thesis submission certificate

• Submitting Your Dissertation
• Introduction

Harvard Griffin GSAS strives to provide students with timely, accurate, and clear information. If you need help understanding a specific policy, please contact the office that administers that policy.

• Application for Degree
• Credit for Completed Graduate Work
• Ad Hoc Degree Programs
• Acknowledging the Work of Others
• Advanced Planning
• Dissertation Advisory Committee
• Dissertation Submission Checklist
• Formatting Your Dissertation
• Publishing Options
• English Language Proficiency
• PhD Program Requirements
• Secondary Fields
• Year of Graduate Study (G-Year)
• Master's Degrees
• Grade and Examination Requirements
• Conduct and Safety
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On this page:

Program Submission

• Thesis/Dissertation Acceptance Certificate

Registrar’s Office Submission

• Related Contacts and Forms

Students must submit their dissertation by the date established by their program (generally six to eight weeks prior to the Registrar’s Office dissertation submission deadline) and follow the program’s instructions on the number of copies to submit and format (bound or unbound). 

Please note : Students are responsible for notifying their department of any requested embargoes that were approved at the time of online submission.

Thesis Acceptance Certificate

Students must complete a thesis acceptance certificate (sometimes referred to as the dissertation acceptance certificate), which includes the title of the dissertation and signatures of at least three advisors approved by the student’s program and whose membership follows the Harvard Griffin GSAS policies on the Dissertation Advisory Committee . Electronic signatures  from committee members are acceptable. If a DAC is submitted with electronic signatures, an additional DAC with handwritten signatures will not be required. A  document version of the certificate is available if needed.

The title and the student name on the thesis acceptance certificate must read exactly as it does on the title page of the dissertation, meaning if you use your full middle name or middle initial on one document, it must be the same on the other document. The thesis acceptance certificate must also be uploaded as a separate "Administrative Document" when submitting the electronic dissertation to ProQuest ETD . All thesis/dissertation acceptance certificates are forwarded to the Harvard University Archives.

A copy of the signed thesis acceptance certificate should appear before the title page of the online dissertation submission; no page number should be assigned to the thesis/dissertation acceptance certificate. The thesis/dissertation acceptance certificate will be included in all copies of the dissertation.

Students must submit their dissertation in PDF format to the FAS Registrar’s Office through ProQuest ETD by the deadline established for each degree conferral date (see the Degree Calendar  or the  Registrar’s Office website .  Please carefully review your dissertation formatting  before submitting online. Formatting errors may prevent you from receiving your degree.  During the submission process, students are asked to upload a separate copy of the signed thesis/dissertation acceptance certificate, approve two license agreements, and complete two surveys (the Harvard Griffin GSAS Employment Exit Survey and the Survey of Earned Doctorates). If you are requesting an embargo of more than two years, you will need to submit a signed approval form from the department's Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) with your dissertation submission.

The Registrar’s Office will review the dissertation for compliance and will contact the student to confirm acceptance or to request alterations.

In very rare cases, a dissertation may require redaction, which is the process of obscuring or removing sensitive information for distribution. If sensitive or potentially harmful material appears in the dissertation (e.g., commercially sensitive information, sensitive personal data, risk of harmful retribution, etc.), a student should contact the  Office for Scholarly Communication .

Contact Info

Registrar's Office   Faculty of Arts and Sciences  Harvard University  Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Campus Center Office  1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Suite 450  Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

Tel: 617-495-1543  Fax: 617-495-0815

Office Hours: 10:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

For additional questions, please  send us a message .

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Academics | Candidacy & Defense

Thesis submission.

The deadline to submit for the May degree conferral has passed. The deadline to submit for the August degree conferral is noon CDT on Friday, August 9, 2024. Be sure to upload your Signed Title Page and Original Approval of Candidacy form at the website here after submitting your thesis through thesis.rice.edu .

Students must submit the final thesis to the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies no later than six months from the date of the defense. However, in order to qualify for a specific degree conferral date, the submission deadline for that semester must be met. See the academic calendar for deadlines. The General Announcements has complete information on thesis defense .

Am I ready to submit?

If your thesis is defended but not final (e.g., changes to your thesis are required), within one week, you must follow the steps as described in Part 1 below. Once you have defended and all changes are made, you must then submit your thesis within six months of your defense. Instructions for both scenarios are listed below. If you are ready to submit your thesis within a week of your defense, you may complete all of the steps in both parts at once. If you choose to do this, you'll need to include all of your supplementary documents as described in Part 2. Do not press "submit" until you have reviewed both sets of instructions. Please contact us if you have trouble accessing the thesis site.

How will the new online thesis verification and submission generally work?

• Once your thesis defense announcement has been registered with the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies via events.rice.edu/rgs , it will be posted online by the GPS office, provided it is approved.
• Thesis Title Page through AdobeSign. Both you and your graduate program administrator will be notified when this is ready. If your committee changes prior to your defense , please ask the department chair, program director, or director of graduate study to notify GPS as soon as possible. The new committee will need to be approved, and we will need to generate a completely new Approval of Candidacy form and Thesis Title Page form to be completed via AdobeSign.
• On the day of your defense, you should fill out the electronic Original Approval of Candidacy form. It will then go to your committee for signing after your successful defense. Once the committee has signed the Original Approval of Candidacy, the AdobeSign process will come back to you for the next steps.
• Once your thesis has been approved in its final form, you will return to the AdobeSign form and complete your Thesis Title page. Once completed, it will be sent to your committee again to sign and recognize that your final thesis is approved for submission. Your committee can sign in parallel. Your graduate administrator will receive notifications for every signature and you will receive a notification when the title page has been signed in full. Please contact your graduate administrator if you would like an update on the progress of your thesis title page.
• When all of the committee members have signed the Thesis Title Page, the GPS office will receive a final copy of the form to be validated when you finalize your thesis defense.

You’ll get notifications in each phase. Once all committee members have signed both forms, you’ll receive a final PDF via email. To prep for upload to thesis.rice.edu , you will need to separate this PDF into two documents. Because the PDF is protected, you’ll follow some specific instructions here (Microsoft) or here - after opening the .pdf using a browser such as Google Chrome (Mac) to do this. To separate the pages of a protected PDF, go to print, then select "Microsoft Word to .pdf" as the printer name. Once you’ve separated the pages into the two documents, upload to thesis.rice.edu as outlined in the processes here .

Once your thesis is final and everything has been verified in thesis.rice.edu , you must fill out the webform here . This replaces what is normally a visit to GPS and Office of the Registrar for final submission.

For tips on how to approach an online thesis defense, click here .

How do I submit?

If your thesis is defended but not complete (e.g., you need to make changes), follow the instructions in Part 1 within one week of your defense.

If your thesis is defended and all changes have been made, submit your thesis using Part 2 below within six months of your defense.

If your thesis is defended and no changes were necessary, complete all of the steps in Part 1 and 2.

Questions? Email [email protected] .

Part 1: Within a week of your defense

• Navigate to thesis.rice.edu
• Click "Start your submission"
• Login with your NetID and password
• Follow the instructions on the site, using the guides for assistance

Verify that all the information is accurate before moving forward.

Assent to the terms of the agreement by checking the appropriate boxes.

• Enter your thesis title, graduation date, abstract, and keywords. The information entered here should match the information in your document.
• Supply the names of your committee members.

If you’ve used the online thesis submission process, once all your committee members have signed virtually, you will receive the PDF of the Original Approval of Candidacy form. Print this form, digitally separate the two pages and upload them to thesis.rice.edu:

• The Original Approval of Candidacy is uploaded as an administrative file, and
• The defended version of the manuscript is uploaded as the "Manuscript in PDF".
• The title page should not be signed or submitted until the advisor confirms that the thesis is in its final form and ready to submit.

For guidelines on supplemental files, please click here .

• Confirm that your information is correct and click the "Confirm and Submit Button".
• This initial submission (Part 1) is not final. Your submission will be sent to GPS for an initial review. You will still be able to edit your submission, thesis, and uploaded documents following the GPS review, typically within two business days.
• If you need to make changes to your submission at this point, do not start a new submission. Contact [email protected] to have your thesis status changed so you can make edits.
• Once GPS acknowledges your defense, your status will be changed to "Defended, Not Final." Please review the thesis format guidelines if you have not already done so prior to submitting the final copy of your thesis.
• Within six months of your defense, you must upload and submit the final copy of your thesis and all supplemental documents. This is Part 2. Once you submit a final copy of your thesis and your signatures have been received, and you’ve completed the required electronic Thesis Submission webform (see Part 2), you will not be permitted to alter your thesis.
• Please make all corrections prior to submitting your thesis. The online webform referenced above replaces the visit to GPS and the Office of the Registrar.

Part 2: Changes made, ready to submit

Please note all thesis and administrative files must be PDFs.

• Create a single PDF of your thesis, including the signed electronic Thesis Title Page form. Please review the thesis format guidelines if you have not already done so.
• Separate your electronic Original Approval of Candidacy.
• Doctoral only: complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates and create PDF of the certificate you'll receive upon completion. The certificate will come via email to you.
• Open http://thesis.rice.edu in your web browser.
• Select "Start your submission."
• Login with your Rice NetID and password.
• If you have already started a submission previously, select the action "Edit" or "Continue" to continue a previous submission. Otherwise, select "Start a new submission."

If any of the information is incorrect or needs to be updated, email [email protected] .

• Upload defended and corrected copy of your thesis as your primary document. This action will archive the defended version.
• You must include your signed electronic Thesis Title Page form as the first page of your final version of your thesis.

Upload the following required documents as ADMINISTRATIVE FILES:

• Your signed Original Approval of Candidacy
• Survey of Earned Doctorates Certificate (Doctoral only)
• Supplemental files are optional and may include non-PDF materials, such as videos, that complement your thesis.

Add a note here if there have been any changes in your thesis submission data.

• Complete the webform here . This replaces what is normally a visit to GPS and the Office of the Registrar for final submission.
• GPS will review the thesis submission and sign the form accordingly.
• You'll receive the form back as a receipt once complete.
• GPS will also sign the Original Approval of Candidacy form, and you and your graduate program administrator will receive a copy.
• The thesis will be published with the electronic title page if there are no embargoes.

Updated May 2024

Theses and Dissertations

Defense and submission.

Below is an overview of the main steps in preparing, defending, and submitting your thesis or dissertation. For detailed instructions on each step, see The Graduate School's  Guide for Electronic Submission of Thesis and Dissertation (PDF) , in addition to this video recording from a workshop given on the subject. 

• Schedule your defense and apply for graduation in DukeHub ( defense and graduation deadlines ).  
• At least 30 days before your defense: Confirm or update your defense committee.  
• Give your thesis/dissertation to your advisor for inspection, and prompt your advisor to send a letter to [email protected] stating that it is complete and ready to defend. Note: For students in School of Medicine Ph.D. programs, their advisor letters are generated through T3.  
• Request your DGSA to send a departmental defense announcement to  [email protected] . Note: For students in School of Medicine Ph.D. programs, their departmental defense announcements are generated through T3.  
• At least 2 weeks before your defense: Submit your complete, correctly formatted dissertation/thesis to ProQuest (initial submission). Also provide it to each member of your committee.  
• Optional: After you receive an email through ProQuest from the Graduate School administrator who reviewed your thesis/dissertation format, you may make an appointment for a brief, virtual meeting with the administrator to discuss any questions you have about the defense process or the recommended formatting revisions.  
• A few days before your defense, The Graduate School will generate your final examination certificate and email it to the chair/co-chair(s) of your examination committee and the DGSA of your department. Note:  For students in School of Medicine Ph.D. programs, their final examination certificates are generated and released through T3.  
• Defend your dissertation. After your final examination, your committee members will vote on whether you passed or failed. Your chair and DGS will record the votes on your final examination certificate, sign it, and submit it to The Graduate School. Your committee may vote that you passed but still require minor edits or corrections before final submission.  
• As soon as possible after your defense, submit to [email protected] the Non-Exclusive Distribution License and Thesis/Dissertation Availability Agreement (“embargo agreement”) signed by yourself and your thesis/dissertation advisor.  
• Within 30 days after your successful defense, or by the established final submission deadline (whichever is first): Submit the final version of your dissertation/thesis to ProQuest.

Guide for Electronic Submission of Thesis and Dissertation (PDF)

We provide the following templates for your convenience and to help you eliminate common formatting errors. However,  all submitted theses and dissertations must meet the specifications listed in the ETD guide . The manuscript must be a completed document, formatted correctly, with no sections left blank.

• Word Template for Thesis/Dissertation (Word)
• LaTeX Template for Thesis/Dissertation (ZIP)

Notes about the LaTeX Template

• This LaTeX template is for both master's and Ph.D. students. Master's theses must also have an abstract title page.
• Neither The Graduate School nor OIT supports LaTeX beyond providing this template.

Ph.D. and master’s students are required to apply for graduation in  DukeHub  by the established application deadline for the semester in which they plan to graduate.

Review the full graduation guidelines on the  Graduation Information and Deadlines  page. 

When you submit your thesis or dissertation electronically, you will also permit Duke University to make it available online through  DukeSpace  at Duke Libraries. See the pages below for more information about ETDs:

• ETDs Overview
• ETD Availability
• ETD Copyright Information 
• ETD Technical Help 

Check out the writing support  offered by The Graduate School, such as writing spaces, consultations, and access to online writing workshops, communities, and resources.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="thesis submission certificate"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Submitting your thesis/dissertation.

Submission of the final thesis/dissertation must be within 60 days of the final exam. Students who miss the 60 day submission deadline are ineligible to register in future terms.

The Graduate School uses ProQuest to administer the electronic thesis/dissertation (ETD) submission and committee approval process that results in publication in ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (PQDT) database and Cornell’s Library Repository, eCommons. Before initiating the electronic process, students are required to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorates (for doctoral students only). A SED Certification of Completion is provided to the student when the survey has been completed. Once the survey is completed, the final ETD can then be submitted to the Graduate School using the ProQuest system. The SED Certification of Completion is required for submission to ProQuest.

