, the dissertation defense is a critical event in a graduate student's career. In a successful defense, the doctoral candidate is no longer a newcomer but a scholar who understands the intricacies of academic research and can contribute to it in a substantive manner.

Is a dissertation defense just a formality?

If you are well-prepared and your research is robust and rigorous, you should have no problems passing your oral defense. That said, it is by no means "just" a formality. A graduate student who wants to demonstrate expertise should be prepared enough to anticipate and answer questions from the committee that might otherwise stump or confuse a layperson.

While defenses will differ depending by program and institution, there are a couple of common elements.

First, the doctoral candidate presents their research in a short presentation or lecture. While your committee is already familiar with your research, many defenses are open to the entire academic community who may be interested in your field but may not have the necessary context to understand your research. As a result, this presentation is vital to providing the fundamental knowledge necessary for later discussion.

That discussion, mainly moderated by your dissertation chair and involving all committee members, serves as the central portion of the defense. Committee members will direct questions to you to interrogate your research, but they will also discuss the research amongst themselves to build their own understanding of the key theories and insights.

In some programs, the audience will also have an opportunity to pose questions to the candidate toward the end of the defense. The dissertation committee wants to know if you can engage with outsiders who are less familiar with your research field. This part of the defense is a test of your ability to share scientific knowledge with the greater academic community.

When you get to this stage of the process, most of the preparation for your defense is already complete. That said, the defense is its own event as it is the sole opportunity for the dissertation committee to determine if your research is state of the art and advances scientific knowledge.

In many cases, a dissertation defense can last about two hours and typically follows a set order. It's important to know how to prepare for each part of a defense.

Preparing your dissertation

At this point, the dissertation should be as close to polished as you can make it, but keep in mind you may still receive substantive feedback from your committee members. With the exception of your dissertation chair, members of your committee likely will not deeply engage your research until the oral defense itself. Even so, you still need to present as complete a study as possible during your defense. The key to preparation is to be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of every step of the research process, from research design to how you contribute novel and interesting insights to your field. Successfully defending a dissertation means having a thorough understanding of every major aspect of your study and the surrounding scholarship.

Presenting your dissertation

The dissertation defense typically begins with the student presenting themselves and their research. In many cases, this presentation is similar to those found at conferences or workshops, where the presenter needs to demonstrate that they can showcase their research in a succinct and accessible manner. After all, the audience at a defense will often include members of the academic community who may have a general interest in the research but not a deep familiarity with the specifics of the research.

The presentation itself should be detailed enough to lay out the most important points of the research but within a reasonable amount of time. This presentation lays the groundwork for the ensuing discussion with the rest of the academic community. The dissertation committee or program will often prescribe a set time limit for this presentation; it would be a mistake not to consider this time limit when making your presentation. An overly lengthy presentation or a presenter who meanders with no clear direction will be less persuasive and will not garner the interest of the audience. More importantly, successful time management during the presentation leaves more time for your committee to more thoroughly engage with the research through questions and answers.

Fielding questions asked

Dissertation defense questions make up the primary part of the discussion. This is the main opportunity for members of your committee to point out the novel aspects of your research as well as critique any weak points that should be addressed in revisions to your dissertation.

Ultimately, a successful defense will result in lively discussion among dissertation committee members. A dissertation committee will often look highly on research that engages their thinking and expertise, meaning that novel insights will prove incredibly valuable to a defense.

You may get a question from a committee member to which you may not readily have an answer. After all, it's impossible to anticipate every possible question posed within two hours of scholarly discussion. In the case where a question is truly outside of your knowledge, it's important to acknowledge this and at least explain your thinking about how you would address the question to get a meaningful answer. In other words, it's not always about giving the "correct" answer to all questions asked but demonstrating your ability to reflect and engage in scholarly discussion around your research.

Keep in mind that the defense itself is not the end of the doctoral journey. More often than not, the dissertation committee will accept the dissertation on the condition that revisions will be made based on the committee members' feedback. Even the most successful defense will likely require the doctoral student to make revisions to their dissertation.

In many cases, revisions to the dissertation can be more challenging than the dissertation defense itself. Up until this point, your advisor or dissertation chair was likely the main source of feedback on your dissertation research. After your defense, you will have gained a great deal of rich feedback that you can constructively build on to further hone your dissertation as you move forward in publishing and sharing your research.

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How to prepare an excellent thesis defense

What is a thesis defense?

How long is a thesis defense, what happens at a thesis defense, your presentation, questions from the committee, 6 tips to help you prepare for your thesis defense, 1. anticipate questions and prepare for them, 2. dress for success, 3. ask for help, as needed, 4. have a backup plan, 5. prepare for the possibility that you might not know an answer, 6. de-stress before, during, and after, frequently asked questions about preparing an excellent thesis defense, related articles.

If you're about to complete, or have ever completed a graduate degree, you have most likely come across the term "thesis defense." In many countries, to finish a graduate degree, you have to write a thesis .

A thesis is a large paper, or multi-chapter work, based on a topic relating to your field of study.

Once you hand in your thesis, you will be assigned a date to defend your work. Your thesis defense meeting usually consists of you and a committee of two or more professors working in your program. It may also include other people, like professionals from other colleges or those who are working in your field.

During your thesis defense, you will be asked questions about your work. The main purpose of your thesis defense is for the committee to make sure that you actually understand your field and focus area.

The questions are usually open-ended and require the student to think critically about their work. By the time of your thesis defense, your paper has already been evaluated. The questions asked are not designed so that you actually have to aggressively "defend" your work; often, your thesis defense is more of a formality required so that you can get your degree.

• Check with your department about requirements and timing.
• Re-read your thesis.
• Anticipate questions and prepare for them.
• Create a back-up plan to deal with technology hiccups.
• Plan de-stressing activities both before, and after, your defense.

How long your oral thesis defense is depends largely on the institution and requirements of your degree. It is best to consult your department or institution about this. In general, a thesis defense may take only 20 minutes, but it may also take two hours or more. The length also depends on how much time is allocated to the presentation and questioning part.

Tip: Check with your department or institution as soon as possible to determine the approved length for a thesis defense.

First of all, be aware that a thesis defense varies from country to country. This is just a general overview, but a thesis defense can take many different formats. Some are closed, others are public defenses. Some take place with two committee members, some with more examiners.

The same goes for the length of your thesis defense, as mentioned above. The most important first step for you is to clarify with your department what the structure of your thesis defense will look like. In general, your thesis defense will include:

• your presentation of around 20-30 minutes
• questions from the committee
• questions from the audience (if the defense is public and the department allows it)

You might have to give a presentation, often with Powerpoint, Google slides, or Keynote slides. Make sure to prepare an appropriate amount of slides. A general rule is to use about 10 slides for a 20-minute presentation.

But that also depends on your specific topic and the way you present. The good news is that there will be plenty of time ahead of your thesis defense to prepare your slides and practice your presentation alone and in front of friends or family.

Tip: Practice delivering your thesis presentation in front of family, friends, or colleagues.

You can prepare your slides by using information from your thesis' first chapter (the overview of your thesis) as a framework or outline. Substantive information in your thesis should correspond with your slides.

Make sure your slides are of good quality— both in terms of the integrity of the information and the appearance. If you need more help with how to prepare your presentation slides, both the ASQ Higher Education Brief and James Hayton have good guidelines on the topic.

The committee will ask questions about your work after you finish your presentation. The questions will most likely be about the core content of your thesis, such as what you learned from the study you conducted. They may also ask you to summarize certain findings and to discuss how your work will contribute to the existing body of knowledge.

Tip: Read your entire thesis in preparation of the questions, so you have a refreshed perspective on your work.

While you are preparing, you can create a list of possible questions and try to answer them. You can foresee many of the questions you will get by simply spending some time rereading your thesis.

Here are a few tips on how to prepare for your thesis defense:

You can absolutely prepare for most of the questions you will be asked. Read through your thesis and while you're reading it, create a list of possible questions. In addition, since you will know who will be on the committee, look at the academic expertise of the committee members. In what areas would they most likely be focused?

If possible, sit at other thesis defenses with these committee members to get a feel for how they ask and what they ask. As a graduate student, you should generally be adept at anticipating test questions, so use this advantage to gather as much information as possible before your thesis defense meeting.

Your thesis defense is a formal event, often the entire department or university is invited to participate. It signals a critical rite of passage for graduate students and faculty who have supported them throughout a long and challenging process.

While most universities don't have specific rules on how to dress for that event, do regard it with dignity and respect. This one might be a no-brainer, but know that you should dress as if you were on a job interview or delivering a paper at a conference.

It might help you deal with your stress before your thesis defense to entrust someone with the smaller but important responsibilities of your defense well ahead of schedule. This trusted person could be responsible for:

• preparing the room of the day of defense
• setting up equipment for the presentation
• preparing and distributing handouts

Technology is unpredictable. Life is too. There are no guarantees that your Powerpoint presentation will work at all or look the way it is supposed to on the big screen. We've all been there. Make sure to have a plan B for these situations. Handouts can help when technology fails, and an additional clean shirt can save the day if you have a spill.

One of the scariest aspects of the defense is the possibility of being asked a question you can't answer. While you can prepare for some questions, you can never know exactly what the committee will ask.

There will always be gaps in your knowledge. But your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. You are not expected to know everything.

James Hayton writes on his blog that examiners will sometimes even ask questions they don't know the answer to, out of curiosity, or because they want to see how you think. While it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, but you would need to do [...] in order to find out.” This shows that you have the ability to think as an academic.

You will be nervous. But your examiners will expect you to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions, for example. Dora Farkas at finishyourthesis.com notes that it’s a myth that thesis committees are out to get you.

Two common symptoms of being nervous are talking really fast and nervous laughs. Try to slow yourself down and take a deep breath. Remember what feels like hours to you are just a few seconds in real life.

• Try meditational breathing right before your defense.
• Get plenty of exercise and sleep in the weeks prior to your defense.
• Have your clothes or other items you need ready to go the night before.
• During your defense, allow yourself to process each question before answering.
• Go to dinner with friends and family, or to a fun activity like mini-golf, after your defense.

Allow yourself to process each question, respond to it, and stop talking once you have responded. While a smile can often help dissolve a difficult situation, remember that nervous laughs can be irritating for your audience.

We all make mistakes and your thesis defense will not be perfect. However, careful preparation, mindfulness, and confidence can help you feel less stressful both before, and during, your defense.

Finally, consider planning something fun that you can look forward to after your defense.

It is completely normal to be nervous. Being well prepared can help minimize your stress, but do know that your examiners have seen this many times before and are willing to help, by repeating questions for example if needed. Slow yourself down, and take a deep breath.

Your thesis defense is not about being perfect and knowing everything, it's about how you deal with challenging situations. James Hayton writes on his blog that it is ok sometimes to just say "I don't know", but he advises to try something like "I don't know, but I would think [...] because of x and y, you would need to do [...] in order to find out".

Your Powerpoint presentation can get stuck or not look the way it is supposed to do on the big screen. It can happen and your supervisors know it. In general, handouts can always save the day when technology fails.

• Dress for success.
• Ask for help setting up.
• Have a backup plan (in case technology fails you).
• Deal with your nerves.

• Verdediging
• Plan van aanpak
• Oplossingen
• Reflecteren
• Beoordeling
• Presentatie

Tijdens de zitting moet je in een gesprek het een en ander kunnen toelichten en verdedigen.

Vaak zien studenten hier erg tegenop. Niet iedereen is verbaal even sterk en er is veel onzekerheid over wat je te wachten staat tijdens zo’n zitting.

De verdediging heeft verschillende functies :

• Door het voeren van een gesprek kunnen de examinatoren zien of de student ‘boven de stof staat’. Dat wil zeggen dat je in staat bent uit te leggen wat je hebt gedaan, welke keuzes je hebt gemaakt en waarom. Het maakt nogal een verschil als blijkt dat je iets hebt gedaan omdat de opdrachtgever dat wilde, of omdat je duidelijk kunt beargumenteren waarom jij voor een bepaalde werkwijze hebt gekozen. Soms komt de vraag aan de orde waarom je voor werkwijze A hebt gekozen en niet voor B. Dat kun je al uitgebreid toelichten en onderbouwen in de scriptie, maar als je dat niet hebt gedaan is het aan te bevelen om je voor te bereiden op een dergelijke vraag. Dan blijkt voor de examinatoren dat je meer weet dan je hebt opgeschreven.
• Bij sommige opleidingen wordt zelfs letterlijk gezegd dat de verdediging dient om vast te stellen of de student de scriptie zelf geschreven heeft. Het schrijfwerk speelt zich immers af buiten het zicht van de opleiding en er zal wel vastgesteld moeten worden dat jij de enige echte auteur bent. Het is voor een examinator vrij eenvoudig om dat vast te stellen door enkele simpele vragen te stellen. Ga dus niet proberen de scriptie als jouw eigen werk te presenteren als dat niet het geval is… Dat betekent dus dat je de scriptie beter wel zelf kunt schrijven.

Hoe kun je je voorbereiden op de verdediging?

• Neem in ieder geval een exemplaar van je scriptie mee, dan kun je in gesprek gaan over bepaalde passages.
• Formuleer voor jezelf het antwoord op de volgende vragen:

Welk probleem heb je aangepakt en welke prestatie moest geleverd worden?

Waarom was het belangrijk dit probleem op te lossen?

Wat zijn de factoren die deze prestatie (positief of negatief) beïnvloeden?

Hoe en met welke methoden ben je daar achter gekomen?

Waarom denk je dat het probleem door jouw ontwerp wordt opgelost?

Welke impact heeft de oplossing op de prestaties van het onderzochte proces?

Hoe toon je dat aan?

Wat gaat de oplossing kosten?

Hoe ga je zorgen dat de aanbevelingen worden gerealiseerd?

Hoe ga je zorgen dat het bedrijf niet weer terugvalt in het oude patroon?

Welke theorieën en modellen heb je gebruikt bij de opdracht en waarom deze?

