nus graduate school for integrative sciences and engineering briefing on the thesis examination...

NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and EngineeringNUS Graduate School

for Integrative Sciences and Engineering

BRIEFING ON THE

THESIS EXAMINATION PROCESS

NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering

What we expect of an NGS PhD graduate

• Has carried out excellent research

• Has demonstrated interest in interdisplinary issues

• Takes an analytical approach to problems

• Has deepened his/her knowledge

• Shows knowledge and curiosity about major issues in related

subject areas

• Adheres to the highest ethical standards in research

• Serves as a role model for future generations


How does the examination assess it?

• Review of relevant literature• Clear and coherent data• Significant results• Critical discussion and ability to present clearly your and

others’ data• Ability to defend results upon cross – examination


AGENDA Submission of Thesis Exam Format of Thesis Exam General Guidelines on Format of Thesis Process of Thesis Exam Criteria of External and Internal Examiners Nomination of Examiners Examination format Outcome of examination FAQ


Submission of Thesis for Examination

1. Deadline of submission- By the max. period of candidature

2. Extension of candidature- Application submitted through supervisor- Preferably 3 months before expiry of candidature- For AGS students, approval has to be given by both NGS and A*STAR

NB : For AGS students, No guarantee that A*STAR will extend funding, but very important to alert them early.


Submission of Thesis for Examination (cont’d)3.Fees payable

4. Thesis Exam Fees- For PhD students, it costs S$535.

For AGS StudentsA*STAR will reimburse fees related to thesis examination. Please consult A*GA for details.

For NGSS StudentsNGS does NOT reimburse the Thesis Exam Fees. It is borne by the students

Date of Submission Tuition Fees Payable

By the end of instructional week 2 Exempted

During first half of semesterSem 1: 4th Week to 30 SeptemberSem 2: 3rd Week to 31 March

Half of fees for the semester

During second half of semesterSem 1: October to end of semesterSem 2: April to end of semester

Full fees for the semester


Format of Thesis Examination

Final Thesis

Consists a detailed introduction/literature review, description and critical analysis of the student’s research work in conventional, bound form.

Consists an introduction, conclusion and published (or accepted) papers (plus some extra details of methods) - papers are in Tier 1 journals (defined by NUS) - student undertook most (75%) or all of the research described in the papers

A B

The 3 C’s – Clear, Coherent, Critical


General Guidelines on Format of Thesis

1. General InformationAny work carried out BEFORE your enrolment in NGS cannot be used for submission in a thesis examination.

2. Thesis TitleNot differ from the original approved titleIf there is significant difference, must apply for a change of title at least ONE month before thesis is submitted(Form can be downloaded from NGS website)


General Guidelines on Format of Thesis (cont’d)

No Description Remarks

A Word limit 40,000 words: include footnotes but exclude appendices, bibliography, statistical tables, etc

(For extension of limit, a written request stating reasons must be submitted to NGS office, through the supervisor). Length is not necessarily evidence of productivity

B Page Size White A4 paper

C Margins Left: 1.5 inches; Others: not less than 1 inch each

D Font • Size : 11 to 12 points• Type : Times Roman & Helvetica• Same font type and size to be used for entire thesis

E Line Spacing Text should be double-spaced except Captions, Footnotes, List of Figures/Tables to be single-spaced

F Footnotes Appear at the bottom of each page and NOT at the end of the chapter

G Reference Style Use either name of numbers but be consistent

3. General Formatting


No Description Remarks

H Page numbering

• All pages must be paginated except Title page• Main body should be numbered in arabic numerals from 1 onwards• Numbering to be consecutive, and include all maps, diagrams, etc• Published materials submitted with the thesis whether bound in or not, should not be included in the pagination but MUST maintain same margins, font type and size

I Sequence of content

Content of thesis should follow this order• Title page• Acknowledgements• Table of contents• Summary • List of Tables• List of Figures• List of Illustrations• List of Symbols• Main body of thesis• Bibliography• Appendices

3. General Formatting (cont’d)


General Guidelines on Format of Thesis (cont’d)

4. Summary PageMust contain a summary page of NOT more than 500 words written in the English Language. This must be bound in with the thesis.

5. Title Page / Thesis Cover and SpineRefer to the sample layout shown in Annex A of the Handouts

6. LanguageCheck for Correct Spelling and use of English. This is ESSENTIAL!NGS recommends UK spelling. USA spelling is also okay but be consistent


Process of Thesis Examination

1. Student, to decide with supervisor, on the route of thesis examination. A is the usual route

2. Supervisor to nominate thesis examiners at least 2 months before thesis is expected to be submitted for examination

- Nominate 5 examiners, either (3 internal and 2 external examiners) OR (2 internal and 3 external examiners)

3. Student to submit thesis for examination

4. Student to undergo an Oral Defence (Examination) in Singapore.


Nomination of Examiners (cont’d)

• NGS would review and approve the names of the appropriate examiners.