ProQuest Submission Steps

In order to complete the submission process, you will need to have the following:

• A single PDF file of your thesis or dissertation
• Your abstract
• Supplemental material
• SED Certification of Completion 

Step 1: Begin Submission Process

Master’s students go to  Cornell Master’s ProQuest site, doctoral students go to  Cornell Doctoral ProQuest site. Click on the “sign up and get started today” button and follow instructions to begin the submission process.

Submission Process: Submission steps are outlined on the left menu. You will see the items checked off as you progress through the submission steps. You must click “Save & Continue” at the bottom of each page, even pages on which you do not enter any information. Using the left menu, you can return to any page and make changes until the point of final submission.

Step 2: Publishing Options

Traditional Publishing:  “Traditional Publishing” is automatically selected and is included in the Cornell Thesis and Dissertation filing fees.

Delayed Release:  ProQuest provides six months, and one and two year embargoes. The Graduate School recommends you discuss the publishing options with your advisor. If your advisor is unavailable or has no opinion, the conservative approach is to choose a two-year embargo.

Step 3: Read and Agree to ProQuest and University Distribution License

Both ProQuest and Cornell University distribution licenses will be presented for your acceptance.

Step 4: Enter Thesis/Dissertation Information

In addition to the mandatory information, such as title and abstract, you will have the opportunity to select up to three categories (subject areas) and six key words that describe your ETD. This information will make it easier for others to find your work when searching the web.

Step 5: Upload PDF and Supplemental Files

Upload PDF: Whether you use the PDF conversion tool provided by ProQuest or you convert your document to PDF yourself, review your PDF to ensure your formatting remains as you intended after conversion.

Supplementary Materials: If supplementary materials – such as audio, video, and spreadsheets – are an integral part of your ETD, you can submit them as supplementary files during the online submission process.

Step 6: Upload Required Documents

The SED Certification of Completion if you are a Ph.D. candidate is required for submission to ProQuest.

Step 7: Register for Copyright

You can complete this process through ProQuest for a fee, or you complete the process independently through the U.S. Copyright Office.

Step 8: Order Copies

If you would like to purchase additional copies of your thesis/dissertation for yourself, your field, or your committee members, you may order bound copies through ProQuest (Order Copies page). The required bound archival copy for the library is automatically ordered for you and included in the Cornell thesis and dissertation filing fees.

Select the “Decline – do not order” option if you don’t wish to order additional copies.

Bound copies can also be ordered through Cornell Print Services .

Step 9: Review and Submit

Once the thesis editor has reviewed the formatting of your thesis/dissertation, you will receive an email to let you know whether any corrections are required. You will then have five days to make the changes and upload the revised PDF. You will not be certified for graduation until the formatting of your ETD has been fully approved by the Graduate School. You will receive a confirmation email of final acceptance.

Step 10: Submitting Revised PDF (if needed)

You will receive an email describing the formatting changes needed with instructions and a link for resubmission.

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Graduate Studies

Submitting your electronic thesis or dissertation.

The University of New Mexico encourages open access to all thesis and dissertations produced for graduate degrees. Therefore, all theses are submitted electronically in PDF format to Graduate Studies. These electronically submitted theses (ETDs) are uploaded on a server housed in the UNM Digital Repository  where they are accessible for search and download through web search engines such as Google.  In most cases, students submitting ETDs benefit from having their work available in the open access repository. In some special cases, however, students may want to delay making their work available for varying lengths of time.  For this reason, UNM has implemented an embargo policy that enables students, with approval from their advisers and Graduate Studies, to delay public-wide access to their work in the UNM Digital Repository. While under embargo the manuscript nonetheless remains available to the University of New Mexico academic community in order to satisfy requirements for the degree. Before submitting your thesis, please consult with your committee chair and review the Embargo Restriction Policy  to determine whether or not you should release your work to open access or petition for an appropriate embargo option. For more information on the embargo policy please see Embargoing your Electronically Submitted Thesis or Dissertation . If the decision is made to request an embargo restriction then the form must be submitted to Graduate Studies at the same time as you submit the Announcement of Examination form — at least two weeks before your dissertation defense.

Steps for Submitting Your Manuscript

Once your thesis or dissertation committee approves your final manuscript and you have made all necessary revisions and corrections, you are ready to submit your work as a single pdf file to the UNM Digital Repository and, for dissertation writers, the ProQuest ETD Administrator archive following the instructions below . At the minimum, you must submit your thesis or dissertation to Graduate Studies within (90) ninety days of your final defense or by the graduation deadline for the term in which you are graduating, whichever comes first.

Submission Instructions by Degree:

• Doctorate of Education
• Doctorate of Philosophy
• Master of Fine Arts
• Master of Arts or Master of Science

Note: You must submit the manuscript as a PDF, thus you will need to convert your Microsoft Word document or any other document to the pdf format. When using either a PC or Macintosh platform with recent versions of Microsoft Office you may lose some formatting when converting your Word document into pdf or when submitting your pdf document to the UNM Digital Repository. To protect against such problems, it is important that you create and save all changes to your document on the same computer platform and using the same version of Microsoft Office. Thus, when you complete your final manuscript do not shift between computers and different versions of Word. If you encounter these problems, contact the Manuscript Coordinator at Graduate Studies for assistance.

Steps to Create a Single Thesis or Dissertation File (Microsoft Word 2007 or 2010)

• For the best results to set up the file, please do NOT Copy/Paste the two Template pages before this file is generated with the following instructions.
• Create a number of pages (Page breaks)—Go to Insert (Ribbon)—Click on “Page Break” any number of times (10-20). You need to estimate how many pages you may need for the Front Matter. Please consult the  Examples of Front Matter . Review the example to decide on the number of pages in the Front Matter.
• In order to be able to create page numbers for the Front Matter (lower case Roman numerals) and Body of Research (Arabic numerals), pick the halfway placement of the pages to set the section break. Place the cursor on the page in which the section break will be set at the beginning of that page.
• Set the section break: Go to Page Layout (Ribbon)—Click on Breaks—Click on Section Break (Next page). Do NOT use the continuous section break.
• At this point, you want to set the lower case Roman numeral page numbers for the Front Matter. Go to the first page of the file and place the cursor at the first page. Go to Insert (Ribbon)—move to the right and click on Page Number. You will need to pick the location placement of your page numbers (window examples). You need to pick either upper right hand corner or bottom center. Once the location is set and make sure your cursor is still at the first page of the file. You should be able to go back to Insert (Ribbon)—Page Number (which may have moved to just below to the left from the ribbon. Scroll down to Format Page Numbers and click to show the window box. At this time, click on the arrow and select the ”i,ii,iii,iv”-lower case Roman numerals which will be highlighted in gray. Move down to the page numbering section and select the start at:  type in “i”. Click on the “OK” button.
• The previous step should have incorporated the lower case roman numbers for the Front Matter. You will see that at the transition page where the section break was set for the Body of Research that an Arabic number is in place instead of the lower case number. Example: I,ii,ii,vi,v,vi,vii,viii,ix,x,11,12,13.
• The first page of the Body of Research should start as page 1. You will need to reset the page numbers for the Body of Research. Place the cursor on this page of the Body of Research and follow the previous step to incorporate correct Arabic page numbers. Go to Insert (Ribbon)—move to the right and click on Page Number. You will need to pick the location placement of your page numbers (window examples). You should be able to go back to Insert (Ribbon)—Page Number (which may have moved to just below to the left from the ribbon. Scroll down to Format Page Numbers and click to show the window box. At this time, click on the arrow and select the  ”1,2,3,…”-Arabic numerals which will be highlighted in gray. Move down to the page numbering section and select the start at:  type in “1”. Click on the “OK” button. This step should have renumbered the Body of Research correctly to start as p.1.
• At this point, this is the file that can now be formatted to become the full thesis or dissertation file. You will now continue with the format criteria for margins, line spacing, fonts, and all other style (APA, MLA, or Chicago) criteria that you can confirm with your committee chair if necessary.
• You can create the two template pages (Approval page and the Title page) which can be copy/pasted to the p.i and p.ii of the Front Matter.  Please consult the  Examples of Front Matter for Thesis or Dissertation  to decide how the Front Matter pages will be generated –Approval page, Title page, Dedication page(optional), Acknowledgement page(optional), Abstract page, Table of Contents, List of Tables(optional), List of Figures(optional).
• For Microsoft 2010 to copy/paste the Template pages, follow the next instructions.  When you are ready to create the template pages, you must unlock the template to complete typing within the gray fields but, also, to Save the template page to your laptop/computer. Go to “Review” (Ribbon) and click on “Review” icon. Move to the far right side and click Restrict Editing. Look down the right side to the bottom area and click Stop Protection. This will allow you to complete the template page and save it to your computer.
• With the document file, you will want to copy/paste your Template pages (Approval page and Title page), Abstract page, Table of Contents to the Front Matter section. You can copy/paste individual files (Introduction or Chapter 1, Chapter 2,…) to the Body of Research section. You want to complete all your edit/revisions within this file. When you paste the documents to the full thesis or dissertation file, use the Paste Special option and then the Picture option to move the selected text to your thesis or dissertation file.
• Most important, please backup your thesis or dissertation file to a USB stick or external hard drive. Be sure to save this file to multiple places so when you have a final thesis or dissertation file, you will be ready to convert this file to a PDF for final submission to the electronic digital repositories to meet the final degree requirement for your degree program.

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Thesis submission and examination

Once you’ve completed your research, you’ll need to prepare your thesis for submission and examination.

Submitting your thesis for examination

You can submit your thesis for examination at any time during the year. You must submit your  Intention to Submit form  two months before your intended submission date. 

Along with other information about your candidature, this form will ask you to provide information regarding any research internships you may have undertaken during your candidature. A research internship can be either paid or unpaid, and can form part of enrolment or be undertaken during an HDR period of suspension.  Your internship may have been arranged by UTS, your supervisor, a third-party provider, or you may have arranged it yourself.  If you signed an agreement, contract, or other internship project proposal, you will be asked to upload a copy of this document.

You must submit your digital thesis and accompanying documents to the faculty research administration office. If your thesis examiners request hard copies, you will need to supply them. 

Your thesis must include a certificate of original authorship, student statement and supervisor certificate stating that the work is ready for examination.  This is now an online process, please go to our Policies, guidelines and forms page for more information and checklists to help you with your submission.

Thesis requirements

Based on the type of thesis you submit and the degree you’re studying, your thesis will need to meet a range of designated requirements that govern:

• word length
• language of the thesis
• order of contents
• certificate of original authorship, including RTP statement
• page numbering
• thesis abstract
• large diagrams, charts and tables
• referencing.

Your thesis must also include or acknowledge any published or publishable work you develop during your candidature.

Including COVID-19 impacts in your thesis

UTS recognises that many graduate research students’ research projects have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, some projects have been repositioned by modifying or changing methodologies, project scope, number of experiments, number or type of participants, etc. Every student’s project is different and, as such, the extent and the specifics of the impact is different.

Students whose research has been impacted by restrictions related to the pandemic are encouraged to consult with their supervisory panel about how best to reflect these impacts in their thesis, and if in fact, it is relevant to do so.

Some approaches to reflect the impact of COVID-19 in theses may be:

• A brief statement included in the front matter of the thesis which provides a summary of COVID-19 impacts on the research.
• Detailed statement(s) of COVID-19 impact in the: a.  Introduction chapter or sections to position the scope of the project. b.  Methods chapter or sections of the thesis to clearly describe, explain and justify the shifts in methodology. This may include highlighting unintended but resulting innovations in methodology. c.  Discussion and/or Conclusions chapters or sections to indicate future research directions such as when originally planned approaches can again be undertaken; insights about implications of the work in continuing or post-pandemic contexts.

Using a professional editor or proofreader

You can use the services of a professional editor or proofreader to help prepare your thesis for submission. These professionals can provide copyediting and proofreading advice; however, they cannot shape or change the substance or structure of your work.

It’s important to make sure you understand the rules around using an editor or proofreader before you engage a professional. As a starting point, you should read the following documents:

• Guidelines for Editing Research Theses
• Australian Standards for Editing Practice

You should also request permission from your supervisor before you engage an editor or proofreader.

iThenticate access

UTS provides access for staff and students to a plagiarism detection program called iThenticate. It is important to remember that plagiarism is not always intentional, so making use of this tool can provide peace of mind.

To access iThenticate, you will need to log a request via ServiceConnect using your student login credentials and follow these steps:

• follow this link to the ServiceConnect home page
• select 'Requests'
• select 'user account, system and file access' from the left-hand list of options
• select iThenticate access
• complete the online form and submit, you will receive an email with access information once your request has been assessed and approved. If you have any questions relating to your request or access, please contact the IT Support Centre via ServiceConnect or by phone on 9514 2222.

Nominating thesis examiners

You should start discussing potential examiners with your supervisory panel at least two months prior  to the date you intend to submit your thesis.  A  minimum of four potential examiners must be identified and any conflicts of interest considered. This list should be ready, along with your  Intention to Submit  form. 

Once the potential list of examiners has been agreed upon, you need to complete your part of the  Nomination of Examiners  form.

The examination process will be confidential and you will not know who the final examination panel will include. 

Your principal supervisor and your faculty RAO will then nominate your thesis examiners to the Graduate Research School before you submit your thesis. The Dean of the Graduate Research School is responsible for approving and appointing the examiners.

Examiners must have relevant expertise in your field of endeavour, with no existing or potential conflict of interest. A minimum of 2 and maximum of 3 examiners are required for PhD theses. 2 examiners are required for masters by research theses. All examiners must be external to UTS.

If you have concerns about your thesis being examined by a particular person, you should raise these concerns with your supervisor for consideration during the examiner nomination process.

