phd submission form

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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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Submission deadlines and checklists:

January 2025 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: December 6, 2024

         Final dissertation deadline: January 10, 2025

May 2025 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: March 28, 2025

         Final dissertation deadline: May 2, 2025

September 2024 graduation - Doctoral Dissertation Submission Checklist

         Preliminary dissertation deadline: August 2, 2024

         Final dissertation deadline: September 6, 2024

Note: GSAS submission deadlines are earlier than University Graduation Deadlines .

Please Note: The Office of the Registrar takes up to a month AFTER  the graduation date to fully process all degrees.  DO NOT  count on being able to demonstrate completion of your degree on or soon after the graduation date simply because you turned everything in by the deadline. If you need proof of degree completion, please plan to get all your materials submitted and defend your dissertation well before the final deadline. Please also contact the Office of Academic and Student Affairs at the email address below so we are aware that you may need your degree requirements reviewed in an expedited manner. If you wait to tell us until after the deadline, we will not be able to do much to help speed the process for you.

Dissertation Formatting Requirements and Other Informational Guides:

• Doctoral Dissertation Formatting Requirements
• A Formatting Guide for Successful Completion of the Doctoral Dissertation
• Proquest's Author Guide: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission
• Sample PhD Dissertation Template
• Helpful Information for Doctoral Students

Dissertation Submission In Six Steps:

The following guide presents the necessary steps involved in a doctoral candidate's dissertation submission as required by the Graduate School of Arts and Science. All candidates should check with their dissertation advisor and department administrator regarding additional departmental requirements.  Some additional helpful information regarding these steps and other graduation related issues that we are frequently asked about may be found in this document .

• The candidate must meet with his or her dissertation advisor to discuss research goals, timeframes, and scheduling of an oral defense. If an outside reader is being considered as part of the dissertation committee, the candidate's department must complete and sign the Outside Dissertation Reader Approval Form to include in the candidate's graduation file. 
• The candidate is required to register for graduation on Albert at least 3 months prior to the expected date of graduation. Application deadlines may be found here . Preliminary Dissertation Filing Steps
• One copy of the Title Page, unsigned. If you will need to have this electronically signed, please also submit to us the name and official University email address of your advisor and we will have this done. If you are gathering a physical signature, then only the unsigned Title Page is needed.
• Survey of Earned Doctorates, submit the completion certificate
• Dissertation Publishing Agreement submitted on the ProQuest site when you submit your preliminary dissertation. We do not need to receive a separate copy.
• Dissertation Abstract submitted on the ProQuest site when you submit your preliminary dissertation. We do not need to receive a separate copy.
• A candidate must upload his or her dissertation to ProQuest by the preliminary dissertation submission deadline . The preliminary dissertation submission will be reviewed for adherence to the formatting requirements, not content. (The dissertation advisor oversees content review.) Once the preliminary dissertation is reviewed, the candidate will receive an email notification that details formatting changes that need to be made before final submission. However, candidate do not have to wait for the preliminary dissertation review email, and should upload any new revision to their ProQuest account when it's ready. The latest revision on ProQuest will be reviewed.  Final Dissertation Filing Steps
• The candidate is advised to take the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form to the oral defense. The dissertation committee Chair and members sign the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form according to the result of the oral defense in the spaces provided and return it to the department administrator,  by the final dissertation deadline . You may not handle this form once committee members begin to sign. If gathering some or all physical signatures is not possible, the department administrator will help gather the remaining digital signature(s). The department administrator will then forward the Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form to Office of the Registrar. If revisions to the dissertation are required by dissertation committee member(s), the Chair will retain the form until the revisions are made. 
• After editing the text to ensure it is consistent with the comments made during the defense and and any comments you may have received from the review of the preliminary dissertation upload, the candidate must upload a final dissertation to ProQuest by the final dissertation deadline , using the link provided after the preliminary dissertation review or by login to your ProQuest account. Occasionally such a large volume of dissertations may be submitted that we are unable to review the formatting for everyone before the final deadline date. The final dissertation filing date is for content only, so whether or not you have received formatting revisions, make sure you have uploaded the final version of your dissertation in regards to content by this date. If you and your committee are satisfied with the content of your initial upload, then there is no need to upload again until you have made any requested formatting corrections. You will have plenty of time to correct any formatting issues after the final deadline should you need it. If you elected to get a physical signature on your Title Page, you must also submit a signed copy at this time. Steps beyond dissertation submission
• The candidate should check with his/her department to ensure all degree requirements have been met, and the department have submitted the signed Doctoral Thesis Oral Defense Form  to the Office of the Registrar by the graduation deadline .
• The candidate should contact the Office of the Bursar to confirm that his/her account is not in arrears.
• The candidate should review his/her permanent address on Albert . Diplomas will be mailed to this address, unless the candidate indicated a specific diploma address. You may also elect to have your official or preferred name on your diploma at this time.

