Program Overview

Thesis Defense Training ONLINE

Course Information

The Thesis Defense Training ONLINE course is scheduled to take place on:

• Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
• Friday, March 13, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Registration for the course opens on January 21, 2026, at 9:00 AM, and the registration deadline is February 12, 2026, at 12:00 PM. The course is free of charge and is exclusively available to advanced doctoral candidates of the University of Basel, with a minimum of 6 and a maximum of 10 participants.

Trainer and Organizer

The course is conducted by Dr. Malte Engel and is organized by the Graduate Center, Transferable Skills.

Aims

The primary objectives of the course are to enable participants to:

• Give a convincing and well-structured presentation
• Respond confidently to critical questions and counterarguments
• Feel well-prepared and confident about their thesis defense

Content

The workshop is designed to prepare doctoral students optimally for their thesis defense. The course content includes:

• Practical tips for the introductory presentation, such as structuring the presentation, building the central argument, and language usage
• Strategies for responding to criticism and "killer-questions"
• Techniques for dealing with stage fright and black-outs
• The opening of the thesis defense presentation
• How to structure the thesis defense presentation
• Building valid and sound arguments
• Handling difficult questions
• Presentations from participants and mock defense

Methods

The course employs interactive methods throughout, providing participants with the opportunity to practice their presentation and receive feedback from the group and the trainer.

Target Group

The course is specifically designed for advanced doctoral candidates.

About the Trainer

Dr. Malte Engel studied philosophy, psychology, and English, and completed his PhD at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain in 2010. He has been teaching courses on critical reasoning and logic since 2012 and founded the Institute of Competence in Argumentation in 2013.

Workload

The course requires 13 hours of attendance, with no additional workload. However, participants who give their full presentation during the course may have additional workload. Participants also have the option to schedule an individual meeting with the trainer after the course.

Feature

Once registration is open, applications will be collected for 24 hours, and course places will be allocated by lot. All registrations received after the initial 24-hour period will be put on a waiting list and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Course places and waiting list positions will be confirmed by email.