Thesis oral examination

Scheduling a master's degree oral examination (defence)

Apply to graduate

Before you proceed to requesting a defence, please ensure that you are registered and that you have applied to graduate. The majority of students will apply online. However, please note that if you previously applied and withdrew an application to graduate or have graduated from another degree at UNBC, you may have to submit a paper application form.

Deadline for request

Upon receipt of the necessary paperwork and copies of the thesis, the Office of Graduate Administration requires a minimum of six weeks before the date of defence. It is extremely rare for these time requirements to be waived therefore student should plan their submission well in advance of the proposed date of defence. When identifying a date for defence, student should be aware of the deadlines and blackout periods in each semester.

As you review the deadlines below, remember that the date listed is the absolute final day to submit a request. You must ensure you've allowed at least six weeks prior to the proposed defence date when you submit the form. Also note that if you submit your request for a defence at the end of the semester, you may not have sufficient time to complete revisions in order to meet the deadline for grade submission and eligibility to graduate in that semester. Plan carefully, and if you have questions, please ask (grad-office@unbc.ca).

We encourage students to submit their request to defend as early as possible before the deadline in order to ensure their preferred date and time of defence are available (time slots are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis).

To allow for fulsome support and availability, defences will normally be scheduled on weekdays only between 9:00AM and 2:30PM, with 2:30PM being the last available starting time for a defence. Later times may be granted under special circumstances, though these times will not be guaranteed to have IT or Graduate Administration support for the full duration of the defence. Our office is available from 8:30AM - 4:30PM on weekdays to offer fulsome support for defence administration. Defences cannot be scheduled on weekends or holidays due to office closures.

Fall (September) 2025 Semester Deadlines for Fall 2025 defence with Winter 2025 graduation

  • Last day to submit a request for oral examination: November 6, 2025.
  • Last day available to defend: December 12, 2025
  • Blackout period for defences, during which no defences can be scheduled: December 15, 2025 to January 9, 2026.
  • Last day to submit final documentation post-defence with all final revisions complete and approved: January 16, 2026.

Winter (January) 2026 Semester Deadlines for Winter 2026 defence with Spring 2026 graduation

  • Last day to submit a request for oral examination: March 6, 2026.
  • Last day available to defend: April 10, 2026
  • Blackout period for defences (no defences can be scheduled during this time): April 13, 2026 to May 30, 2026. This black out period is our longest, due to planning our May (Spring) Convocation service, and the volume of UNBC students conferring at this main event.
  • Last day to submit final documentation post-defence with all revisions complete and approved: April 24, 2026.

Forms and requirements

Request for Oral Examination: Due at least 6 weeks prior to the date of oral examination, submit the request for exam to grad-office@unbc.ca. Along with this request, you must also include both a Word and PDF copy of your dissertation.

Master's defence request form

Presentation: 72 hours prior to the defence, students are also required to submit a copy of their PowerPoint presentation to grad-office@unbc.ca.

Restricted oral examination (optional): For requests to restrict the oral examination, this form must be included with the request to schedule the oral examination.

Restricted oral examination form

Post-defence requirements

  1. Ensure you submit required changes to your supervisor within the specified time-frame from defence as discussed with the committee.
  2. Please submit a final PDFA copy of your dissertation by email to grad-office@unbc.ca.
  3. Submit the Distribution License form.
  4. Contact Cashier to pay LAC fee.