Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions concerning the submission and examination of Research Degrees. The documents and forms referred to are available on this website.

What do I need to do to submit my thesis?

Two to three months before you and your supervisor expect you to finish your thesis, you should complete a Notification of Intention to Submit a Thesis form.

When UGS receives this form we contact the faculty and the supervisor to start the process of appointing the examiners.

We also send you a form entitled Student Statement - Submission of Thesis for Examination and information to help with the presentation of your thesis. You must submit the Student Statement when you submit your thesis for examination. The second page of this from serves as an acknowledgement of receipt of the thesis by UGS.

You hand in three copies of your doctoral thesis, or two copies of your masters thesis, bound in temporary binding, at the Office of the Associate Dean (Research) in your faculty, accompanied by the Student Statement. The Faculty then forwards the thesis to UGS with the appropriate certification, i.e. the Supervisor’s Certificate.

What is temporary binding?

Temporary binding is a binding such as perfect, comb or spiral binding. A bulldog clip or ribbon does not constitute temporary binding.

What if my thesis is not print on paper?

If your thesis does not take the traditional form, it is important for you and your supervisor to be aware of the UTS statement on Non-Standard Assessment Procedures and of the Statement of Principles for the examination of Research Degree Work which is not Print on Paper.

Can I submit an electronic version of the thesis for examination?

In some circumstances this provision is available but is subject to the consent of the supervisor, the examiner(s) and the student concerned. Contact the UGS to determine the procedure

Are there any Guidelines on the Use of Editors?

Students are permitted to use editors in preparing their thesis for submission. Guidelines are available http://www.gradschool.uts.edu.au/policies/policiesprocess/UseofEditors.pdf

A Policy has also been developed by the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies collaboratively with the Council of Australian Societies of Editors.

Who selects and appoints the examiners?

The Faculty recommends the names of examiners they believe have the appropriate expertise, by referring to the Selection of Potential Examiners for Research Degree Theses. They then submit the Nomination of Thesis Examiners form. The UGS Board has the authority to approve or not approve the appointment of examiners. Invitations on behalf of the University are issued by the Faculty. Your supervisor may consult you for suggestions, however, the names of the examiners are confidential during the examination period. If you do find out who has been appointed, you must not raise the examination of your thesis with them.

How many examiners are there?

Three examiners are appointed to assess a doctoral thesis and two examiners are appointed to assess a master’s thesis.

What information is provided to the examiners?

In summary

• Examiners prepare their reports independently in most cases;

• there is no Oral except in specific, rare cases;

• no more than one Examiner is internal to the University;

• Examiners complete a recommendation form selecting one of six options;

• when received by UGS, the set of Examiners' Reports is sent to the Faculty RAO of Research.

The complete information can be found at Overview of Thesis Examination at UTS: A Guide for Examiners.

Examiners are also sent Notes for Examiners of Theses, which requests that they address the following issues in their report; Content, Knowledge, and Presentation

When is the thesis sent out to the examiners?

The UGS has to have a certificate from the Supervisor and the Responsible Academic Officer stating that the thesis is ready for examination (the Supervisor’s Certificate), and a Student Statement - Submission of Thesis for Examination. As long as these have been submitted, the thesis will be sent out to examiners as soon as they have been approved.

How long do the examiners have to complete the examination?

Examiners are given between 6-8 weeks to complete the examination. Overseas examiners are normally given the full eight weeks. There is however a lot of variation in how quickly examiners reports are returned to UGS, so we often have to follow up examiners.

How do I know what is happening during the examination process?

It is difficult to give detailed information to you during the examination process. We can provide information on the number of reports received but not the names of the examiners or the content of the report. You will receive the reports only when all the examiners have completed the examination. The reports are sent to the Responsible Academic Officer for Research in your faculty, and UGS advises you in writing when this has been done.

Can I contact my examiners before or during the examination?

See Communicating with Examiners

What kind of report will I get from the examiners and what happens next?