Conflict of interest

To ensure the examination process remains impartial, examiners must not have the potential for real or perceived conflict of interest, as outlined in the Australian Council of Graduate Research ACGR Conflict of Interest in Examination Guidelines  and the Nomination of Examiners (FAQ) .

People who might be perceived to have a conflict of interest with a student include, but are not limited to:

• someone who has a working relationship with the student (e.g. if the examiner has acted as a referee for the student to gain employment)
• current or former colleagues or friends (e.g. if the examiner is a friend, associate or mentor of the student)
• family members (including family by law, e.g. if the examiner is stepfather, sister-in-law, etc, to the student)
• other professional or social relationship (e.g. if the examiner has had personal contact with the student that may give rise to the perception that the examiner may be dealing with the student in a less than objective manner).

Thesis examination process

Once all of the requirements for your examination have been met and confirmed by your faculty research administration office, the Graduate Research School (GRS) will change your enrolment status to ‘under examination’ and copies of your thesis will be sent to the nominated examiners. The thesis examination process can take 3-6 months to complete.

Under examination:   please note, this status effectively 'stops the clock' on your candidature.

Once your examiners have returned their reports to the Graduate Research School, they will be collated and forwarded to your faculty Responsible Academic Officer (RAO).  The RAO will consult with your supervisory panel and prepare a Thesis Examination Resolution, which will go before the Faculty Research Degree Committee (FRDC).

After reviewing, the FRDC will make a final recommendation, or defer to the Thesis Examination Committee (TEC) as required. 

For further information, please refer to the Graduate Research Final Examination Procedures which outlines responsibilities and expectations for managing the range of options of examiner reports, reconciling disparate reports, moderation and re-examination.

Please note that the examination process remains confidential until a resolution is reached by either the TEC or the FRDC.

Possible examination recommendations

(for thesis examination forms created before 31 dec 2023).

There are 6 possible recommendations (see corresponding Procedures ):

Recommendation​ 1

That the candidate be admitted to the degree, subject to the correction of typographic errors without any amendments.

Recommendation ​2

That the candidate be admitted to the degree subject to the correction of any nominated minor clarifications and textual amendments to the satisfaction of the Responsible Academic Officer.

Recommendation​ 3​

That the candidate be admitted to the degree subject to specific criticisms of the thesis as recommended by the examiners being addressed to the satisfaction of the Responsible Academic Officer, and any rewriting not changing the substantive conclusions of the thesis.

Recommendation​ 4

That the candidate be not admitted to the degree but be permitted to re-submit the thesis in a revised form for re-examination following a period of further study.

Recommendation​ 5

- PhD students: That the candidate be invited to revise and resubmit the thesis for a research masters degree. - Research masters students: That the candidate not be awarded the degree and not be permitted to resubmit.

Recommendation 6

That the PhD candidate not be awarded the degree and not be permitted to resubmit.

(for thesis examination forms created from 01 January 2024)

Possible recommendations for both masters by research and doctoral degrees are (see corresponding Procedures ):

• Pass - No amendments to content required; or only amendments involving typographical errors, formatting issues or other edits that have no bearing on the intellectual quality of the overall thesis. The RAO verifies the edits have been addressed.   
• Pass with amendments - Amendments to content are required. In this case, Examiners must provide a list and explanation of each required revision. The student must address the examiners’ criticisms to the satisfaction of the RAO. These revisions will be reviewed and verified by the RAO in consultation with the supervisory panel .   
• Resubmission and re-examination – Substantial and/or considerable changes to in the content of the thesis are required but can be resolved with major  revision. Examiners must provide a list and explanation of the required changes. Based on the examiner recommendation on the revised thesis, the RAO in in consultation with the supervisory panel, makes a recommendation to the TEC. A resubmitted thesis may only be awarded a result of 1, 2 or 4*.
• Fail - The thesis has serious irredeemable flaws and is not of a standard to be awarded the degree.

Depending on the recommendation you receive, you may be notified that you can submit your final thesis for graduation, or you may need to continue working on your thesis and resubmit it at a later date. In rare cases, you may not have the option to resubmit.

If you are required to revise your thesis, you must complete the Thesis Revision Response template  to accompany your resubmitted work.  All actions should be completed within the timeframes specified in the Graduate Research Final Examination Procedures  and the UTS Student Rules (11.20) . 

Thesis examination committees

Thesis examination committee.

The TEC, acting for the Higher Degree Research Board, establishes and oversees the thesis examination process. This includes (but not limited to):

• setting the examination criteria and reporting requirements
• setting the requirements for faculties to make recommendations related to examination outcomes
• consideration of examination outcomes, including consideration to  UTS Student Rules 11.20.5 to 11.20.7
• setting re-examination procedures
• recommending to admit/not to admit candidates to degrees
• communication between the TEC and faculties is facilitated by the GRS

2024 TEC meeting dates:

• Thurs 18 Apr (papers due to GRS Mon 8 Apr)
• Thurs 23 May (papers due to GRS Mon 13 May)
• Thurs 20 Jun (papers due to GRS Mon 10 Jun)
• Thurs 18 Jul (papers due to GRS Mon 8 Jul)
• Thurs 22 Aug (papers due to GRS Mon 12 Aug)
• Thurs 19 Sep (papers due to GRS Mon 9 Sep)
• Thurs 24 Oct (papers due to GRS Mon 14 Oct)
• Thurs 21 Nov (papers due to GRS Mon 11 Nov)
• Thurs 12 Dec (papers due to GRS Mon 2 Dec)

Faculty Research Degree Committees

The FRDCs are responsible for considering/approving the recommendation of the RAO for examination outcomes.

Large faculties may establish school-level examination committees, which report to the FRDC. Responsibilities will include considering/approving the recommendation of the RAO for examination outcomes and communicating the outcome to the supervisory panel and graduate research student.

Please contact your faculty research office for further information, including meeting dates.

Preparing for completion

Once you’ve been notified that you can submit your final thesis for conferral, you’ll need to supply the following documents to your faculty:

• your thesis abstract
• a digital copy of your thesis and confirmation of  digital submission to the library
• a completed thesis revision response
• a final bound copy of your thesis (if required by your faculty).

After you’ve received a recommendation from your faculty, the Dean of the Graduate Research School (GRS) will recommend to the Academic Board that you be admitted to the degree. You will receive a conferral information email from GRS confirming the date of your conferral and information on how to apply for a statement of completion.

Please contact your faculty research office for their submission deadline for each conferral.

2024 conferral dates and deadlines

Conferral dates, and faculty to GRS submission deadlines:

• February Conferral — Wednesday 14 February 2024 Faculty to GRS deadline: Friday 19 January 2024
• March 2024 Conferral — Wednesday 20 March 2024 Faculty to GRS deadline — Friday 23 February 2024
• May Conferral — Wednesday 15 May 2024 Faculty to GRS deadline — Friday 19 April 2024
• July Conferral — Wednesday 24 July 2024 Faculty to GRS deadline — Friday 28 June 2024
• September Conferral — Wednesday 4 September 2024 Faculty to GRS deadline — Friday 9 August 2024
• November Conferral — Wednesday 20 November 2024 Faculty to GRS deadline — Friday 25 October 2024

Reimbursement of thesis costs

If you are a research scholarship holder and you have spent money on thesis editing and/or printing costs, you may be eligible for reimbursement.

Reimbursement information is contained in the Conditions of Award (CoA) for your scholarship—if your CoA contains a Thesis Allowance section, you can apply for reimbursement within 12 months of your thesis submission date. To apply for reimbursement, please fill out the  Scholarship Allowance Claim Form  and attach original tax invoices as evidence of your expenditure.

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Submitting your thesis for examination (PhD, EdD, MD, BusD, MLitt, MSc)

Format of the thesis, the thesis must:.

be written in British English, apart from quotations and recognised technical formulae

be in A4 portrait format

use one-and-a-half spaced type

include any photographs or other illustrations scanned into the text

be saved in the electronic format and naming style specified by your Degree Committee

Examiners are not expected to edit work. They will deal with errors of fact and typographical errors that affect the meaning of your work, as well as larger structural issues. The extent to which the text has or has not been properly prepared may influence their recommendation concerning the award of the degree. You are therefore advised to check your thesis thoroughly prior to submission to ensure clear, formal British English has been used throughout and that there are minimal typing and/or spelling mistakes.

How and when to present the thesis for examination

You must submit an electronic copy of your thesis for examination, and any required accompanying documents, to your Degree Committee by your submission deadline (which can be found under 'Thesis Submission details' on the Academic tile in your CamSIS self-service). If you are not a self-funded student, the terms and conditions of your funding may require you to submit your thesis earlier than the date shown in CamSIS. If you are unsure what your funder-expected submission date is, you should contact your Funding Administrator. You are required to submit your thesis for examination by your deadline even if the date falls over a weekend or holiday period.

Your Degree Committee should provide you with guidance for electronic submission; please contact them directly if you require any assistance.

The thesis you submit to your Degree Committee will be the thesis forwarded to the examiners for examination. It is not possible to 'retract submission' or to send a revised copy directly to your examiners. Therefore you should carefully check the file(s) you upload when submitting your thesis.

Postgraduate students must keep a minimum number of terms of research before they can submit (for example, 9 for the full-time PhD or 15 for the part-time PhD or EdD) unless they have been granted an allowance or exemption of terms . If you attempt to submit too early and have not had an allowance or exemption of terms approved, your thesis submission will not be accepted or will be kept on hold and not forwarded to your examiners until the first day of your 9th (full-time) or 15th (part-time) term.

Requirements

You must include the following bound inside your thesis:

Please ensure the pages are in the correct order. This is very important - if these preliminary pages are in a different order in your final hardbound thesis to your thesis submitted for examination, this could cause problems and delay approval for your degree.

1. A title page displaying:

the full title of the thesis

your full legal name (as it appears on your passport, marriage certificate or deed poll)

your college

the date of submission (month and year)

a declaration stating: "This thesis is submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy/Doctor of Education/Doctor of Business/Doctor of Medicine/Master of Science/Master of Letters (as appropriate)."

2. A declaration in the preface stating:

'This thesis is the result of my own work and includes nothing which is the outcome of work done in collaboration except as declared in the preface and specified in the text. It is not substantially the same as any work that has already been submitted, or, is being concurrently submitted, for any degree, diploma or other qualification at the University of Cambridge or any other University or similar institution except as declared in the preface and specified in the text. It does not exceed the prescribed word limit for the relevant Degree Committee.'

The declaration does not need to be signed . For more information on the word limits for the respective Degree Committees see Word Limits and Requirements of your Degree Committee )

3. An abstract/summary of your thesis

4. [if applicable] the list of additional materials that were approved for submission alongside the thesis

You must also submit the following documents (not included inside the thesis):

Required: One declaration form

Optional: Research Impact Statement If pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster have significantly impacted on your research, you are invited to submit a Research Impact Statement with your thesis using the template provided. The purpose of the statement is for you to describe any restrictions or difficulties experienced in undertaking your research as a result of pandemic, war/conflict, or natural disaster, and to provide details of any alternative arrangements made to complete the work for your thesis. Further details for students and supervisors can be found in the Research Impact Statement guidance  and the Research Impact Statement form can be downloaded here . 

Inclusion of additional materials

Students other than those in the Faculty of Music must seek permission through their  CamSIS Self Service page if they wish to submit additional materials for examination alongside their thesis. Additional materials are integral to the thesis but in a format that cannot be easily included in the main body of the thesis (for example, 3D graphics). You should refer to the ' Policy on the inclusion of additional materials with a thesis ' before making an application to include additional materials. This process should be initiated prior to the thesis submission. If a thesis is submitted with additional materials and without permission to include them, it will be held by the Degree Committee until approval is confirmed.

Please bear in mind that if you are granted permission to submit additional materials, you are required to upload the same materials to the University repository, Apollo , when you submit your approved thesis  post-examination (doctoral candidates only). Therefore, the inclusion of additional material that contains uncleared third-party copyright or sensitive material may affect the access level that is most appropriate for your thesis.

Submitting a revised thesis

If you are resubmitting your thesis following a viva outcome of being allowed to revise and resubmit the thesis for examination for a doctoral degree, you need to follow the same procedure as for the original thesis submission .

What happens following submission of the thesis for examination 

When you submit your thesis for examination the Degree Committee will check the submission, acknowledge receipt, and inform Student Registry you have submitted. The Student Registry will update your CamSIS record.

The Degree Committee will forward your thesis to your examiners. If you have not received confirmation of the date of your viva (oral examination) within six weeks of submitting your thesis, or if you have any questions with regard to your thesis at this stage, you should contact your Degree Committee. 

Your Examiners should not ask you for a printed copy of your thesis or other material in advance of your viva (oral examination). If they do, please seek advice from your Degree Committee.

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FSU | The Graduate School

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Manuscript Submission Process

Submit manuscript for an initial format review.

Students must create an account in the ProQuest ETD Administrator before they can upload their manuscript for an initial format review. Initial submission and all revised submissions must be completed through the ProQuest ETD Administrator.

Instructions for creating an account can be found here:  Instructions for Submitting your Manuscript

When creating an account on the ProQuest ETD Administrator, a lot of information is required upfront, including access preferences as well as optional paid services like purchasing bound copies of the manuscript and filing for copyright. ProQuest does not complete these instructions using the initial submission. They only publish the final approved manuscript and implement student publishing preferences and any paid services AFTER the manuscript has been approved by the FSU Manuscript Clearance Office and the student's graduation has been confirmed by the Registrar’s Office.

The Graduate School recommends that students submit their completed manuscript for an initial format review at the same time the manuscript is submitted to the committee prior to the defense. However, students must submit their manuscript for an initial format review no later than the relevant initial submission deadline for the semester in which they intend to graduate. Initial reviews are valid for two semesters (the original semester and one semester following). If the defense is delayed further than that, a new initial review must be completed by the appropriate deadline.

