Guidelines for the Chem 4908 Oral Defense Examination (F/W 2013-2014)

The following is a suggested format for the BSc Honours thesis oral defense which is sent to project supervisors:

1. 10-15 mins research summary made by the candidate.
2. First Round: Each examiner (3 members of the committee) is allowed to question the candidate on an individual basis for 10 mins.
3. Second Round: The 3 examiners can field questions or comments in an open fashion for 10 mins.
4. Questions can be entertained from the floor. The candidate should be consulted in advance whether he/she objects to this. Note that total time for the oral examination is typically 1.25 hours.
5. Request the candidate and other onlookers to withdraw from the examination room.
6. The committee members deliberate and obtain a consensus grade by taking the following into consideration:
a) Oral presentation
b) Written report
c) Work performed (Supervisor’s opinion is heavily weighted here)
d) Ability to respond to questions
7. Inform the candidate of the provisional grade ASAP. Note that 10% of their final mark is dependent on their poster presentation at the annual Research Poster Day (April, 2014) as evaluated by the Chem 4908 Coordinator according to the scheme (for example): Excellent: A becomes an A+ Good: A stays and A Absent: A becomes A-