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Dissertation and Final Defense

Obtain Graduate School approval of the final dissertation.   

The final requirement for the PhD degree is the completion of a written dissertation and successful oral defense of that dissertation before the thesis committee. The dissertation should represent a substantial body of original research and demonstrate the student’s ability to conduct, analyze, and communicate independent scientific research.   

Preparing for the Defense

Before scheduling a dissertation defense, students must:  

  • Obtain approval from their thesis committee that the research is sufficiently advanced and the dissertation is ready for defense.  

Students are encouraged to discuss anticipated defense timelines with their advisor and committee well in advance of graduation.  

Scheduling the Defense

Students must be registered for BIOC 994 Doctoral Research and Dissertation during the semester in which they hold their defense. Before defending, students must meet with the Student Services Manager to review degree requirements and discuss pre- and post-defense procedures.  

Students should review UNC’s Graduate School graduation deadlines. Failure to meet Graduate School deadlines may delay graduation.  

Dissertation Format

 Students are responsible for ensuring that the dissertation meets all Graduate School formatting requirements before submission. The scientific content of the dissertation is developed by the student in consultation with their advisor and thesis committee.  

A complete draft of the dissertation should be provided to all committee members sufficiently in advance of the defense, as determined by the committee. Students are encouraged to discuss committee expectations regarding dissertation review timelines well before scheduling a defense.   

Defense Format

The dissertation defense consists of two parts:  

Public Seminar

The student presents their dissertation research in a public seminar open to faculty, trainees, staff, and guests. The seminar should summarize the scientific background, major findings, and significance of the dissertation research.   

Private Defense

Following the public seminar, the student meets privately with the thesis committee. All committee members should participate in the defense, either in person or through approved remote attendance.  

Committee members question the student on the dissertation research, experimental design, interpretation of results, and the broader scientific context of the work. The goal is to evaluate the student’s understanding of the research and readiness to receive the PhD. The committee may also ask questions that extend beyond the dissertation to assess the student’s knowledge of the field.  

The committee may meet briefly without the student present before questioning begins. At the conclusion of the defense, the student leaves the room while the committee deliberates and determines the outcome.  

A passing outcome requires approval from a majority of the committee members. All members of the committee must sign the Parts III and IV of the Doctoral Exam Report form.  

Following a successful defense, students are responsible for making any revisions requested by the dissertation committee. Once all required revisions have been completed and approved, the final dissertation must be submitted electronically to The Graduate School.  

Because the dissertation is the final requirement for the PhD degree, students should not submit the final dissertation until all degree requirements have been satisfied.   

Graduation Planning

As students approach graduation, they should carefully review Graduate School requirements and deadlines. Students must:  

  • Apply to graduate through ConnectCarolina for all degrees and certificates.  
  • Submit the dissertation and all required documentation after passing the final defense of the dissertation by Graduate School deadlines.  
  • Obtain Graduate School approval of the final dissertation.   

The Graduate School confers degrees in May, August, and December. Students should consult the Graduate School website for current deadlines, graduation procedures, and commencement information.