thesis submission guidelines

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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. The date on which the thesis documents and nomination of examiners are received by GRS is the date recorded as the official thesis 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 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 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 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.

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:

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

2025 conferral dates and deadlines

February Conferral — 12 February 2025 Faculty to GRS deadline — 17 January 2025
March Conferral — 19 March 2025 Faculty to GRS deadline — 21 February 2025
May Conferral — 28 May 2025 Faculty to GRS deadline — 2 May 2025
July Conferral — 23 July 2025 Faculty to GRS deadline — 27 June 2025
September Conferral — 3 September 2025 Faculty to GRS deadline — 8 August 2025
November Conferral — 26 November 2025 Faculty to GRS deadline — 31 October 2025

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.

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.

Format, bind and submit your thesis: general guidance

You no longer need to submit a physical copy of your thesis. Please refer directly to the “Submit Your Thesis” section below.

This information is for research students submitting a thesis for assessment. It tells you how to:

format your thesis
submit your thesis
bind your thesis (if applicable)
submit the final copy of your thesis

There are different requirements for students of fine arts, design, architecture or town planning.

Find out more about these requirements

Format your thesis

UCL theses should be submitted in a specific format, this applies to both the viva and final copies of your thesis.

View the thesis checklist

Presentation

In the electronic version of your thesis, hyperlinks (including DOIs) should be functional and resolve to the correct webpage.

We would recommend using Arial or Helvetica fonts, at a size of no less than 12.

Find out more about the accessibility guidelines

If printed, please present your thesis in a permanent and legible format.

Illustrations should be permanently mounted on A4 size paper and bound in with the thesis; you may not use sellotape or similar materials.

A4 size paper (210 x 297 mm) should be used. Plain white paper must be used, of good quality and of sufficient opacity for normal reading. Both sides of the paper may be used.

Both sides of the paper may be used.

Margins at the binding edge must not be less than 40 mm (1.5 inches) and other margins not less than 20 mm (.75 inches). Double or one-and-a-half spacing should be used in typescripts, except for indented quotations or footnotes where single spacing may be used.

All pages must be numbered in one continuous sequence, i.e. from the title page of the first volume to the last page of type, in Arabic numerals from 1 onwards. This sequence must include everything bound in the volume, including maps, diagrams, blank pages, etc. Any material which cannot be bound in with the text must be placed in a pocket inside or attached to the back cover or in a rigid container similar in format to the bound thesis (see Illustrative material ).

The title page must bear the following:

the officially-approved title of the thesis
the candidates full name as registered
the institution name 'UCL'
the degree for which the thesis is submitted

The title page should be followed by a signed declaration that the work presented in the thesis is the candidate’s own e.g.

‘I, [full name] confirm that the work presented in this thesis is my own. Where information has been derived from other sources, I confirm that this has been indicated in the thesis.'

Please see the section below entitled ‘Inclusion of published works in doctoral theses’ for more information about how to indicate when you have re-used material that you have previously published.

The signed declaration should be followed by an abstract consisting of no more than 300 words.

Impact Statement

The abstract should be followed by an impact statement consisting of no more than 500 words. For further information on the content of the Impact Statement, please see the Impact Statement Guidance Notes for Research Students and Supervisors on the Doctoral School's website.

Find out more about the Impact Statement

Inclusion of published works in doctoral theses

If you have included any work in your thesis that you have published (e.g. in a journal) previously, then you will need to insert a completed copy of the UCL Research Paper Declaration Form into your thesis after the Impact Statement. The form, and information about how to complete it is available on the Doctoral School’s website.

Find out more about the UCL Research Paper Declaration Form

In each copy of the thesis the abstract should be followed by a full table of contents (including any material not bound in) and a list of tables, photographs and any other materials. It is good practice to use bookmarking within the PDF of the thesis in electronic form to allow readers to jump to the relevant section, figure, table etc. from the table of contents.

Illustrative material

Illustrative material may be submitted on a CD-ROM. If you wish to submit material in any other form, your supervisor must contact Research Degrees well in advance of submission of the thesis.

Any material which cannot be bound in with the text must be placed either in a pocket inside or attached to the back cover or in a rigid container similar in format to the bound thesis. If it is separate from the bound volume it must be clearly labelled with the same information as on the title page. Each copy of the thesis submitted must be accompanied by a full set of this material.

Submit your thesis

Viva copies.

You must submit an electronic version of your thesis to via the UCL OneDrive . You no longer need to submit a printed copy unless your examiners ask for this.

