PhD Dissertation Defense Slides Design: Start
- Tips for designing the slides
- Presentation checklist
- Example slides
- Additional Resources
Purpose of the Guide
This guide was created to help ph.d. students in engineering fields design dissertation defense presentations. the guide provides 1) tips on how to effectively communicate research, and 2) full presentation examples from ph.d. graduates. the tips on designing effective slides are not restricted to dissertation defense presentations; they can be used in designing other types of presentations such as conference talks, qualification and proposal exams, and technical seminars., the tips and examples are used to help students to design effective presentations. the technical content in all examples is subject to copyright; please do not replicate. .
- Example Slides Repository
- Defense slides examples Link to examples dissertation defense slides.
Useful Links
- CIT Thesis and dissertation standards
- Dissertations and Theses @ Carnegie Mellon This link opens in a new window Covers 1920-present. Full text of some dissertations may be available 1997-present. Citations and abstracts of dissertations and theses CMU graduate students have published through UMI Dissertation Publishing. In addition to citations and abstracts, the service provides free access to 24 page previews and the full text in PDF format, when available. In most cases, this will be works published in 1997 forward.
- Communicate your research data Data visualization is very important in communicating your data effectively. Check out these do's and don'ts for designing figures.
Power Point Template and other Resources
- CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 1
- CEE Powerpoint Slide Presentation Template 2
Source: CEE Department Resources https://www.cmu.edu/cee/resources/index.html
- CMU Powerpoint Slide Template
Source: CMU Marketing and Communications
https://www.cmu.edu/marcom/brand-standards/downloads/index.html
- Use of CMU logos, marks, and Unitmarks
Email me for questions and schedule an appointment
Top 7 tips for your defense presentation
1. show why your study is important, remember, your audience is your committee members, researchers in other fields, and even the general public. you want to convince all of them why you deserve a ph.d. degree. you need to talk about why your study is important to the world. in the engineering field, you also need to talk about how your study is useful. try to discuss why current practice is problematic or not good enough, what needs to be solved, and what the potential benefits will be. , see how dr. posen and dr. malings explained the importance of their studies..
- Carl Malings Defense Slides with Notes
- I. Daniel Posen Defense Slides with Notes
2. Emphasize YOUR contribution
Having a ph.d. means that you have made some novel contributions to the grand field. this is about you and your research. you need to keep emphasizing your contributions throughout your presentation. after talking about what needs to be solved, try to focus on emphasizing the novelty of your work. what problems can be solved using your research outcomes what breakthroughs have you made to the field why are your methods and outcomes outstanding you need to incorporate answers to these questions in your presentation. , be clear what your contributions are in the introduction section; separate what was done by others and what was done by you. , 3. connect your projects into a whole piece of work, you might have been doing multiple projects that are not strongly connected. to figure out how to connect them into a whole piece, use visualizations such as flow charts to convince your audience. the two slides below are two examples. in the first slide, which was presented in the introduction section, the presenter used a flow diagram to show the connection between the three projects. in the second slide, the presenter used key figures and a unique color for each project to show the connection..
- Xiaoju Chen Defense Slides with Notes
4. Tell a good story
The committee members do not necessarily have the same background knowledge as you. plus, there could be researchers from other fields and even the general public in the room. you want to make sure all of your audience can understand as much as possible. focus on the big picture rather than technical details; make sure you use simple language to explain your methods and results. your committee has read your dissertation before your defense, but others have not. , dr. cook and dr. velibeyoglu did a good job explaining their research to everyone. the introduction sessions in their presentations are well designed for this purpose. .
- Laren M. Cook Defense Slides with Notes
- Irem Velibeyoglu Defense with Notes
5. Transition, transition, transition
Use transition slides to connect projects , it's a long presentation with different research projects. you want to use some sort of transition to remind your audience what you have been talking about and what is next. you may use a slide that is designed for this purpose throughout your presentation. , below are two examples. these slides were presented after the introduction section. the presenters used the same slides and highlighted the items for project one to indicate that they were moving on to the first project. throughout the presentation, they used these slides and highlighted different sections to indicate how these projects fit into the whole dissertation. .
You can also use some other indications on your slides, but remember not to make your slides too busy. Below are two examples. In the first example, the presenter used chapter numbers to indicate what he was talking about. In the second example, the presenter used a progress bar with keywords for each chapter as the indicator.