• Bereid je voor op waarom-vragen die gaan over de keuzes die hebt gemaakt en hoe-vragen over de praktische invulling van die keuzes. Daarmee laat je zien dat je zowel aandacht hebt gehad voor de achtergrond en de aanleiding (waarom was dit nodig?) als voor de consequenties voor de praktijk (wat moet er nu gebeuren en waarom zo?).
• Een vaak voorkomende vraag gaat over de reflectie: wat vond je goed gaan en wat had je achteraf gezien anders willen doen. Zorg dat je daar in ieder geval een antwoord voor klaar hebt. En trouwens, het is helemaal niet verkeerd als je achteraf moet constateren dat je iets anders had moeten aanpakken, integendeel! Daarmee laat je zien dat je ook tijdens het afstuderen hebt geleerd en in staat bent te reflecteren op de situatie en je werkwijze.
• Jij weet vele malen meer dan je examinatoren over het rapport en de omgeving waarin je hebt gewerkt. En je weet ook veel meer dan in je rapport staat, omdat je niet alle afwegingen die je hebt gemaakt op kunt schrijven. Soms stellen ze een vraag omdat ze iets over het hoofd hebben gezien, de achtergrond niet kennen of het domweg niet goed gelezen hebben (maar dat niet toe willen geven).
• Stel je als gelijkwaardig op naar je examinatoren; het zijn gewone mensen, vaak met kinderen, een huis, een hond en een hypotheek, die graag willen dat je slaagt en het leuk vinden een gesprek met je te voeren. Het zijn vaak docenten die je kent.
• Wees reëel; doe nooit alsof je iets weet terwijl je twijfelt. Zeg dan dat je twijfelt!

Ga er tijdens de verdediging van uit dat je in staat bent bovengenoemde vragen te beantwoorden. Mocht je een vraag krijgen waarop je het antwoord niet weet, draai er dan niet omheen. Het kan gebeuren dat je het antwoord wel weet, maar dat je het tijdens dat spannende gesprek niet meteen te binnen schiet. Leg dat dan gewoon uit en vraag of je daar later op terug mag komen. Soms schiet het antwoord je later spontaan te binnen.

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Defend A Thesis: Prepare For Your Thesis Defense For PhD

When you’re nearing the end of your graduate program, a critical milestone looms: the thesis defense. This isn’t just a formality; it’s your chance to showcase the depth of your research and knowledge. 

In this post, we explore what is a thesis defense, the process, and how you can do well in it. 

What Is A Thesis Defense?

A thesis defense is a crucial component of completing a graduate degree, where a student presents their research findings to a panel of experts, typically comprising faculty members from their university.

This event marks the culmination of a student’s research efforts and is a formal requirement for obtaining a master’s or PhD degree.

A thesis defense is also quite similar to a dissertation defense. Both involves a student presenting their research to a panel of experts and answering in-depth questions.

The main difference typically lies in the level of study—thesis defenses are common in master’s programs, while dissertation defenses are associated with doctoral studies. Both assess the student’s research rigor and depth of knowledge.

A thesis defense is usually a nerve wrecking experience for many PhD students, but with the right knowledge and preparation, it is usually managable.

Why Must a PhD Student Defend Their Thesis / Dissertation?

There may be doctorate programs that does not require thesis defense, but PhDs generally need to do this. There are several reasons why PhD students must defend their thesis:

Demonstration of Expertise

A thesis defense compels you to consolidate your research into a coherent presentation, showcasing your depth of knowledge and critical thinking skills.

During this oral examination, you answer open-ended questions posed by a committee of faculty members. This is your chance to demonstrate that you are an expert in your field, having moved from a student to a scholar.

Mastery of Subject Matter

The defense process requires that you not only know your study’s details but also how your work fits into the broader field.

Committee members, including your advisor and other professors, will probe your understanding, asking you to justify your methodologies and conclusions.

This is akin to a rigorous job interview where your task is to convince them of your thesis’s merit.

Feedback Opportunity

This is a rare moment to receive direct, critical feedback from multiple seasoned academics. Their insights can profoundly shape the final version of your dissertation, refining your arguments and possibly influencing future research directions.

Engaging with their questions helps you think more deeply and respond to critiques that you might face when publishing your work.

Validation of Research Efforts

Defending your thesis validates your years of hard work. Successfully articulating your research process and findings in front of the defense committee is a significant accomplishment in itself.

It’s a formal acknowledgment by the academic community that your research contributes valuable knowledge and meets the rigorous standards required for a graduate degree.

Professional Preparation

The skills you hone while preparing for your defense are invaluable in any professional context, including:

• articulating complex ideas,
• responding to unexpected questions, and
• handling critique.

Whether in academic conferences, teaching scenarios, or even non-academic jobs, the ability to present and defend your ideas clearly and professionally sets you apart.

In the grand scheme, your thesis defense is more than just a formality. It’s a crucible that transforms years of research into a defended, deliberate statement of your academic capability.

It’s not just about answering questions; it’s about proving that your research stands up to scrutiny and contributes to your field.

What Happens In A Thesis Defense?

Thesis defense is a very long process. You start with months, sometimes years, of preparation, writing and completing your thesis.

You will defend your work before a committee usually made up of faculty members from your department, and possibly an external examiner. These are the experts in your field who will rigorously evaluate your research.

The defense itself is a formal yet dynamic process. It begins with you presenting your thesis, often through a detailed PowerPoint presentation. This presentation highlights:

• the main points of your research,
• your methodology, and
• your findings.

Think of it as a summary of your long journey—a chance to argue the significance and validity of your work.

After your presentation, the committee will ask questions. These aren’t just any questions; they are often complex, open-ended queries designed to test how well you understand your research and your ability to think critically under pressure.

You need to demonstrate not just knowledge, but a deep grasp of your topic and related theories.

An interesting twist is that you may be asked to leave the room after your presentation. During this time, the committee deliberates on your performance. They discuss whether you’ve met the high standards required for a PhD and whether your thesis contributes significantly to the field.

This can be a nail-biting time for many students, as the discussion behind closed doors determines the outcome of years of hard work.

If all goes well, they will call you in, and inform you that you have passed your thesis defense. At this point, you may hear yourself being addressed as a ‘Doctor’ for the first time. 

If theres hiccups, you pay still pass, but with corrections. This means you need to perform additional work on your thesis for it to be accepted. In worse cases, you thesis may require major corrections. Some examination panels may also require you to redo your thesis defense.

This is fortunately, not very common. This is because your supervisor would have ensured your work is up to par before submitting your application for thesis defense.

How To Prepare For A Thesis Defense?

Preparing for your thesis defense can be daunting. You’re about to present years of work to a committee that will scrutinize your research and knowledge. Here are ten tips to help you prepare for your thesis defense.

1. Understand the Format: Every university has its own rules for thesis defenses. Check with your advisor or the graduate office to understand exactly what’s expected of you. Whether it involves a public lecture or a closed session with your committee, knowing the format helps you prepare effectively.

2. Focus on the Core Ideas : Resist the temptation to include everything from your dissertation in your presentation. Highlight the most significant findings and methodologies. This approach helps you stay within time limits and keeps your audience engaged.

3. Anticipate Questions : Think about potential gaps in your research that faculty members might target. Prepare slides or notes that can help you answer these tough questions. This foresight can turn a difficult question into a demonstration of your thorough preparation.

4. Rehearse Extensively : Practicing your presentation multiple times is crucial. Try to simulate the defense environment as closely as possible, ideally in the actual room where you’ll present. This rehearsal will make you more comfortable and fluent during the actual defense.

5. Prepare Visually Clear Slides : Your slides should aid your presentation, not confuse the audience. Ensure they are clear, visually appealing, and free of clutter. Use diagrams, charts, and bullet points to effectively convey complex information.

6. Dress Professionally : First impressions matter. Dressing professionally respects the formality of the occasion and can also boost your confidence. A business suit is often the go to for most candidates, although some universities may be more relaxed on the dress code.

7. Create Backup Slides : Have additional slides prepared for deeper dives into specific topics. These are particularly useful if a committee member asks a detailed question about a particular point or method.

8. Know Your Committee : Research the interests and work of your committee members. This knowledge can help you anticipate the kinds of questions they might ask and prepare more targeted responses.

9. Stay Calm and Collected : Remember that defense is not just an examination but also an opportunity to showcase your work. If you don’t know an answer, it’s okay to admit this and suggest how you might find it out. This shows honesty and a willingness to learn.

10. View It as a Professional Dialogue : Approach your defense as a professional discussion rather than an interrogation. This mindset can change how you perceive the event, reducing stress and helping you engage more openly with your committee.

These strategies are about more than just surviving your defense; they’re about making the most of an opportunity to excel and impress

Prepare For Your Thesis Defense

Your thesis defense is not just a formality; it’s a bridge to your future career and a chance to shine. Prepare diligently, understanding that this is as much about demonstrating your grasp of the field as it is about honouring your own hard work.

With the right preparation, you’ll be able to defend your thesis with confidence and leave a lasting impression on your committee.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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Master's thesis at the Faculty of Science

Each master student is confronted with it: the master's thesis. Even as a supervisor or mentor, it is not always easy to know what is expected of you.

Choosing a topic

• Choose an existing topic
• Submit your own topic
• Procedure during an exchange (outgoing students)

Guidelines, deadlines and submission

• Facultary concept note on the Master's thesis and the Faculty Regulations
• Objectives of the Master's thesis
• Guidance : who, criteria mentor and student and frequence
• Faculty Regulations for the layout  of a Master's thesis
• Mandatory certificate information skills
• Contribution statement
• Faculty information
• KU Leuven information
• Manual for students
• Technical manual

Evaluation and graduation

• Some Master's theses contain confidential information. A Master's thesis can be placed under embargo after a request of the student.
• Students must  submit a request to the Faculty if they want to graduate after the first examination period in January .

Who evaluates the Master's thesis? How will it be evaluated? How is checked whether a student has reached the objectives of the Master's thesis? Click  here for more information on the Assessment Committee and the faculty evaluation rubric.

The defence of the Master's thesis will take place on the days mentioned below. Students need to be available. The final schedule for the defence of the Master's thesis will be planned by the Master's thesis coordinator. It is possible to deviate from the days mentioned below. All information about date and time will be announced to the students by the Master's thesis coordinator.

• All programmes : Thursday (Friday Patron Saint's Day) + Saturday morning final examination week and Monday of deliberation week
• All programmes : Friday + Saturday morning final examination week and Monday of deliberation week
• Master geologie/Geology + Master geografie/Geography : Thursday + Friday final examination week
• All programmes : Friday final examination week

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What is a thesis defense defending dissertation.

You’re reading this article because you probably have an upcoming thesis defense. Maybe you’ve worked hard for years or months, and now that moment for wrapping things up is finally here. Whether you want to defend a thesis for a doctorate or master’s degree, you’re about to take that final step.

But, you must research extensively and prepare for the final presentation. As the content for your thesis is vital, so is your presentation. A stunning design with text hierarchy and precise data plays a crucial role in your thesis comprehension. This article answers the question, what is thesis defense? It goes ahead to explain the process of defending dissertation.

Any student that doesn’t know how to defend a thesis or even prepare for the presentation will find this article helpful. Reading this article will let you know what a dissertation or thesis defense is and how to prepare for it.

What Is A Thesis Defense?

Defending a thesis is presenting your research work to a professors’ panel to grade your presentation abilities. Also, your argument during the presentation ascertains that you understood your research topic. But, you must submit your thesis or dissertation first so that your lecturer can grade it before your defense presentation.

Most students want to know what defending thesis means after or when about to complete their graduate degrees. In most countries, writing a thesis is a vital part of finishing a graduate degree. Generally, a thesis or a dissertation is a significant paper related to the student’s study field. After handing in a thesis, the professor or lecturer assigns the learner the data for defending their work.

A thesis defense presentation occurs during a meeting comprising a committee of at least two professors and the student. The professors belong to the student’s program. Also, the session can include professionals from other learning institutions or experts in the student’s study field. The meeting attendees ask the students some questions about their work to understand their focus area and field.

Usually, these questions are open-minded, requiring the learner to think about the work critically. Since the student submits the paper for evaluation before the presentation, the panel already understands the work. But the board doesn’t design the questions to require the student to defend their work aggressively. In most cases, this procedure is a formality for getting a degree.

What Is The Purpose Of Dissertation Defense?

The thesis or dissertation defense aims to achieve two things.

First, it provides a presentation occasion and recognition of the accomplished doctoral work. Second, it presents a chance for formal evaluation and discussion of your thesis.

Ideally, the purpose of the dissertation defense is to assess the completed research work’s merits and the doctoral candidate’s ability to explain or interpret their research outcomes and implications. After the dissertation committee chair deems the paper ready for a defense, they allow the student to schedule their presentation meeting.

The student contacts the committee members to identify the time and date acceptable to them. Also, the learner secures the conference room for the presentation and serves all committee members with copies of the thesis.

What Does It Mean To Defend A Thesis Successfully?

The requirements of a dissertation defense process vary from one learning institution to another. However, a successful defense entails presenting the main argument to the dissertation committee or academic faculty with primary points evidence.

A good defense must have clear and convincing logic lending credence to the primary concept that the body of the paper advances. For instance, if your thesis argues that consuming meat is unethical, you may present arguments about animal abuse cruelty from farms and factories to make your claim legitimate.

How Long Is A Thesis Defense?

At this point, you’re no longer bothered by the question, what does it mean to defend your dissertation? However, you want to know your presentation or defense duration. The duration of a dissertation presentation or defense depends on the degree requirements and the institution.

Perhaps, the best way to know the duration your presentation should take is to consult your institution or department. But a dissertation defense takes 20 minutes in most cases, though it can take up to two or more hours. Also, the presentation duration and the number of questions the committee has for the candidate will influence this duration.

What’s more, the nature of your thesis will determine the duration of its defense. For instance, a master’s thesis takes longer to defend than a bachelor’s thesis. Nevertheless, your defense should fit the introduction, literature review, findings, and more time structuring the presentation. Therefore, take adequate time to prepare for the session. All in all, several factors, including your academic field and paper, determine the duration of the session.

How To Prepare For A Thesis Defense

Adequate preparation is among the best tips for ensuring a successful dissertation defense. Therefore, ensure that you understand the content of your thesis and the questions to expect from the dissertation panel. Also, ensure that you have a timetable showing the chronology of the presentation day.

The dissertation committee expects you to keep time because if you delay, you may have to wait for the next time the panel will allocate your defense. Additionally, make sure that you’ve handed in your thesis at least a month before the defense date.

How To Prepare For Thesis Defense In Six Steps

The end of a graduate degree might seem far away when starting. However, it comes up faster than most learners think. Perhaps, that’s because working on a thesis is a lot of work. What’s more, you have to master the content of your paper to ensure a successful defense. Additionally, decide the best way to present and defend your thesis. For instance, select the defense template, theme, and structure. After that, follow these steps from our best academic editing help and thesis writers to prepare a successful dissertation defense.

