Southern University's published list starts from the thesis itself: why this problem, why this method, how generalizable the study is. You can use a list like that in advance as a test of your own thesis, while you can still change it.
Southern University's Graduate School publishes a list of general questions it says are often asked. Three that are hard to answer on the spot: “If you were to do it all over again, what changes would you make?”, “How generalizable is your study?”, and “Is there an alternative interpretation of your findings?” It also tells students to be ready to discuss why and how they selected the problem, the instrument for data collection, the basic assumptions, the framework, the methodology, and how the data were analyzed.
A good answer usually already exists on a page of your thesis. Go through the table and note that page number for your own project. If you can't, you have found something to work on.
| Question | Where the answer should be | Sign of a weak spot |
|---|---|---|
| Why this problem? | Introduction, end of the literature review | The reason is personal interest only, with no gap in the literature |
| Why this method and not another? | Methodology chapter | You describe what you did and never why |
| What is your main finding, in one sentence? | First paragraph of the conclusion | You need a whole paragraph to say it |
| Could your findings mean something else? | Discussion | No alternative explanation appears anywhere in the thesis |
| Who do your findings apply to? | Methods, limitations | The conclusion generalizes beyond your sample |
| What would you do differently? | Limitations | "Nothing," or a limitation you never mention in the thesis |
| What does your work add? | Discussion, conclusion | It repeats what your sources already said |
| What comes next? | Further research | A general call for more research on the topic |
| Quantitative study | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Why this sample size? What could it not detect? | How did you decide you had enough interviews? |
| Why this test? What assumptions does it make? | How did you get from transcripts to themes? |
| Are you claiming an association or an effect? | How did your own position affect what you heard? |
| What about the results that weren't significant? | Which accounts didn't fit your themes, and what did you do with them? |
Formats differ. Boise State describes a public presentation of about 30 to 60 minutes with a brief Q&A, followed by a private examination with “In-depth discussion and questioning about your research to assess your understanding and the validity of your work.” You then leave the room while the committee deliberates. Your own program may do this differently, so ask your chair how long each part takes and who attends.
Yes, and the rules vary by school. Boise State says: “While most students pass their defense, it is possible to receive a failing decision.” Its committee “will determine if you have passed, passed with revisions, or failed the defense.” At Colorado School of Mines, “Students who fail a defense once, may re-defend.” At the University of Texas at Austin, the doctoral options are pass, re-defend, or fail. Read your own graduate school's rule before your defense, including what a request for revisions means for your timeline.
Esmond evaluates every assignment before you submit. It never writes it.
The report includes questions an advisor might ask, drawn from your thesis. It can't tell you what your committee will ask or how they will decide. It gives you something concrete to prepare with while there is still time to revise.
It varies by program. Boise State mentions a public part of about 30 to 60 minutes followed by a private examination. Ask your chair for the format.
Say so, and say how you would find out. Pausing to think is fine. Guessing at something outside your data is riskier than admitting you don't know.
They mean the same thing. Defense is the American spelling; defence is used elsewhere. Follow your university's usage in official forms.
They can. Southern University's list includes questions about the relevance of your study to your profession and society. Ask your chair what to expect.
Read on November 3, 2026.
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