Use transition sentences to connect slides
Remember transition sentences are also important; use them to summarize what you have said and tell your audience what they will expect next. if you keep forgetting the transition sentence, write a note on your presentation. you can either write down a full sentence of what you want to say or some keywords., 6. be brief, put details in backup slides , you won't have time to explain all of the details. if your defense presentation is scheduled for 45 minutes, you can only spend around 10 minutes for each project - that's shorter than a normal research conference presentation focus on the big picture and leave details behind. you can put the details in your backup slides, so you might find them useful when your committee (and other members of the audience) ask questions regarding these details., 7. show your presentation to your advisor and colleagues, make sure to ask your advisor(s) for their comments. they might have a different view on what should be emphasized and what should be elaborated. , you also want to practice at least once in front of your colleagues. they can be your lab mates, people who work in your research group, and/or your friends. they do not have to be experts in your field. ask them to give you some feedback - their comments can be extremely helpful to improve your presentation. , below are some other tips and resources to design your defense presentation. .
- Tips for designing your defense presentation
How important is your presentation, and cookies?
- Next: Tips for designing the slides >>
- Last Updated: Dec 3, 2024 4:43 PM
- URL: https://guides.library.cmu.edu/c.php?g=883178
Want to Get your Dissertation Accepted?
Discover how we've helped doctoral students complete their dissertations and advance their academic careers!
Join 200+ Graduated Students
Get Your Dissertation Accepted On Your Next Submission
Get customized coaching for:.
- Crafting your proposal,
- Collecting and analyzing your data, or
- Preparing your defense.
Trapped in dissertation revisions?
How to create a dissertation proposal defense powerpoint (+example), published by steve tippins on june 21, 2022 june 21, 2022.
Last Updated on: 22nd May 2024, 04:14 am
As part of the dissertation process, you will need to create a dissertation proposal defense PowerPoint to present a summary of the plan for your study. You will need to show how important your study is and how it is useful.
When creating the PowerPoint, keep in mind that you need to make sure all of your audience can understand all aspects of your study. The exact content for the defense PowerPoint varies by college, discipline and department, so it is important that you discuss with your committee chair about the requirements. However, we will give some general guidelines that apply to most institutions.
The defense typically takes 20‐30 minutes. You should keep the timeframe in mind as you consider the information you will have in your presentation.
Except for aspects of your presentation, such as the research question(s) or hypothesis(es), do not just read the slides. Instead, explain or expand on what is on the slides. To ensure you keep within the timeframe, practice narrating your PowerPoint presentation.
Although the APA manual does not provide guidelines for creating a PowerPoint presentation, you will need to follow some of the APA style guidelines within your PowerPoint.
For example, provide in-text citations for quotes, paraphrases, images, graphs, and other information that should be cited. Also, you will need to provide a list of pertinent references.
The following are other format requirements for the slides :
- Create 17-20 slides.
- Do not provide a lot of information. Be concise and write a few sentences (approximately 1-7 on each slide).
- Because your slides will contain only a small amount of information, any extra information that you want to touch on should be put in the notes section of the PowerPoint.
- Write the information in your slides for visual appeal and optimum communication, using a legible font size.
- You can use graphics and images to enhance and reinforce the information. However, ensure that they do not distract from your information.
- You can use bullet points but keep them to a minimum of 3-4 for each listing.
Example Dissertation Proposal Defense PowerPoint Template
The dissertation proposal will consist of three chapters, which you will be providing information on in the presentation. Although the contents and order of the contents may vary, there are some basic parts of the proposal that are usually required.
The following is a breakdown of the usual contents that are included in the presentation. Each of these headings below represents the titles of each slide. The information below the headings is the type of content you will need to provide.
Title (1 slide) :
- Dissertation’s Title
- Department of Program of Study/Name of University
- Chair and Committee Members
Statement of the Problem (1 slide):
- Provide the problem that your dissertation will address.
Purpose of the Study (1 slide):
- Provide what the study will do relative to the issue(s) defined in the statement of the problem.
Significance of the Study (1 slide):
- Provide the main argument of why the solution to the problem that you propose is important.
Research Question(s)/Hypothesis(es ) (1 slide):
- Provide the research question(s) or hypothesis(es) relevant to your field of study, written exactly as it is in your dissertation proposal.
The Literature Review (2 slides):
- These slides should consist of a coherent, organized overview of the main literature that frames your study’s problem, and the gap in literature that your study will address. Make sure that you include the sources.
Theoretical/Conceptual Framework (1 slide):
- This slide should consist of the theoretical/conceptual framework that will help you make sense of the phenomenon that you will investigate.
Research Design (1 slide):
- Provide the framework for the methods of data collection and data analysis. Indicate whether the study will be quantitative or qualitative.
Sample and Population (1 slide):
- Provide the population that refers to the entire group that you will draw conclusions about, and the sample that refers to the specific group that you will collect data from.