While it is understood that content will likely change after the defense, it is expected that manuscripts submitted for the initial format review are at least 90% complete and have been formatted in full accordance with the criteria in the most recent version of the Guidelines and Requirements.

• 90% complete: MUST include the title page, committee page, table of contents, lists (if needed), abstract, chapters, references, biographical sketch and a majority of tables and figures.
• Those manuscripts that do not meet this standard will NOT be reviewed and will NOT count as an initial submission to meet any deadline.

The Manuscript Clearance Office works with 250+ students per semester, so students are always encouraged to submit early.

Students must defend no later than the “last day for submission of final defended, content-approved thesis, dissertation or treatise and required forms” for the semester in which they intend to graduate. The Graduate School allows defenses up to this deadline with the understanding that all content corrections must be completed, approved by the major professor or committee, and submitted to the student's online ETD account no later than 11:59 p.m. on that deadline; however, to allow time for such corrections, the Graduate School recommends defending no later than 1 week prior to the deadline.

Submit Revised Manuscript

Once the student has completed all content changes required and approved by the committee, and incorporated all formatting corrections noted in the initial review, the student submits the revised version through their ETD account using the Revise option. The student should not create a new submission. This must be completed by 11:59 p.m. on the “last day for submission of final defended, content-approved thesis, dissertation or treatise and required forms.”

The revised manuscript will be reviewed by the Manuscript Clearance Advisor. If there are additional formatting corrections, the student will be notified. Manuscripts typically require 2-3 revisions to correct formatting issues that may arise after the content is corrected. A manuscript is not considered cleared until the formatting has been approved, all forms have been received and approved by the Manuscript Clearance Office, and the student has received an email from the Manuscript Clearance Office stating that their manuscript has been cleared.

Princeton University Library

SPECIAL COLLECTIONS

Special Collections Schedule - Summer 2024

The Special Collections reading rooms in Firestone and Mudd Libraries will be closed on the following upcoming holidays: Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day), Wednesday, June 19 (Juneteenth), Thursday, July 4 (Independence Day), and Monday, September 2 (Labor Day). We will be closing at 12:00pm on Friday, June 14. We will also begin our Summer Hours, 9am-4:15pm, on Monday, June 3. During this time we stop paging at 3:45pm. 

You are here

• Conducting Research
• Services & Policies
• Theses & Dissertations
• Senior Thesis Submission Information for Students
• Master's Theses and Ph.D. Dissertations: Submission Guidelines
• Senior Thesis Submission Information for Academic Departments

On this page: 

Thesis central - general information.

• Thesis Central - Step-by-step Instructions
• Submission status
• Verify Your Information
• Senior Thesis Information
• Upload Your Files
• Confirm & Submit
• Further Questions
• Student Options Regarding Access to Their Theses
• Using LaTeX to Display Special Characters in Submission System  
• Thesis Central is a system that allows students to upload senior thesis files for retrieval by their home department (and certificate program, if applicable) and from which the files will be transmitted to the University Archives.
• All students, except those whose thesis work is in the form of a performance or exhibition, should upload their thesis file (or files) to Thesis Central.
• Thesis Central will be available for student submissions starting in March 25th, 2024 thru the 2024 Dean's date, May 7th, 2024. To access the site, go to the Princeton Thesis Central homepage and login with your netid. 
• Allow roughly 20 minutes to complete the upload process.
• Note: be sure to check with your home department for additional requirements regarding submission of senior theses, such as the submission of bound or unbound paper copies.

Thesis Central- Step-by-step Instructions

Submission status page.

• This page lists a student's active submissions. Each student will have one in progress submission in the first row of the table. To submit your senior thesis, click the "Continue" button.
• You should only click on "Start a new submission" if you made an error in your initial submission and need to resubmit your thesis, or if you are submitting two different senior theses, such as one for your home department, and a different thesis for a certificate program. 
• If you are resubmitting your thesis due to an error in your first submission, you should notify the undergraduate administrator that you are doing so. 
• Note: All submissions are timestamped to ensure that you are meeting your departmental deadline.

Verify Your Information Page

Student information.

• Verify the information that is displayed. If your name, email address, or department is incorrect, notify the University Archives via our Ask Us Form.
• If your home department is not displayed, choose your department from the dropdown box.

Senior Thesis Type

• In this section, most students should choose "Home Department Thesis."
• Only choose "Certificate Program Thesis" if you wrote two different senior theses (one for your home department and one for a certificate program) and you are in the process of submitting your certificate program thesis.
• This choice is typically only used for students who are in the Creative Writing Program and have written a separate thesis for that program.
• If you have written one senior thesis that fulfills requirements for your home department as well as a certificate program, you should choose “Home Department Thesis.” You will have the opportunity to record the certificate program to which your thesis relates in a later step.
• Please submit any questions to the Ask Us form .

Honor Code Page

You must agree to the honor code statement in order to complete your submission.

Senior Thesis Information Page

On this page you will enter information about your senior thesis.

Title and Abstract

• Enter your thesis title into the title field. If your thesis has an abstract, copy and paste it from your PDF. The abstract field is optional; if your thesis does not have one, leave the field blank.
• If your title or abstract has special characters, see the section below on  LaTex Instructions .

Multi-author

• Is this a multi-author thesis?
• If you are the sole author of the thesis, select "No."
• If you collaborated on your thesis with others select "Yes."
• If you are submitting a multi-author thesis, your senior thesis file must include all coauthors’ names; and you and your coauthors must agree on an access level. Access levels are explained on Office of Undergraduate Reserach Thesis Archive webpage .

Certificate Program

• If your thesis fulfills requirements for your home department as well as a Certificate Program, choose the program from the list.
• If this thesis fulfills requirements for more than one program, record the first certificate program in Thesis Central and use this Google form to record any addtional certificate programs. If you have questions contact  [email protected] .

Your Adviser/s

• If your adviser is not listed, enter their name in the fields provided. Please use the form of name found in the Princeton University Directory . For example, “Anthony T. Grafton” instead of “Tony Grafton.”
• If you were advised by multiple faculty members, you may add additional adviser names.

Upload Your Files Page

• In this step you will upload your senior thesis file. Optionally, you may upload additional supplementary files that will be available along with your document after publication.
• In the Thesis Central system, the primary senior thesis document must be a PDF. To upload your thesis, click on the Browse button to find the file on your device, and then, once chosen, click on the Upload button to save the file to the server.
• If your senior thesis submission does not include a PDF, you can upload a placeholder_file.pdf file in the Upload Primary Document section. You can then proceed to upload other file types in the Upload Additional Files section.

Large files

• The size limit for each individual file uploaded to Thesis Central is 1 GB. If your main PDF file exceeds 1 GB, you must upload the placeholder_file.pdf file so that you can complete your submission. You should then email  [email protected]  and your undergraduate administrator to let us know that you have taken this step. We will work with you to obtain your file through other means. 
• There is no limit on the number of supplementary files you may upload, though total of all files must not exceed 4 GB. Executable files (.exe) are not allowed.

Below is a list of preferred file types for supplementary files:

• Audio files: MP3 format (.mp3)
• Video files: MP4 format (.mp4), and encoded in H.264/MPEG-4 compression format. See Video Compression Instructions for H.264/MPEG-4 format
• Still images that are separate from a PDF: JPEG (.jpg), JPEG2000 (.jp2), or TIFF (.tif) format
• Websites: see our Guidelines for Designing Preservation-Friendly Websites . Students whose entire senior thesis project is a website should complete a submission in Thesis Central using the placeholder.pdf file (entering the thesis title, abstract (if applicable), and adviser names) and contact  [email protected]  to discuss options for capturing the website.

Confirm & Submit Page

• On the confirm and submit page, you will see all of the information that pertains to your thesis. You can edit any of the information that you supplied by clicking on the edit links, such as “edit your senior thesis information.” You can also view the file/s that you uploaded by clicking on the file links. You can change the file that you have uploaded by clicking on the “edit your uploaded files” link.
• Once you hit Confirm and Submit you will no longer be able to make edits to this submission. If you find that you have made an error in your submission, you should create a new submission with the correct information, and contact your undergraduate administrator explaining the reason that you have multiple submissions.

Further Questions?

For questions about, or problems with, the Thesis Central system, contact  [email protected] . For questions about your senior thesis requirements, contact your department's undergraduate program coordinator. For questions about access restriction requests, contact [email protected] .

Student Options Regarding Access to Your Thesis

• Your senior thesis will be added to the Princeton University Archives' senior thesis digital archive hosted by Dataspace . This resource enables Princeton students, faculty, and staff and other authorized users of Princeton University's computing network to access copies of senior theses online. Senior theses are not freely accessible online outside of the Princeton computing network.
• The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) offers options for students to further restrict their theses. Visit the OUR webpage on the digital archiving of senior theses for complete detials. If you have questions about these options, please contact [email protected] . 
• To make a restricted access request, complete and submit a Restricted Access Form to the Office of the Dean of the College by 11:55 p.m. on commencement day. 

Using LaTeX to Display Special Characters in Submission System

If you have mathematical formulae or scientific expressions in your title or abstract that you cannot create using your keyboard, we ask you to use some basic LaTeX markup in the senior thesis submission site so that the characters will display properly in our digital repository. In most cases, the characters that need encoding are subscripts and superscripts, arrows and other symbols, and letters of the Greek alphabet. In order to display these characters, you must create an expression that begins and ends with the following tags: \( and \), and then insert the code for the character or symbol within the tags.

See these common examples:

• Subscript: Na\(_{2}\)  displays as Na 2
• Superscript:  Na\(^{2}\) displays as Na 2  
• Left facing arrow: \(\leftarrow\) displays as ←
• Greek letter Delta: \(\Delta\) displays as Δ

To find the code you need, see the ShareLaTeX website , especially in their documentation of superscripts and subscripts (see the Reference Guide section), and their library of codes for symbols and Greek letters. Another helpful site is the LaTeX Wikibooks page. The Senior Thesis Submission Site contains a preview page to test how your markup will display before you enter it into the submission form.

If you have trouble with your markup, make a note in the comments of the submission form and submit your thesis. It is more important to submit your thesis on time than to have the markup exactly right!

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Thesis Submission Guidelines

This webpage provides guidelines for thesis submission to postgraduate students at the Department of Civil & Construction Engineering of the University of Nairobi. This webpage is continuously updated, the student and supervisor are requested to review it each time before corresponding with the department. 

Proposal Document Standards

The student should use the following template to ensure their document is up to standard. 

• Faculty of Engineering (FEng) proposal template. The FEng Title Page Proposal template . The main body of the proposal (Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Workplan & Budget and References) of the proposal should not exceed 30 pages. 
• The student may use this  Thesis Proposal Checklist   (used to review the student's thesis proposal) as a guide to ensure the document is in order. 

Thesis Document Standards

The student should use the following template to ensure their thesis is up to standard. 

• Faculty of Engineering (FEng) thesis template. The student may use this  Thesis Template  as guide. The Thesis Template  template is slightly modified from the Proposal template. 

Correspondences and Email Header Guidelines

All correspondences to the department regarding thesis submission must be done using the dedicated department's email. Postgraduate Correspondence, Civil & Construction Engineering [email protected] . Please copy your supervisors in all communications sent; doing so will enable the department to capture the student's and supervisors' email addresses and will make future correspondences with the student and the supervisor much easier. Endeavour to use the students' university email ([email protected]). The student must include their registration number in all correspondences to the Department. The subject of every inquiry should be as follows, ' Inquiry - Student Name - Registration Number ', for example, ' Thesis Submission Follow Up - Anony Mous - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Use of the title case allows the department to easily copy and record the requests to a spreadsheet without a lot of further formatting. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). It helps a lot. 

The department keeps the requests in digital form, kindly comply with these requirements of writing the subject to assist in the retrieval of records. Email filters have also been configured to automatically forward the email to the appropriate staff based on the subject header. The sender's compliance will ensure faster delivery of service. 

Because of the large correspondences received, the department may not respond to your email but the request will be recorded in the spreadsheet at the end of this webpage. 

Filenames of PDF documents

The files the student should also take the format of the Email Subject. However, when writing the registration number, the student should use the hyphen character instead of the back slashes. For example, when submitting a fresh thesis proposal, the subject of the email should be ' Fresh Proposal Submission - Mous Anony - F56/1234/2021 ' and the PDF file should be named ' Fresh Proposal Submission - Mous Anony - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Student University Email Account

Students are encouraged to set up the university email account via the student's portal on https://smis.uonbi.ac.ke .

Students who have forgotten their previous passwords and require recovery of the student email account can request a recovery code by writing an email to [email protected] through their personal email (Gmail, Yahoo, Work Email etc.). The subject of the email should be 'Student Email Recovery - Student Name - Registration Number' , for example, 'Student Email Recovery - Another Student - F16/12345/2021' .The body of the email should also include the student university email account to be recovered, phone number and any other relevant information. Copy the Department, [email protected] to assist you with follow up. The student will receive a code to activate the student university email from their personal email. The student is advised to be alert as the code sent to the student will expire six hours after the code is generated. The student should act immediately to restore their account once they receive the code. 

The student can also make a physical visit in to the Faculty of Engineering ICT office on Ground Floor, Mechanical Engineering Block, Harry Thuku Way. 

WhatsApp Support Group

There is a support group on WhatsApp where a student can submit queries, compliments, and complaints. WhatsApp - CCE Thesis Support Group . 

Extension of Registration

Students whose registration has expired will be required to renew their registration. Students who registered more than five years ago have expired registrations. For example, in the year 2024, students with registration number ending /2018 have their student status expired and must extend their registration. The student should write to the Chairman, Department of Civil & Construction Engineering requesting an extension of their registration.  The Faculty will then process the request for Senate approval according to student progression guidelines. The student may use this Extension of Registration template as a guide.  The student should ensure that the supervisor signs next to their name on the document before sending it. The student should send the letter as a signed PDF document to [email protected] . The subject of the email should be ' Extension of Registration - Student Name - Registration Number '. Do not use all uppercase in the subject. Use title case. Title case is a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters as indicated on this webpage. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The student should copy all the supervisors' email addresses. 