• Thesis Examination who reads and assess the students’ thesis could comprise either 2 internal and 1 external examiners OR 1 internal and 2 external examiners.


External examiners should be proposed to NGS by the Thesis Advisory Committee and must meet the following criteria for approval:

1. Internationally-recognized scientists in the field as identified by the usual criteria (research output, citations, etc) who have at least attained at least the level of Associate Professor or the equivalent.

2. From leading universities or research institutions.

3. Not from NUS nor from the institution in which the candidate is performing all or a substantial part of his / her research work, if different from NUS4. Not related (in any way) to the candidate or the supervisor

5. Not a member of the TAC.

6. Not an adjunct staff of the Department/RI from which the candidate originates.

Criteria of External Examiners

Do NOT communicate with examiners (either internal or external) directly. If you wish to say something to them, please go through the NGS office.


1. Internationally-recognized scientist in the field identified by the usual criteria (research output, citations, etc) and at least Associate Professor level orEquivalent

2. Not related (in any way) to the candidate or the supervisor

3. May be a member of the Thesis Advisory Committee (except for the supervisor & chair of TAC), although if the TAC member has been highly involved in the supervision of the thesis, this should be avoided.

Criteria of Internal Examiners

The internal examiner is NOT acting as a representative of the institution or candidate but as an unbiased independent examiner

with local knowledge.



• Thesis will be read by 3 examiners - Examiners are given a maximum of 7 weeks to complete the

examination of the thesis and to submit an evaluation report (and will be reminded periodically)

• After all examiners’ reports are received, - If there are NO/MINOR amendments, oral examination will be scheduled in as soon as possible (aim 6 weeks) - If MAJOR revision is recommended, candidate MAY be asked to revise and resubmit the thesis for further examination before the oral examination is scheduled


Format of Thesis Examination• Oral Examination comprises the following - Open Seminar, of approximate 40mins (together with examiners) (NEW!) - Question & Answer Session, of approximate 15 - 20 mins - Closed-Door Examination (with examiners only)

• At the Oral Examination, the candidate should - Give a brief overview of the thesis - Discuss key findings and new contributions made to the field - Justify the methodology and theoretical framework used; and - Analyze the implications of study for future research or applications - Possess critical ability and presentation skills


Format of Thesis ExaminationNote • The Oral Panel will be chaired by the students’ Thesis Advisory

Committee (TAC), along with the internal examiners, who will form the examination panel.

• In some cases, NGS will nominate additional NGS supervisors to particpate in the examination.

• External examiner(s) may also be present but this is not mandatory

• All students undergoing their Oral Examination have to physically present themselves for the session. This is also applicable to students who accept and start on their overseas employment will have to make arrangement to return to Singapore for the examination.



Possible Results of the Examination

(a) awarded PhD without further examination

(b) awarded PhD subject to minor revision to thesis

(c) awarded PhD subject to amendments of a more substantive nature

(d) not awarded PhD but be permitted to resubmit thesis in a revised form after a further period of study and research(e) not awarded PhD

For Decisions b, c and d, the examiners should decide how the revised thesis will be managed and will construct a report, to be communicated to the candidate.

For decision e, they will construct a report emphasizing the finality of the decision and the reasons for it. We anticipate that in most cases, the examiners’ reports can be given directly to the candidate, but in some editing may be required.


Outcome of Thesis Examination

You will be considered for award of the PhD degree

- If minor/major revisions are incorporated in the thesis to the satisfaction of the supervisor(s) and the Oral Panel Members; and

- After the uploaded electronic thesis has been verified by NGS

- Award will be made at a degree-awarding ceremony

- Letter to state that you have met all the award criteria will be available immediately


Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. For the Optional Route of Thesis Examination, what is the recommended number of published papers?

A1. A minimum of 3 published papers would be advisable, unless the paper is in an absolutely top-listed journal such as Nature, Science, Cell or PNAS. However, there isn’t a maximum number. Papers should normally be first-authored by the student.

Q2. Is Co-first authorship considered a first-authorship?

A2. Yes.


Frequently Asked Questions (cont’d)Q3. Where can I obtain a list of Tier 1 journals?

A3. Please seek advice from your supervisor as he/she will have access to the relevant information.

Q4. If I am submitting my thesis through the typical route, is a publication required?

A4(i) No, although we would normally expect students to have published work in good journals, conferences proceedings, etc.

Is the position of authorship important? A4(ii) Yes. It must indicate that the student did 75% of the work. The thesis should focus on your own work.


Frequently Asked Questions (cont’d)

Q5. On choice of external examiners, if I am attached to an RI, does that mean my choice of external examiners must NOT be someone from my RI?

A5. Yes. The external examiner should not come from the same RI / Department as the student.

Please refer to the detailed FAQ attached in the handouts.


• THANK YOU

END OF SESSIONEND OF SESSION

nus graduate school for integrative sciences and engineering briefing on the thesis examination...

Documents

thesis exam fees

nus graduate school

thesis title

integrative sciences

semester slide

cross examination slide

examination contd

critical slide