1. By Daniel Osei-Joehene
Your PhD Viva:
The Unofficial Guide
By Daniel Osei-Joehene

2. Structure Preparing for the PhD Viva Convention of the PhD Viva
Structure of PhD Viva
Difficult PhD Viva Questions
Useful References

3. 1. Preparing for the PhD Viva
What is the PhD Viva Exam?
A ritual ceremony as a right of passage

4. 1. Preparing for the PhD Viva
The Examiners?
Choose your examiners with your supervisor
Who would you like to work with most?
Who can help your career (academic/gov/com etc.)?
Institutions that have post-doc projects etc.
Consider experience & location
Inexperienced examiners can be the most demanding
Examiners who must travel far

5. 1. Preparing for the PhD Viva
What most examiners expect from an LSE PhD! 
“Show me the Money”
“Show me the Knowledge” 

6. 1. Preparing for the PhD Viva
Anxiety of Uncertainty !
Role playing
(with supervisor/friends etc.)
Useful Preparation Strategies
Write a good dissertation you can defend :-)
Familiarise yourself with all aspects of your work
What is your contribution - KEY
What are the strengths and limitations of your work?
you should be able to say something meaningful for both...

7. 2. Convention of the PhD Viva
The LSE Convention for the PhD Viva?
Show respect for the occasion:
Dress and behave accordingly

8. 3. Structure of PhD Viva Introduction Examiners questions/discussion
Conclusion

9. 3. Structure of PhD Viva Introduction
“We want you to know you have passed”
The examiners will ask you to introduce your work:
“Please can you tell us about your PhD work”?
“Please give us an idea of what your thesis is about and the ideas behind it?”
Be brief
Show interest in your topic
Set agenda of the discussion

10. 3. Structure of PhD Viva Examiners questions/discussion
Sequence of questions
Sequential or Thematic order
Remember who’s the BOSS
You know your work better than anyone
You are the expert not your examiners or your supervisor!

11. 3. Structure of PhD Viva Concluding Section
What would you have done differently?
Plans for future research / publishing?

12. 4. Difficult PhD Viva Questions
Types of difficult questions
“Why didn’t you do it my way” or “I would have done it differently”…!
Given what you’ve done there are some problems:
Misunderstanding of work needing clarification
A difficult question that must be addressed

13. 4. Difficult PhD Viva Questions
Dealing with difficult questions
Hold your ground, but know when to let go!
Don’t try to deflect good questions or valid points
Be honest - don’t try and hoodwink the examiners
Show enthusiasm and interest - especially in defeat

14. 5. Useful References Google “PhD Viva” - caution! Books:
“How to Survive Your Viva:”by Rowena Murray (2003)
“Authoring a PhD:” by Patrick Dunleavy (2003)