The filename of the PDF document

The PDF file should be named ' Extension of Registration - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Provisional Extension of Registration (PhD Students Only) 

PhD Students whose provisional registration has exceeded six months willl be required to extend their registration. The student should write to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic Affairs, through the Dean, Faculty of Engineering and through the Chairman, Department of Civil & Construction Engineering requesting provisional extension of registration.  The student may use this Provisional Extension Request as a guide.  The student should send the letter as a signed PDF document to [email protected] . The subject of the email should be ' Provisional Extension - Student Name - Registration Number '. Do not use all uppercase in the subject. Use title case. Title case is a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters as indicated on this webpage. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The student should copy all the supervisors' email addresses. 

The filename of the PDF document (PhD Students Only)  

The PDF file should be named ' Provisional Extension - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

The student will receive a letter from the academic registrar extending their registration status on the condition that they pay an extension fee. The letter provided will have instructions on how to make the payment. A student who has an overpayment in their fees can direct the excess fees to pay the extension fees by instructing the Finance Department to do so. The narrative for the transfer should be 'Registration Extension Fee Deduction'. The Student Finance Department is in Room G3, Ground Floor, Mahatma Gandhi Wing, Main Campus, Harry Thuku Way, Nairobi. 

Payment of Extension of Registration

Once payment is made. Kindly send the payment receipt to  [email protected]   as indicated in the letter. Copy  [email protected]   so that the department can keep the record in your file and assist with follow-up. The subject of the email should be ' Payment of Extension - Student Name - Registration Number '. Do not use all uppercase in the subject. Use title case. Title case is a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters as indicated on this webpage. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The student should copy all the supervisors' email addresses.

Advisory: All payments should be made by direct physical deposit to the bank, where a deposit slip should be obtained. The narrative or description of the financial transaction should include the student's registration number. MPesa and RTGS Payments are not encouraged as they will require further follow-up with Student Finance by the student. The Student Finance Department is in Room G3, Ground Floor, Mahatma Gandhi Wing, Main Campus, Harry Thuku Way, Nairobi. 

The PDF file should be named ' Payment of Extension - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Advisory: The most opportune time to make the payment of extension (to maximise on the limited additional time) is as the student submits the 'Uploaded Thesis Proposal' if the proposal had not yet been approved by the Academic Registrar/Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic Affairs or as you submit the 'Intent to Submit Thesis' if your proposal had already been approved by the Academic Registrar/Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic Affairs. 

Change of supervisors

A change of supervisors is usually initiated by the student. Students whose proposals have NOT yet been approved by the department can change at any point during the proposal stage. Students whose proposals have already been approved by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor can request to change their supervisors through a letter. The student should address the letter to the Chairman, Department of Civil & Construction Engineering, requesting a change of supervisor. The student may use this Change of Supervisors template as a guide. The student should ensure that the supervisor signs next to their name on the document before sending it. The student should send the letter as a signed PDF document to [email protected] . The subject of the email should be ' Change of Supervisors - Student Name - Registration Number '. Do not use all uppercase letters in the subject. Use title case. Title case is a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters as indicated on this webpage. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The student should copy all the supervisors' email addresses. 

Students who wish to drop a supervisor must have their request supported with a letter from the supervisor to be dropped. The supervisor may take advantage of the Supervisor's Withdrawal template as a guide. 

The PDF file should be named ' Change of Supervisors - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Other general queries such as Transcript requests, Missing marks, Course registration, Timetables and other requests must be directed to the Department's main email address: [email protected].  

Identifying a research topic

Candidates will be required to undertake research guided by at least one supervisor competent in the subject area and field of research in which the candidate proposes to work. The main supervisor must come from the Department where the student is registered. After the research, the candidate shall be required to submit a thesis for examination. 

The student should approach any of the lecturers that hold a PhD degree whose speciality is in a field that the student is interested in researching on. The supervisors should guide the student in the process of writing a thesis proposal. The student may use this Proposal template as a guide . The candidate, in close liaison with the supervisors, shall develop the proposal. When the supervisors are satisfied that the draft proposal has attained a reasonable quality, they will allow the candidate to present it at a seminar with at least 30% of the academic members of staff of the Department.

Requirements for the supervisors

A minimum of two supervisors shall be appointed for each candidate of whom the first should be an academic staff in the Department of Civil & Construction Engineering. The first supervisor must be a PhD holder. The second supervisor must be an academic member of staff. The second supervisor can be from the Department of Civil & Construction Engineering or any other Department at the University of Nairobi. The Department may appoint a third supervisor from any other institution. If the third supervisor from another institution is appointed, the supervisor's CV must be attached. 

Letter of Introduction

Candidates requiring a letter of introduction in order to carry out research in a different institution should request the letter from the Department via email through [email protected] . The subject of the email should be as follows ' Letter of Introduction - Student Name - Registration Number '. The student must include the topic of their thesis and the address/es to which the letters should be addressed to. If no specific address is mentioned, the letter will be addressed "To Whom It May Concern". 

Renewal of Scholarships

Students who were awarded scholarships in the first year will be required to apply for the renewal of the scholarship for the second year. The scholarship renewal form can be downloaded here . The scholarship renewal application should be accompanied by the first year transcript. By the time the student requests the renewal, it is expected that the scholarship student should already be involved in some teaching assistantship and have made some significant progress on their research proposal in consultation with their supervisor since the supervisor will be required to fill in some sections of the form.  

Setting up a Proposal Seminar Online

The candidate should prepare presentation slides on their proposed research. The student should rehearse to ensure that their presentation lasts no more than 15 minutes.  The candidate may use university slides template to make the slides . The candidate should set up an online meeting via Google Meet and invite academic members of staff and other interested stakeholders. The student may use this guide on setting up online classes to schedule and present in the seminar . The main supervisor must attend the meeting. The minutes of the recommendations made during the presentation shall be forwarded to Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC) together with the revised version of the proposal.  The student may use this Minutes template as a guide . The student should make arrangements prior to the online meeting on who will take the minutes. 

Getting a Turnitin Similarity Index Report

To get a similarity index report, send the proposal document to [email protected]  and copy all the supervisors' emails. Endeavour to use the students' university email ([email protected]). The document to be sent should only contain Item No. 1 to Item No. 4 of the list in the requirements below. Item No. 5 to Item No. 7 should not be in the document to be checked. The document to be checked for plagiarism need NOT be signed by the student nor the supervisors. . The document sent must be in editable format (DOCX) format. Documents in Portable Document Format (PDF) will not be scanned. 

The subject of the email should be as follows 'Similarity Index Report - Student Name - Registration Number'. For example. ' Similarity Index Report - Mous Anony - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). It is important that you stick to this format for the following reasons:

• The email received is automatically forwarded to the email of the staff responsible for running your document through Turnitin. Email filters have been configured to only forward the document based on the subject header.
• The department will capture the student's and supervisors' email addresses and will make future correspondences with the student and the supervisor much easier. Emails requesting the Similarity Index Report without copying the supervisors' email addresses will not be acted on. 

A Turnitin report will be sent back to the student in five business days. The student should extract the summary pages of the similarity index report for signing by the student and the supervisors. Please note that any Similarity Index Report that is not signed and dated by the student and the supervisor is invalid.  The student may use this  signed Turnitin sample report for guidance . Some technical knowledge of editing PDF documents is necessary. The similarity index report should be below 15% ( 14% and below only ). 

Please note the whole document (Item No. 1 to Item No. 4) [Listed below] should be scanned hence the allowance of below 15%. Sentences in quotes and the bibliography will not be marked as plagiarised. A 30-word source exclusion has been set. The document to be submitted will not be deposited to any repository. 

Filename of the DOCX (Microsoft Word) document

The DOCX file should be named ' Similarity Index Report - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Getting Academic Transcript for First Year (MSc Students)

The student can request a transcript from the Department through writing and delivering it to the Office of the Chairman. A typed letter is preferred. The letter should have the student's registration number and name. The student can also make the request through the department's main email address: [email protected] . 

Funding Opportunities

Funding opportunities are available on successful application to a relevant grant. These opportunities are advertised every Thursday via the University email from the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation & Enterprise).  The funding opportunities are collated on the landing page of  https://uonresearch.uonbi.ac.ke  under the funding news tab. The candidate is advised to reach out to the Office of the DVC - RIE for further guidance and facilitation. Seeking research funding is one of the office's key role and the staff there will be glad to assist you. The office is located on the 15th Floor, UoN Tower, Main Campus, University of Nairobi, Nairobi. 

Submission of the Thesis Proposal to the Faculty of Engineering

The requirements to submit the Thesis Proposal to the Faculty of Engineering are as follows: 

• Faculty of Engineering (FEng) Title Page without a page number. The FEng Title Page is included in this  Proposal template . 
• Declaration and Approval page with all the signatures on the second page [Page number (i)].  The Declaration and Approval Page is included in this  Proposal template . 
• Signed UoN Declaration of Originality.  The UoN Declaration of Originality Form is included in this  Proposal template . 
• Main Proposal Document (Acknowledgement, Table of Contents, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Budget & Workplan, References and Appendices). The student may use this Proposal template as a guide. 
• Minutes of the Proposal Seminar. The student may use this Minutes template as a guide. 
• First Year Transcript (MSc Students). 
• Turnitin Antiplagiarism Report. The similarity index should be below 15%. (The student and the supervisors should sign and date on the page that shows the percentage). 

Order of Components

Please compile your document into one PDF in the order above. The student should NOT upload the thesis proposal yet. Guidance and requirements for uploading are given further below on this webpage. 

Submit the document through your supervisors, through the Department of Civil & Construction Engineering [email protected]  to the Dean, Faculty of Engineering. The student may use this  Thesis Proposal Checklist   (used to review the student's thesis proposal) as a guide to ensure the document is in order. 

Filename of the PDF document

The PDF file should be named ' Fresh Proposal Submission - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Submission of Thesis Proposal through Email

Submission must be done by email in soft copy. Only one compiled PDF document is to be submitted. The subject of the email should be as follows, 'Fresh Proposal Submission - Student Name - Registration Number'. For example, ' Fresh Proposal Submission - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). There are two ways of submitting the document via email. Please use this subject header so that the email received is automatically forwarded to the email of the staff responsible for acting on the document. Email filters have been configured to only forward the document based on the subject header. 

• The student can ensure the document is signed by the supervisors before sending it to the Chairman of the Department, [email protected] and copy the supervisors' email, or 
• The student can send the document to the Chairman of the Department, through the supervisors via email. 

Option 1 is strongly preferred and recommended . To use Option 2 to submit your document, kindly send an email to the second supervisor asking them to sign and date on the relevant pages and forward it to the first supervisor and to inform them to sign and date on the relevant pages and forward it to the Chairman [email protected] . The student should not just copy all the interested parties in one generic email; the forwarding email should have detailed instructions to the various supervisors on what the supervisors should do. See the sample email below: 

The chairman will approve and forward the Fresh Thesis proposal to the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC). At the FPSC, the document is distributed to reviewers at their next scheduled meeting. The reviewers will give comments, suggestions and improvements to the submitted proposal at various dates. The FPSC chairman will consolidate all the reviews into one report and send it to the student through the department. 

It is the student's responsibility to follow up on the approval process of their thesis proposal. If the student has not received feedback after one month from the date of submission, the student should follow up on their thesis status with the Coordinator of Postgraduate Studies, Department of Civil & Construction Engineering.

The physical location of the office of the Coordinator of Postgraduate Studies , Department of Civil & Construction Engineering is: Office Number 110, 1st Floor, Mechanical Engineering Block, Harry Thuku Way, Main Campus, Nairobi. 

Resubmission of the Thesis Proposal to the Faculty of Engineering

The thesis proposal will be reviewed and it will be returned with some corrections from the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC). As you submit the corrected proposal, ensure you meet the following requirements: 

• Faculty of Engineering (FEng) Title Page without a page number.  The FEng Title Page is included in this  Proposal template . 
• Declaration and Approval page with all the signatures on the second page [Page number (i)]. Please note that the supervisors should sign again. Avoid repasting the signatures that were in the initial document.  The Declaration and Approval Page is included in this  Proposal template . 
• Main Corrected Proposal Document (Acknowledgement, Table of Contents, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Budget & Workplan, References and Appendices).  The student may use this Proposal template as a guide. 
• Original Minutes of the Proposal Seminar. 
• Turnitin Antiplagiarism Report on the Corrected Proposal Document. The Corrected Proposal Document should then be rechecked for plagiarism. The procedure for getting the Turnitin Similarity Index Report is outlined above (The student and the supervisors should sign and date on the page that shows the percentage). Please note that the supervisors should sign again. The student must NOT  repaste the signatures that were in the initial document. 
• The original Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC) Reviews. 
• Table of Corrections. Avoid the use of lazy comments such as 'Ammended', 'Done', 'Corrected in Manuscript' or 'Attached'. Instead, make detailed responses to the reviewers' comments. Be clear about how you responded (copy and paste the updated text next to the reviewers’ comments) and state where this fits into the manuscript (with a page number). This practice allows the reviewers to easily see that you have taken all the reviewers’ comments on board and evaluate your response to each of their concerns. Please read this  article on how to properly respond to Reviewers' comments. The student may use this Table of Corrections Sample as a guide . 
• Certificate of Corrections from the supervisors addressed to the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, through the Chairman, Civil & Construction Engineering and through the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC). The student may use this Certificate of Correction template as a guide. 

IMPORTANT: Please review your work plan to match the current dates. The dates signed on the proposal must also reflect the current dates. The date on the cover page must also be updated. 