• Anticipate and prepare to answer all questions: Read and understand its content after writing a thesis. Also, list down potential questions to expect from the dissertation committee. You can even look for academic experts to advise you on the possible focus area for the committee members. Use your questions to gather relevant information in readiness for the presentation.
• Dress appropriately: A dissertation defense is a formal occasion comprising top-ranking members of your academic department. It’s like a passage rite for the graduate and the faculty that supported them. Although the university might not have specific dressing rules for this event, think about it with respect and dignity. Ideally, dress like you’re going for a job interview.
• Seek assistance: You will be busy preparing for your defense several days before the event’s date. Therefore, entrusting some tasks to reliable people might help. For instance, you can delegate tasks like conference room preparation and presentation equipment setup to a trustworthy person.
• Prepare a backup plan:  Thesis oral defense requires technological equipment. And technology can fail you. For instance, a PowerPoint presentation may not look as expected. It might even not work at all. Therefore, prepare a plan B by anticipating such eventualities. For example, you can have handouts ready, just in case technology fails.
• Prepare for tough questions: Most students are scared about professors asking questions they can’t answer. Although you can anticipate some questions, you won’t know the exact things the panel will want to see from you. However, defending your thesis is not about answering every question correctly and perfectly. Therefore, understand that the board doesn’t expect you to know everything.
• Learn to deal with your anxiety: It’s normal to be anxious or feel nervous when defending your thesis. However, prepare to minimize your stress. Also, understand that the committee will repeat questions if necessary. Most importantly, take time to process every question and respond confidently.

Follow these tips, and you will be ready for the defense when the day comes. But the essential thing is to master the content of your paper and anticipate questions that the committee might ask.

How To Start A Thesis Defense Presentation

Once you have everything ready for the presentation, follow these steps to start your dissertation defense presentation.

• Welcome the audience: Start by welcoming and connecting with the audience. Don’t use information or inappropriate language. Instead, be natural and approachable to your audience. Also, thank your audience for attending your defense presentation.
• Introduce yourself: Tell the audience your name and a brief description of your occupation and background.
• Explain your reason for doing your thesis: Explain what prompted you to further connect with the audience. Ensure that your motives are professional, though they can be personal, denoting your closeness to the project.
• Delve into your thesis: Start the actual defense presentation by explaining every part.

Practical Thesis Defense Tips: How To Do It

After starting defending your thesis, delve deeper into the oral presentation of your work using appropriate sound equipment and visual aids. Follow this format to present your dissertation.

Introduction: Explain why the study was necessary Literature review: Tell the committee about the findings of other scholars on your subject or topic. Research methodology: Explain the research methods you used in your study and why. Findings: Explain your research findings to the committee. Discussion: Discuss your findings and deductions. Implications, suggestions, limitations, and conclusions: Explain the impact of your study, setbacks, and findings. Also, suggest a path for future studies on the topic or subject. Answer questions: The committee members will ask you questions and expect you to respond. Leave the room: After presenting your defense and answering the committee’s questions, you can leave the room to allow the panelists to deliberate. Come back to the room: The committee will invite you back after the deliberations. The supervisor will share the committee’s decision with you.

The student receives all written work copies after the oral examination. Remember to observe dissertation defense etiquette even if the committee asks questions that deem unnecessary to you. Be polite, formal, and composed throughout the presentation.

Get Professional Thesis Writing Help

You can’t defend a thesis before writing it. However, you might lack adequate time to select a unique thesis topic, research it, and write a custom paper, and of course, buy dissertation online . That’s where our experts come in. We’re a professional team of academic writers helping learners write a quality thesis, defend them, and score the top marks. Our knowledgeable thesis specialists can also provide vital advice or guide you through the defense process.

If stuck with a dissertation or unsure about the defense process, our native writers can help you. We offer cheap and efficient academic writing services online 24/7. Contact us today!

How long is a thesis paper?

The length of your thesis will depend on your faculty, department, or study field. However, a bachelor’s thesis is usually 40 to 60 pages long. On the other hand, a master’s thesis ranges between 60 and 100 pages. A Ph.D. thesis has an average of 204 pages.

Nevertheless, the actual words for a Ph.D. thesis depend on the university and the subject. That’s because most learning institutions set the length requirements. Learning institutions set the minimum length and not the maximum word count or page number in most cases. Therefore, ask the supervisor about your paper’s length before learning how to defend your dissertation.

How long is a thesis defense?

The dissertation defense duration depends on the technicality of the paper and the degree that a student is pursuing. An undergraduate degree’s defense can last an hour, while a master’s degree defense can take one and a half hours. A Ph.D. degree defense can last two or more hours.

What happens during a thesis or dissertation defense?

The professors allocate the students time for their presentation or defense. After that, the panelists will ask questions, and the student will answer. The committee requests the student to summarize their study deductions in some cases

• Graduate School

40 Thesis Defense Questions

Practicing answering thesis defense questions in a mock thesis defense is the best way to get ready for this challenging step in your academic career. Aside from knowing your research project inside and out, you must have solid strategies for tackling different question types and talking about why you chose your research topic. You might have already answered questions related to your research interests in your research interest statement and grad school interview questions , but now after years for in-depth study, it's time to really test what you have accomplished! Check out some of the hardest thesis defense questions below and read our expert responses!

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Article Contents 11 min read

What to expect in a thesis defense.

A thesis defense is your chance to demonstrate your in-depth knowledge and expertise in the topic of your research thesis. While you will be able to take charge of the narrative and present your research to those on your thesis committee, the professors will prod you to test how well you know and understand your topic. The questions are mostly open-ended and give you the chance to showcase your knowledge and understanding, as well as any future plans you may have regarding your research topic.

A thesis defense usually lasts between one and two hours, depending on the area of your research. It starts with you giving a presentation of your interest, findings, and conclusions. After you have finished, the committee members will ask you questions based not only on your presentation, but also on your written thesis as they will have read it before your presentation. Lastly, the committee might approve your thesis or suggest changes to your paper.

Preparing thesis defense questions requires you to start well in advance. While the duration of your thesis defense might vary as per your institution's requirements, the major idea is to defend your research. Thus, you should go about preparing for your thesis defense questions by taking the following steps.

Interested in a quick overview of the section below? Check out this infographic:

Re-read your thesis for clarity

Your thesis defense questions will be based on what you have written in your research paper. Hence, it is a good idea to re-read your paper. You should be clear on the concepts and understand your research well. It might have been some time since you would have submitted your paper, so a revision should be the starting point of your preparation.  

Have an answer strategy and structure

Plan a strategy to answer the panel’s questions. Keep your answers direct, but elaborate on the research details wherever necessary. If you do not know the answer to a question, that is alright. The key is to be able to formulate an answer even if you do not possess enough knowledge to answer at that point in time. For instance, if a question is about the content of your research, you can say something like “I am not certain my research touches on the question you are asking, but my research has led me to Dr. X. Based his evidence, I would have to conclude that…” Having a strategy for answering even the most unexpected questions can be a life saver in these situations!

Most of the thesis defense questions can be easily predicted based on your research. You can prepare a list of possible questions when you are going through your paper. Getting to know the committee can help you in preparing better. Their areas of expertise can help you in determining what they might ask. Once you have a list of questions, you can start brainstorming how you might answer them. 

Prepare your slides in advance

If you require visual aids such as slides, it is a good idea to prepare them beforehand. You can double-check the slides and make sure that your presentation will run smoothly on the day of your thesis defense. Make sure your slides are arranged in the correct order. 

Attend a thesis defense of other candidates if it is an open event

If your institution allows it, you can visit a thesis defense of other candidates. This will give you an excellent idea of what you can expect in your meeting. If it is not possible to attend the event, you can speak to your peers to find out how their meeting went and what questions were asked.

Dress appropriately for your meeting

The thesis defense meeting is a formal event, and hence you should be dressed in formal clothes. While there are no strict dressing rules, you should consider it something equivalent to a job interview. Don’t just wear your T-shirt and appear in front of the committee. Your formal suit is a better option for the occasion.

Practice speaking for your meeting

Take your preparation to the next level by practicing your presentation. This activity will give you the confidence for the actual meeting and presentation. You can request your academic peers to help you out in the practice task. Based on their feedback in the mock session, you can improve for the actual session. Make sure to prepare well for the mock session as if you are preparing for the actual session. You can also practice your speech and body language in the mock session. If you used thesis writing services , these professionals would also be the ideal people to test you in a mock thesis defense – don’t hesitate to reach out to them again!

Sample Thesis Defense Questions and Answers

1.    what is your research study all about.

In your answer, you should summarize your research in a few sentences. The question is simple but requires technical expertise for a better explanation of concepts. For instance, if you completed a thesis in an attempt to explain the constituents of dark matter in the universe and particle accelerators, you could frame your answer like this:

In this research, the different aspects of dark matter and its detection models have been investigated. The cosmic ray positron excess observed by the PAMELA detector has been discussed and explained through the construction of models of decaying dark matter. The cosmic-ray electron and positron spectra were studied assuming a general Dirac structure for the four fermion contact interactions of interest. A supersymmetric leptophilic Higgs model was constructed to explain the possible excess of gamma rays in the galactic center. Finally, by the use of Razor analysis, an improvement on the dark matter collider searches is considered.  

2.    Why did you choose this study?

This question requires you to answer what motivated you to pursue the study in the first place. Your answers could touch on your interests in the area of the study. For example, if you conducted a study called “Media Combat: The Great War and the Transformation of American Culture” then you can shape your answer like this:

The First World War (1914-1918) has always been a topic of fascination for me, and my prime interest lies in exploring the state of society at that time. I wanted to analyze the formation of a nationalized, wartime cultural apparatus during the United States' involvement in the war and how theatre and music transformed the relationship between the government and American citizens. 

3.    Why did you choose this particular title for your research?

The title of your thesis captures the main point of your research, which is why it is so important to use an appropriate title. Your committee will want to know how you came to the final decision of naming your work. For example,

I chose the title “Dark matter in the heavens and at colliders: Models and constraints” for my research thesis because my research attempts to explain the constituency of dark matter as it occurs in the universe. “The heavens” is another word for the universe. Dark matter can also be created in particle accelerators such as the CERN collider. I have attempted to provide an explanation for both of the cases through the use of models, along with describing the constraints which exist in the current times due to certain scientific limitations.

4.    What is the scope of your study?

In your answer, you have to define the boundaries of your project and define exactly what you are studying. There can be several elements involved but you have to define the parameters that you have chosen to study. For example,

My study is on the efficacy of equity stocks in the US market. For my study, I have chosen 50 companies listed on the NASDAQ. You can review the names of these companies on page 5 of my thesis.

5.    What phenomenon were you trying to understand with this research?

Describe the focus concept of your thesis in the answer. For example,

In our study “Motivation to volunteer”, we were looking to study the Theory of Planned Behavior by analyzing the behavioral and normative beliefs that influence attitudes and subjective norms.

6.    Who will be most interested in your research?

You can talk about who may be affected by your research and the parties who can potentially benefit from the research. Take a look at this example:

My sociology thesis on “Impact of social media on youngsters” can be of interest to sociology academics, social media companies, education experts, and parents of youngsters in general.

7.    Did your research questions evolve during the process? If so, how?

Often, qualitative research questions change over time with respect to the responses that you might get from your focus group. Or you might just change your question as you do lab research or general text research. You can describe the change to the evaluating committee. For example,

We started our study to understand the impact of the new public policy change on recycling of vinyl waste through installation of garbage bins specifically for vinyl products. However, after interviewing some of the respondents in the target community, we found that the rule is actually irrelevant to their behavior and thoughts because the percentage of vinyl waste in that specific locality was very low and it didn’t need the installation of dedicated bins for the purpose. Going by their frustrations with the current economic insecurity, our study evolved into the impact of costs incurred by public policy changes.           

8.    What gaps did you intend to bridge with your research?

Your research thesis must eliminate the present gaps in the concepts related to your subject topic.

The relationship between hard water and its effect on the size of the kidney stone is not clear yet, so we analyzed the mineral composition of hard water to determine its impact on the size of the kidney stone.

9.    Why is your research significant?

The answer to this research question should outline the impact of your research on your field of study. You may talk about the new insights contributed by your research and its impact on society.

Through my study on “The effect of chamomile in reducing stress and promoting better sleep,” patients with insomnia and anxiety will be able to find alternative treatments without the use of medicinal drugs. The medical abilities of chamomile will promote the usage of ingredients in nature and will encourage the community to plant more herbs and trees.

10. What did you find in your research?

You may describe your research in a few sentences in this answer. For instance,

In our study on “Impact of artificial fluoride in water on the human body,” we found that excessive exposure to high quantities of Fluoride can result in tooth discoloration and bone issues in humans since it has neurotoxic qualities. 

11. What research findings surprised you?

When you conduct research, you come across findings that you were not expecting earlier. If you had such an experience, you might describe the same to the evaluation committee when you answer this question. For example,

I was expecting that business promotion through social media would not be a good idea for rural enterprises in developing countries in my comparative analysis of the usage of traditional and contemporary marketing methods. But I was surprised to learn that 68% of rural textile businesses in Nigeria promote their products on Instagram.

12. What is the validity of your findings?

You have to talk about the conditions in which your research findings would be valid.

In my research, I have considered test anxiety to be involving both nervous system activation and negative thoughts. Thus, my measure of test anxiety has included the elements of both nervous feelings and negative thoughts, the conditions in which my findings are valid.

For example,

For studying the differential protein expression, its localization, and distribution at different levels, we used the method of immunostaining in our research.

14. What sources did you use for data collection?

You would have used several sources to search for data for your topic. You may elaborate on those sources. You might have referred to databases, content on the web, or even conducted primary research by interviewing prospects. Thus, you can talk about these sources. Refer to the following answer:

To understand the impact of the current tax regime on skilled workers, we interviewed 150 subjects in 5 months. Additionally, we referred to databases and scholarly works available by authors who had previously conducted such studies for previous tax laws and rates. 

15. How can your research be put into practice?

This question talks about the practical implications of your research. You should talk about how your research is beneficial for society and how it can help in eliminating current issues.

In our research titled “Effectiveness of Meditation on Reducing the Anxiety Levels of College Students in the US,” we discovered that students who practiced meditation at least thrice a week were two times more likely to score better in their exams, owing to the positive impact of meditation. So, this research finding can help in the reduction of mental health issues among students. A suitable course of action would be to hold meditating sessions a couple of times a week. 

