My hubby has his viva in a few weeks. But we have literally NO idea what kind of things he'll be asked. His supervisor hasn't even read his thesis and will be offering no support (although not in an angry way - he just can't be bothered :-s ).

Hubby's thesis is basically him designing a new mathematical model that can test new stuff - the best way to explain it is its like going into the mathematics of regression, re-doing some of the equations, so now his new mathematical model can test more than the original regression e.g. like a new regression that can have multiple DVs or something (its not regression but you get the idea).

So he built the model, and tested it on various data.

I don't think he'll have many methodology type qs because there aren't really any methods as such, just a boffin in a room with a board of equations
:p

All I can think of is

- why did you do the PhD?
- what do you think are the limitations to the new model?
- what's your contribution?
- what was the worst/best part of the PhD process?

Can't think of any more! He has to do a 20 min presentation at the beginning of the viva too - which I thinks a bit weird, but there you go (?)

I have asked a friend whose husband might know - he's has a maths PhD himself but from a long time ago! Meanwhile has your hubs seen this: http://www.maths.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgstudies/docs/rough_guide_phd_pure.pdf - it's quite general but there might be something there. Basically it says don't panic!

I'm in the social sciences but it's normal practice in my field to give a 20 min presentation in our vivas. I'm pleased as I think at least it gives you some control in your viva to lay out your 'hypothesis' before the questions start coming.

thanks Ady, tbh I'm for more worried than him! I doubt he'll even read the thesis through before going in - I'm going to read through it again and think of questions my poorly social science brain can come up with. Although I expect most of the question will be

"why did you choose to balance the denominator with a sigma x squared with a double triangle, funny symbol to the power of 300 minus omega squared, times 2 with e times upside down y symbol?"

funnily enough his PhD isn't in maths though - its like maths in business - bleugh! so its technically social sciences

What have you achieved in your research (in just a few words)?
What is your contribution to knowledge?
Who are the key researchers in your field and why?
What key papers have underpinned the knowledge for your research and why are these key papers?
Why have you chosen your approach/methodology, justify your decision?
What further research is suggested by your work?

These are ones that were suggested in our Viva prep workshop which are fairly generalised.

I didn't prepare for my viva using a long list of potential questions. I wouldn't have been able to remember the answers on the day, and they would just have terrified me too much!

Instead I focused on the 5 areas that I identified as important, after reading Tinkler & Jackson's book: originality of my thesis, contribution to knowledge, methodology, weaknesses/gaps/mistakes, and what would I do differently if starting again.

If you (or rather your hubby) can meaningfully answer questions along those lines he wil have covered most of the general questioning likely to be asked.

I also think it's very difficult to predict the more specific questions you are likely to be asked based on your own thesis. Best just to know the thesis well, and be ready to answer anything.

Good luck to hubby. My hubby's PhD was in theoretical computer science. I freaked him out massively just before he submitted by asking what his "umbrella" was i.e. the context in which his work fitted. On the plus side he hadn't worked that out properly, and I prompted him to!

Oh and your hubby will have had methodology, but it's a bit different. Thinking back to my maths / computer science days he will have gon through some design process, even if it was possibly a bit accidental / ad-hoc. He needs to be able to explain why he designed the model in a particular way i.e. the process that he went through, including why he rejected some routes, chose others etc.