Please compile your document into one PDF in the order above. The student should NOT upload the thesis proposal yet. Guidance and requirements for uploading are given further below on this webpage. 

Submit the document through your supervisors, to the Department of Civil & Construction Engineering [email protected]  and copy the supervisors' email addresses. The Department will forward the document to the Dean, Faculty of Engineering. The subject of the email should be as follows, 'Revised Proposal Submission - Student Name - Registration Number'. For example, ' Revised Proposal Submission - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). Please use this subject header so that the email received is automatically forwarded to the email of the staff responsible for acting on the document. Email filters have been configured to only forward the document based on the subject header. 

The PDF file should be named ' Revised Proposal Submission - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

The chairman will approve and forward the Revised Thesis proposal to the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC). At the FPSC, the document is distributed to reviewers at their next scheduled meeting. The reviewers will then confirm that the initial comments they gave have been addressed satisfactorily. It is for this reason that the student should include the FPSC reviews as they were. If fully addressed, the proposal is approved. If the comments have not been fully addressed, the FPSC returns the document to the student through the department to address the unattended comments.  The department will send the student further comments. 

Further Revised Proposal

To resubmit the further revised proposal, kindly submit with the subject ' Further Revised Proposal Submission - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 ' and copy all the supervisors' emails. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens).

The PDF file should be named ' Further Revised Proposal Submission - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

FPSC Approval

Once FPSC approval is done, the student will also receive minutes of the deliberations from the FPSC and the filled out Declaration and Approval Page [Page i] (including the Dean's Signature and Stamp). The student should then compile a single document in the order below. 

Final Approved Document to be Uploaded to Postgraduate Tracking System

• Declaration and Approval page with all the signatures on the second page [Page number (i)]. This declaration page should have all the parties signatures: the student, the supervisors, the Chairman - Department of Civil & Construction Engineering, the Chairman - FPSC and the Dean - Faculty of Engineering. 
• Minutes of the Proposal Seminar. 
• Turnitin Antiplagiarism Report on the Corrected Proposal Document. 
• Certificate of Corrections from the supervisors addressed to the Dean, Faculty of Engineering, through the Chairman, Civil & Construction Engineering and through the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC). This Certificate of Corrections should have all the parties signatures
• Signed Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee (FPSC) minutes approving the forwarding of the proposal to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic Affairs. 

The PDF file should be named ' Uploaded Thesis Proposal - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Uploading to the Postgraduate Tracking System 

Before uploading the compiled document above, the student should ensure that they have first been assigned supervisors on the Postgraduate Tracking System on the Students Management Information System  on smis.uonbi.ac.ke . The student can check the assigned supervisors as shown in the screenshot below: 

If the students has not been assigned, the student should notify the department via email [email protected] with the subject being ' Supervisors - Student Name - Registration Number '. The body of the email should have the names of your supervisors.

Once assigned, the student should upload the compiled PDF document onto the Postgraduate Tracking System.

Uploading to the Postgraduate Tracking System

Please see this Guide on using the Postgraduate Tracking System. When uploading to the Tracking System. The student should ensure that the following instructions are followed to the letter. Step 6 in the photograph below is absolutely critical and the student must wait for the document to upload to the system before forwarding the submission. Please note that it is impossible to change any item once this process has been performed.  

The student should then alert the supervisor that they have uploaded their fully signed proposal (Item No. 1 - Item No. 11) on the Postgraduate Tracking System. The student may use this uploaded thesis sample for reference.  Students who had uploaded the proposal before approval will require reuploading the thesis proposal.

Reuploading to the Postgraduate Tracking System

To reupload, the student should click on the ' Test proposal submit ' link (circled in the image below). Once the student clicks on this link, they should click on 'Create Proposal' to reupload. 

Please see this Guide on using the Postgraduate Tracking System. The student and the supervisor are encouraged to review this guide and understand their roles. 

Sending the Uploaded Thesis Proposal to the Department

Once uploaded, the student should also send the compiled PDF document to the Department, [email protected] and copy the supervisors, the email subject should be ' Uploaded Thesis Proposal - Student Name - F56/1234/2020 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The student should ensure that their registration status is in order prior to sending out the uploaded thesis proposal. For example, in the year 2024, students with registration number ending /2018 have their student status expired and must extend their registration and pay the required charges.

Advisory: Kindly note that the department has no access to the Postgraduate Tracking System and it is only by sending the Uploaded Thesis Proposal that the department gets the knowledge that you have uploaded the proposal and initiates the subsequent procedures. 

Based on the fully signed uploaded proposal, the supervisors, Chairman and Dean will then approve the online document for forwarding to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic Affairs. Once approved by the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor - Academic Affairs, the student will receive a letter from the Academic Registrar, accepting their proposal. The letter will grant the student the authority to officially begin their research and assign the supervisors officially. Please see the sample Letter of Approval that the student and supervisors will receive to commence research . 

It is at this point that your proposal is considered fully registered in the system. 

Technical Challenges with the Postgraduate Tracking System 

Students with technical challenges with regard to the Postgraduate Tracking System should write an email to [email protected] . Copy the Department, [email protected] to assist you with follow-up. The subject of the email should be 'Postgraduate Tracking - Student Name - Registration Number' , for example, 'Postgraduate Tracking - Another Student - F16/12345/2021' .The body of the email should include the nature of the problem such as documents not attaching, or no documents available for download and request the ICT department to clear all documents in your portal and allow you to re-upload the documents. 

Once the documents have been cleared, the student should reupload and request the supervisor to approve the online documents. Once reapproved by the supervisor, the student should notify the department that the documents have been approved. 

The student can also make a physical visit to the Faculty of Engineering ICT office on the Ground Floor, Mechanical Engineering Block, Harry Thuku Way. 

Advisory: The student is advised to start writing a journal article first before writing the thesis. Writing the journal article first will save the student a lot of stress and effort when it comes time to writing the thesis.

CUE requirements: A Master's thesis should be about 20 000 to 30 000 words while a PhD thesis should be about 40 000 to 50 000 words. 

Progress Reports

The student can only get the letter to begin research if their compiled PDF (Items No. 1 - 11) has been uploaded to the Postgraduate Tracking System. Once they receive the letter, the candidate should immediately fill out their first progress report, have it commented and signed by the student and the supervisors only and then upload it on the Postgraduate Tracking system. Only fully signed progress reports should be uploaded on the tracking system.  The student may use this Progress Report template . Please note that comments by the Chairman, Dean and Deputy Vice-Chancellor will be made on the Postgraduate Tracking System. T he student may use this Progress Report sample for guidance . 

The student should also send the Progress Report to the Department department via  [email protected]  for record-keeping. The student must copy all the supervisors. The subject of the email should be, ' Progress Report Q1 - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 ' and so on for the other two progress reports for Q2 and Q3. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The supervisors must be copied to the email sent to the department. 

The PDF file should be named ' Progress Report Q1 - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

The student is required to upload three fully signed progress reports by the time the student sends out the 'Intent to Submit Thesis'. 

Conducting the Thesis

The candidate will then perform the research and make a report. The candidate will be required to make progress reports after every quarter. 

Publishing - Paper Submission to Peer-reviewed Journals

The candidate should make a paper submission to peer-reviewed journals. One journal article is required for MSc students while two journal articles are required for PhD students . This requirement is in line with the Commission for University Education's guidelines. After the publication of the journal article(s), the student may then issue an Intent to Submit the Thesis for Examination. The student may refer to these notes when considering publishing in a peer-reviewed journal. The journals should be indexed in SCOPUS, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Clarivate Analytics or Africa Journals Online (AJOL). Publications in predatory journals will not be considered legitimate publications. Read this article to understand more on predatory journals. A quick method of determining predatory journals is that they have short publishing times and require significant publication fees. Secondly, a student may Google the name of the publication followed by the word "predatory" and read the reviews online. 

The student is strongly encouraged to see the University of Nairobi's library guide for publishing.

Some good journals can be found on: 

• https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jat/
• https://journalsuggester.springer.com/
• https://journalfinder.wiley.com/
• https://journalfinder.elsevier.com/
• https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php 
• https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/publishing-your-research/choosing-a-journal/journal-suggester/
• https://doaj.org/ 

Good publishers also belong to the Committee on Publications Ethics (COPE). Please note some of the journals available from the links above require an additional fee to make your accepted publication open-access. However, it is not a requirement of the University of Nairobi that the journal article be made open-access. Some good journals are free to publish so long as the author accepts that there will be no free access and the reader will have to pay to download the article. The only university requirement is that the journal article should be published in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Once the student has published a paper, the student should send the final published manuscript to the department with the subject ' Published Paper 1 - Student Name - Registration Number '.For example, ' Published Paper 1 - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 ' and so on for the other published papers. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The supervisors must be copied to the email sent to the department. The department will then investigate the journal and confirm that the paper has been published in a reputable and credible journal. 

Paper Publications Review (PhD students only)

Journal articles done by the PhD student will be subjected to further review and scrutiny by the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee to ensure that the journal articles were of high quality and were published in peer-reviewed journals. 

Once the student has published two papers, the student should send a request for publications review to the department [email protected] . The student may use this template as a guide. The subject of the email should be ' Publications Review - Student Name - Registration Number '.For example, ' Publications Review - Another Student - F80/56789/2021 ' and so on for the other published papers. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The supervisors must be copied to the email sent to the department.

Filenames of the PDF documents

The PDF file should be named ' Publications Review - Student Name - F80-56789-2021 '. For this request, there should be three attachments. 

• Publications Review - Student Name - F80-56789-2021.pdf
• Published Paper 1 - Student Name - F80-56789-2021.pdf
• Published Paper 2 - Student Name - F80-56789-2021.pdf

Thesis Registration on SMIS

The candidate should request for registration of FCE 699 after full payment of fees. The student may use this Course Registration Template for guidance . The student should send the Course Registration Request to the Department via  [email protected] . The subject of the email should be ' FCE 699 Course Registration - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens).

Once the request is sent and all the fees paid, the student may continue with the successive steps. 

Filename of the PDF document 

The PDF file should be named ' FCE 699 Course Registration - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Payment of Fees and Fee Statement 

The school fees should be fully paid before sending out the 'Intent to Submit Thesis'. Fees payable is as advised in the admission letter available on the application. For ease of the reference, the fee statements have been provided here: 

• Master's Fee Statement:    A. Admitted before 2021 *    B. Admitted 2021 and later
• PhD Fee Statement.              A. Admitted before 2021 *     B. Admitted 2021 and later  

*The university updated the cost for the student ID in 2020 from KES 500 to KES 1 000 and the amount to be paid should be KES 500 more than what is stated in the PDF form shared. 

Advisory: Bank A/C: UON CESSP Collection Account No.  2032771362  at Absa Bank, Plaza Branch.All payments should be made by direct physical deposit to the bank, where a deposit slip should be obtained. The narrative or description of the financial transaction should include the student's registration number. MPesa and RTGS Payments are not encouraged as they will require further follow-up with Student Finance by the student. The Student Finance Department is in Room G3, Ground Floor, Mahatma Gandhi Wing, Main Campus, Harry Thuku Way, Nairobi. 

Intent to Submit the Thesis for Examination

The candidate should submit a form giving notice of Intent to Submit the Thesis for Examination. The Intent to Submit the Thesis form must have TWO  attachments: 

• Abstract (in one page of approximately 300 words). 
• Detailed Fee Statement (showing complete fees). The Detailed Fee Statement can be printed from the Students' Portal . 

The candidate must use this Intent to Submit Thesis form . 

Submission of Intent to Submit Thesis for Examination through Email

Submission must be done by email in soft copy. Only one compiled PDF document is to be submitted. To submit your document, kindly send an email to the second supervisor asking them to sign and date on the relevant pages and forward it to the first supervisor and to inform them to sign and date on the relevant pages and forward it to the Chairman [email protected] . The subject of the email should be, ' Intent to Submit Thesis - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). The student should not just copy all the interested parties in one generic email; the forwarding email should have detailed instructions to the various supervisors on what the supervisors should do. See the sample email below:

It is recommended that the student ensures the document is signed by the supervisors before sending it to the Chairman of the Department, [email protected] and copy the supervisors' email addresses to the email. 

The PDF file should be named ' Intent to Submit Thesis - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. 

Submission of the Thesis

Submission must be done by email in soft copy. Submission is done to the Faculty of Engineering through the department Postgraduate Correspondence, Civil & Construction Engineering [email protected] . The constituents of the compiled PDF are listed below. The subject of the email should be as follows, 'Fresh Thesis Submission - Student Name - Registration Number'. For example, ' Fresh Thesis Submission - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens). All supervisors' email addresses must be copied. The department will forward the thesis to the Faculty for examination and will follow up on behalf of the student. 

Requirements for submission of the thesis are: 

• Faculty of Engineering (FEng) Title Page without a page number. 
• Declaration and Approval page with all the signatures on the second page [Page number (i)].  
• Signed UoN Declaration of Originality. 
• Main Thesis Document (Acknowledgement, Table of Contents, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results & Discussion, Conclusions & Recommendations, References and Appendices). 

The thesis will then be forwarded for examination by the Faculty of Engineering. 

Please compile your document into one PDF in the order above and attach the thesis submission form as a separate attachment. 

Filenames of the PDF documents 

The compiled PDF file should be named ' Fresh  Thesis Submission - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. For the fresh thesis, there should be two attachments to the email. 

• Fresh Thesis Submission - Student Name - F56-1234-2021.pdf 
• Thesis Submission Form - Student Name - F56-1234-2021.pdf 

The candidate must use this Submission of Thesis form . 

Thesis Examination and Defence

This examination and defence shall comprise two parts:

• Independent written assessment of the thesis by Internal and external examiners.
• Oral examination of the thesis by a committee of examiners as prescribed by the University of Nairobi statutes. The student may view a past defence presentation on YouTube via this link . Defence is done virtually. Even though the defence is virtual, the student will be expected to be present physically at the University with the student ID and other identification documents. 