Note: Completion of these steps does not guarantee conferral of a candidate's degree. The final conferral decision rests with the Graduate School of Arts and Science and New York University's Office of the Registrar. After completing the final dissertation submission, candidates should contact the Office of the Registrar at [email protected] if there are any questions regarding graduation status or degree conferral.

Additional Resources:

• Copyright for Authors & Creators

Contact Us:

The Office of Academic and Student Affairs is located at 6 Washington Square North, 2nd Floor. Questions regarding the dissertation submission procedure should be directed to Academic Affairs at [email protected] or by phone at 212-998-8060.

PhD Thesis Guide

This phd thesis guide will guide you step-by-step through the thesis process, from your initial letter of intent to submission of the final document..

All associated forms are conveniently consolidated in the section at the end.

Deadlines & Requirements

Students should register for HST.ThG during any term in which they are conducting research towards their thesis. Regardless of year in program students registered for HST.ThG in a regular term (fall or spring) must meet with their research advisor and complete the  Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review Form to receive credit.

Years 1 - 2

• Students participating in lab rotations during year 1, may use the optional MEMP Rotation Registration Form , to formalize the arrangement and can earn academic credit by enrolling in HST.599. 
• A first letter of intent ( LOI-1 ) proposing a general area of thesis research and research advisor is required by April 30th of the second year of registration.
• A second letter of intent ( LOI-2 ) proposing a thesis committee membership and providing a more detailed description of the thesis research is required by April 30th of the third year of registration for approval by the HST-IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP).

Year 4 

• Beginning in year 4, (or after the LOI-2 is approved) the student must meet with their thesis committee at least once per semester.
• Students must formally defend their proposal before the approved thesis committee, and submit their committee approved proposal to HICAP  by April 30 of the forth year of registration.
• Meetings with the thesis committee must be held at least once per semester. 

HST has developed these policies to help keep students on track as they progress through their PhD program. Experience shows that students make more rapid progress towards graduation when they interact regularly with a faculty committee and complete their thesis proposal by the deadline.

Getting Started

Check out these resources  for finding a research lab.

The Thesis Committee: Roles and Responsibilities

Students perform doctoral thesis work under the guidance of a thesis committee consisting of at least three faculty members from Harvard and MIT (including a chair and a research advisor) who will help guide the research. Students are encouraged to form their thesis committee early in the course of the research and in any case by the end of the third year of registration. The HST IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP) approves the composition of the thesis committee via the letter of intent and the thesis proposal (described below). 

Research Advisor

The research advisor is responsible for overseeing the student's thesis project. The research advisor is expected to:

• oversee the research and mentor the student;
• provide a supportive research environment, facilities, and financial support;
• discuss expectations, progress, and milestones with the student and complete the  Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review Form each semester;
• assist the student to prepare for the oral qualifying exam;
• guide the student in selecting the other members of the thesis committee;
• help the student prepare for, and attend, meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• help the student prepare for, and attend, the thesis defense;
• evaluate the final thesis document.

The research advisor is chosen by the student and must be a faculty member of MIT* or Harvard University and needs no further approval.  HICAP may approve other individuals as research advisor on a student-by-student basis. Students are advised to request approval of non-faculty research advisors as soon as possible.  In order to avoid conflicts of interest, the research advisor may not also be the student's academic advisor. In the event that an academic advisor becomes the research advisor, a new academic advisor will be assigned.

The student and their research advisor must complete the Semi-Annual PhD Student Progress Review during each regular term in order to receive academic credit for research.  Download Semi Annual Review Form

*MIT Senior Research Staff are considered equivalent to faculty members for the purposes of research advising. No additional approval is required.