16. How will your findings contribute to the related area of knowledge?

Our study on medicinal analysis of herbs conveys information about various medicinal benefits of chamomile in treating depression and contributes to the area of medicinal botany.

17. Did you experience any limitations in your research?

Our research on “Impact of smoking on β-cell function and risk for type 2 diabetes in US citizens” finds that smoking increases the risk of diabetes among smokers. However, smokers might be affected by some genetic conditions which can protect them from diabetes. 

18. What sampling techniques did you use?

When conducting research, it is practically not possible to study the entire number of elements. So, you would be using a method to select a sample population.

In our study “Impact of consumption of soda on the health of teenagers in Corpus Christi”, we used area sampling to divide the city into several areas and then selected some clusters for our sample group.

19. What are the dependent and independent variables in your research?

In research, several variable factors impact your study. You can describe these variables. Independent variables have values which are not affected by other variables in your study. On the other hand, the dependent variables have values that change with changes in the independent variable. For example,

In our study on “Impact of online tutoring on test scores”, the independent variable is the nature of the classes i.e., online and the participants' test score is the dependent variable.

20. What areas do you suggest for further research?

As a researcher, you should be able to describe what further areas are open for research with the addition of your research to the field. This can act as a starting point for future researchers. For example,

In my research on “Effectiveness of Acetaminophen in treating sports induced injuries”, I discovered that administering Acetaminophen is not very effective for treating joint pains such as the knee. This further suggests measures for the regulation of Acetaminophen in the production of painkillers for body pain and the search for alternative compounds.

Practice Questions

After taking a look at the sample answers, now try answering these questions by yourself:

Do you have any closing comments? "}]">

After submitting your research thesis for evaluation, you have to appear before a panel of professors and present your work; afterwards, they will ask you questions about your research.

You have to plan and prepare for your thesis defense. Review your paper and anticipate the questions that the committee can ask. Practice with mock defense sessions using professional servicesand make improvements based on their feedback. Be prepared with a strategy for answering any question asked by the panel.

Your research thesis should be on a topic of your interest. Scan your course syllabus to find something that makes you curious. Or, you can even refer to your grad school career goals statement to review what got you interested in grad school in the first place. Shortlist a few topics and zero down to the one that excites you the most.

The first step in preparing for a master’s thesis defense is to revise your research paper and write down a list of questions that the committee might ask. Find answers to those questions and get ready for your presentation. Practice your presentation beforehand. Try to attend a thesis defense of other candidates to know what you can expect in your session. 

You will get questions related to what you have mentioned in your research paper. The most common starting questions are “what is your research about?" and “what was your motivation behind choosing this topic?” Later on, the committee asks you more detailed questions on research methodology, literature review, study variables, research findings, recommendations, and areas of further research.

You can get help from a grad school essay tutor for your research thesis writing. They can help you in developing writing skills and reviewing your work. They can proofread your work and provide recommendations on areas of improvement.

You can include your research thesis on your grad school CV to show your practical knowledge and skills. You can add the details of the study in a separate section for research experience.

Immediately after the thesis defense, the evaluation panel will decide whether to approve your paper as submitted or request some changes, or reject it.

To pass a thesis defense, a majority of the panel members must approve the defense. In case of more than one vote against you, you can fail the thesis.

A thesis defense can last for two hours or longer, depending on your area of research.

Your thesis defense presentation should include the focus concept, findings, recommendation, and conclusion.

The contribution of your thesis towards your degree differs as per institution. You can refer to your course handbook for exact details. In most cases, the committee needs to approve your thesis for you to graduate from your degree.

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Have a question ask our admissions experts below and we'll answer your questions.

why did you choose this place for a research locale

BeMo Academic Consulting

Hi Jeff! Yes, this can also be one of the questions you are asked in a thesis defense!

That is good

Hello Eshetu! Thanks for your comment. Glad you found this helpful!

Very helpful

Thanks, Abel. Glad you found this helpful. 

Helpful thank you.

Hi Lagat! Thanks!

As an 11th-grade student, I don't have any experience in thesis or research defense in general. Me and my groupmates will be conducting our research title defense next week, this is invaluable information for us. Thank you!

You are very welcome, Kate!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS, I REALLY APPRECIATE.

Hello Stephanie! Thanks for your comment.

EMELDA NAFULA NYONGESA

This is a good guideline to post graduate students (Masters and PhD) CPA:Emelda Nyongesa

Hi Emelda! Thanks!

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Scriptieverdediging: Succesvol Je Scriptie Presenteren met PowerPoint

Na maandenlang toegewijd onderzoek en schrijven is het moment aangebroken: je gaat je scriptie verdedigen en presenteren. Dit is de kans om je diepgaande onderzoek op een boeiende manier te delen en je kennis en vaardigheden te demonstreren. In deze informatieve blog delen we waardevolle tips en tricks voor een geslaagde scriptieverdediging, inclusief het gebruik van een krachtige PowerPoint-presentatie.

Wil je een handige invulbare template die je uren aan werk bespaart en je cijfer meteen omhoog krikt? Check dan deze handige Powerpoint bij  Stuvia  en  Knoowy .

Voorbereiding voor je scriptieverdediging

Voordat je begint met de voorbereiding, is het belangrijk om te weten wie je publiek zal zijn. Afhankelijk van je opleiding kan dit je vaste begeleider, een tweede lezer, of zelfs een groter publiek omvatten. Dit inzicht helpt je om je presentatie aan te passen aan je specifieke publiek.

Doelgroep en voorbereiding

Begin met het grondig doorlezen van je scriptie en bereid je voor op mogelijke vragen en kritiekpunten. Het kan enorm helpen om deze met anderen te bespreken, zodat je je antwoorden kunt verfijnen en ervoor kunt zorgen dat ze duidelijk en logisch zijn. Overweeg ook om je scriptie door anderen te laten lezen om eventuele fouten of onduidelijkheden aan het licht te brengen.

De opzet van je verdediging

Een typische scriptieverdediging bestaat uit twee belangrijke onderdelen: een afstudeerpresentatie en een vragenronde. Hier zijn enkele voorbereidingstips:

Je afstudeerpresentatie

• Houd je presentatie beknopt, meestal met niet meer dan 10 slides. Houd er rekening mee dat je publiek mogelijk geen specialisten zijn in je onderwerp, dus leg vakjargon indien nodig uit.
• Zorg voor een duidelijke structuur met een inleiding, methodologie, resultaten en conclusie. Dit helpt je publiek om je verhaal te volgen en te begrijpen.
• Maak gebruik van PowerPoint om je presentatie visueel aantrekkelijk te maken. Gebruik grafieken, afbeeldingen en andere visuals om je boodschap te versterken.

De verdediging zelf

Op de dag van je scriptieverdediging is het belangrijk om kalm te blijven en je te concentreren. Hier zijn enkele tips:

• Oefen je presentatie herhaaldelijk voor een spiegel of met vrienden en familie. Dit zal je vertrouwd maken met de inhoud en je presentatiestijl verbeteren.
• Wees bereid om vragen te beantwoorden en voel je niet persoonlijk aangevallen. Onthoud dat de vragen bedoeld zijn om je kennis te testen en je te helpen je scriptie te verbeteren, niet om je te bekritiseren.
• Als je het antwoord op een vraag niet weet, geef dit dan eerlijk toe en vraag of je er later op terug kunt komen. Dit toont aan dat je openstaat voor feedback en bereid bent om te leren.

PowerPoint voor Je scriptieverdediging

Een effectieve PowerPoint-presentatie kan je verhaal structureren en versterken. Hier zijn enkele tips voor het gebruik van PowerPoint tijdens je scriptieverdediging:

• Zorg voor een duidelijke opbouw met secties voor inleiding, methodologie, resultaten en conclusie.
• Gebruik visuals zoals grafieken en afbeeldingen om je bevindingen te illustreren.
• Oefen je presentatie met de PowerPoint-slides om vertrouwd te raken met de overgangen en animaties.
• Houd de tekst op de slides beknopt en gebruik bullet points voor overzichtelijkheid.
• Zorg voor een back-up op papier voor het geval van technische problemen.

Met een goede voorbereiding, een duidelijke presentatie en een positieve houding ben je klaar om je scriptie succesvol te verdedigen. Onthoud dat dit een kans is om je kennis en vaardigheden te tonen en trots te zijn op je harde werk. Gebruik PowerPoint als een krachtig hulpmiddel om je verhaal te ondersteunen en je publiek te informeren. Bereid je voor, wees zelfverzekerd, en succes met je scriptieverdediging!

 Zoek je hulp voor andere onderdelen van je scriptie? Check dan deze hoofdvragen, templates en andere hulpdocumenten op Stuvia:

• Accountancy
• Bedrijfseconomie
• Commerciële Economie
• Communicatie
• Communicatie & Media
• Creative Business
• Facility Management
• Finance & Control
• Hotel & Eventmanagement
•   Integrale Veiligheid
• International Business
• Leraar Basisonderwijs (Pabo)
• Media & Communicatie
• Small Business / Ondernemerschap & Retail Management
• Sociaal Pedagogische Hulpverlening (SPH)
• Tourism Management / Toerisme
• Toegepaste Psychologie
•    Verpleegkunde/Hbo-V

Master's Thesis Regulations Master of Economics, Master of Business Economics, Master of Business Engineering and Master of Business and Information Systems Engineering

• General requirements of the Master's Thesis
• Cooperation between student and supervisor(s)
• Topic selection and development of the Master’s thesis
• Change of topic or supervisor
• Working with sensitive (personal) data in the context of the master's thesis
• Submission procedure
• Oral presentation
• Final assessment
• Assessment criteria
• Not passing after the third examination period
• Language of the Master’s thesis
• Confidential submission of master's thesis
• Thesis access
• Master’s thesis in one semester
• Irregularities - Plagiarism
• Accidents during movement or presence in a cooperating company or organisation (incl. abroad)
• Cooperation with a company or organisation
• Conducting surveys among fellow students or staff

1. General requirements of the Master's Thesis

The Master’s thesis provides students with an opportunity for independent learning. The following guidelines apply to the development of the Master’s thesis.

a. Academic level

In completing a Master’s thesis, students should demonstrate their analytical and synthetic skills and show that they are capable of independent problem-solving at an academic level. This should also be reflected in the final outcome and in attainment targets.

b. Relevance to the field of study

The subject of the Master’s thesis should be within the field of the student’s programme (ME), Major (MBE) or Major (MBEng). Students enrolled for the master of Business Engineering can choose between the master's thesis of their major and the Master's Thesis Data Science and Business Analytics (ORSTAT).

The Master’s thesis should account for at least one fifth of the total number of credits required for the programme, with a minimum of 15 credits.

• Master of Business Economics: 15 credits
• Master of Economics: 18 credits
• Master of Business Engineering: 24 credits

d. Concentration within one program year

The master thesis is focused on all programs in one program year, even with the master of Business Engineering. The choice of the project or the subject may already be allocated in the first year of the master of Business Engineering, but all credits are concentrated in the second year of the master. If for a particular major or program it is decided to allocate the project/topic in the third year of the corresponding Bachelor program, it does not affect the right of the student to determine (or to be allocated to) the topic within the master year.

e. Individual versus collective component

Completing a Master’s thesis may involve attending a seminar on research methodology. The Master’s thesis may also be part of a collaborative group project. In that case, each student’s individual contribution should be clearly indicated. If group papers are used, groups should include not more than 4 students. Supervision may also be partly group-based (so-called thesis circles). The group score can also be adjusted on the basis of ‘peer evaluation’.

f. Placements

A Master’s thesis project may involve a work placement. This will be decided by those responsible for the major or programme within which the thesis is being developed. Even if a student goes on placement, the end result of the project should still give evidence of critical reflection and be theoretically underpinned. A placement should always contribute to the Master’s thesis and should therefore also be related to its topic. An unrelated study placement will not count towards the requirements for the Master’s thesis.

g. Assessment breakdown

The weight of the different components in the assessment of the Master’s thesis should be clearly indicated. The assessment of the individual component is at least 50% in the master of Economics and master of Business Economics  and at least 60% in the master of Business Engineering. Motivation: given the importance and influence of the master's thesis in the final grade, the personal effort of the student has to sufficiently weigh on the final score. Given the annual nature of the master of Economics and master of Business Economics, as well as an equal timing between the master's thesis and core courses, the collective component may have a larger share. 

h. Written reporting

Written reporting is an integral part of the Master’s thesis. The results reported should be based on properly framed research questions, with due attention paid to the theoretical foundations and to critical reflection.The minimum and maximum size of the written report is expressed in the number of words. If a relatively short report is expected (eg. 8000 or 10,000 words), it is also expected from the student that (s)he follows the format of an article in a scientific journal. The evaluation criteria (see below) also clearly reflect the importance of this scientific standard.

i. Examiners

The Master’s thesis is assessed by an examining committee. One of these members may be an external examiner, for instance a fellow or a company mentor. The committee assigns a single score, either a consensus score or one based on weighted individual scores.

j. Oral presentation

Upon completion, the Master’s thesis is orally presented and defended. Presentations may be individual or team-based. Poster sessions may also be used.

2. Supervisor

Every lecturer in the Faculty can acts as a supervisor. This includes postdoctoral researchers and other PhD holders on a temporary contract. A PhD student cannot act as a supervisor, but can play a role in supervision and be a member of the examining committee.

In principle, the supervisor should be a member of the research group or unit responsible for the student’s major (MBE/MBEng) or programme (ME). Subject to consent from and in consultation with the Master’s thesis coordinator of the student’s major or programme, a supervisor outside the student’s own major or programme may be appointed, if this is considered useful for subject-related reasons. Even in this case, the thesis topic should be within the field of the student’s major or programme.

3. Cooperation between student and supervisor(s)

A. supervision.

Students are expected to work on the Master's thesis independently and to keep their supervisor(s) informed on a regular basis. This can be done by means of an e-mail if there are no urgent problems to be solved, or by means of an appointment. If, in addition to the supervisor, an internal supervisor is working with the student to monitor the more day-to-day functioning of the Master's thesis, the texts that are as far as possible finished are first submitted to him/her for feedback. A good guideline is to provide the supervisor with a state of affairs once a month (in case of several supervisors, this can be the daily supervisor). The concrete agreements are laid down by the student and the supervisor(s) at the start of the Master's thesis. If the Master's thesis is done in cooperation with a company/organisation, the student is responsible for maintaining contact with the external parties, submitting interim versions, asking for feedback, but also (if necessary) for setting up joint meetings with the internal supervisors. Unless otherwise agreed, the student is also responsible for inviting external parties to the final presentation in good time and providing them with all practical information about location, time, parking facilities, etc.

b. Required effort by student

The master's thesis amounts to 15 credits, 18 credits or 24 credits. As each credit represents 25-30 hours of study load for the student, the total expected amount of work is 375-450 hours, 450-540 hours or 600-720 hours, corresponding to 11, 13 or 17 weeks of full-time work. If the Master's thesis is carried out by a group of students, each student is expected to provide this amount of work.

c. Profile of the good master’s thesis student - Profile of the good master's thesis promotor/daily supervisor(s)

Student-platform

4. Topic selection and development of the Master’s thesis

The way in which topics are chosen or assigned is determined by the research group or unit responsible for the corresponding major or programme. The same group or unit will also elaborate specific format and structure requirements for the Master’s thesis, in accordance with the general requirements specified under (§1).

