The Viva
This page gives information about how to successfully complete your viva examination, and potentially, enjoy it.
- The Viva
- Viva Preparation Checklist
- The Viva continued
- Planning for what is next
Preparing for your doctoral viva
Preparing for your doctoral viva requires both thorough knowledge of your research and strategic preparation.
Take a look at our advice below, and don’t be daunted, as many doctoral researchers have positive experiences of completing their vivas.
The viva
Congratulations, you have submitted your thesis! Now for the next challenge – defending your thesis in the ‘viva voce’ or ‘viva’ as it is usually referred to. Latin for ‘by live voice’, you will be required to defend and explain your thesis to a panel of academics. There is a stereotype that your viva will be a terrifying experience – but that is only one interpretation! Many doctoral students have found their viva experiences to be inspiring and encouraging, enabling them to discuss their passion for their thesis with experienced experts.
The format for a viva
Regulations differ between institutions as to the format required for the thesis. In the UK and some other countries, the viva is conducted in a non-public space, e.g. in a private room, with at least two examiners. At least one of these will be from another institution (an external examiner), and another will be an expert in your topic area. In the UK, the supervisor of your doctorate does not participate in the viva, but sometimes observes it. Occasionally, someone from your own institution is appointed as an independent chair.
Outside of the UK, some countries make the viva defence a public event and require the doctoral candidate to give a lecture explaining their thesis. This is then followed by a discussion with a panel of examiners who ask questions. The audience can also ask questions of the doctoral candidate. It is becoming more common in the UK for the doctoral candidate to give a lecture about their thesis, this is not a part of the official viva examination process and may or may not be attended by the examiners.
Preparing for your viva
Prepare, prepare, prepare – for your viva! It’s recommended not to ad lib your viva, as you will need to show that you know your thesis thoroughly.
Viva preparation checklist
- I know my thesis thoroughly
- I have written a one-page summary of each chapter
- I have continued to work with my thesis after submission or have begun to prepare a conference paper or publication
- I can explain how my thesis fits into the big picture
- I have kept up to date with relevant literature
- I know what the implications of my research are to both theory and practice
- I have had a mock viva with my main supervisor
- I have asked my peers to quiz and challenge me about my thesis
- I have explained my thesis to friends and family who are not familiar with it
- I have investigated the backgrounds and publications of my examiners
- I have looked at my institution’s guidelines for vivas
- I have produced a list of likely questions that could be asked
- I have identified areas of my thesis that are likely to be challenged
- I have marked up my thesis to help me refer to it in the viva
- I know how I will be informed of the outcome of my viva
Things to take with you to your viva
- Your thesis – annotated if you wish
- A list of questions that you might be asked and your planned responses
- Any questions that you want to ask your examiners
- Additional notes which you have made during your revision
- A list of minor corrections that you have come across during your revision
During the viva
During the viva it’s a good idea to remain as calm as possible – a relaxed, thoughtful and non-confrontational manner will demonstrate your professionalism and evidence how you respond to a challenge. Be prepared for weaknesses and criticism to be discussed in your thesis – try not to take this as personal reflection, but to explain your research and to practise taking on board feedback. You are allowed to refer to your notes if you forget something, as you are not expected to remember everything that you have read and written perfectly.
Top tips for handling the viva discussion
- You can ask for questions to be repeated or for clarification on ambiguous questions
- Pause and take time to think before responding
- Be ready to ask your own questions of the examiners and to engage in dialogue
- Be ready to discuss your work in the context of other research completed in your field
- You can admit if you don’t know the answer to a question
- Be prepared to express your own opinions
After your viva – possible outcomes
Each institution will have its own regulations as to how the candidate is communicated to about the outcome of their viva. Research your institution’s process for viva outcomes so you are prepared. In the UK, thesis outcomes are usually one of the following categories:
- Outright pass – your thesis needs no further corrections
- Minor corrections – your examiners have a few minor suggestions that need to be amended
- Major corrections or re-submission – the thesis will need further work to be doctoral standard. This might include more research, re-writing or incorporating further literature
- Suggestion that you should re-submit or are awarded a lower degree (e.g. MPhil or MSC). This would be the case when your research is strong but too narrow for a doctoral degree
- Outright fail – in extreme cases such as plagiarism, or the examiners decide that the candidate will not be able to complete the doctorate.