Find out more on how to submit via the UCL OneDrive

We will check your status and if your examiners have been appointed we will forward the thesis directly to them. They will then be able to download the copy of your thesis to prepare for your exam.

If, following your submission, an examiner requests a hard copy of the thesis, you or your supervisor will need to arrange for this to be printed. Your supervisor or department can arrange for this to be sent directly to the examiner at their preferred postal address, or it can be handed to the  Student Enquiries Centre  during their walk-in operational hours. If submitted to the Student Enquiries Centre, the research degrees team will collect your thesis and post it on to the examiners, but please be aware that collections take place once per week and we cannot guarantee the physical copies will be posted within less than 8-10 working days UCL’s standard submission of a thesis is electronic, in line with UCL’s sustainability strategy . If an examiner requests a physical thesis copy (this may be due to accessibility requirements of the examiner), you are responsible for making sure that your thesis is correctly printed and bound by the company you select.

If your examiners have not been appointed, your thesis will be held securely until your examiners have been formally appointed by UCL.

Covid-19 Impact Form

We have developed a form for you to submit with your thesis if you wish to declare an impact on your research. The form is optional and your choice to complete it or not will have no bearing on the outcome of your examination. It is intended to set the context of examination and is not a plea for leniency. Your examiners will continue to apply the standard criteria as set out in UCL’s Academic Manual and the joint examiners’ form. Please see the publication from the QAA on Advice on Doctoral Standards for Research Students and Supervisors for further support.

You must submit this form as a separate Word document or PDF when you submit your thesis via the UCL Dropbox as detailed in our guidance above. We will only accept the form if you submit it at the same time that you submit your thesis. This will apply if you are making an initial submission or a resubmission.

Download the Covid-19 Impact Form

Find out more about the Student Enquiries Centre

Your examination entry form must be received and logged by Research Degrees before you submit your thesis.

Find out more about examination entry

Re-submission

If you need to re-submit you must:

submit a new examination entry form to the Research Degrees office at least 4 weeks prior to the expected submission of the thesis
you must submit an electronic version of your thesis to via the UCL OneDrive . You no longer need to submit a printed copy unless your examiners ask for this. Find out more on how to submit via the UCL OneDrive

We will check your status and confirm that your examiners are willing to review your revised thesis. We will then forward the thesis directly to them. They will be able to download the copy of your thesis for assessment.

If an external examiner requests a hard copy of the thesis you will need to arrange for this to be printed and submitted to the Student Enquiries Centre during their walk-in operational hours. We will collect your thesis and post it on to the examiners.

Submitting as a Non-Registered Student

If you do not submit your thesis by the end of your period of Completing Research Status, your registration as a student will end at that point. Your supervisor will then need to apply for permission for you to submit your thesis in writing to the Research Degrees section, at least 3 weeks before your expected submission date. You will be charged a submission extension fee at the point you submit your thesis.

Bind your thesis

You no longer need to submit a printed copy unless your examiners specifically request this.

The thesis must be bound securely. Both sides of the paper may be used.  Illustrations should be permanently mounted and bound in with the thesis. Illustrative material may be submitted on a separate electronic storage device. If you wish to submit material in any other form, your supervisor must contact Research Degrees well in advance of submission of the thesis.  Any material which cannot be bound in with the text must be placed either in a pocket inside or attached to the back cover or in a rigid container similar in format to the bound thesis. If it is separate from the bound volume it must be clearly labelled with the same information as on the title page. Each copy of the thesis submitted must be accompanied by a full set of this material. 

You are responsible for making sure that your thesis is correctly bound by the company you select.

Final copies

UCL no longer requires a printed copy of your final thesis and we will award your degree once you have met the academic conditions and the Library have confirmed receipt of your e-thesis, the Deposit Agreement form, and you have cleared any outstanding fees.

You will need to deposit an electronic copy of your final thesis (and a completed E-Thesis Deposit Agreement form) via UCL's Research Publications Service (RPS). Please ensure that you remove, or blank out, all personal identifiers such as signatures, addresses and telephone numbers from the e-thesis (this does not include your own name on the title page). Any photographs that you have taken should not show identifiable individuals without their permission and any you have taken of children should mask their faces.

If you do wish to deposit a hard copy you can do so by sending it directly to the Cataloguing & Metadata department of Library Services by post, or in person at the Main Library help desk. You will find more information about the process on the existing webpage for e-thesis submission.

Find out more about depositing an electronic and printed copy of your thesis