Exams & Defense
Introduction
Preliminary and Final Defense Examination Format
All graduate college mandatory examinations such as the preliminary examination and the theses defense are to be held in person with the full committee. Remote exams are not allowed unless otherwise approved by the graduate college. Having two presentations for two groups are not allowed. Full committee and the student are expected to attend and provide feedback at the same time.
Examples of reasons that will be approved for hybrid or online exam: External faculty member is located in another state/country/continent, student living outside the state/country/continent, medical constraints, accommodations are needed, it is an online degree program, or all students do online exams and it is the standard of your unit.
Examples of reasons that will not be approved for a hybrid or online exam: Faculty double scheduled themselves and are at a conference/traveling, it is summer and the faculty are working remotely/from another country, difficulty scheduling an in person date/time, lack of prior awareness of the policy, or preference for an online format.
Hybrid Defenses
If the Graduate College approves a hybrid format, it must be delivered in person with the bulk of the committee present in a room with hybrid meeting equipment (including a camera that can capture the entire room) in order to facilitate conversation among the committee and with the student.
The Graduate College has two rooms that meet the technology requirements for a hybrid meeting: UH 650 (in University Hall) and SSB 2790 (In the Student Services Building). If you are unable to find an available room in your own college that meets the hybrid technology requirements, please contact Boyd Bellinger (larnhe2@uic.edu) to check availability/reserve one of the Graduate College’s rooms.
To request a hybrid or remote exam/defense, please send the Graduate College Hybrid Request Form (linked below) to Boyd Bellinger (larnhe2@uic.edu).
Conflict of Interest Statement
The Graduate College strives to protect the academic interests of graduate students, and uphold academic standards of rigor related to student preliminary examination and thesis/dissertation defense committees. It is important that a conflict of interest, or the appearance of one, be avoided.
This policy is applicable for committees for master’s thesis defenses, doctoral preliminary examinations, professional doctorate project defenses (EdD), and doctoral dissertation defenses.
Preliminary Examination (Doctoral)
The purpose of the Preliminary Examination is to determine the candidate’s readiness to undertake dissertation research, and passing it constitutes formal Admission to Candidacy. The examination serves as the last major step toward the doctoral degree except for the completion and defense of the dissertation. The examination provides the student with timely feedback of the faculty’s views of his/her potential for completing the doctoral program. The preliminary examination is distinct from the oral defense of the dissertation project.
Some doctoral programs also have a Qualifying Examination, which is distinct from the Preliminary Examination. Qualifying exams are under the juridiction the the individual program and procedures should be specified in the program handbook.
Project (Master Level)
The requirements and presentation or defense of a master’s project are specified in the individual program handbook. If the program requires a committee review or defense of the project, approval of the composition of the committee by the Graduate College is not needed. The program must complete a Certificate of Approval for a Master’s Project, and submit it to the Graduate College no later than the term of graduation.
Thesis Defense (Master Level)
Provided that the student has completed all graduation requirements and is in good academic standing, they may defend the thesis before a committee. The Graduate College does not require registration for a master’s thesis defense (assuming the course 598 thesis hours were taken previously). However, the student may have to register if a recipient of a tuition and service-fee waiver or on a student visa. Additionally, programs may require registration to defend, as long as this requirement is printed in the departmental student handbook.
Graduate College policy requires a student to send their completed thesis document to their full committee at least two weeks in advance of the defense date.
Dissertation Defense (Doctoral)
Provided that the student has completed all graduation requirements, is in good academic standing, and is registered for the given term, they may defend the dissertation before the committee. A year has to elapse after passing the preliminary examination before the defense of the dissertation.
Graduate College policy requires a student to send their completed dissertation document to their full committee at least two weeks in advance of the defense date.