University and GSE policies require an oral examination (i.e., a dissertation defense) for the PhD, generally in the fifth year when the dissertation is essentially complete. This examination tests the candidate’s command of the field of study and confirms fitness for scholarly pursuits.

A student can schedule the oral exam only after at least three reading committee members agree that the dissertation draft is essentially complete and ready for defense. This means that all text sections must be drafted, all planned data analyses must be executed and represented in tables and figures, and all appendices must be in place. The draft need not be final because suggested revisions and final formatting will be completed after the exam. Students should leave adequate time (at least a couple of weeks is recommended) to complete any required revisions before submitting their dissertation. If a student schedules the oral exam too close to the dissertation submission deadline for a given quarter, they may not have time to complete revisions. They may be unable to graduate that quarter.

Students should refer to the doctoral students’ section of the GSE website for the necessary forms and detailed procedures and consult with the Doctoral Programs Officer before scheduling their oral exam.

A copy of the dissertation must be submitted to each member of the oral exam committee at least four weeks before the examination date, at a time convenient for each committee member. The chair of the oral examination committee may want a copy of the dissertation or only the abstract. At the very least, a copy of the dissertation abstract must be provided to the oral exam committee chair at least two weeks before the exam. The student should communicate with the chair well in advance to determine the chair’s preference.

Each requirement and procedure is discussed in further detail in the sections below and on the GSE website.

Scheduling the Oral Exam

The required paperwork and logistics (e.g., room reservation) are typically completed at least four weeks before the exam date, including distributing dissertation copies to each committee member. Faculty and Academic Affairs staff reserve the right to request a postponement of an oral examination if the necessary steps are not completed at least two weeks before the exam date.

Because of registration requirements and faculty availability, oral examinations are usually completed in autumn, winter, and spring quarters only. Scheduling orals during summer quarter is often impractical because most faculty members are off-duty or absent from campus in the summer, and students must register.

The University Oral Examination Schedule form must be completed and submitted to the Doctoral Programs Officer at least two weeks before the oral exam. The Doctoral Programs Officer will obtain the signature of the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs as the Department Chair. Students with departmental PhD minors (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, etc.) must first obtain a signature from that department’s chair or authorized student services administrator before submitting the Schedule form to the GSE. The minor department may require representation on the oral exam committee. Often, this person may be a GSE faculty member who holds a courtesy or joint appointment in the minor department and can already be a member of the student’s reading committee, but not necessarily.

Registration Requirement

Students must be registered, and their candidacy must be valid during the quarter the oral examination is completed. The period between the last day of final exams of one term and the first day of the following term is considered an extension of the prior term only if the student was registered for that quarter. For example, a student registered in spring quarter can complete the oral exam until the day before summer quarter begins without registering for summer. For oral exams on or after the first day of summer quarter, students must register in their regular TGR section – or enroll in at least three units if they have not yet advanced to TGR status.

Room Reservations

Students are responsible for reserving an appropriate room for the date and time of the oral examination. For information on how to reserve a room, go to: https://25live.collegenet.com/stanford . The GSE IT group in CERAS can assist with technology needs (e.g., audio/visual).

GSE Facilities/IT requires at least two weeks notice to coordinate any technical support needed. Please submit this form to coordinate tech/room support.

The Oral Examining Committee

The oral examining committee is composed of a minimum of five faculty members, four examiners, and the University Chair selected by the advisor in consultation with the student. The committee must include the dissertation advisor and at least one other member of the dissertation reading committee. The oral exam and reading committees are separate and distinct; however, the reading committee typically sits on the oral exam committee. In other words, the three readers usually are also examiners for the defense. Students may only have one non-AC member on the orals committee. The only exception to this rule is if a student has more than the required five for an orals committee. A non-AC member must hold a PhD and contribute an area of expertise relevant to the orals and not readily available from the Stanford faculty. A petition must be submitted and approved well before the oral exam for a non-AC member of the oral exam committee.

University Chair

The University Chair of the oral exam committee must be an Academic Council (AC) member from a department or school outside the GSE. In some circumstances, the chair may hold a courtesy appointment in the GSE, or be a GSE faculty member from another Area Committee. If the chair is a GSE faculty member, they must be entirely outside of the student’s area (i.e., a person with a full or joint appointment in the student’s area cannot serve as University Chair of that student’s oral exam committee). The Stanford Bulletin outlines the specifics regarding the chair. Professors Emeriti from any department outside of the GSE may serve as oral exam chairs. Advisors are responsible for contacting and making arrangements with the Chair in consultation with the student. If locating a Chair is problematic, the Area Chair and/or the Associate Dean of Educational Affairs may be approached for assistance.

The Abstract

Students must submit one copy of the dissertation abstract to the oral exam chair no less than two weeks before the examination. The abstract should be 1,000 to 1,500 words, or approximately six pages long, and should include the following:

a summary of the problem
the primary research questions or hypotheses
the methods used to conduct the study
the most important findings and conclusions

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