For an overview of thesis structure and specific format requirements, please consult one of the pages listed below:

• Master of Economics
• MBE, Master's Thesis Entrepreneurship
• MBE, Master's Thesis International Business, Strategy and Innovation
• MBE, Master's Thesis Accounting and Financial Management
• MBE, Master's Thesis Financial Economics
• MBE, Master's Thesis Marketing Management
• MBE, Master's Thesis Personnel and Organization
• MBEng, Master's Thesis Accounting and Financial Management
• MBEng, Master's Thesis Risk and Finance
• MBEng, Master's Thesis Quantitative Marketing
• MBEng, Master's Thesis Production and Logistics
• MBEng, Master's Thesis Industry, Global Value Chains and New Technologies
• MBEng, Master's Thesis Technology and Entrepreneurship
• MBEng, Master's Thesis Quantitative methods for decision making 
• Master of Business and Information Systems Engineering 

5. Change of topic or supervisor

If a student wishes to change his / her topic on valid grounds, a formal request should be submitted to the supervisor. Changing or modifying the topic is subject to consent from the supervisor.

If a student wishes to transfer to another supervisor (e.g. for thematic reasons), a reasoned request should be submitted to the Master’s thesis coordinator of the relevant major or programme. Such a transfer is subject to written consent by both the previous and the new supervisor.  

6. Working with sensitive (personal) data in the context of the master's thesis

In the context of stricter privacy legislation, FEB filed a declaration with the privacy commission at the time, which was taken over in the internal processing register of KU Leuven under the new European regulation. This declaration ensures that the faculty is in order for most student work (papers and master's theses) where personal data is used.

However, all students should take the following into consideration:

• All personal data must be safely secured to the best possible effort (ex. secure network environment, do not leave on a USB stick, etc..).
• Always inform the interviewee/respondent exactly about the personal data you will collect.
• Make sure that your data is not provided to third parties without a formal consent of the person(s) to whom the data relates to.
• Data can be stored for max ten years.
• When working with sensitive data such as medical records, national number, criminal records, data related to religion, etc.., there are additional obligations that do not fall under this general declaration. In that case, the promoter ought to contact the Vice Dean for Education.
• Most student assignments fall below the overarching declaration, and do not need a separate declaration.
• All anonymized data is outside the scope of this declaration, and may be used freely without taking the above measures into account.

If the thesis project involves third parties insisting on confidential treatment of information, the student and the supervisor can guarantee this confidential treatment with this  certificate of confidentiality at submission .  Fill the form out in threefold: one copy needs to be handed over to the third party, another one is for the student, and a third copy needs to be handed over to the master’s thesis coordinator who will characterize the master’s thesis as being confidential via the master’s thesis portal. This practice ensures the Faculty is aware of the 'confidential' status of the Master's Thesis.

7. Submission procedure

More information on the submission procedure can be found on this page .

8. Oral presentation

Upon completion, the Master’s thesis is orally presented and defended. The specific nature of this oral presentation is determined by the research group or unit responsible for the corresponding major or programme.

9. Final assessment

Students who fail and moreover receive a fail mark for their Master’s thesis will need to resubmit their thesis. No partial exemptions will be granted in this case.

The different components of the Master’s thesis are assessed by at least three examiners, i.e. the supervisor, the tutor and a third examiner. Each examiner gives an individual mark and the average of these three marks yields the final score for the Master’s thesis.

If final assessment contains both a group score and an individual score, a number of scenarios are possible: for each scenario it needs to be determined whether the student passes or fails and, if necessary, which part needs to be resubmitted in August. These scenarios are described in the following table (all marks out of 20).

10. Assessment criteria

More information about the assessment criteria can be found on this page .

11. Not passing after the third examination period 

A student who does not pass the master's thesis after the third examination period (insufficient or NA) loses, in principle, the master's thesis subject. The student should, at the latest before the start of the new academic year, contact the supervisor himself/herself if he/she wishes to keep the subject. If the supervisor is of the opinion that the student has already made considerable progress and/or has made the necessary efforts, he/she may give his/her approval to keep the master's thesis subject, possibly with some adjustments. When there is intensive cooperation with a company/organisation for the Master's thesi s (see type 2 in article 20) , the company/organisation shall also give its approval to retain the Master's thesis topic. The retention of the topic and the supervisor is only registered after the student has sent the approval of the supervisor (and company/organisation) via e-mail to the Master's Thesis coordinator . If the student opts for a new subject, if the student has not contacted the supervisor in time to retain the subject, or if the supervisor has not given approval to retain the subject, the student takes part in the next allocation round of master's thesis subjects.

12. Language of the Master’s thesis

The language of the Master’s thesis is English.

13. Confidential submission of master's thesis

Master's theses are in principle never confidential unless the student, at the request of the supervisor or a company/organization/individual with whom he/she cooperates, provides a 'Certificate of confidentiality at submission'   to the master's thesis coordinator (Campus Brussels and Campus Leuven) or the student secretariat (Campus Antwerp) via e-mail. The following applies to confidential master's theses: • Confidentiality applies to the student, the supervisor(s) and the jury members who evaluate the work; • Confidential status is recorded in local systems for further follow-up; • The content will not be made available to third parties either electronically or via printout or any other means of publication. Master's theses are never included in the library collection of KU Leuven (E-BiB). They are however digitally archived for administrative-educational and legal reasons. In case of visitations, problems, etc. they can be viewed by whoever is appointed by the university for that purpose. After the defense, the confidentiality can be (partially) lifted in consultation with the supervisor and, if applicable, the company/organization/individual with whom the research collaboration is being carried out, e.g. as a result of participation in an Award, a scientific or other publication, a press release, etc. To this end, a KU Leuven staff member contacts the parties involved, who must agree in writing to the (partial) lifting of confidentiality.

14. Thesis access

The contact details of students who have achieved a score of at least 14/20 for their Master’s thesis will be released to the press. Students who do not wish this information to be made available should complete a form at the Student Office when submitting their thesis.

The Master’s thesis will be made available in the library and through Libis, provided a score of at least 14/20 was achieved.

If the student has submitted the 'Certificate of confidentiality at submission'  when handing in the Master's thesis, the Master's thesis will be marked ‘confidential’ and will not be available for consultation.

15. Copyright

KU Leuven's mission is to stimulate the transfer of knowledge and, as part of this, to optimise access to dissertations. More information is available in the KU Leuven Student Thesis Copyright Regulations .

16. Key dates

• Dates for submission and oral presentation of the Master's thesis

17. Master’s thesis in one semester

Students who only need to complete the master's thesis, or the master's thesis combined  with one or more courses organized during the first semester of the academic year, have the opportunity to write and defend the master's thesis in one semester.

Students must hand in the form " Master's thesis in one semester agreement " by the 15th of December. The student must first have the form signed by the promotor (an/or daily supervisor) for a quality check of the master's thesis. The student then has the form signed by the master's thesis coordinator, so that the master's thesis defense can be scheduled. Finally, the student delivers the fully completed and signed document to the education and student office where the application is checked for the ISP requirements.

Anyone who makes use of this procedure has the first of a maximum of two exam opportunities (within one academic year) at the end of the first semester, regardless of whether or not the master’s thesis is submitted. The second examination opportunity can be taken in May/June (subject to the procedure foreseen for this purpose, see Article 47 Regulations on Education and Examinations and the sub-faculty supplements) or in August/September. For more information regarding the deadlines for submitting the master's thesis and the master's thesis defense, see important dates .

18. Irregularities - plagiarism

"Every conduct individual students display with which they (partially) inhibit or attempt to inhibit a correct judgement of their own knowledge, understanding and/or skills or those of other students, is considered an irregularity which may result in a suitable penalty. A special type of irregularity is plagiarism, i.e. copying the work (ideas, texts, structures, designs, images, plans, codes, ...) of others or prior personal work in an exact or slightly modified way without adequately acknowledging the sources." ( REE, article 84 ).

If within the framework of the Master's thesis an irregularity is established, the procedure - as described in Article 85 of the REE  - shall be followed. The sanctions that can be applied when an irregularity is established are described in Article 86 of the REE . In order to avoid sanctions as much as possible, the Faculty of Economics and Business focuses on the prevention of plagiarism  and offers students the possibility to study the correct referencing of sources through the tutorial information skills  on Toledo and the form requirements and templates  on the student portal. The faculty also provides a certificate by means of a plagiarism test that has to be taken via Toledo. Obtaining this certificate is compulsory. If the plagiarism test is passed successfully, a digital certificate is issued. This certificate should be kept well as it needs to be uploaded when submitting the final version of the master's thesis.

The Faculty of Economics and Business reserves the right to screen for plagiarism any document relating to the master's thesis that needs to be uploaded in the KU Loket. 

19. Accidents during movement or presence in a cooperating company or organisation (incl. abroad)

SPECIAL SITUATIONS: In case the society, the university, the project company or organization is confronted with situations of general force majeure or situations in which safety and health may be jeopardised, specific agreements may apply. You follow the guidelines that apply in the project company or organization and inform the faculty in case of changes in your work schedule. INSURANCE: During your project you are insured by the KU Leuven insurance policies, according to and within the limits of the terms and provisions of these policies. The student shall promptly notify the KU Leuven Insurance Office of any accident or damage ( https://admin.kuleuven.be/sab/vz/en/student-accidents ).

Keep in mind that Students have the burden of proof. In case of an accident, he/she must prove to the Insurance Department that the accident occured during this course or on the way to / from the place of the project. Specific details about the appointments (eg. where/when) must therefore be confirmed in writing, eg. by mail. If the whole group is attending the trip, one email mentioning the names of all group members present suffices. Students have to collect these emails carefully, as they are considered evidence in the case of an accident.

TRAVEL ABROAD: Students who travel abroad within the framework of their project must register their foreign stay at least 2 weeks in advance via KU Loket. On this basis, KU Leuven's Committee on Higher-Risk Destinations makes an assessment of the risks. Some destinations may be refused by the KU Leuven. If the planned route or dates change afterwards or during the trip, this must be reported again. If the student fails to make this (these) notification(s) in advance, the KU Leuven insurance cannot be called upon in the event of a problem or accident abroad. Please consult the following information before submitting an application via KU Loket. 

20. Cooperation with a company or organisation

Whether cooperation with an external company or organisation within the framework of a Master's thesis is desirable and possible, is to be discussed between supervisor and student. The supervisor always has the final decision about the possible cooperation with external parties, and directs the content. 

The assessment as to whether possible cooperation with a company or organisation falls under type 1 or type 2 is best discussed between the student and the supervisor / master's thesis coordinator.  

1. Research without interaction - the student only collects or consults data from a company / organisation (for the rest, there is no cooperation):  a. What is it? For specific research questions and Master's theses, it is possible that concrete situations from the professional field are addressed as case(s) or as illustration. For some Master's theses, the student collects data in one or more companies or organisations, conducts surveys, makes observations, etc.  b. How? When working together with the field, the contacted companies or organisations often want guarantees regarding the confidentiality of the data they provide. Sometimes it is advisable to draw up a 'Certificate of confidentiality at submission' , always according to the KU Leuven template. For all further information on this, the student contacts the supervisor or the master's thesis coordinator. 2. Research with interaction - a company / organisation acts as a partner to the student and usually has a tangible return from the research: a. What is it? There is an actual interaction with a company or organisation because it commits to collaborate with the student and to share / exchange research or other business methods, technology, know-how, materials, business data and information. b. How? The conclusion of a cooperation agreement is necessary in this case, always according to the KU Leuven template. Your application is done online , please check the overview of requested data beforehand. The drafting of the agreement is monitored by the FEB Corporate Relations Office and will be emailed in pdf format to the student(s). To this end, the official student email address must be used. No changes may be made to the agreement. The signature from the institution will already be provided. This agreement should be signed prior to the start of the cooperation. The student himself must immediately report any changes of the contact details of the organisation or company!

Specifically with regard to the HSE file (Health, Safety and Environment -- VGM in Dutch): • If it appears from the risk analysis of the workplace that more HSE risks are present when performing the job than those specified in the HSE file, the student must inform FEB Corporate Relations Office ( Vivian Boulpaep ) and the provisions in the agreement must be applied. • If the HSE file isn’t filled in or signed, then KU Leuven may assume that the internship does not involve any additional HSE risks.

21. Conducting surveys among fellow students or staff

The faculty does not facilitate the conduct of surveys among fellow students or among staff in any way. Staff members of KU Leuven may under no circumstances pass on contact details (e.g. email addresses) of students to other students or to third parties.

Questions or problems?

If you haven't found your answer, there are a number of people you can reach . (See blue box with campus-specific information at the bottom of the page)

Afstuderen en aanvraag masterdiploma

Wat moet je doen om te kunnen afstuderen en je diploma aan te vragen?

Direct naar:

Master-diploma aanvraag indienen 

Checklist afstuderen raadplegen

Afstudeervereisten

Voordat je kunt afstuderen en je diploma aanvraagt, ga je zelf na of je aan alle afstudeervereisten van je opleiding hebt voldaan. In de checklist afstuderen masterdiploma  vind je de vereisten die je moet doorlopen om te kunnen afstuderen. 

Heb je je laatste cijfer behaald, maar is je cijfer nog niet bijgeschreven? Dien wel alvast een uitschrijfverzoek in via Studielink voor het einde van de maand. 

Zelf aanvragen

Het moment tussen je diploma-aanvraag en diploma-ontvangst zit 3 à 4 weken. Controleer dus zo snel mogelijk alle resultaten binnen je studievoortgang. Je dient zelf je diploma aanvragen.

Hoe vraag ik een diploma aan?

