The final oral examination or defense is a public presentation of the student's research and research results. The presentation should contain general background information understandable by other Ph.D. students in the CS Ph.D. program. Then, the presentation should focus on the new research results. The details of the dissertation research may be fully understandable only by those familiar with the research area, but the candidate should make every effort to make this material equally understandable by her/his audience.
After the presentation, anyone in the general audience including members of the Advisory Committee may ask questions. Then, the general audience will be excused; those remaining will be Advisory Committee members or CS Faculty. Anyone in this restricted audience may ask questions. Finally, everyone is excused except the Advisory Committee and the student. Members of the Advisory Committee may ask whatever questions they wish concerning the research and the student's Ph.D. program.
Finally, the student is excused, and the Advisory Committee must decide if the student passes or fails the final examination. A student passes the final oral examination if no more than one member of the Advisory Committee dissents and if the student addresses the dissenting member's concerns (given in writing) to the satisfaction of the committee chair and the Dean of the Graduate School. (This last statement essentially comes from the Report of Final Oral Examination(*).) The committee may make its passing contingent upon certain changes being made in the dissertation.
If the student fails, s/he may take the final examination a second time. After a second failure the student is dropped from the program.
After passing the oral examination, the student submits to the Graduate School the Report on Final Oral Examination(*).