Data Collection (1 slide):
- Provide the methods by which you will obtain the data. If the research design is quantitative, provide methods such as correlation and regression, mean, mode and median or others. If the design is qualitative, provide methods such as, interviews, questionnaires with open-ended questions, focus groups, observation, game or role-playing, case studies, or others.
Data Analysis (1-2 slides):
- This slide should contain the process you will use to understand, gather, compile, and process the data you will obtain.
Limitations (1 slide):
- In this slide, explain the nature of the limitations and how they will be overcome during your research.
Delimitations (1slide):
- Provide the characteristics that describe the boundaries of your study and limit the scope, such as sample size, geographical location, population traits, or others.
References (1-2 slides):
- Only provide those sources that you referred to in the presentation. Do not provide all the sources that you have in your dissertation proposal.
Thank You/Questions (1 slide):
- Use this final slide to thank your committee and to request questions from them.
Note : For information about citing your references, refer to Chapters 9 and 10 of the APA Manual 7 th edition.
For instructions on how to create a PowerPoint, see How to Create a Powerpoint Presentation .
View this video for “ Tips and Tricks for your Proposal Defense Day Presentation ”
You can find several templates of students’ Dissertation Proposal Defense presentations online by searching for “Dissertation Proposal Defense PowerPoint.” You can also find one at this webpage .
Steve Tippins
Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins
Related Posts
Dissertation
Dissertation memes.
Sometimes you can’t dissertate anymore and you just need to meme. Don’t worry, I’ve got you. Here are some of my favorite dissertation memes that I’ve seen lately. My Favorite Dissertation Memes For when you Read more…
Surviving Post Dissertation Stress Disorder
The process of earning a doctorate can be long and stressful – and for some people, it can even be traumatic. This may be hard for those who haven’t been through a doctoral program to Read more…
PhD by Publication
PhD by publication, also known as “PhD by portfolio” or “PhD by published works,” is a relatively new route to completing your dissertation requirements for your doctoral degree. In the traditional dissertation route, you have Read more…
JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
Newly Launched - AI Presentation Maker
AI PPT Maker
Powerpoint Templates
PPT Bundles
Kpi Dashboard
Professional
Business Plans
Swot Analysis
Gantt Chart
Business Proposal
Marketing Plan
Project Management
Business Case
Business Model
Cyber Security
Business PPT
Digital Marketing
Digital Transformation
Human Resources
Product Management
Artificial Intelligence
Company Profile
Acknowledgement PPT
PPT Presentation
Reports Brochures
One Page Pitch
Interview PPT
All Categories
Example Dissertation Proposal Presentation Powerpoint Presentation Slides
Select our Example Dissertation Proposal Presentation PowerPoint Presentation Slides to interpret and explain results. The structure of dissertation PowerPoint complete deck includes slides on agenda, outline, project title, introduction, literature review, purpose statement, hypothesis, methods, statically analysis, results, bar graph, pie chart, discussion, study limitations, conclusion findings, the implications for future research, reference, etc. This is also useful for academic purposes, MBA student can use this to present their final project, it can reduce their time and effort. Furthermore, the research proposal Presentation template can portray concepts like survey results, data analysis and interpretation, dissertation structure, statistical consulting, research structure thesis proposal and many more. The thesis proposal Presentation slide outline results, discussions, and conclusion, the presenter can save their time and efforts on making their presentation from scratch. Download our professionally designed dissertation ppt slides to explain the dissertation in a logical flow. Facilitate jovial banter with our Example Dissertation Proposal Presentation Powerpoint Presentation Slides. Enable folks to have a good hearted discussion.
- Add a user to your subscription for free
You must be logged in to download this presentation.
PowerPoint presentation slides
Presenting Example Dissertation Proposal Presentation PowerPoint Presentation Slides. The deck contains a complete set of 44 high-resolution presentation slides. Users can edit PPT background, font, text, etc. You can download the presentation, in both widescreen (16:9) and standard (4:3) aspect ratio. From text to video, animation to logo insert anything. The PPT templates are compatible with Google Slides, PDF and JPG formats.
People who downloaded this PowerPoint presentation also viewed the following :
- Business Slides , Flat Designs , Strategic Planning Analysis , Complete Decks , All Decks , Process Management , Strategic Management , Proposal
- Example Dissertation Proposal Presentation Ppt ,
- Essay Proposal ,
- Thesis Proposal
Content of this Powerpoint Presentation
Example dissertation proposal presentation powerpoint presentation slides with all 44 slides:.
Our Example Dissertation Proposal Presentation Powerpoint Presentation Slides are innately eco-friendly. Their high recall value negate the need for paper handouts.
Ratings and Reviews
by Chi Ward
July 8, 2021
by Columbus Vasquez
July 7, 2021
IMAGES
VIDEO