Upon receipt of the necessary paperwork and copies of the thesis/dissertation, the Office of Graduate Administration requires at least six weeks (thesis) or eight weeks (dissertation) before the date of defence. It is extremely rare for these time requirements to be waived, therefore students should plan their submission well in advance of the proposed date of defence.
When identifying a date for defence, students should be aware of the deadlines and blackout periods in each semester. As you review the deadlines, remember that is the absolute final day to submit a request. You must ensure you've allowed at least six weeks (thesis) or eight weeks (dissertation) prior to the proposed defence date when you submit the form. 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 and you will not be permitted to defend in blackout dates and may require a Time Extension to defend in next semester. Plan carefully, and if you have questions, please email (grad-office@unbc.ca).
Important notices
- To schedule a defence, a student must be in registered, in good academic standing with all coursework requirements complete and have achieved the required minimum cumulative GPA. Necessary forms must be on the student record. Additionally, there must be no fees outstanding.
- Students must apply to graduate prior to submitting a Request for Oral Examination form.
- Students should consider anticipated time for potential revisions post-defence when selecting defence dates. The final approved thesis/dissertation must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Administration on or before the final grade deadline in the semester of defence in order to be eligible for graduation in the subsequent semester. UNBC graduates students three times a year (Fall, Winter and Spring) and convocation occurs in the Spring semester (May). In order to participate in Spring convocation, the final passing grade for the thesis/dissertation must be recorded no later than the final grade deadline in April. Deadlines will be posted on this website as they become available.
Thesis and dissertation deadlines
Location of defence
Updated July 17, 2023: Defences are currently operating remotely via Zoom, Hybrid or in-person. Please note, that if there is not a suitable, available space, the committee and student may be asked to hold the defence remotely.
Post-defence information
Students will receive post-defence instruction from the Office of Graduate Administration by email shortly after our office receives the Results of Oral from the Defence Chair. Students will not have met degree requirements until all items are completed as indicated in the post-defence instructions.