Defence The candidate should prepare presentation slides on their research. The student should rehearse to ensure that their presentation lasts no more than 15 minutes.  The candidate may use university slides template to make the slides .

The candidate, in collaboration with the main supervisor, might be given some minor/major corrections to implement. The student will receive a consolidated list of corrections from the first supervisor. The student should ensure that the consolidated list is signed and dated by the supervisor. 

Resubmission of the Corrected Thesis after Thesis Defence and Examination

The student should correct the thesis as advised and prepare a Table of Corrections which should be sent to the main supervisor. The main supervisor will compile the following documents for forwarding to the Dean, Faculty of Engineering: 

• Table of Corrections made by the student. The student should avoid the use of lazy comments such as 'Ammended', 'Done', 'Corrected in Manuscript' or 'Attached'. Instead, the student should make detailed responses to the examiners' comments. Please read this  article on how to properly respond to the examiners' comments. The student may use this Table of Corrections Sample as a guide. 
• Certificate of Corrections. The main supervisor must use this   Certificate of Correction form . 

The supervisor should send the two documents to the Faculty on [email protected] . The supervisor may copy the email to the Department [email protected] . The subject of the email should be ' Certificate of Correction - Student Name - Registration Number '.For example, ' Certificate of Correction - Another Student - F56/1234/2021 '. 

Requirements for submission of the corrected thesis are:

• Main Corrected Thesis Document (Acknowledgement, Abstract, Introduction, Literature Review, Methodology, Results & Discussion, Conclusions & Recommendations, References and Appendices). 
• Digital Repository Agreement Form . (Sent separately with the main thesis) 
• Turnitin Antiplagiarism Report on the Revised Thesis Document. (Sent separately with the main thesis) 
• Another Signed UoN Declaration of Originality . (Sent separately with the main thesis) 
• Valid Student ID. (Sent separately with the main thesis) 

For the corrected thesis, the Digital Repository Agreement Form and the Turnitin Antiplagiarism Report are submitted separately to the final compiled PDF document. The similarity index should be below 15%. (The student and the supervisors should sign and date on the page that shows the percentage). 

Submission of the Revised Thesis

Submission must be done by email in soft copy to [email protected] . The student must copy the supervisors and the Department through  [email protected] . Five (5) separate PDF documents are to be submitted as attachments in ONE email. Do NOT  send the attachments in separate emails. The subject of the email should be as follows, ' Revised Thesis Submission - Student Name - Registration Number '. For example, ' Revised Thesis Submission - Another Student - F56/12345/2021 '. The subject should be in title case (mixed upper and lower cases). Do not use all uppercase letters. All supervisors' email addresses must be copied. Similarly, ensure the registration number on the email subject has slashes (not hyphens).

The PDF file should be named ' Revised Thesis Submission - Student Name - F56-1234-2021 '. For the revised thesis, there should be five attachments to the email. 

• Revised Thesis Submission - Student Name - F56-1234-2021.pdf 
• Digital Repository Form - Student Name - F56-1234-2021.pdf
• Similarity Index Report - Student Name - F56-1234-2021.pdf
• Declaration of Originality - Student Name - F56-1234-2021.pdf
• Valid Student ID - Student Name - F56-1234-2021.pdf

*The Similarity Index Report should be signed and dated by the student and the supervisors on the page that shows the percentage. 

Valid Student ID

A Valid copy of the Student's ID should is required. Application of the ID is done by the student on their SMIS portal. Where the ID is not valid, the student will be required to apply for the renewal and print out the page showing the renewal application from their SMIS portal. The student will attach the printout page as their application. 

The student may follow up with the Admissions Office. The Admissions Office is located in Room 114, First Floor, Central Administration Office, Main Campus, Harry Thuku Way, Nairobi. 

The student will be required to clear in the following departments and offices:

• Department/Faculty
• Sports & Games
• Halls of Residence
• Faculty Registrar
• Finance Office

Department/Faculty - The department is the mandatory first step of clearance. The student will be given a physical form at the Chairman's office. The student will have the form signed by the technologists of the various laboratories and resubmit it to the department. After resubmission, the clearance on the portal will activated and the status will change. 

Sports & Games - The location of Sports & Games is along Lower State House Road, near the Student's Clinic. 

Library - The location of the library is in JKML. 

Halls of Residence - The student should go to the Student's Welfare Authority along Mamlaka Road, close to Hall 9 and the Students' centre. 

Faculty Registrar - The Faculty Registrar's office is on the second floor of the Central Administration Offices in Main Campus. 

Finance Office - The Student Finance Department is on Room G3, Ground Floor, Mahatma Gandhi Wing, Main Campus, Harry Thuku Way, Nairobi. 

Once you have cleared you will be issued with a Letter of Award from the Senate. 

Library Clearance Procedure for Submission of Soft Copy Thesis

1. Graduating student forwards a duly signed PDF version of their Dissertation/Theses/Project alongside other mandatory documents to their respective Deans.

2. Dean confirm that the above documents meet the expected requirements and forward the same to the Graduate Studies Secretariat for verification for graduation.

3. Graduate Studies Secretariat forwards to the Library the above documents (No.1) for printing and binding through [email protected] for purposes of reference in the respective departments, Libraries and archiving in the repository.

4. The Library Bindery raises invoices and emails to the students to pay for printing and binding services.

5. Printing and Binding Charges are:

• Four (4) copies for PhD theses @Kshs.3,000.00 per copy totalling to Kshs.12,000.00
• Four (4) copies for Masters by Thesis @Kshs.1,950 per copy totalling to Kshs.7.800.00
• Two (2) copies for Postgraduate diploma and Masters by projects/dissertation
• @Kshs.1,450.00 per copy totalling to Kshs.2,900.00Kindly note that all bound copies shall be retained by the University. Any student who requires an extra copy or copies can place a request to the Library after paying for printing and binding charges.

Payment shall be done through either of the following modes:-

LIPA NA MPESA mode. Students using this mode should ensure they use their personal MPESA account and pay by “Buy goods & service” – Till Number 807313.

Deposit to Absa Bank. Account Name: UNES Corporate Account; Branch: Westland Branch; Account Number: 0732255303. Narrative should be the name of the student’s and their Registration Number.

6. Student Scans and forwards a copy of the payment evidence to   [email protected]

7. Bindery confirms payment, clears students for binding services, forwards scanned copies of the clearance form and payment receipt to Graduate Studies Secretariat, Dean and the Student. 8. The Dean initiates the clearance of the student for him/her to seek clearance from various departments. 

NB. Original receipts can be collected from Library bindery at Jomo Kenyatta Memorial

Library (JKML) Main Campus after clearance as per No.8 above.

Completion and Graduation

The student will graduate in the next graduation ceremony after paying the required graduation convocation fee. The mandatory convocation fee is paid to: 

• Bank: ABSA KENYA PLC
• Branch: ABSA Towers
• Account Name: UON MODULE I COLLECTION ACCOUNT
• Account Number: 2032770838
• Amount: 1 000 
• Narrative: Registration Number

Or as advised in memos leading to the graduation ceremony. 

Optional charges are: 

• Hire of graduation gown: KES 4 000.00
• Congregation fee: KES 2 500 (must be paid for those who wish to attend physically)

Collection of Certificate

The graduate should plan to collect their Master's or PhD certificate after the announcement for schedule for collection of certificates is made on the University of Nairobi's main website uonbi.ac.ke . The certificate should be collected from the University of Nairobi Central Examinations Centre, Chiromo Campus. The graduate student should register on the University CRM Portal  on https://graduates.uonbi.ac.ke/ before going to collect the document physically. 

The following will be required before collection of the certificates: 

• Original National Identity Card or Original Passport. 
• Convocation fee receipt for KES 1 000.00

Certificates should be collected by the stipulated date. Any certificate not collected by the stipulated date will be liable to a storage charge of KES 1 000/= per year or part thereof. For avoidance of doubt, any part of a year after the expiry of the collection date shall attract a storage charge of KES 1 000/=. For further information with regards to the collection of the certificate, please contact:

The Academic Registrar University of Nairobi P.O. Box 30917-00100 NAIROBI Telephone: 020-4914201/020-4914202/020-4914204/020-4914203 Mobile: 0700675405 Email:  [email protected]  or [email protected]

Ongoing students can view their status below. The table is sorted by the students' registration numbers in ascending order. 

KEY Turnitin Rcvd - The department has received a similarity index report request from the student. Action required: The department should take action and respond with a similarity index report in not more than five business days. 

Turnitin Snt - The department has scanned and sent back a similarity index report to the student. Action required: The student should take action and submit the proposal, if the similarity index was less than 15%; or revise the document if the similarity index was 15% or more. 

Prpsl Rcvd - The department has received a proposal document with all seven requirements from the student/supervisor. Action required: The chairman should take action and approve the document for forwarding to the FPSC. 

Prpsl Snt - The chairman has signed and has sent the proposal document to the Faculty Postgraduate Studies Committee. Action required: The FPSC should take action and review the document. 

FPSC Rcvd - The department has received the FPSC reviews. Action required: The department should take action forward the comments to the student. 

FPSC Snt - The department has sent the FPSC reviews to the student. Action required: The student should revise the proposal as per FPSC recommendations. 

NTntn Rcvd - The department has received a similarity index report for the revised thesis proposal from the student. Action required:  The department should scan and send the student the similarity index report. 

NTntn Snt - The department has sent a similarity index report for the revised thesis proposal to the student. Action required: The student should send the department a revised thesis proposal. 

Rev Prpsl Rcvd - The department has received the revised thesis proposal with all 10 requirements. Action required: The chairman should approve the revised thesis proposal and send it to the FPSC. 

Rev Prpsl Snt - The department has sent the revised thesis proposal to the FPSC. Action required: The FPSC should confirm that the student has adopted all the recommendations (or provided adequate rebuttals) to the recommendations it has made. 

Fcmnts Rcvd - The department has received further comments, if any, from the FPSC.  Action required: The department should send the FPSC further comments to the student. 

FCmnts Snt - The department has sent the student further comments from the FPSC, if any. Action required: The student should adopt the FPSC further comments. 

FRev Prpsl Rcvd - The department has received the further revised proposal from the student. Action required:   The chairman should approve the document and forward it to the FPSC. 

FRev Prpsl Sent - The department has sent the further revised proposal to the FPSC. Action required: The FPSC should review the further revised proposal. 

FPSC Aprvl Rcvd - The department has received the minutes from the FPSC granting approval of proposal. Action required: The department will allocate supervisors to the student on the Postgraduate Tracking System and should forward the signed pages and minutes to the student. 

FPSC Aprvl Snt - The department has sent the minutes from the FPSC to the student. Action required: The student should compile the document, upload the document to the Postgraduate Tracking System and forward the compiled document to the department. 

Upl Rcvd - The department has received the complete thesis proposal (with all signatures) for record-keeping. Action required: The department should also request the Dean to request DVC (AA) for official approval of the thesis proposal. 

Upl Snt - The department has sent the complete proposal to the dean's office for record-keeping. Action required: The Dean will request the DVC (AA) for official approval of the thesis proposal. 

Acd Rgstr LttrRcvd - The department has received the letter from the academic registrar. Action required: The department will forward the student the letter of approval to the student. 

Acd Rgstr Lttr Snt - The department has sent the letter from the academic registrar to the student. Action required: The student should begin the research and upload Progress Report Q1. 

Prg 1 Rcvd - The department has received the fully signed Progress Report 1 from the student. Action required: The student should file the second progress report in not less than a month (from submission of Progress Report 1) and begin publishing in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Prg 2 Rcvd - The department has received the fully signed Progress Report 2 from the student. Action required: The student should file the third progress report in not less than a month (from submission of Progress Report 2) and should be in the publication process in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Prg 3 Rcvd - The department has received the fully signed Progress Report 3 from the student. Action required: The student should complete the publication process in a peer-reviewed journal. 

Intt Submit Rcvd - The department has received an 'Intent to Submit' by the candidate. Action required: The department checks whether the student has filled the three progress reports and whether the publication has been made in a peer-reviewed journal.  

Intt Submit Snt - The department has sent the 'Intent to Submit' to the Dean. Action required: The department, chairman and the supervisor in consultation with the Dean will set up a Committee of Examiners. 

CoE Setup - A committee of examiners has been set up. Action required: The dean will request the student to submit the thesis. 

Submt Ths Rcvd - The department has received instruction from the Dean to ask the student to submit the thesis. Action required: The department will forward the instruction to the student. 

Submt Ths Sent - The department has sent the instruction from the Dean to the student asking the student to submit the thesis. Action required: The student should submit the thesis with all the requirements. 

Ths Rcvd - The department has received the thesis from the student. Action required: The Chairman will approve and send the document to the Dean. 

Ths Snt - The chairman has approved the document and has been sent to the Faculty. Action required: The dean will send the thesis to the reviewers for examination. The student will be called for a defence. 

RThs Rcvd - The department has received a revised thesis from the supervisor. Action required: The department will forward the revised thesis to the Faculty. 

RThs Snt - The department has sent the revised thesis to the Faculty. Action required: The Faculty will forward the document to Graduate Secretariat. Action required: The student should clear and prepare for graduation.

Help improve this page by asking questions or seeking clarifications from  [email protected] . Your comments might be incorporated into this page to assist other students. 

Updated: 2024-04-19

© University of Nairobi 2024.  All rights Reserved.

Adelaide Graduate Research School

Thesis Submission

You have finally finished your thesis! There are just a few more steps (and forms) needed to submit it for examination.