When the examiners reports have been received and considered by the Faculty’s Research Degrees Committee, you will be given copies of the reports and a statement of what level and type of corrections you are required to do. (An examiner may request that his or her name is withheld from you.)

In brief, you may be asked to correct typographical and other minor errors; you may be asked to re-write relatively small parts of the thesis; you may be asked to substantially revise and re-write the thesis; or you may be advised that your work is unsatisfactory and you are not permitted to re-submit your work. You will be given a time frame to complete the corrections or revisions and notified of the final approval process.

The process for dealing with examiners’ recommendations is set out in a University Graduate School paper.

A further process for dealing with complicated situations is set out in Examination Process – Moderation Procedures

Can the examiners talk to one another during the examination?

Consultation between Examiners is facilitated when two or more Examiners request an opportunity to consult before finalising their (individual) reports.

For further details see Facilitating Consultation between Examiners.

How long do I have to make the corrections?

After examination of the thesis, any minor changes to the thesis that does not require re-submission for re-examination, must be completed to the satisfaction of the Responsible Academic Officer within six (6) months of date of notification. The Responsible Academic Officer will report satisfactory completion of the changes to the University Graduate School Board.

If you are required to submit a revised thesis for re-examination, the revised thesis must be ready for re-examination within a specified period of normally twelve (12) months.

At what point does the thesis get bound in buckram?

The final copy of the thesis is bound in boards and covered with the appropriate colour buckram after you have made the recommended corrections or amendments and they have been deemed satisfactory by the relevant committee or Board. The binding should be dark red for doctoral students and dark blue for master’s students. The specific requirements for presenting and binding the thesis are found in the document entitled Presentation and Submission of Theses for Higher Degrees.

Who can bind a thesis?

You can have your thesis bound at any binder of your choice, however it is recommended that you approach a company on the list of recommended binders supplied by UGS.

How do I submit the Final Bound Copy?

Once the supervisor certifies that all of the corrections have been made, the final bound copy of your thesis (red for doctoral and blue for masters) should be submitted to the Faculty RAO of Research, together with the Lodgement of Research Degree Thesis in Library form. The Faculty RAO will also have to certify that all relevant corrections have been made and that you are now eligible to graduate.

Can I put my completed thesis on the web?

Now that UTS is part of the Australian Digital Theses Project, you can make your doctoral or research masters thesis available on the web for free world wide viewing. Further details are available on the Library website
http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/finding/collections/digital_theses

To whom are the final copies sent?

After the graduation date has passed, one copy of the completed thesis is sent to the Library with an original of the Student Statement - Submission of Thesis for Examination form; the second copy is sent to the Principal Supervisor and the third copy is sent to the Co-Supervisor, or the Responsible Academic Officer, depending on the Faculty requirement. This suggested distribution allows for the confidential nature of some theses to be taken into account as only those who have been involved in the research work will have ready access to the work. The Library keeps theses confidential as long as the confidentiality clause is current (Rule 11.19.3)

Do I have to re-enrol if I submit early in the Academic Year?

Research students submitting their thesis, ready for examination, prior to 31 March for Autumn semester, and 31 August for Spring semester, are not normally required to re-enrol. If the result of the examination means that you have to re-submit the thesis for examination after completing revisions, you will have to re-enrol.

When is the latest I can submit the final bound copies for graduation?

If the graduation ceremony is in April/May, then final bound copies of the thesis must be received by UGS by the end of January, and if the ceremony is in September/October, then the final date is the end of June.

Who do I go to for information about tickets and dates for graduation?

Information regarding the timing of ceremonies and arrangements for tickets should all be directed to one of the Student Centres on ph: 9514 1222, or refer to http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/graduation/

What is the University’s position on intellectual property?

The policy is available in the University Calendar but specific enquiries should be directed to the Research and Innovation Office, Tel 9514-1271 http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/policies/intellectualproperty.html

What are the Rules governing copyright?

See specifically the section headed 'Theses: How is copyright material incorporated into a thesis?' at: http://www.gsu.uts.edu.au/copyright/informationforstudents.html