Vanaf het moment dat je in de afrondende fase zit m.b.t. het afstuderen, kun je via OSIRIS  het masterdiploma aanvragen. Je dient zelf te controleren of alle behaalde vakken geregistreerd zijn in OSIRIS . 

Heb je je laatste resultaat behaald, maar is je cijfer nog niet bijgeschreven in OSIRIS , neem dan contact op met de docent, zodat de docent het cijfer kan doorgeven aan de Student Administration.  

Nadat je je aanvraag voor je masterdiploma via OSIRIS Student  hebt ingediend en je inschrijving en betaling zijn niet in orde, dan ontvang je daar tot tweemaal toe een e-mail over. In de e-mail staat exact welke stappen je moet nemen om je inschrijving en betaling te regelen. Nadat na twee waarschuwingen je inschrijving en betaling niet in orde zijn, dan kan je aanvraag worden geannuleerd door de Student Administration. Mocht je aanvraag worden geannuleerd, dan dien je een nieuwe aanvraag in via OSIRIS . 

Uiterlijk 5 weken voor de datum van de diploma-uitreiking sluit de aanmeldingstermijn.  

Na de 5 weken kan je aanvraag pas meegenomen worden bij een volgende diploma-uitreiking. Je moet dan wel een nieuwe aanvraag indienen via OSIRIS .  

Hieronder staat aanvullende informatie per faculteit: 

• School of Economics and Management
• School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Tilburg Law School
• School of Humanities and Digital Sciences
• Universitaire Lerarenopleiding

Niet aanwezig bij de gezamenlijke uitreiking?

Mocht je je hebben aangemeld voor de gezamenlijke diploma-uitreiking, maar je kan onverhoopt toch niet aanwezig zijn. Geen zorgen, stuur het secretariaat van het EST Team van je opleiding een e-mail dat je niet kan deelnemen aan de diploma-uitreiking. 

De Student Administration stuurt je een e-mail met meer informatie over het ophalen van je diploma bij de Student Desk .  

Als je niet in de gelegenheid bent om persoonlijk naar de Student Desk te komen dan kun je ook iemand   machtigen  om je diploma op te halen.  

Deelnemen aan een volgende uitreiking 

Indien je wilt deelnemen aan een volgende diploma-uitreiking, dan kun je je via OSIRIS aanmelden voor de diploma-uitreiking. Je kiest dan voor de optie “datum uitreiking nog onbekend”.  Je ontvangt daar later meer informatie over, op je eigen privé e-mailadres, van het secretariaat van de school.  

Afstudeerverklaring en diplomasupplement

Studenten ontvangen automatisch een Engelstalige afstudeerverklaring, als de afstudeerdatum is vastgelegd in OSIRIS.

Het  diplomasupplement  wordt aan alle masterstudenten uitgereikt, samen met het diploma, cijferlijsten en eventueel behaalde verklaringen. 

Vanaf het moment dat al je verplichte vakken in OSIRIS zijn bijgeschreven en je scriptie in de fase van afronding is wat betreft afstuderen, kun je via OSIRIS het diploma aanvragen. Voor een soepele afhandeling dien je bij voorkeur 3   weken voor de datum van de verdediging de aanvraag in.  

Lees de toelichting in OSIRIS Zaak, ‘Masterdiploma ontvangen tijdens verdediging’ zorgvuldig door. En doorloop alle stappen in OSIRIS .  

Een aanvraag voor een diploma-uitreiking tijdens de verdediging kan alleen in behandeling worden genomen wanneer je scriptiebegeleider aangeeft dat je tenminste het cijfer 6 gaat halen voor de scriptie. Je aanvraag wordt daarom eerst ter goedkeuring doorgestuurd naar de scriptiebegeleider.  De scriptiebegeleider dient in OSIRIS Docent goedkeuring te geven. Voor de goedkeuring van je scriptie hoef je zelf geen actie te ondernemen.

Vraag je scriptiebegeleider om je aanvraag bij voorkeur, binnen 2 werkdagen , via OSIRIS goed te keuren. Zo kan je aanvraag zo spoedig mogelijk doorgestuurd worden naar de Student Administration, voor verdere afhandeling van je aanvraag.  

Nadat je je  aanvraag voor je masterdiploma via OSIRIS Student  hebt ingediend en je inschrijving en betaling zijn niet in orde, dan ontvang je daar tot tweemaal toe een e-mail over. In de e-mail staat exact welke stappen je moet nemen om je inschrijving en betaling te regelen. Nadat na twee waarschuwingen je inschrijving en betaling niet in orde zijn, dan kan je aanvraag worden geannuleerd door de Student Administration. Mocht je aanvraag worden geannuleerd, dan dien je een nieuwe aanvraag in via OSIRIS . 

Aanvraag diploma 3 weken termijn 

Dien de aanvraag uiterlijk 3 weken voor de datum van je verdediging via OSIRIS Zaak in. Als je aanmelding buiten de 3 weken termijn valt, ontvang je tijdens de verdediging niet je diploma. Mocht je je diploma wel tijdens de verdediging willen ontvangen, dan dien je een nieuwe datum met je scriptiebegeleiders in te plannen. Vergeet niet om alsnog een aanvraag masterdiploma uitreiking tijdens verdediging in te dienen.  

Mocht je er toch niet voor kiezen om je masterdiploma te ontvangen tijdens de verdediging, lees dan onderstaande optie 'diploma ophalen bij de Student Desk' door.    

Bevestiging 

Als je voldoet aan alle voorwaarden om te kunnen afstuderen en je hebt je aanvraag op tijd ingediend, dan ontvang je via je e-mail (universiteit en/ of privé) uiterlijk 1 week voor de afstudeerdatum een afstudeerrooster.  

Afstudeerruimte reserveren 

Bij de Student Desk kan je een afstudeerruimte reserveren. Je dient daarvoor zelf het contactformulier  in te vullen, met als onderwerp 'zaal reserveren afstuderen master'.    Als je aan alle voorwaarden voldoet om te kunnen afstuderen, ontvang je enige tijd later via de e-mail een bevestiging van je verdediging/afstuderen.  

Wanneer je opleiding geen gezamenlijke of individuele diploma-uitreiking aanbiedt of je kiest er zelf voor om hier niet aan deel te nemen, dan is het mogelijk om het diploma op te halen bij de Student Desk. Je dient wel zelf je diploma via OSIRIS aan te vragen en je kiest hiervoor de optie ‘Diploma ophalen bij de Student Desk’.

Nadat je je  aanvraag voor je masterdiploma via OSIRIS hebt ingediend en je inschrijving en betaling zijn niet in orde, dan ontvang je daar tot tweemaal toe een e-mail over. In de e-mail staat exact welke stappen je moet nemen om je inschrijving en betaling te regelen. Nadat na twee waarschuwingen je inschrijving en betaling niet in orde zijn, dan kan je aanvraag worden geannuleerd door de Student Administration. Mocht je aanvraag worden geannuleerd, dan dien je een nieuwe aanvraag in via OSIRIS . 

Diploma ontvangen

Je ontvangt (binnen 1 maand) vanuit de Student Administration bericht per e-mail wanneer je het diploma kan ophalen bij de Student Desk. Dit bericht zal je ontvangen via het e-mailadres dat je in Studielink hebt opgegeven.  

Mocht je niet meer ingeschreven staan en dus niet via OSIRIS je aanvraag kan indienen, neem dan contact op met de Student Desk . De Student Desk kan je dan verder helpen.

Dertig dagen nadat je bent geslaagd voor je masteropleiding heb je geen toegang meer tot OSIRIS. Je kan dan zelf geen aanvraag meer indienen voor je masterdiploma via OSIRIS. 

Wil je toch deelnemen aan een diploma-uitreiking? Neem dan contact op met het secretariaat van je opleiding / departementssecretariaat.

Wil je je diploma ophalen bij de Student Desk? Neem dan contact op met de Student Desk via het online contactformulier Student Desk (kies de optie afstuderen / diploma ).

Veelgestelde vragen over aanvraag masterdiploma

Mocht de roepnaam niet correct zijn, dan kan je via Studielink je roepnaam zelf aanpassen.

Als het privé e-mailadres afwijkt van het e-mail adres wat je in gebruikt hebt, moet dit gewijzigd worden via Studielink . In Studielink is dit e-mailadres te vinden onder, Contactgegevens: eigen e-mailadres. 

Als je niet in de gelegenheid bent om het diploma persoonlijk op te halen dan kun je ook iemand   machtigen  om het diploma voor je op te halen. 

Wanneer je het diploma tijdens de verdediging ontvangt en je komt in aanmerking voor een judicium, dan kun je hiervoor een verzoek indienen via het contactformulier van de Student Desk.  

Gelieve onderstaande gegevens te vermelden:  

• Reden aanvraag 
• Naam 1ste en 2de lezer (examencommissie) 
• Privé e-mail adres  

Het duurt drie à vier weken, voordat de gevraagde documenten klaar zijn. Je krijgt een bericht, zodra je de documenten kan ophalen bij de Student Desk.  

Nadat je je hebt uitgeschreven en je staat niet meer ingeschreven voor een andere opleiding, dan kun je 30 kalenderdagen na je uitschrijving nog in je universiteitsmail. Na 30 kalenderdagen, kun je niet meer in je universiteitsmail en wordt je account opgeheven. Het is niet mogelijk om je account te verlengen. Let er dus op , dat je tijdig belangrijke documenten uit je e-mail haalt.  

Wanneer je snel je diploma nodig hebt voor een sollicitatie of aanmelding voor een vervolgopleiding, kun je een digitaal uittreksel uit het diplomaregister aanvragen bij DUO . Dit heeft dezelfde waarde als het diploma. 

Inschrijving beëindigen of handhaven na afstuderen

Als je je masterdiploma haalt kun je kiezen of je je inschrijving wilt handhaven of beëindigen.  Als je wilt  beëindigen  dan heb je wellicht recht op restitutie collegegeld . 

Als je je inschrijving voor dezelfde opleiding wilt handhaven dan hoef je geen actie te ondernemen. Inschrijven voor een andere masteropleiding kan uitsluitend per 1 september en voor een zeer beperkt aantal opleidingen per 1 februari.  

Als je afstudeert in juni, juli of augustus, dan heeft uitschrijven meestal geen voordelen. Je hebt namelijk geen recht op restitutie collegegeld en je inschrijving eindigt standaard op 31 augustus. Voor informatie over herinschrijving met ingang van het nieuwe collegejaar raadpleeg de pagina  inschrijven .

Heb je op of na 1 september nog niet alle cijfers gehaald, bijvoorbeeld omdat je je thesis nog moet verdedigen, dan dien je je voor het nieuwe collegejaar opnieuw inschrijven. Je ontvangt automatisch bericht over een eventuele herinschrijving in het nieuwe collegejaar. 

Voor uitsluitend de uitreiking van het diploma hoef je niet ingeschreven te staan. Dus als je je inschrijving niet wilt voortzetten aan Tilburg University en je hebt al je vakken vóór 1 september gehaald (incl. het cijfer voor de thesis), dan hoef je je voor het nieuwe collegejaar niet opnieuw in te schrijven, ook al vindt de diploma-uitreiking pas in september of oktober plaats.  

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Heb je een vraag, dan vind je het antwoord hierop het snelst via de informatie op de studentenportal:

• Webformulier Stel je vraag via het formulier
• Telefoonnummer Op  werkdagen kun je telefonisch contact opnemen van 10.00-15.30 uur via 013 - 466 8000 . 
• Balie De balie van de Student Desk is geopend op maandag, dinsdag en donderdag van 10.00 -16.00 uur.
• Adres : De Student Desk is in het Academia gebouw aan de Prof. Cobbenhagenlaan 205 Tilburg.
• Postadres Postbus 90153 5000 LE Tilburg

Veelgestelde vragen

05 mei 2024

Tips voor je scriptieverdediging en afstudeerpresentatie

Eindelijk is het zover: je hebt groen licht gekregen van je scriptiebegeleider om je mondeling examen af te leggen en je scriptie te verdedigen. Hoewel dit betekent dat je scriptie over het algemeen voldoet aan de vereiste norm, is een goede voorbereiding cruciaal voor een succesvolle verdediging en afstudeerpresentatie. Een grondige voorbereiding kan zelfs leiden tot een hoger cijfer.

Linda Hovestad

Scriptie goedgekeurd, dus wordt de verdediging een eitje?

Denk niet dat jouw verdediging een eitje is omdat jouw scriptie is goedgekeurd. Soms komen er nog onduidelijkheden aan het licht tijdens de verdediging. Een sterke afstudeerpresentatie en een goede verdediging kunnen echter eventuele twijfels wegnemen en resulteren in een beter cijfer. Het is ook mogelijk dat jouw scriptie inhoudelijk sterk is, maar jouw verdediging tekort schiet, wat kan leiden tot een lager cijfer of zelfs een onvoldoende. Daarom is het belangrijk om voldoende aandacht te besteden aan zowel jouw afstudeerpresentatie als jouw verdediging.

Wanneer mag je verdedigen?

Over het algemeen mag je je scriptie pas verdedigen als deze (bijna) voldoende is beoordeeld. Een verdediging kan doorslaggevend zijn voor het uiteindelijke resultaat, ongeacht of dit een voldoende of onvoldoende is. Het is echter belangrijk op te merken dat er uitzonderingen zijn waarbij opleidingen alle studenten toestaan om te verdedigen, ongeacht de initiële beoordeling van de scriptie. In bepaalde gevallen kan een verdediging dan worden omgezet in een feedbackgesprek als de scriptie onvoldoende is beoordeeld.

Wat houdt je scriptieverdediging in?

Het doel van een scriptieverdediging is om aan te tonen dat je tijdens je onderzoek voldoende kennis en vaardigheden hebt verworven en dat je in staat bent om je onderzoeksresultaten op een heldere en overtuigende manier te presenteren en te verdedigen. Tijdens de verdediging krijg je de kans om inzicht te geven in de weloverwogen keuzes die je hebt gemaakt tijdens je scriptie. De beoordelaars beoordelen of je in staat bent om kritisch te reflecteren op je onderzoek en of je een brede kijk hebt op je werk. Meestal zijn er twee beoordelaars aanwezig bij de verdediging, vaak degenen die je scriptie hebben beoordeeld, en soms is het toegestaan om ouders of vrienden mee te nemen. De duur van de verdediging varieert meestal van een half uur tot anderhalf uur, afhankelijk van de specifieke criteria van je opleiding. Het is belangrijk om deze criteria zorgvuldig door te nemen.

