Also thesis committee

MSc Thesis Defense Examining Committee (Minimum three faculty members)

* Normally, all members are full-time faculty
* At least one from outside the department
* All members must attend the examination
* The basic element is to have a minimum of three members. Roles of members can be in any combination. For example, co-supervisors, a co-supervisor who is also the internal-external, supervisor from outside the department.
* Must be chaired by a faculty member from inside the department

MSc Examination Protocol

* The MSc thesis defense normally involves an initial 20-30 minute presentation by the graduate Student of their thesis work followed by two rounds of questions.
* The decision of the examining committee will be based both on the content of the thesis and on the candidate's ability to defend it.
* Normally, if all but one member of the committee agree on a decision, the decision shall be that of the majority. The dissenting committee member does not have to sign the thesis. If two or more dissenting votes are recorded, the department will refer the matter to the Associate Dean, FGSR, who will determine an appropriate course of action.

http://www.psychiatry.ualberta.ca/Home/Graduate/GraduateStud...

Thesis Defense

A thesis defense is a formal meeting in which a student must answer questions from a thesis committee and perhaps other university instructors or students about his or her thesis. Thesis defenses are done after a thesis has been completed and submitted by the student, and are usually the final determination of not only a student’s thesis grade, but also a student’s completion of his or her degree.