Which is good, nice to have it confirmed, but it's not til the 2nd week in JANUARY - after Xmas and New Year - PANTS!

Anyone else got iminent vivas?

I have a confession to make. I have been putting off admitting to this for some time for fear of being booed off...I don't have to endure a viva!

No viva, no panel defence, no oral examination, nothing. Well, not quite nothing - have to give a final seminar to our department (40 minutes with 10 minutes questions), but the purpose is not to assess the student, more to share our research findings with our colleagues.

As I understand, they used to have vivas but found they achieved nothing but stressed the students out, so they scrapped them. I may be wrong, but I think this is the way it is all over Australia. I will have to make some enquiries about that though, so don't quote me.

Good luck, kronkodile. At least you have plenty of time to prepare for it now.

IF there is no VIVA...how are you examined?

At 6 month point submit lit review/research proposal which is assessed by one external (to university) and one internal examiner. No grades given, just accepted/not accepted. At 6 months (and then once a year for rest of PhD to total of 3 seminars) give seminar to anyone on campus who wants to attend (20 minutes, 10 minutes questions) which is assessed internally by 3 examiners - but third/final seminar is the 40 mins I spoke of earlier.

At 12 months have major review - write report of what you have achieved, what still needs to be done, any problems with supervision/access to equipment etc. and have meeting with all supervisors, dept postgrad coordinator, head of dept and examiners of your lit review/proposal. Not assessed, again just accepted/not accepted to continue for next 2 years of PhD.

At 24 months, another review similar to 12 months.

At end of PhD (in theory 3 yrs, but mine was 4 yrs), give final seminar - assessed same way as others (internal only)....

Good luck KronKodile - I hope the fact that it is a few months away doesn't mean you get more stressed out about it, as you have the time to dwell. Its better than last minute I suppose. Try to think of it that way.
Fingers, toes and everything else crossed for you.

...Submit thesis - 2 examiners (chosen by supervisor), both international and identity is unknown to student. They grade it as A (accept as is - very rare!), B (accept with stated changes - usually grammar and spelling, minor re-structuring etc - common), C (re-write some bits addressing these criteria and then accepted after review by supervisor/dept - common), D (rewrite major bits, addressing these criteria and examiner sees thesis again to decide if it is accepted - rare), E (don't want to think about this one, something like get a Masters instead of PhD - rare).

No requirement for attendance at conferences or publications, but obviously we do those things as much as money and results permit! I went to one international conference and will get 4 journal articles from my PhD....but no viva!

how interesting. Not sure whether I prefer the UK viva system or the Australian seminars and internal meetings. Personally I think the viva system here - however scary - is a good thing. A couple of hours to discuss the work we have slaving, crying and laughing over for 3/4 years - what a great way to finish. If you have written your thesis, you will know your research so I think once the nerves subside the viva will be a great opportunity to chat over your research with two academics. Scary, challenging, nerve-wracking - yes! But rewarding, exciting and brilliant - sounds like a PhD to me!

That is interesting piglet. Though I am terrified of the viva at the moment (and I'm only at the start of final year), I hope that I will be like Hillyg when the time comes. But I like the Aussie system for the way it seems to be more rigorous, and to actually give some opportunity for monitoring progress all the way through. In the department i am in we dont even have upgrades - the supervisor has to send in a form every quarter to say whether progress is satisfactory, but as he hardly knows who i am this means: he asks me if everything is going ok, i say yes I think so, he signs form and sends it off. Now i am starting writing and noone has ever commented on my stuff I am starting to get very, very scared.

Piglet when you say the final examiners are international do you mean they are outside Oz or that they have international reputation but could be in your department?

hillyg - I think it is only natural human emotion to always think our own system is better - I am relieved I do not have to endure a viva and I feel fortunate that I have a department with a lot of progress assessment and opportunities to bring up supervisory issues.

By international examiners I mean they have to be outside Australia, but obviously they are also internationally recognised in their fields. I can tell my supervisor if I would prefer my thesis does not go to X if say I know them and don't think they could be unbiased or if the findings of my research contradict their work, but ultimately it is up to the supervisor.

Piglet - I was not suggesting that our system is superior to any other system, but saying that after all the hard work and various upgrades etc. over the 3/4 years, a viva is, for me at least, an excellent way to culminate all the effort. Over here, there is no other opportunity to get two academics of such standard to sit down and focus solely on your work for a couple of hours. Okay, we give conference papers (can't guarantee the audience) and write articles for peer-reviewed journals (anonymous). I have heard the viva described as the initiation into academia!

My viva is on 27th Nov! Help!!!!!!!

DJW, you are very brave to tell us - I kept mine secret and only told you all when I'd passed! I spent the fortnight before my viva on really intense preparation (revising, re-reading papers, preparing any extra material to bring with me). I didn't feel I'd prepared enough (clearly I had because I passed!) and I think I would always have felt that I could have done more, so don't be surprised if you also feel inadequately prepared despite weeks of swotting! Have you arranged a mock with your supervisors? (I'm always going on about this but I really think it's crucial, especially if you've not been in a viva situation before). Preferably arrange for a couple of weeks before the actual viva so that if something comes up that you don't feel sufficiently prepared for, you then have the time to read up on it.

Piglet I like the sound of your system. Wow, an external involved right the way through, then a couple of high up academics looking at your thesis as examiners. That sounds like a great way of getting your research 'out there'.

Bibi, thanks, yup, reckon I should've been more assertive earler, but now i am on drafts of stuff I hope will be proper chapters I am going to insist on some red pen.

Good luck to everyone with upcoming vivas

Good luck, DJW!

Thanks everyone! I know this might sound absurd but I've decided not to have a mock viva. I think it would just scare me. I've started to reread my thesis though, in preparation for the big day