How long is a thesis defense presentation?

The talk is usually 20 to 45 minutes, followed by committee questions. The whole defense often runs one to two hours. Check your department's rules.

How many slides should a dissertation defense have?

Plan on roughly one slide a minute: 20 to 30 slides for a 30-minute talk. Keep backup slides for likely questions after the closing slide.

What's the difference between a thesis defense and a dissertation defense?

In the US, a thesis is usually for a master's degree and a dissertation for a doctorate. In the UK the terms are often reversed, and the doctoral defense is called a viva.

PresentationUniversitiesResearch & teaching

Thesis and dissertation defense presentation

30 minutes 16 slides, 2 livestudio Runs with Presentations Studio

A defense deck in the order committees expect: problem, research questions, methods, findings, contributions, limitations, then public Q&A and a timer.

Use this template See inside

Free to open and edit. Running it live needs Presentations Studio, free for 14 days on every new account.

Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities

Doctoral defense · Candidate name · Committee: chair and members

Title

In short

A thesis defense presentation summarizes your research for your committee before they question you: the problem, research questions, methods, findings, contributions and limitations. This 16-slide template follows that order with one findings slide per question, a timer to keep you on time and a slide that collects audience questions.

Time: 20 to 40 minutes, plus questions
Slides: 16, 2 interactive
For: Master's and doctoral candidates
Plan: Presentations Studio

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

1Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities
2Outline
3Cities are getting hotter, and trees are the cheapest cooling we have. But we don't know which planting patterns cool streets the most.
4Research questions
5What we know, and the gap
6Methods
7What I found
8RQ1: Cooler streets with more canopy (sample, °C below baseline)
9RQ2: Pattern matters (sample)
10RQ3: Who would gain most
11Contributions
12Limitations
13Future work
14Which part should I go deeper on in the questions?Methods · RQ1: canopy and temperature · RQ2: planting pattern · RQ3: who benefits · Contributions live
15Questions from the audience live
16Thank you

How to run it

1Replace the sample thesis (urban trees and summer heat) with yours, keeping one findings slide per research question.
2Check your department's rules for the length of the talk. Put the presentation in an Agendiq agenda item with that time so the timer keeps you on track.
3Rehearse it at least twice to time, once in front of people who will ask hard questions.
4In the public part, use the poll to let the audience choose what you expand on and collect their questions on the last slide. The committee usually asks aloud.

Questions people ask

How long is a thesis defense presentation?: The talk is usually 20 to 45 minutes, followed by committee questions. The whole defense often runs one to two hours. Check your department's rules.
How many slides should a dissertation defense have?: Plan on roughly one slide a minute: 20 to 30 slides for a 30-minute talk. Keep backup slides for likely questions after the closing slide.
What's the difference between a thesis defense and a dissertation defense?: In the US, a thesis is usually for a master's degree and a dissertation for a doctorate. In the UK the terms are often reversed, and the doctoral defense is called a viva.

All presentations

Open it, make it yours, run it live.

Change anything in the editor. When you're ready, press Present: everyone joins with a scan and answers on their phone.

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Pro free for 14 days
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Guests never need an account

Use this template More presentations

PresentationUniversitiesResearch & teaching

Thesis and dissertation defense presentation

30 minutes 16 slides, 2 livestudio Runs with Presentations Studio

A defense deck in the order committees expect: problem, research questions, methods, findings, contributions, limitations, then public Q&A and a timer.

Use this template See inside

Free to open and edit. Running it live needs Presentations Studio, free for 14 days on every new account.

Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities

Doctoral defense · Candidate name · Committee: chair and members

Title

In short

Time: 20 to 40 minutes, plus questions
Slides: 16, 2 interactive
For: Master's and doctoral candidates
Plan: Presentations Studio

Updated October 4, 2026

What's inside

1Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities
2Outline
3Cities are getting hotter, and trees are the cheapest cooling we have. But we don't know which planting patterns cool streets the most.
4Research questions
5What we know, and the gap
6Methods
7What I found
8RQ1: Cooler streets with more canopy (sample, °C below baseline)
9RQ2: Pattern matters (sample)
10RQ3: Who would gain most
11Contributions
12Limitations
13Future work
14Which part should I go deeper on in the questions?Methods · RQ1: canopy and temperature · RQ2: planting pattern · RQ3: who benefits · Contributions live
15Questions from the audience live
16Thank you

How to run it

1Replace the sample thesis (urban trees and summer heat) with yours, keeping one findings slide per research question.
2Check your department's rules for the length of the talk. Put the presentation in an Agendiq agenda item with that time so the timer keeps you on track.
3Rehearse it at least twice to time, once in front of people who will ask hard questions.
4In the public part, use the poll to let the audience choose what you expand on and collect their questions on the last slide. The committee usually asks aloud.

Questions people ask

How long is a thesis defense presentation?: The talk is usually 20 to 45 minutes, followed by committee questions. The whole defense often runs one to two hours. Check your department's rules.
How many slides should a dissertation defense have?: Plan on roughly one slide a minute: 20 to 30 slides for a 30-minute talk. Keep backup slides for likely questions after the closing slide.
What's the difference between a thesis defense and a dissertation defense?: In the US, a thesis is usually for a master's degree and a dissertation for a doctorate. In the UK the terms are often reversed, and the doctoral defense is called a viva.

All presentations

Open it, make it yours, run it live.

Change anything in the editor. When you're ready, press Present: everyone joins with a scan and answers on their phone.

Free forever
Pro free for 14 days
No card needed
Guests never need an account

Use this template More presentations

Thesis and dissertation defense presentation

Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities

Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities

Outline

Research questions

What we know, and the gap

Methods

What I found

RQ1: Cooler streets with more canopy (sample, °C below baseline)

RQ2: Pattern matters (sample)

RQ3: Who would gain most

Contributions

Limitations

Future work

Which part should I go deeper on in the questions?

Questions from the audience

Thank you

What's inside

How to run it

Questions people ask

Goes well with

Do shorter lecture segments improve recall?

Delirium in hospitalized older adults: prevention first

A 34-year-old with sudden shortness of breath

Journal club

[Company name]

Lab safety quiz

Hi, I'm Jamie

Let's make this a conversation

Open it, make it yours, run it live.

Thesis and dissertation defense presentation

Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities

Urban trees and summer heat in mid-sized cities

Outline

Research questions

What we know, and the gap

Methods

What I found

RQ1: Cooler streets with more canopy (sample, °C below baseline)

RQ2: Pattern matters (sample)

RQ3: Who would gain most

Contributions

Limitations

Future work

Which part should I go deeper on in the questions?

Questions from the audience

Thank you

What's inside

How to run it

Questions people ask

Goes well with

Do shorter lecture segments improve recall?

Delirium in hospitalized older adults: prevention first

A 34-year-old with sudden shortness of breath

Journal club

[Company name]

Lab safety quiz

Hi, I'm Jamie

Let's make this a conversation

Open it, make it yours, run it live.