Thesis Committee Chair

Each HST PhD thesis committee is headed administratively by a chair, chosen by the student in consultation with the research advisor. The thesis committee chair is expected to:

• provide advice and guidance concerning the thesis research; 
• oversee meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• preside at the thesis defense; 
• review and evaluate the final thesis document.

The thesis committee chair must be well acquainted with the academic policies and procedures of the institution granting the student's degree and be familiar with the student's area of research. The research advisor may not simultaneously serve as thesis committee chair.

For HST PhD students earning degrees through MIT, the thesis committee chair must be an MIT faculty member. A select group of HST program faculty without primary appointments at MIT have been pre-approved by HICAP to chair PhD theses awarded by HST at MIT in cases where the MIT research advisor is an MIT faculty member.**

HST PhD students earning their degree through Harvard follow thesis committee requirements set by the unit granting their degree - either the Biophysics Program or the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS).

** List of non-MIT HST faculty approved to chair MIT thesis proposals when the research advisor is an MIT faculty member.

In addition to the research advisor and the thesis committee chair, the thesis committee must include one or more readers. Readers are expected to:

• attend meetings of the full thesis committee, to be held at least once per semester;
• attend the thesis defense; 

Faculty members with relevant expertise from outside of Harvard/MIT may serve as readers, but they may only be counted toward the required three if approved by HICAP.

The members of the thesis committee should have complementary expertise that collectively covers the areas needed to advise a student's thesis research. The committee should also be diverse, so that members are able to offer different perspectives on the student's research. When forming a thesis committee, it is helpful to consider the following questions: 

• Do the individuals on the committee collectively have the appropriate expertise for the project?
• Does the committee include at least one individual who can offer different perspectives on the student's research?  The committee should include at least one person who is not closely affiliated with the student's primary lab. Frequent collaborators are acceptable in this capacity if their work exhibits intellectual independence from the research advisor.
• If the research has a near-term clinical application, does the committee include someone who can add a translational or clinical perspective?  
• Does the committee conform to HST policies in terms of number, academic appointments, and affiliations of the committee members, research advisor, and thesis committee chair as described elsewhere on this page?

[Friendly advice: Although there is no maximum committee size, three or four is considered optimal. Committees of five members are possible, but more than five is unwieldy.]

Thesis Committee Meetings

Students must meet with their thesis committee at least once each semester beginning in the fourth year of registration. It is the student's responsibility to schedule these meetings; students who encounter difficulties in arranging regular committee meetings can contact Henrike Besche at hbesche [at] mit.edu (hbesche[at]mit[dot]edu) . 

The format of the thesis committee meeting is at the discretion of the thesis committee chair. In some cases, the following sequence may be helpful:

• The thesis committee chair, research advisor, and readers meet briefly without the student in the room;
• The thesis committee chair and readers meet briefly with the student, without the advisor in the room;
• The student presents their research progress, answers questions, and seeks guidance from the members of the thesis committee;

Please note that thesis committee meetings provide an important opportunity for students to present their research and respond to questions. Therefore, it is in the student's best interest for the research advisor to refrain from defending the research in this setting.

Letters of Intent

Students must submit two letters of intent ( LOI-1 and LOI-2 ) with applicable signatures. 

In LOI-1, students identify a research advisor and a general area of thesis research, described in 100 words or less. It should include the area of expertise of the research advisor and indicate whether IRB approval (Institutional Review Board; for research involving human subjects) and/or IACUC approval (Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee; for research involving vertebrate animals) will be required and, if so, from which institutions. LOI-1 is due by April 30 of the second year of registration and and should be submitted to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518. 

In LOI-2, students provide a description of the thesis research, describing the Background and Significance of the research and making a preliminary statement of Specific Aims (up to 400 words total). In LOI-2, a student also proposes the membership of their thesis committee. In addition to the research advisor, the proposed thesis committee must include a chair and one or more readers, all selected to meet the specified criteria . LOI-2 is due by April 30th of the third year of registration and should be submitted to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518.

