Oral Thesis Assessments


The typical thesis assessment process is a written assessment process with three stages.

  1. The candidate submits a written thesis for assessment;
  2. The assessors provide written reports on the thesis;
  3. The candidate amends the thesis in response to the assessors' reports.

It is possible to include an oral or practical assessment as part of the thesis assessment process, after the assessors provide their reports and before the candidate amends the thesis. An oral assessment can be requested by the candidate, recommended by the assessors, or required by the Dean, UQ Graduate School.

Objectives for oral thesis assessments

Objectives for oral thesis assessments include:

  • providing an educationally rewarding and personally satisfying finale to research higher degree candidature; and
  • giving the candidate the academic benefits of direct discussion with the assessors;
  • testing the candidate’s comprehension of the broad field of study;
  • clarifying points either of principle or of detail in the thesis;
  • assessing the contribution made by the candidate to the content and presentation of the thesis;
  • establishing a firm deadline for the preparation of assessors' reports, thus decreasing the time needed to complete the assessment process.

Candidates undertaking an oral assessment are expected to be articulate in English and able to give a clear and concise account of their discoveries.

Requesting an oral thesis assessment

The timing of the submission and the assessment of the thesis and the oral assessment are critical and this must be taken into consideration by the candidate, the principal advisor and the postgraduate coordinator when organising an oral assessment. Usual practice is to schedule the oral thesis assessment approximately 12 weeks (9 weeks for an MPhil thesis) after the intended date of submission for assessment.

  • To request an oral assessment , a candidate must consult with the postgraduate coordinator (and head of school/director of institute, if the postgraduate coordinator is not delegated to make financial decisions) at least 4 weeks before the expected submission date of the thesis.
  • A request for an oral assessment cannot be approved unless the school/institute confirms it is prepared to arrange the oral assessment and bear the associated costs.
  • If there is any change to the predicted submission date, the candidate must inform the postgraduate coordinator and postgraduate administrative officer.

Organising the oral thesis assessment

The enrolling school/institute makes arrangements for the assessment . In addition to the standard process of contacting and nominating two assessors and a chair of assessors, the enrolling school/institute also:

  • contacts and nominates an oral convenor;
  • ensures the assessors and the chair of assessors agree to participate in an oral assessment;
  • sets the date, time and place of the seminar and assessment (usually approximately 12 weeks for PhD or 9 weeks for MPhil after the intended date of submission), and advises the Research Higher Degrees Unit using the Notice of Submission and Nomination of Assessors form;
  • arranges and funds all necessary travel, videoconferencing and teleconferencing;
  • ensures that the assessors’ reports are received by the Research Higher Degrees Unit at least two weeks before the date set for the oral assessment.

The Assessors

The assessors are given 7 weeks (for a PhD) or 4 weeks (for an MPhil) from receipt of the thesis to:

  • assess the thesis and write a report;
  • provide a preliminary recommendation on the thesis; and
  • indicate questions to be put to the candidate.

Both assessors must participate in the oral assessment; at least one and preferably both assessors are to attend in person. Where the latter is not possible, one assessor participates by teleconference, videoconference, or other means approved by the Dean, UQ Graduate School.

The Chair of Assessors

Normally, the chair of assessors (nominated by the postgraduate coordinator and approved by the Dean, UQ Graduate School at the same time as the assessors) is from the candidate's enrolling school/institute. The chair is sent a copy of the thesis by the Research Higher Degrees Unit, as well as assessors' reports as they are received.

  • forward copies of the assessors' reports to the oral convenor;
  • forward and discuss the reports with the candidate in advance, advising the candidate of the main issues to be raised while observing that the assessors retain the right to ask other questions; and
  • ensure the advisory team assists the candidate in preparing the response to the assessors' reports.

The chair is required to do the following after the assessment:

  • liaise with the oral convenor to prepare the assessing committee's report and complete the Oral Assessment Summary form.

The Oral Convenor

Normally, the oral convenor (nominated by the postgraduate coordinator and approved by the Dean, UQ Graduate School at the same time as the assessors) is from a school/institute other than the one in which the candidate is enrolled. The oral convenor represents the Dean, UQ Graduate School in the assessment process.

The oral convenor is required to do the following before the assessment:

  • discuss with the candidate the nature of the oral assessment;
  • assure the candidate that the assessment is intended to be constructive and helpful.

The oral convenor is required to do the following during the oral assessment:

  • attend the candidate’s seminar;
  • chair the closed session of the oral thesis assessment;
  • explain the proceedings to the assessors and the candidate;
  • advise the candidate at the end of the session, on behalf of the Dean, UQ Graduate School, of the outcome of the assessment and provide the candidate with an explicit statement of amendments required.

The oral convenor is required to do the following after the assessment:

  • liaise with the chair of assessors to prepare the assessing committee's report and complete the Oral Assessment Summary form.

Structure of the oral thesis assessment

The assessing committee is composed of:

  • the oral convenor;
  • the chair of assessors; and
  • both assessors.

While they participate in parts of the assessment process, members of the advisory team are not members of the assessing committee.

The oral convenor, the chair of assessors, and at least one assessor must be physically present; if necessary, one assessor may participate through teleconference, videoconference, or other means approved by the Dean, UQ Graduate School.

Unless the Dean rules otherwise, the oral thesis assessment consists of:

  • an open seminar, usually held in the school/institute, of not more than one hour's duration, that covers the major parts of the candidate’s work and includes the candidate's presentation and the assessors' questions;
  • a closed session in which the assessing committee discusses the thesis with the candidate for 1 to 2 hours;
  • a closed deliberation by the assessing committee, in the absence of the candidate, to reach a decision on the award of the degree; and
  • a concluding meeting of the assessing committee, the candidate, the advisory team and the postgraduate coordinator, at which the candidate is advised of the result to be recommended by the assessing committee.

The advisory team and postgraduate coordinator will not be present at the closed session or the closed deliberation, but the postgraduate coordinator will be consulted and the advisory team informed about the result to be recommended, and the changes required, after the completion of the oral assessment.

After the oral assessment, the oral convenor and the chair of assessors liaise with each other to develop the assessing committee's report and complete the Oral Assessment Summary form. The report outlines the procedures followed during the oral assessment and the conclusions reached by the assessing committee. It also includes formal advice to the candidate about the changes that must be made to the thesis before the degree can be awarded. The report and the form are passed to the postgraduate coordinator for comment, and then sent to the Dean, UQ Graduate School for approval.

When an oral thesis assessment should not proceed

In the case of adverse assessors' reports, the chair of assessors and the oral convenor consult with the postgraduate coordinator, who must then advise the Dean whether or not the oral thesis assessment should proceed. In preparing this advice, the postgraduate coordinator would normally also take advice from the candidate’s advisory team. In the event of an oral assessment not proceeding, the postgraduate coordinator makes a recommendation to the Dean solely on the basis of the written assessors' reports.
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