VIVA VOCE EXPERIENCE

 Viva Voce is the last stage of PhD experience. It is oral examination between you and the panel that will be set up for you in the university. It is the stage that concludes your struggles to become a Ph. D. holder.  It is the stage that all doctoral students world over will present their thesis/dissertation in 15-20 minutes before the panel of the university after the external and internal examiners might have reviewed your work in the past three and half years of your studentship.  

In my case, my examiners are from Australia and France and one Internal examiner from the faculty. 

The panel for Viva Voce comprises of Head of Department, 2 Supervisors, Internal examiner, Dean of the faculty, Deputy Dean academics in the faculty, registrar of the university and a Senate member of the institution with you the student. 

You will be given 15-20 minutes to present your findings. The presentation, oral/ using PowerPoint should include the following: 

1). Objectives of the study

2). Research Methodology 

3). Results of the study 

4). Significance of the study 

It is from this presentation, the university will examine your comportment and skills gathered for all the years you have been in the university and to examine you with the comments of the external examiners. 

Failure to present on this day your results, will automatically mean that you will fail the examination. 

I presented for twenty minutes and was questioned for about 1 hours 6 minutes virtually. At the end of the presentation, I was told to excused them for a while.  

Just a note here, I did my viva voce during covid-19 year 2020. Precisely, June 24, 2020 @10 am Malaysian time. 

After deliberations among themselves for about twenty minutes, I was called in and I was told that I will receive the Senate letter and decision and finally congratulated me. I was very happy this day. That finally I am a Ph.D. holder.  A lot of friends and colleagues are waiting to celebrate with me on hearing the congratulatory messages started pouring and celebrations galore started immediately. 

Honestly, it is a day to behold in your academic sojourn when you get to this level in your education. It was a great experience. I blessed God for the success, even though I passed through a lot of challenges, ranging from no grants, to no salary or scholarship and the Lord helped me thus far. It is a great joy for me to achieve that great feat. It was not easy, but the Lord Jesus Christ made it easy for me. I used this medium to thank all God has used to made this happened. May God bless them too. May He (Jesus Christ)  alone be praised forever and ever in my life in Jesus name amen, Hallelujah and amen!