Thesis corrections
The majority of doctoral candidates will have corrections to complete after their viva. You will be given a deadline by your examiners and institution by which time you will need to make the corrections. It’s best to make the corrections as soon as possible before the deadline, to keep up the momentum of the PhD.
To help with making your corrections:
- Take notes during the viva and write them up immediately after
- Meet with your main supervisor to dicuss the changes you need to make
- Analyse the examiner’s report thoroughly to ensure you have dealt with all the issues raised
- Proofread, proofread!
Thesis re-submission
The examiners, or usually only the internal examiner, will check that all the corrections have been incorporated before you can re-submit your thesis. Follow your institution’s regulations and process for submitting your thesis, including the format of the final submitted thesis, whether this be digital and/or a physically bound copy.
Planning for what is next
As your doctorate comes to an end, you are balancing a multitude of elements: completing your research, writing your thesis, preparing for your viva, publishing your findings and looking for employment. How best to manage all this is subjective, but here is some general advice:
- Plan the end of your doctorate – if you have a deadline to submit by or are starting a new job by, then give yourself your own deadline to ensure you can finish with enough time for all your commitments. Consider factors such as the time needed to write each chapter, how long your supervisor will need to review your work and anything else important that will need arranging.
- Communicate and liaise with your supervisors – in what form do they need to see drafts of your thesis; how do they work? Understand the expectations required and factor in this time into your overall plan.
- Avoid perfectionism and prioritise – writing and research can be infinite, so decide when ‘good enough’ has been reached. Prioritisation in the final phase of your doctorate will depend on your next career path, so decide your next move and do what is required to work towards that.
- Ensure you finish – you have made it this far with your doctorate, so ensure that you do submit it. It can be easy to be pulled in other directions, so prioritise getting your thesis submitted.
- Consider your next career step – it can be difficult to pull your attention away from your thesis to consider your career development. But taking time to assess your strengths and weaknesses, skills and competencies can enable you to find a compatible career path which will then give more structure to your priorities in the final stage of your doctorate.
Planning for what is next – careers outside of higher education
Studies show that only a minority of doctoral graduates work in higher education after graduating. The majority find work in careers outside of academia. However, the skills and competencies gained during your doctorate research can equip you well for careers in sectors outside of academia.
Improving your employment opportunities
We outline some useful tips to ensure you’re in the best position to create and grasp employment opportunities.
- Knowledge is power – keep informed of the industry or sector you want to enter – is this an area of growth or retraction? How competitive is it and what opportunities are available? Seek out careers information provided by your institution and use LinkedIn to find opportunities and make connections.
- Utilise your network – we all have networks, the key is to utilise them effectively and learn to develop them. A network can include friends, family, work colleagues, support staff in your institution, members of professional bodies that you are a part of, people you meet at conferences and training sessions, people from your social networks and more. LinkedIn is a great way to foster professional connections. Networks are two-way – if you give and help, then you can ask for help in return.
- Raising your profile – raise your profile by attending conferences, giving talks, networking and involvement in committees amongst other things.
- Gaining experience – undertaking relevant career related experience is crucial to pursuing the career path that you want to. However, even if you undertake experience that isn’t wholly relevant to the career you want to pursue, this can still be valuable in terms of perspectives and learnings. All experience is a means to develop transferable skills, and other skills that you may not be utilising in your current research role. Keep a look out for any work experiences, from Research Councils, learned societies, schemes, employers, within your institution or on training courses, committees or by writing a blog or organising your own conference.
Key things to take away
- There is a stereotype that your viva will be a terrifying experience – but that is only one interpretation! Many doctoral students have found their viva experiences to be inspiring and encouraging, enabling them to discuss their passion for their thesis with experienced experts.
- Preparing and planning for your viva will help you during the examination.