Although you can’t necessarily choose your PhD examiner, you’re allowed to suggest someone. And this is a power you should use wisely. Your university isn’t obliged to accept your recommendation, but they should at least consider it and take reasonable steps see whether that person is both appropriate and available. You typically don’t have much say in the selection of the internal examiner. This is whoever is available in your School who hasn’t had significant involvement in your PhD so far.

Who can be an external examiner?

The main criterion is that an external examiner must be from another university or institution. They aren’t necessarily an academic. For instance, if your PhD is on art history, a non-academic museum director might be an appropriate choice. Your external examiner is usually a senior academic, though. Your university will have its own specific selection criteria, typically to ensure that the individual is:

  • Not personally involved with you, e.g. friend, family member, colleague, or former supervisor.
  • Not personally involved with your supervisor.
  • Not recently employed by your institution.
  • Of appropriate professional standing, e.g. evidence of career progression.
  • Research active, with recent publications.

The regulations will vary, but the purpose is to ensure that the external examiner both qualified and impartial.

How should you choose an external examiner?

As is often the case, opinion is divided. Some people insist you should secure that biggest name in your field, as then you’ll be associated with them and bathed in their glory. I think this is a dangerous strategy. The biggest name might also have the biggest ego, an ego that swells at the thought of making a PhD candidate feel small. I also think life is challenging enough without making things unnecessarily difficult for yourself.

What’s better: a big name, or a fairer viva? I reckon it’s more important to focus on the person, rather than the name. However, if you’re pursuing an ambitious path through a competitive field, a big name might help you. Consider what’s right for you and your situation. Only you can decide what level of risk you can tolerate.

When considering a potential examiner, ask yourself:

Is this person…

  • Knowledgeable in my subject area?
  • Qualified to act as an examiner at my institution?
  • Potentially interested in my project?
  • Fair-minded?
  • Available around the time my viva is likely to take place?

Some of those criteria are easy to investigate. For instance, you can establish their expertise and potential interest by poking around online to see what they’re currently working on. Although you want somebody in a closely related field, it doesn’t need to overlap completely. If they’re directly involved in what you’re doing, they’re perhaps more likely to be critical and wonder why you’re not doing things in the same way as them. In some cases, the more closely aligned you are, the greater the chance for competition and conflict.

You should be able to find your university’s selection criteria in the regulations and gauge whether your preferred examiner is suitably qualified. Also consider their career stage. If this is their first viva, will they be unduly harsh on you? Maybe their only viva experience is their own, and they’re using it as an unhelpful model. Of course, all examiners need to have a first viva before they become experienced. However, it’s like surgeons: you know they have to practice on someone, but you don’t want it to be you. At the other extreme, retired academics have far too much time to read your thesis in detail and devise difficult questions. Generally, I think it’s best to find someone mid-career who has already conducted enough vivas to be comfortable with the format.

While stalking researching potential examiners online, you might get clues on their availability. For instance, if someone mentions being on a funded sabbatical, they’re usually precluded from examining theses during this time.

Establishing fair-mindedness is much harder, but you can:

  • Ask your friends and colleagues — which academics have they seen at conferences? How did they behave with early career researchers? Did they ask respectful questions and make encouraging comments, or did they throw their weight around?
  • Use your supervisors’ networks — they might know someone who would be good. Equally, they might have a grudge against another academic, which you definitely don’t want played out in your viva.
  • Look online — scour the acknowledgements in other theses on your topic. Has anyone mentioned an especially helpful supervisor at another institution? Authors of books based on theses sometimes acknowledge examiners, too.

Very few people will fulfil all five criteria. It’s important, therefore, that you have a shortlist. Start with your preferred examiner, then work your way down (obviously, you don’t let anybody know they weren’t your first choice).

⚠️ You shouldn’t approach potential examiners yourself. Do the research, then let your supervisor know who you’d like them to contact.

It’s never too early to start conducting these silent auditions. Unless there’s an obvious choice, it’s going to take a while to establish someone who’s willing, able, and qualified.

Keep in mind:

  • Your preferred examiner doesn’t have to say yes. This isn’t necessarily a reflection of you or your research, simply that they don’t have time. Reading a 100,000-word thesis and perhaps travelling hundreds of miles is a big commitment. If your preferred person has already examined a couple of candidates that year, they might decline. Or maybe it’s the autumn term and they’re busy with teaching.
  • If the viva is in-person, your university is likely to be stingy about travel expenses. It might be hard to get a US academic, even though their air fare and hotel costs less than a day return to Croydon.
  • It might be possible for an external examiner to join you virtually through Zoom or MS Teams. But do you want to introduce technology to an already stressful situation? What happens if they experience connection problems? If you can’t hear them properly? Or they can’t hear you? If you and the internal examiner are in the same room, is there a risk the external will inadvertently interrupt due to the lag, or will you accidentally talk over them? (See Preparing for an Online Viva)
  • Your intention to submit form allows your examinations office to contact your examiners with an approximate idea of when the viva is likely to take place. They also receive an abstract of your thesis. If you don’t submit within that expected window, there is a risk that your preferred examiner is no longer available.

⚠️ Once you’ve submitted your thesis, you shouldn’t have any contact with your examiners. All communication should happen through your supervisor or your examinations office.

Conclusion

You have a say in the selection of examiners. Use this power wisely and be proactive. Your supervisor is responsible for making the initial approach to those examiners and then referring them to your examinations office. But don’t rely on one person being available at the right time. You don’t have complete control, but you might get your choice if you propose someone suitable. Unless there are compelling reasons why you should pick the biggest name in your field, focus on ensuring the fairest possible viva. Good luck!