Getting ready for thesis submission

• The checklist The Adelaide Graduate Research School has created a simple checklist for you to complete to ensure that you have everything ready to submit your thesis. Download the checklist
• Certification for thesis examination This form must be submitted at the time your thesis is submitted. It basically confirms that the thesis is ready for examination. It needs to be signed by your Principal Supervisor and your PGC or Head of School. As these people are busy it would be worth contacting them a few days in advance to advise that you would like to get the form signed and organise a time they will be available. Download the Certification for Thesis Examination form

Submit your thesis at the Adelaide Graduate Research School Submit your thesis electronically as a single PDF together with a completed  Certification for Thesis Examination form  by email to the  Adelaide Graduate Research School . If your thesis is too large to email, please use the University’s preferred file sharing software, Box, to create a link for us to download your file  using the ‘Copy Shared Link’ function, not the ‘Share’ function ( instructions on using Box are available ).

Note that students submitting a thesis with music need to submit one electronic copy of exegesis as a PDF and copies of any music files along with an index, and students submitting a thesis with creative work should submit the exegesis and creative work as 2 separate PDF files.

Examinations will be conducted as normal although delays due to COVID-19 are expected. Any queries regarding thesis submission should be emailed to the  Adelaide Graduate Research School .

• Celebrate your thesis submission Celebrate your thesis submission ! Submit a photo to the Adelaide Graduate Research School for inclusion in the thesis submission gallery.

What happens next?

Find out more about the thesis examination .

डिजिटल थीसिस प्रोसेसिंग पोर्टल DIGITAL THESIS PROCESSING PORTAL

Dnb/drnb registration no., केवल अधिकृत व्यक्ति ही इस पोर्टल पर लॉगिन कर सकते हैं note: only authorized user can login to this portal..

• Hack-O-Med 2023

Forms Download For Students

• Application form for Migration download
• Application form for Transcription download
• Application form to appear in University examination for PG courses_with dissertation download
• Application form to appear in University examination download
• Authorization Form download
• Application form for submission of Research Proposal (Synopsis) download
• Application form for submission of Thesis (Dissertation) download
• Undertaking and Self declaration regarding service in remote and /or difficult areas pub 6.11.09 download

Forms Download – Other

• WBUHS Application form for affiliation download

Forms Download - Others

• Work-flow process for issuing Inspection, Affiliation & Enhancement order from WBUHS download
• WBUHS application form to continue course after a period of gap for UG courses download

Registration

Prizes & Honors 2024

Each year at commencement, the Harvard Graduate School of Design confers awards on graduating students who demonstrate exceptional scholarly achievement, leadership, and service. Congratulations to the student award recipients, and to all 2024 graduates for your tremendous accomplishments.

Prize-Winning Thesis Projects

Keur fàttaliku — the house of recollection.

Mariama M.M. Kah (MArch II ’ 24)

Yeonho Lee (MArch II ’ 24)

How to (Un)build a House? A Reinvention of Wood Framing

Clara Mu He (MArch I ’ 24)

Learning from Quartzsite, AZ: Emerging Nomadic Spatial Practices in America

• Mojtaba Nabavi (MAUD ’24)

Reforesting Fort Ord

• Slide Kelly (MLA I AP, MDes ’24)

INSURGENT GEOLOGY: Mineral Matters in the Arctic

Melanie Louterbach (MLA I ’24)

Seeding Grounds: Working Beyond Arcadia in The Pyrocene

by Stewart Crane Sarris (MLA I ’24)

School Awards

Gerald m. mccue medal.

The Gerald M. McCue Medal is awarded each year to the student graduating from one of the school’s post-professional degree programs who has achieved the highest overall academic record.

• Haewon Ma (MDes ’24, Narratives Domain)

Digital Design Prize

The Digital Design Prize is presented by the Graduate School of Design to the students who have demonstrated the most imaginative and creative use of computer graphics in relation to the design professions.

• Chun Tak Chung (MArch I AP ’24)

Peter Rice Prize

The Peter Rice Prize honors students of exceptional promise in the school’s architecture and advanced degree programs who have proven their competence and innovation in advancing architecture and structural engineering.

• Clara Mu He (MArch I ’24)

  Plimpton-Poorvu Design Prize

The Plimpton-Poorvu Design Prize recognizes the top team or individual for a viable real estate project completed as part of the GSD curriculum that best demonstrates feasibility in design, construction, economics, and in fulfillment of market and user needs.

• 1st Prize: Ziyang Dong (MArch I ’25)
• 1st Prize: Jasmine Ibrahim (MRE ’24)
• 1st Prize:   Jian Li Oh (MUD ’24)
• 1st Prize: Benjamin John Parker (MAUD ’24)
• 2nd Prize: Chandler Caserta (MArch I ’25)
• 2nd Prize: Austin N Sun (MArch I, MLA AP ’24)
• 2nd Prize:   Kei Takanami  (MArch I ’25)
• 2nd Prize: Amber Zeng (MArch I ’25)
• 2nd Prize: Catherine Shuying Chen  (MArch I ’25)
• 2nd Prize: Aaron Smithson (MArch I, UP  ’25)
• 2nd Prize: Maggie May Weese (MUP, MPH ’24)
• Honorable Mention: Jaime Espinoza (MRE ’24)
• Honorable Mention:   Chris James (MRE ’24)
• Honorable Mention: Miguel Lantigua Inoa  (MArch II, MLA AP ’24)

Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design

The Clifford Wong Prize in Housing Design aims to help re-establish the essential role of architects in society to provide not only the fundamental needs of human shelter but to meet the challenge of designing creative solutions for improving living environments. The prize is awarded for the multi-family housing design that incorporates the most interesting ideas and/or innovations that may lead to socially oriented, improved living conditions.

• Magdalen Elizabeth Musante (MArch I ’24)

Best Paper on Housing

• Jorge Enrique Mutis  (MAUD ’24)

Irving Innovation Fellowship

The Irving Innovation Fellowship offers a graduating student the opportunity to extend their research and discovery beyond their time as a student and work with a group of mentors and colleagues to contribute to the school’s pedagogy and dialogue on an annually changing topic.

• Melanie Louterbach (MLA I ’24)

Fulbright Public Policy Fellowship

• Kimberlee Diane Córdova (MDes ’24, Narratives Domain)

Druker Traveling Fellowship

Established in 1986, the Druker Traveling Fellowship is open to all students at the GSD who demonstrate excellence in the design of urban environments. It offers students the opportunity to travel in the United States or abroad to pursue study that advances understanding of urban design.

• Curry Julius Hackett (MAUD ’24)

Architecture Awards

American institute of architects medal.

The American Institute of Architects Medal is awarded to a professional degree student in the Master in Architecture graduating class who has achieved the highest level of excellence in overall scholarship throughout the course of their studies.

• Sungyeon Kristine Chung (MArch I ’24)

Alpha Rho Chi Medal

The Alpha Rho Chi Medal is awarded to the graduating student who has achieved the best general record of leadership and service to the department and who gives promise of professional merit through their character.

• Oluwatosin Odugbemi (MArch I ’24)

James Templeton Kelley Prize

The James Templeton Kelley Prize recognizes the best final design project submitted by a graduating student in the architecture degree programs.

• MArch I: Clara Mu He  (MArch I ’24)
• MArch II: Mariama M.M. Kah (MArch II ’24)
• MArch II: Yeonho Lee  (MArch II ’24)

Julia Amory Appleton Traveling Fellowship in Architecture

The Julia Amory Appleton Traveling Fellowship is given to a student in the Department of Architecture on the basis of academic achievement as well as the worthiness of the project to be undertaken.

Kevin V. Kieran Prize

The Kevin V. Kieran Prize recognizes the highest level of academic achievement among students graduating from the post-professional Master in Architecture program.

• Thomas Day (MArch II ’24)

Dept. of Architecture Faculty Design Award

The Department of Architecture Faculty Design Award was established by the faculty of the Department of Architecture with the aim of recognizing significant achievement within a body of design work completed by a student at the GSD. This award is given to graduating students from each of the department’s two program.

• Siyu Zhu (MArch I ’24)
• Ihwa Choi (MArch II ’24)

Dept. of Architecture Certificate of Academic Excellence

The Department of Architecture Certificate of Academic Excellence is awarded by the faculty of the Department of Architecture to a graduate of the professional degree program in architecture (MArch I) in recognition of their academic achievement throughout their course of study in the program.

• Nana Komoriya (MArch I ’24)

Landscape Architecture Awards

Thesis prize in landscape architecture.

The Landscape Architecture Thesis Prize is given to the graduating student who has prepared the best independent thesis during the past academic year.

• Melanie Louterbach  (MLA I ’24)
• Stewart Crane Sarris (MLA I ’24)

American Society of Landscape Architects Certificates

Nominated by the faculty in the GSD’s Department of Landscape Architecture, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) awards a certificate of Honor and a Certificate of Merit to students enrolled in the Master in Landscape Architecture program who have “demonstrated a high degree of academic scholarship and of accomplishment in skills related to the art and technology of landscape architecture.”

• Leila Sophia Breen (MLA I ’24), Certificate of Merit
• Julia Leah Hedges (MLA I ’24), Certificate of Merit
• Kai Alycia Walcott (MLA I ’24), Certificate of Merit
• Brian Kohan (MLA I AP ’24), Certificate of Honor
• Xinran Ma ( MLA I  ’24), Certificate of Honor
• Zeinab Maghdouri Khubnama (MLA I AP ’24), Certificate of Honor

Norman T. Newton Prize

The Norman T. Newton Prize is given to a graduating landscape architecture student whose work best exemplifies achievement in design expression as realized in any medium.

• Christopher Lucas Dobbin (MLA I AP ’24)

Peter Walker & Partners Fellowship for Landscape Architecture

The Peter Walker and Partners Fellowship for Landscape Architecture is awarded to support travel and study for a graduating GSD student to advance their understanding of the body of scholarship and practices related to landscape design.

• Gracie Rae Meek (MLA I AP ’24)
• Daniella Renee Slowik (MLA II ’24)

Jacob Weidenman Prize

The Jacob Weidenmann Prize is awarded to the student of the most distinguished design achievement graduating from the Department of Landscape Architecture.

• Nakakamol Chueathue (MLA II  ’24)

Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship in Landscape Architecture

The Charles Eliot Traveling Fellowship is awarded annually as the highest honor by the Department of Landscape Architecture to one of its graduates.

Urban Planning and Design Awards

Academic excellence in urban planning.

The Award for Academic Excellence in Urban Planning and Urban Design honors graduating students from each of the programs who have achieved the highest academic record.

• Daniel Montoya (MUP ’24)
• Michael Christopher Whelan (MUP ’24)

Academic Excellence in Urban Design

• Benjamin John Parker  (MAUD ’24)

Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning and Urban Design

The Award for Outstanding Leadership in Urban Planning and Urban Design honors graduating students from each of the programs who have demonstrated outstanding leadership during their time at the Graduate School of Design.

• Olufemi Olamijulo (MUP ’24)
• Pia Kochar  (MUP ’24)

Thesis Prize in Urban Planning & Design

The Planning and Design Thesis Prize is given to the graduating students in each of the programs who have prepared the best independent theses during the past academic year.

Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning

The Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional ability in urban planning projects including research and design studios throughout their course of study.

• Nur Shlapobersky (MUP ’24)

Award for Excellence in Urban Design

The Award for Excellence in Urban Design is given to students who have demonstrated exceptional design ability throughout their course of study in the Urban Design program.

• Yimeng Ding (MAUD ’24)

American Planning Association Outstanding Student Award

The American Planning Association Outstanding Student Award recognizes outstanding attainment in the study of planning by students graduating from accredited planning programs. The recipient of the award is chosen by a jury of planning faculty at each school.

• Briana Villaverde Uriarte (MUP ’24)

Design Studies Awards

Dimitris pikionis award.

The Dimitris Pikionis Award recognizes a student for outstanding academic performance in the Master in Design Studies degree program.

• Rosita Palladino (MDes ’24, Ecologies Domain)

Design Studies Domain Awards

• Treyden Chiaravalloti (MDes ’24, Mediums Domain)
• Huirong Ye (MDes ’24, Narratives Domain)
• Gabriel Jean-Paul Soomar (MArch II, MDes ’24, Publics Domain)

Design Engineering Awards

Overall academic performance award.

The Overall Academic Performance Award recognizes a graduating MDE student for outstanding academic performance in the Master in Design Engineering degree program.

• Binita Gupta (MDE ’24)

Leadership and Community Prize

The Leadership and Community Prize recognizes one or more graduating students who have displayed outstanding leadership and community building within the Design Engineering cohort and who have represented MDE values to the larger world.

• Ghalya Alsanea (MDE ’24)
• Priyanka Pillai (MDE ’24)

Outstanding Design Engineering Project

• Julius Stein (MDE ’24)

Alumni Award

The Alumni Award recognizes and celebrates the diversity, range, and impact of outstanding GSD alumni leaders within their communities and across their areas of practice. It underscores the essential role GSD graduates play in leading change around the world.  Founded and led by the GSD Alumni Council, 2024 marks the fourth year of this initiative.

• Ron Ostberg, who received his Master in Architecture (MArch) from the GSD in 1968

Ron Ostberg receives this award for exceptional service to the GSD community, outstanding ambassadorship to the school through the broader university and Harvard Alumni Association, and for playing a critical role in forming the Alumni Council as we know it today.

• Gretchen Schneider Rabinkin, who received her Master in Architecture (MArch) from the GSD in 1997

As Executive Director, Gretchen Schneider Rabinkin oversees operations and management of the Boston Society of Landscape Architects, one of the largest, oldest, and most active chapters of the American Society of Landscape Architects.

• Harry G. Robinson, III, who received his Master in City Planning in Urban Design from the GSD in 1973

Harry G. Robinson is a former professor of architecture and Dean Emeritus of the School of Architecture and Design at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

• Calvin Tsao, who received his Master in Architecture from the GSD in 1979

Calvin Tsao is a recognized and leading voice in contemporary architecture whose work draws from a lively engagement with a variety of art forms.