Defending your thesis

When to start

After the final draft is approved.

I will help to ensure that the co-reader approves the final draft in due time. Nevertheless, please count on at least a few days between the time the final draft is uploaded and receiving the approval.

What to prepare

Organize the defense, prepare your presentation and the Q&A

Guidance for preparation

You should contact the examination office to organize the date for the defense. Please coordinate with both the co-reader and me about our time schedule.

You need to prepare a 15min presentation for the defense. Note that the time constraint is sharp. You will be cut off at 15min. If your presentation goes shorter than 15min, it is fine. The only consequence is that the Q&A will then be longer. Keep in mind that this is a presentation for a broader audience (your family, friends, etc.), not only for the committee. Therefore, the presentation should be in Layman’s term, rather than technical.

Preparing for the Q&A (30mins) is always difficult. Do not focus too much on the technical part of the thesis. Think more about the economic interpretation of your results. Also think beyond the thesis, what about applying your methodology to a different context? What about an alternative methodology? What would you expect as a result if you overcome the caveat listed in your conclusion part?

The supervision process: No supervision will be provided. This is the exam part of the thesis!