At the end of their second semester in the PhD program, PhD students are required to present the progress in their own research work over the course of their first year of studies in our Department. This presentation gives the faculty an opportunity to evaluate the student’s analytical skills and ability to think critically and generate original ideas.
Each oral presentation lasts 30 minutes, of which the first 15 minutes are reserved for the oral presentation and the remaining time is left for faculty questions. Short power-point files may be used for the oral presentation. Each student’s presentation is administered by a group of five people (the three members of the Thesis Committee plus two more Faculty members). At least a week before the oral presentation, students should prepare a brief written summary to the faculty in both written and electronic form. The written document should comprise 6-to-10 1.5-spaced pages on standard paper in 11 pt font, including all figures and references. The presentation date is scheduled by the Department. It is typically held in July-August for students that entered the program in the Fall semester, and in March-April for students that entered the PhD program in the Spring semester.