Je scriptieverdediging bestaat meestal uit drie onderdelen:

• Een afstudeerpresentatie, ook wel eindpresentatie genoemd.
• Het beantwoorden van vragen, waarbij je kennis wordt getoetst en je kritische vragen kunt verwachten.
• De beoordeling, waarbij je direct na je verdediging te horen krijgt of je geslaagd bent en je feedback ontvangt.

Afstudeerpresentatie

Je legt je onderzoek uit door middel van een afstudeerpresentatie. Meestal mag je een computer of een beamer gebruiken. Het is verstandig om de slides ook een paar keer uit te printen voor het geval de techniek je in de steek laat.

Houd er rekening mee dat je begeleider en tweede lezer geen specialisten zijn op jouw onderwerp. Verplaats je in je publiek en zorg ervoor dat de afstudeerpresentatie begrijpelijk voor hen is.

Bereid je presentatie goed voor en zorg voor een logische structuur. Zie hieronder ook onze tips voor de PowerPointpresentatie.

Sommige opleidingen willen de verdediging kort houden en schrappen daarom de presentatie. In dat geval geef je een korte uiteenzetting van je scriptie. De opbouw van je verhaal kun je echter wel hetzelfde houden als voor de presentatie.

Kritische vragen

Na de presentatie komt het belangrijkste onderdeel: de vragenronde. Hier worden vragen gesteld om te controleren of je het onderwerp en je onderzoek goed begrijpt. Ga ervan uit dat de vragen niet gesteld worden om je ergens op te pakken, maar uit interesse. Voel je dus niet aangevallen en geef rustig en helder antwoord op de vragen die je krijgt. Krijg je een vraag waarop je het antwoord niet weet? Geef dan aan dat je er even over wilt nadenken en vraag of je later op de vraag terug kunt komen.

Beoordeling

Na de kritische vragen word je (en het publiek) voor een paar minuten weggestuurd, zodat je begeleider en tweede lezer de kwaliteit van je scriptie en verdediging kunnen bespreken. Zij beslissen welk cijfer je krijgt. Hierbij wordt het ‘tweeogenprincipe’ toegepast en vaak wordt het beoordelingsformulier met toelichting ingevuld, wat je ook ontvangt na afloop van je mondelinge examen. Na het overleg word je teruggeroepen en hopelijk krijg je dan de verlossende woorden te horen dat je geslaagd bent!

Hoe bouw je de afstudeerpresentatie voor je scriptieverdediging op?

• Introductie van het probleem: Begin met het introduceren van het probleem dat je in je scriptie hebt onderzocht. Bespreek de aanleiding en waarom het relevant is.
• Formuleren van je hoofdvraag en/of hypothesen: Geef een duidelijke uitleg van de hoofdvraag(en) of hypothesen die je hebt geformuleerd voor je onderzoek. Dit helpt de luisteraars om de focus van je onderzoek te begrijpen.
• Bespreken van de onderzoeksopzet : Leg uit hoe je het onderzoek hebt opgezet. Dit omvat de methoden en technieken die je hebt gebruikt om je onderzoek uit te voeren.
• Presenteren van de onderzoeksresultaten: Geef een beknopt overzicht van de belangrijkste onderzoeksresultaten . Focus op de meest relevante bevindingen en gebruik slechts 1-2 dia's om deze te presenteren.
• Conclusies: Bespreek de conclusies die je hebt getrokken op basis van je onderzoek. Wat zijn de belangrijkste inzichten die je hebt verkregen?
• Discussie en advies: Geef je advies op basis van je conclusies. Bespreek eventuele implicaties en mogelijke acties die kunnen worden ondernomen op basis van je onderzoek.
• Benadrukken van beperkingen en toekomstig onderzoek: Bespreek de beperkingen van je onderzoek en eventuele suggesties voor toekomstig onderzoek op dit gebied.
• Reflectie op je leerproces: Sluit af met een reflectie op wat je hebt geleerd tijdens het schrijven van je scriptie en tijdens het uitvoeren van het onderzoek. Welke belangrijke leerpunten wil je delen?

Door deze structuur te volgen, zorg je ervoor dat je afstudeerpresentatie een heldere en gestructureerde uitleg geeft van je onderzoek en je bevindingen. Hierdoor wordt het voor de luisteraars gemakkelijker om je werk te begrijpen en te waarderen.

Tips om je voor te bereiden op je scriptieverdediging

Om je goed voor te bereiden op de scriptieverdediging, is het belangrijk om de volgende stappen te volgen:

• Ken je scriptie: Zorg ervoor dat je scriptie goed kent. Ga elke sectie door en begrijp de argumenten, methoden en conclusies die je gepresenteerd hebt.
• Anticipeer op mogelijke vragen: Denk na over welke vragen je beoordelaars zouden kunnen stellen op basis van je scriptie. De voorbeeldvragen die je hebt genoemd, zijn een goed startpunt.
• Oefen je antwoorden: Oefen het beantwoorden van deze vragen, bij voorkeur met een medestudent of iemand anders die bekend is met jouw onderwerp. Dit zal je helpen om je gedachten te ordenen en je antwoorden op een duidelijke en beknopte manier te formuleren.
• Wees voorbereid op kritiek: Sta open voor kritiek en wees bereid om je keuzes te verdedigen. Het is normaal om zwakke punten in je onderzoek te hebben, maar toon dat je ze hebt overwogen en ervan hebt geleerd.
• Blijf rustig en zelfverzekerd: Tijdens de verdediging is het belangrijk om rustig te blijven en zelfverzekerd over te komen. Adem diep en neem de tijd om na te denken voordat je antwoord geeft op vragen.
• Toon enthousiasme: Laat zien dat je gepassioneerd bent over je onderwerp en dat je trots bent op je werk. Dit kan een positieve indruk achterlaten bij je beoordelaars.
• Luister goed naar feedback: Neem de feedback van je beoordelaars serieus en zie het als een kans om te groeien. Stel vragen als iets niet duidelijk is en wees bereid eventuele wijzigingen aan te brengen als dat nodig is.

Door deze stappen te volgen en je goed voor te bereiden, kun je met vertrouwen jouw scriptieverdediging ingaan en een sterke indruk achterlaten op jouw beoordelaars.

Het verdedigen van je scriptie: Voorbeeldvragen

Als je je scriptie gaat verdedigen, is het belangrijk om voorbereid te zijn op mogelijke vragen die je kunt verwachten tijdens je afstudeerzitting. Hieronder vind je enkele voorbeeldvragen, met specifieke aandacht voor studenten in de richting van business en economie:

• Waarom heb je specifiek gekozen voor de theoretische modellen die in je scriptie worden toegepast?
• Op welke manier heb je deze modellen gebruikt om je deelvragen te beantwoorden?

Methode van onderzoek:

• Waarom heb je gekozen voor kwantitatief of kwalitatief onderzoek?
• Hoe heb je je onderzoek opgebouwd en welke beperkingen ben je tegengekomen?
• Hoe beoordeel je zelf de betrouwbaarheid van je onderzoek?
• Op welke manier heb je je standpunten in de scriptie onderbouwd met behulp van onderzoeksgegevens, resultaten, conclusies en aanbevelingen?
• Wat is de voorgestelde oplossing voor het probleem en welke bewijzen heb je hiervoor verzameld?
• Wat zijn naar jouw mening de sterke punten van je onderzoek?
• En welke zwakke punten of verbeterpunten zie je?

Professionaliteit:

• Kun je aangeven wat de sterke en zwakke punten van de organisatie zijn, en heb je hier bewijsmateriaal voor?
• Hoe goed begrijp je de omgeving van de organisatie, inclusief de dynamiek en de context? Kun je dit onderbouwen?
• Sluiten jouw aanbevelingen aan op de eerder genoemde punten?
• Wat zijn de mogelijke gevolgen van jouw aanbevelingen voor de organisatie-inrichting?
• Zijn jouw adviezen creatief, innovatief en overtuigend onderbouwd?

Door deze vragen te overdenken en te oefenen, kun je jezelf goed voorbereiden op je scriptieverdediging en zelfverzekerd de afstudeerzitting tegemoet treden.

Black-out? Help!

Heb je last van zenuwen of ben je bang voor een black-out tijdens je verdediging? Het is normaal om zenuwachtig te zijn voor je verdediging. Probeer daarom de dagen voorafgaand aan je verdediging goed uit te rusten en herinner jezelf eraan dat je al een lange weg hebt afgelegd en goed voorbereid bent. Een andere nuttige strategie is om met medestudenten of vrienden te oefenen door elkaars scripties te lezen en elkaar kritische vragen te stellen. Op deze manier kun je wennen aan het beantwoorden van vragen en je verdediging oefenen.

Niet geslaagd, wat nu?

Als je na je mondeling examen hoort dat je niet geslaagd bent, kan dat natuurlijk teleurstellend zijn. Vraag je begeleider of examinatoren om specifieke feedback over wat er verbeterd kan worden. Dit kan helpen om inzicht te krijgen in waar het mis is gegaan en hoe je jezelf kunt verbeteren voor een volgende poging. Je ontvangt meestal ook het beoordelingsformulier waar gerichte feedback in staat.

• Verlies de moed niet. Probeer rustig te blijven en gebruik de onderstaande tips om te kijken waarop je verdediging en/of presentatie kunt verbeteren.
• Neem de tijd om zelf te reflecteren op je prestatie tijdens het mondeling examen. Identificeer gebieden waar je sterke punten liggen en gebieden waar je verbetering nodig hebt.
• Als er iets niet duidelijk is over de reden waarom je niet geslaagd bent, aarzel dan niet om vragen te stellen. Het is belangrijk om volledig te begrijpen wat er van je verwacht wordt voor een succesvolle herkansing.
• Gebruik de ontvangen feedback en je eigen analyse om een plan op te stellen voor verbetering. Identificeer specifieke acties die je kunt ondernemen om je voor te bereiden op een herkansing.
• Bespreek je situatie met je scriptiebegeleider, medestudenten of andere relevante personen. Misschien kunnen zij waardevolle adviezen geven of je ondersteunen tijdens je voorbereiding op de herkansing. Of schakel anders externe hulp in.
• Het is belangrijk om niet ontmoedigd te raken door deze tegenslag. Blijf gemotiveerd en focus op je doel om je scriptie succesvol af te ronden. Met de juiste inspanning en toewijding kun je echt je doel bereiken.

Met de juiste aanpak en een positieve mindset kun je de nodige verbeteringen aanbrengen en alsnog succesvol zijn tijdens je mondelinge verdediging.

Zenuwen, black-out, niet geslaagd?

Als je extra ondersteuning nodig hebt bij de voorbereiding van je verdediging of het maken van een goede presentatie, overweeg dan de hulp van een externe scriptiecoach. Jouw Scriptiecoach helpt je met je presentatie en voorbereiding , zodat je met een gerust hart kunt opgaan voor je examen. Maak een afspraak voor een gratis adviesgesprek om te zien hoe we je kunnen helpen bij je scriptieverdediging en afstudeerpresentatie.

Gratis vrijblijvend adviesgesprek

Loop je ergens tegenaan bij je scriptie? In een gratis en vrijblijvend adviesgesprek krijg je direct duidelijkheid waar het misgaat en hoe Jouw Scriptiecoach je daarbij kan helpen. Je krijgt een inschatting van de uren die we daarvoor nodig hebt, zodat je direct weet waar je aan toe bent. Kies je dan voor onze scriptiebegeleiding, dan neemt jouw scriptiebegeleider meestal op de dag van betaling contact met je op en kun je snel verder. Vraag hieronder direct jouw gratis vrijblijvend adviesgesprek aan.

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Bachelor's and Master's thesis

Your bachelor's or master's thesis is often the last step towards obtaining your diploma. Study Guidance offers you help and support from start to finish!

Start on time

It might sound cliché, but starting on time is absolutely essential. Start looking for a good subject immediately, and talk to your promotor as soon as you can.

Would you like some help with those first steps? You can take part in one of our workshops . We'll help you get started, show you how to structure your thesis and how to avoid plagiarism. We also provide advice on correct use of language in an academic context.

Do you prefer personal feedback? Then you can request individual guidance or request a tutor .

Study Guidance organises workshops which contain tons of advice regarding the writing of your Bachelor's or Master's thesis.

Participants are encouraged to share their experiences, making it a learning opportunity for other students and for the university staff. If you feel like you could use some help regarding the following topics, don't hesitate to participate!

Discover our workshops

Individual guidance

Study Guidance also offer individual guidance in the writing of your thesis.

Our study advisors are here to help with all your questions, help you plan or give concrete tips about how to structure your thesis. Don't hesitate to ask for their help and expertise!

Attention: Questions related to the specific content of your thesis are best directed at your own promotor . Make an appointment with a study advisor

Academic language

You can direct any questions on academic language in your thesis towards ACTO language centre. The ACTO advisors can help you with spelling, choice of words or how to structure your text. They also offer workshops!

All about ACTO

For academic Dutch, contact [email protected]

• Guidelines and instructions

Social Sciences and Solvay Business School

Medicine and pharmacy, law and criminology, engineering, languages and humanities, physical education and physiotherapy, psychology and educational sciences, sciences and bioengineering sciences, specific guidelines and instructions, find all extra information and instructions on your thesis from your faculty here..

You can find all deadlines and instructions for the master's thesis of the programmes at the Faculty of Social Sciences & Solvay Business School on  this Canvas page .

Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy

Students in the final year of the Master's degree program must - unless stated otherwise in the course guide of the Master’s thesis of the relevant program – provide the following information to the program council, which will transfer this information to the Dean after approval: •    the subject of the master's thesis; •    the supervisor's signature, through which he approves the subject; •    if necessary, the indication of the objective and method. The deadline for submitting this information is clearly noted in the relevant course guide. The master's thesis can be drawn up and/or defended in a language other than Dutch when approved by the relevant program council.

Changes in the subject of the Master's thesis and/or supervisor or renunciation by the supervisor of the supervisorship must be reported to the chairman of the program council at the latest before the spring break. A deviation from this can be granted by the program council of the relevant study program.

Turning in the master’s thesis

• First exam sessions, first exam period (only for those graduating in January): no later than 1 December, unless stated otherwise in the course guide of the master's thesis of the relevant study program. • First exam sessions, second exam period: last working day before May 30 at the latest, unless stated otherwise in the course guide of the master's thesis of the relevant study program. • Second exam sessions: last working day before August 18 at the latest, unless stated otherwise in the course guide of the master's thesis of the relevant study program.

