The PhD defense, viva voce
When should the thesis defense be considered?
The reference duration of a doctorate is three years full-time (up to six years part-time), so the defence should be planned within this timeframe.
However, extensions are possible, (Opens a new window) the duration of the PhD varies according to discipline, and the question of the "ideal" length for a thesis remains a recurring topic of debate in academic circles.
Why?
Like any project, a doctoral project can encounter unforeseen difficulties and be delayed. Above all, however, research is by its very nature a dynamic process: it constantly raises new questions and opens up new avenues to explore, particularly as the research proves fruitful.
The decision to embark on the defense process and to call upon reviewers and a panel, therefore, depends on several factors:
- The progress made in the research and in writing the thesis, the quality and originality of the results already obtained and of the current version of the manuscript, and the scope for further improvement,
- The assessment made by the supervisor, as well as by the PhD candidate themselves, in the light of the criteria and expectations within the relevant academic discipline,
- External constraints (duration of funding, whether or not an extension is possible, etc.),
- The PhD candidate’s desire to continue their research or to move on to the next stage.
A balance needs to be struck in order to support the best possible thesis, without running the risk of failing to complete it or of having to complete it under difficult circumstances.
The stages and proceedings of the defense
3 months before the defense Step 1 of 5
- Appointment of the reviewers and panel members for the defense
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- Identify the panel members
- Set a date and book a room for the defense,
- If necessary, request confidential classification of the thesis from the head of the institution. In this case, the head of the institution may also, exceptionally, grant a waiver from the public nature of the defense,
- Appointment of the reviewers by the head of the institution, on a proposal from the director of the doctoral school, after consulting the thesis supervisor.
- Appointment of the panel by the head of the institution, after consulting the director of the doctoral school and the thesis supervisor.
Recommended deadline: 2 months before - Legal deadline: 1 month before Step 2 of 5
- First legal deposit of the thesis and submission to the reviewers
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- The doctoral candidate deposits their thesis with the institution where the defence will take place, no later than one month before the defence,
- The conditions for distributing the thesis (open access, embargo etc.) are agreed with the library, which issues a certificate confirming deposit of the thesis,
- If the thesis has been given confidential classification, the reviewers sign confidentiality agreements,
- The deposited thesis is sent to the reviewers.
Recommended deadline: 1 month before - Legal deadline: 14 days before Step 3 of 5
- Request for authorization to defend
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- The reviewers give their opinion and submit their written reports on the thesis,
- A request for authorization to defend is submitted on the recommendation of the PhD supervisor to the head of the institution, who grants it on the basis of these reports, after consulting the director of the doctoral school,
- If necessary, a request for authorization to hold the defense by video conference is submitted; this is decided by the head of the institution, after consulting the director of the doctoral school, on a proposal from the PhD supervisor and provided that all the conditions are met,
- The reports are communicated to the panel and to the doctoral candidate before the defense,
- The thesis is communicated to the panel,
- The summary of the thesis is circulated before the defence.
The defense Step 4 of 5
- Organization
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- The panel members appoint a chair of the panel from among themselves
- The defense and the discussion with the panel are open to the public, unless an exemption is granted if the thesis is confidential,
- The panel's deliberations are confidential,
- The PhD supervisor, as well as anyone else who took part in supervising the doctoral project, does not take part in the decision,
- The panel may request corrections to the thesis,
- A pass or a deferral is pronounced following the panel's deliberation. - Proceedings
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- The doctoral candidate has between 20 and 60 minutes, depending on the discipline, to give an oral presentation of their work,
- This presentation is followed by a discussion with the panel, which duration also varies depending on the number of panel members and the richness of the discussion (generally between 30 minutes and an hour and a half),
- The discussion with the panel is chaired by the chair of the panel,
- During the deliberation, the panel assesses the quality and originality of the doctoral candidate's work, their ability to place it in its scientific context, and their presentation skills,
- After the panel's deliberation, and if a pass is awarded, the doctoral candidate takes the oath.
Final stages Step 5 of 5
- Finalization
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- The chair of the panel prepares a defence report, signed by all the panel members present, sent to the institution and communicated to the doctoral candidate within one month of the defence,
- If the panel has requested corrections, the period allowed for making them and submitting the corrected thesis is 3 months. - Certificate of success and degree award
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- The issuing of a certificate of success or of the doctoral degree award is conditional on the corrected thesis being deposited,
- The certificate of success can be provided, on request, within 3 weeks of the deposit being finalised, and the degree within 6 months,
- Degrees must be collected in person, with identity verification, or by a third party holding a power of attorney.
The choice of reviewers and panel members
The reviewers
At least 2 reviewers
- authorised to supervise research
or
- holders of a doctorate, chosen for their scientific expertise by the head of the institution, on a proposal from the director of the doctoral school and after consulting the research committee of the academic council, or the equivalent body within the institution of registration
External
The reviewers have no involvement in the doctoral candidate's work.
Unless the discipline or the content of the work does not allow it, both reviewers are external to the doctoral candidate's doctoral school and institution.
They may belong to foreign higher education or research institutions, or to other foreign organisations.
The panel comprises 4 to 8 members, including
At least half external members
At least half of the panel members are French or foreign individuals from outside
- the research unit where the doctorate was carried out,
- the doctoral school
- and the institution where the doctoral candidate is registered,
chosen for their scientific or professional expertise in the relevant field of research.
The thesis supervisor, along with anyone else who took part in supervising the doctoral candidate, does not take part in the panel's decision.
At least half university professors or equivalent,
At least half the panel must be made up of:
- university professors
- or equivalent staff within the meaning of (Opens a new window) Article 6 of Decree No. 92-70 on the National Council of Universities ( (Opens a new window) see the list) and of (Opens a new window) Article 5 of Decree No. 87-31 for the health disciplines,
- or teaching staff of equivalent rank who do not fall under the ministry responsible for higher education and research.
A gender balance
The composition of the panel must ensure balanced representation of women and men.
Note: this provision is interpreted in various ways depending on the institution and doctoral school. It is generally accepted that the composition should tend towards parity, but that, failing this, the panel must at the very least include one man and one woman, and that the respective proportions of men and women on the panel should be representative of those prevailing in the doctoral school or discipline.
A chair of the panel
The chair of the panel must be a university professor or equivalent, or of equivalent rank. They are appointed by the panel members, from among themselves.
It is customary, though not compulsory, for the chair of the panel not to also be a reviewer of the thesis. Where this is the case in the discipline, it should be taken into account when forming the panel.
Recommendation
It is recommended that one or two more people than the regulatory minimum be included, in order to avoid postponing the defense due to non-compliant panel composition, should one of the members be absent on the day of the defense.
For example: with a panel of 6 people, including 3 external members, if an external member were absent on the day of the defence, an internal member could withdraw from the panel to maintain the required balance, resulting in a compliant panel of 4 people with two external members.
References
- (Opens a new window) Article 17: Conditions for granting authorisation to defend a PhD
- (Opens a new window) Article 18: Composition and appointment of the jury
- (Opens a new window) Article 19: Proceedings of the PhD defence
- (Opens a new window) Article 19a: The taking of the scientific integrity doctoral oath