THE DOCTORAL DEFENSE : DIVERSITY OF PRACTICES IN AMERICAN UNIVERSITIES

The doctoral defense is one of the most unique and pivotal events in the life of a young academic prior to launching a career in the university. And yet, there is very little information regarding the actual protocol of this defense experience and, where protocol exists, there seems not to be any nationally standardized formula for that process. In this study of twenty of the top Ph.D.-granting universities in the United States, I have described the various forms the doctoral defense takes, including (1) prerequisites to sitting for the defense such as residency, qualifying exams, languages, time factors, etc., (2) the composition of the defense panel itself, (3) who may, if any, be permitted to sit in the gallery or be present as silent observers and even non-faculty participants in the questioning of the defendant, (4) the time frame for the defense, (5) protocol in terms of questions, responses, etc., (6) who chairs the defense panel, and (7) the various levels of pass/fail permitted and employed by the panel, and tellingly, (8) may the defense be repeated in case of failure. The findings are both interesting because of the range of options operative within the American university system and startling due to the lack of either a standardized formula or a recognized protocol. Obviously, there is an opportunity here for discussion of the process.