The master's thesis is submitted to the student secretariat of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, unless stated otherwise in the course guide of the master's thesis of the relevant study program.

Form of submission

Under the responsibility of the program council of the relevant study program, the correct procedure in this regard is included in the course guide.

Release of the master's thesis

The digital version of the master's thesis for which the student has obtained a credit* is kept by the University Library. The master's thesis is only included in the library catalog with the explicit permission of the student and their supervisor. To this end, each student must attach a consent form to the master's thesis. This form can be found on the faculty website under student/'application forms'. When no consent form or an incomplete consent form is attached to the master's thesis, it is assumed that no consent has been granted.

*The additional education and examination regulations of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy explicitly state when a credit has been obtained, in other words from 10/20 and not 14/20.

The student is obliged to demonstrate the authenticity of the research material. All master's theses will be screened by plagiarism software.

Faculty of Law and Criminology

Coming soon!

Faculty of Engineering

Voor de deadline van elk formulier kan je kijken naar onze facultaire kalender. 

Procedure for submitting the Master's thesis title

For submitting the thesis title follow the procedure as mentioned below.

Step 1: fill in the online form:

          For Bruface programmes             For other master programmes

Step 2: After completing the online form the promotor automatically receives an email with a link to the completed form

Step 3: The promotor accepts or declines the proposal. This is done through an automated email.

Deadline for submitting the thesis title: the 15th of October

The  consent form for disclosure  of the master thesis has to be submitted together with the thesis title.

• Master's thesis title page (for all non-bruface programmes)
• Master's thesis abstract (for non-bruface)
• Bruface master's thesis title page (pdf)
• Bruface master's thesis title page (word)
• Master’s thesis title page for Biomedical Engineering

Faculty of Languages and Humanities

Choosing a thesis topic.

• Register your master's thesis course unit through the  Student SelfService .
• Register your master's thesis subject and supervisor through  MaThis .  

Submitting your master's thesis

Please respect the deadlines below.

• First exam period of the first exam session : 8 January 2024 until 15h via Canvas
• Second exam period of the first exam session : 27 May 2024 until 15h via Canvas
• Second exam session : 5 August 2024 until 15h via Canvas

If you wish to apply for an extension due to unexpected circumstances, you must do so at the latest on the day of the deadline. You can obtain an extension of maximum 10 days.   However, we advise you to submit your application at least one week before the regular deadline so that we can inform you before the submission date whether your application has been approved.

The following situations are recognised (Education and Examination Regulations, Article 111). 

• medical reasons e.g. illness, accident
• familial reasons e.g. the death of a relative by blood or marriage in the first degree (parents and/or children) or in the second degree (grandparents, grandchildren and/or brother/sister) or of a person domiciled under the same roof; 
• legal reasons e.g. summons or subpoena to a court of law;
• force majeure e.g. an event that has nothing to do with you as a student and that could not be foreseen, prevented or overcome. 

Bear in mind: your application can only be approved if you follow the correct procedure and submit your application in time (see above). 

• Ask your supervisor for approval by filling in the  template "Postponement of submission of Bachelor's paper/Master's thesis " (in Dutch) and have it signed. 
• Collect supporting documents to substantiate your application.  
• Send everything to [email protected]

Faculty of Physical Education and Physiotherapy  

All deadlines and instructions for the master's thesis of the programmes Movement and Sport Sciences, Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy, and Manual Therapy can be found on this Canvas page .

Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences  

All information, documents, and deadlines for the master theses can be consulted on CANVAS:

• Agogische wetenschappen
• Onderwijskunde
• Psychologie: Arbeids- en Organisatie psychologie
• Psychologie: Klinische psychologie
• Master Educational Sciences

Faculty of Sciences and Bioengineering Sciences

Guidelines and information are communicated through the program-specific Canvas page.

Publication Master's thesis

Any master's thesis for which the student has obtained a credit (for some faculties you need at least 14/20), and for which no non-disclosure agreement (NDA) was drawn up, can be included at no charge in the catalog of the University Library as long as the student has given their prior explicit consent.

Consent form

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Tim Walz wrote a master’s thesis on Holocaust education, just as his own school’s approach drew criticism

In Judi Agustin’s freshman year at Mankato West High School, her teacher instructed her to wear a yellow star.

It was part of a Holocaust curriculum at the school, located in a remote area of Minnesota with barely any Jews. For a week, freshmen were asked to wear the yellow stars, which were reminiscent of the ones the Nazis made the Jews wear. Seniors played the part of the Gestapo, charged with persecuting the “Jews.”

Unlike everyone else in her class in the 2001-2002 school year, Agustin was Jewish. The experience “was incredibly hurtful and offensive and scary,” she recalled on Tuesday. Her father complained to the district, and wrote a letter to the local paper decrying the lesson.

In response, she recalled, a teacher intervened. That teacher, according to her recollection: current vice presidential nominee Tim Walz.

“When Tim Walz found out about it, he squashed it real quick, and as far as I understand they never did it again,” Agustin told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “So he was an advocate for my experience, as one of four Jewish kids in the entire school district. And I always felt like he had our back.”

A progressive favorite in Minnesota, where he is now governor, Walz is also heralded for his background as a public school educator. Lesser known is the fact that, while teaching in rural, largely white Midwestern school districts, Walz developed a particular interest in Holocaust and genocide education.

Walz is on the campaign trail this week with Vice President Kamala Harris, his running mate, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. JTA could not independently verify that he was the teacher who stopped the Mankato West lesson.

But it’s clear that how to teach the Holocaust well has occupied Walz for decades. In 1993, while teaching in Nebraska, he was part of an inaugural conference of U.S. educators convened by the soon-to-open U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Eight years later, after moving to Minnesota, he wrote a thesis arguing for changes in Holocaust education. And as governor, he backed a push to mandate teaching about the Holocaust in Minnesota schools.

Through it all, Walz modeled and argued for careful instruction that treated the Holocaust as one of multiple genocides worth understanding.

“Schools are teaching about the Jewish Holocaust, but the way it is traditionally being taught is not leading to increased knowledge of the causes of genocide in all parts of the world,” Walz wrote in his thesis, submitted in 2001.

The thesis was the culmination of Walz’s master’s degree focused on Holocaust and genocide education at Minnesota State University, Mankato, which he earned while teaching at Mankato West. His 27-page thesis, which JTA obtained, is titled “Improving Human Rights and Genocide Studies in the American High School Classroom.”

In it, Walz argues that the lessons of the “Jewish Holocaust” should be taught “in the greater context of human rights abuses,” rather than as a unique historical anomaly or as part of a larger unit on World War II. “To exclude other acts of genocide severely limited students’ ability to synthesize the lessons of the Holocaust and the ability to apply them elsewhere,” he wrote.

He then took a position that he noted was “controversial” among Holocaust scholars: that the Holocaust should not be taught as unique, but used to help students identify “clear patterns” with other historical genocides like the Armenian and Rwandan genocides.

Walz was describing, in effect, his own approach to teaching the Holocaust that he implemented in Alliance, Nebraska, years earlier. In the state’s remote northwest region, Walz asked his global geography class to study the common factors that linked the Holocaust to other historical genocides , including economic strife, totalitarian ideology and colonialism. The year was 1993. At year’s end, Walz and his class correctly predicted that Rwanda was most at risk of sliding into genocide.

“The Holocaust is taught too often purely as a historical event, an anomaly, a moment in time,” Walz Told the New York Times in 2008, reflecting on those Alliance lessons. “That relieves us of responsibility. Obviously, the mastermind was sociopathic, but on the scale for it to happen, there had to be a lot of people in the country who chose to go down that path.”

In his thesis, he noted that he intended to bring this curriculum to the Mankato school district as a “sample unit.” But another kind of lesson was unfolding there at the same time.

For years at Mankato West, high school students had been engaged in a peculiar lesson that was, all the same, not unusual for its time: In an effort to teach students who had never met a Jewish person what it might have been like to live under the Nazis, teachers had them role play.

For a week, freshmen wore the yellow stars, and seniors playing the Gestapo were given permission to torment them.

Such lessons had been going on since at least the 1990s, recalled Leah Solo, a Jewish student who graduated from Mankato West in 1998. For Solo, these lessons weren’t so bad.

“People knew I was Jewish, people knew to be sensitive around me,” Solo told JTA. Her teacher, who was not Walz and whom she liked, “was doing his best to try to teach a really hard subject to folks who had no idea. Most of these kids had never met a Jew before.” In her senior year she was given the choice of whether she wanted to play a Nazi or another kind of role, and chose the latter.

Things were different by the time Agustin took the class several years later. By then, the Holocaust role-playing wasn’t just limited to the confines of the classroom.

“They could come up to you in the lunchroom,” recalled Anne Heintz, a fellow student at the time. Local students whispered about the lesson before they got to high school, she said.

One senior, in Agustin’s recollection, got violent and started shoving the “Jewish” freshmen into lockers.

Outraged, her father wrote a letter to the local newspaper, and some parents complained to the school district. Agustin left the high school after her sophomore year. None of this happened in Walz’s classroom, according to the students, and Heintz recalled that the lessons had ended by the time she graduated in 2004.

“I’m not sure what his involvement was. I know it just ended,” Heintz, who is not Jewish, told JTA. “He was teaching at the time it ended.”

JTA could not verify whether Walz knew about the lessons, which had been going on for years, before they were stopped. A spokesperson for the high school told JTA they “don’t have any information” on the details of the lessons, but noted, “When Governor Walz was at Mankato West High School he was primarily a Global Geography Teacher and Football Coach. Subjects such as the Holocaust were taught in history courses.”

Agustin’s father, Stewart Ross, told JTA that he did not recall Walz being involved. Neither did Bob Ihrig, one of the teachers who taught the lesson as part of a World War II unit. He said it continued in a limited, classroom-only version until his retirement in 2014.

Ross, Ihrig and all three Mankato West High students spoke highly of Walz as a teacher and community leader, though only one, Heintz, actually had him in the classroom.

“What I remember most is, he always made all the subjects that we talked about super engaging,” she said. “It always seemed like he was able to make a subject really exciting for folks and really engage everyone in class. And I think that is part of how he speaks now that he’s on a national stage as well.”

Solo, who had Walz’s wife Gwen for a different class, took a student trip led by the couple to China, where Tim Walz taught for a year early in his career. She recalled how, in 2004, Walz stood up for her when she was working with John Kerry’s presidential campaign and security for a George W. Bush rally tried to boot them from the premises.

“When security also tried to kick him out, he was like, ‘I am a former Teacher of the Year who just returned from being deployed. I don’t think you want to kick me out,’” Solo recalled, describing an incident that made local news at the time. “And then after the rally, he came and signed up to volunteer with the Kerry campaign, because he did not appreciate that.”

Volunteering with Kerry’s campaign led directly to Walz’s entrance into politics . Solo would go on to work for Walz’s congressional campaigns.

Walz stuck with teaching as he began his political career; when he was elected to represent Mankato in 2006, he was the only active educator in Congress.

Last year, as Minnesota’s governor, Walz returned to Holocaust education, and supported and signed a law requiring the state’s middle and high schools to teach about the Holocaust. The law, initiated and championed by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, also encourages schools to teach about other genocides. A working group for the curriculum hit snags earlier this summer when a pro-Palestinian activist was removed from the committee amid debates on whether Israel’s conduct in Gaza constitutes genocide.

The mandate is still anticipated to go into effect in the 2025-2026 school year. “This is going to work out, this is going to be good, because the governor and his staff are highly attuned to the concerns and sensitivities of the Jewish community,” Ethan Roberts, the JCRC’s deputy executive director, told JTA.

Speaking at a JCRC event in June, Walz said he had been “privileged and proud” to have participated in the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum training early in his career. But he said more needed to be done, and he emphasized that the curriculum chosen to accomplish the requirement would determine its success.

“We need to do better on Holocaust education. We need to do better on ethnic studies,” he told the crowd. “And I tell you this as a teacher and as governor, too, we don’t need test scores or anything to tell us that we’re failing.”

It was the kind of message that former Mankato West students said they came to expect from him.

“He is what you hope a great teacher is,” said Solo, “which is someone who’s not only teaching, but also learning at all times.”

With additional reporting by Jackie Hajdenberg. 

Correction and updates (Aug. 8): This story has been corrected to remove a reference to Tim Walz as department chair. It has also been updated to reflect additional sources about Holocaust instruction at Mankato West High School.

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• Olympics 2024

Hong Kong Fencer Retires After Winning Gold Amid Uproar Over Pro-China College Thesis

H ong Kong Olympic gold medalist Vivian Kong said she would quit her fencing career days after controversy erupted over her apparent support for Beijing’s crackdown on the city’s pro-democracy movement , underscoring political tensions in the Asian finance hub.

An academic paper purported to be her master’s thesis showed that Kong, one of two athletes from the city to pick up a gold medal from the Paris Games, condemned 2014 protests calling for freer elections. The document began circulating last week and prompted some fans to turn their back on the athlete after initially celebrating her victory in women’s épée last month.

Nathan Law , a self-exiled former lawmaker and a student leader of the demonstrations, said Friday he made a mistake in congratulating Kong on her triumph, describing her political stance as “extremely problematic.” Many users on LIHKG, a forum popular with supporters of the 2014 movement, satirized Kong after embracing her as a pride of the former British colony.

Kong hasn’t publicly commented on the episode and didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The 30-year-old Stanford graduate said in an Instagram post she would start a charity to promote sports to children.

The paper, submitted to Renmin University in Beijing in 2021, argued that protesters’ “chaos and illegal acts” threatened national security. It hailed a new national security law for eliminating “anti-China and anti-Hong Kong powers” linked to the 2014 movement, where demonstrators blocked key thoroughfares to wrest political concessions from authorities.

The clampdown led to the jailing of dozens of democracy advocates, and a subsequent rewriting of election rules all but ensured only pro-Beijing candidates could run for office. Law left the city for London, where he was granted political asylum.

Read More: What to Know About Hong Kong’s Controversial New National Security Law

The debate over Kong has divided the city, with those lamenting a loss of political freedoms disavowing her and those supporting Beijing’s action backing the fencer.

“The rabid attacks on Vivian’s political beliefs are an ugly reflection of the perversity and deformity of these fawning puppets of external powers,” said Regina Ip, an official adviser.

Hong Kong has had its best Olympics in history, with two golds and two bronzes so far . Kong and fellow fencer Edgar Cheung are each set to receive a HK$6 million ($771,000) reward for winning a gold medal from the Hong Kong Jockey Club.

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