LOI-2 is reviewed by the HST-IMES Committee on Academic Programs (HICAP) to determine if the proposed committee meets the specified criteria and if the committee members collectively have the complementary expertise needed to advise the student in executing the proposed research. If HICAP requests any changes to the proposed committee, the student must submit a revised LOI-2 for HICAP review by September 30th of the fourth year of registration. HICAP must approve LOI-2 before the student can proceed to presenting and submitting their thesis proposal. Any changes to the thesis committee membership following HICAP approval of LOI-2 and prior to defense of the thesis proposal must be reported by submitting a revised LOI-2 form to HICAP, c/o tanderso [at] mit.edu (Traci Anderson) . After final HICAP approval of LOI-2, which confirms the thesis committee membership, the student may proceed to present their thesis proposal to the approved thesis committee, as described in the next section.

Students are strongly encouraged to identify tentative thesis committee members and begin meeting with them as early as possible to inform the direction of their research. Following submission of LOI-2, students are required to hold at least one thesis committee meeting per semester. Students must document these meetings via the Semi- Annual PhD Student Progress Review form in order to receive a grade reflecting satisfactory progress in HST.ThG.

Thesis Proposal and Proposal Presentation

For MEMP students receiving their degrees through MIT, successful completion of the Oral Qualifying Exam is a prerequisite for the thesis proposal presentation. For MEMP students receiving their degrees through Harvard, the oral qualifying exam satisfies the proposal presentation requirement.

Proposal Document

Each student must present a thesis proposal to a thesis committee that has been approved by HICAP via the LOI-2 and then submit a full proposal package to HICAP by April 30th of the fourth year of registration. The only exception is for students who substantially change their research focus after the fall term of their third year; in those cases the thesis proposal must be submitted within three semesters of joining a new lab. Students registering for thesis research (HST.THG) who have not met this deadline may be administratively assigned a grade of "U" (unsatisfactory) and receive an academic warning.

The written proposal should be no longer than 4500 words, excluding references. This is intended to help students develop their proposal-writing skills by gaining experience composing a practical proposal; the length is comparable to that required for proposals to the NIH R03 Small Research Grant Program. The proposal should clearly define the research problem, describe the proposed research plan, and defend the significance of the work. Preliminary results are not required. If the proposal consists of multiple aims, with the accomplishment of later aims based on the success of earlier ones, then the proposal should describe a contingency plan in case the early results are not as expected.

Proposal Presentation

The student must formally defend the thesis proposal before the full thesis committee that has been approved by HICAP.

Students should schedule the meeting and reserve a conference room and any audio visual equipment they may require for their presentation. To book a conference room in E25, please contact Joseph Stein ( jrstein [at] mit.edu (jrstein[at]mit[dot]edu) ).

Following the proposal presentation, students should make any requested modifications to the proposal for the committee members to review. Once the committee approves the proposal, the student should obtain the signatures of the committee members on the forms described below as part of the proposal submission package.

[Friendly advice: As a professional courtesy, be sure your committee members have a complete version of your thesis proposal at least one week in advance of the proposal presentation.]

Submission of Proposal Package

When the thesis committee has approved the proposal, the student submits the proposal package to HICAP, c/o Traci Anderson in E25-518, for final approval. HICAP may reject a thesis proposal if it has been defended before a committee that was not previously approved via the LOI-2.

The proposal package includes the following: 

• the proposal document
• a brief description of the project background and significance that explains why the work is important;
• the specific aims of the proposal, including a contingency plan if needed; and
• an indication of the methods to be used to accomplish the specific aims.
• signed research advisor agreement form(s);
• signed chair agreement form (which confirms a successful proposal defense);
• signed reader agreement form(s).

Thesis Proposal Forms

• SAMPLE Title Page (doc)
• Research Advisor Agreement Form (pdf)
• Chair Agreement Form (pdf)
• Reader Agreement Form (pdf)

Thesis Defense and Final Thesis Document

When the thesis is substantially complete and fully acceptable to the thesis committee, a public thesis defense is scheduled for the student to present his/her work to the thesis committee and other members of the community. The thesis defense is the last formal examination required for receipt of a doctoral degree. To be considered "public", a defense must be announced to the community at least five working days in advance. At the defense, the thesis committee determines if the research presented is sufficient for granting a doctoral degree. Following a satisfactory thesis defense, the student submits the final thesis document, approved by the research advisor, to Traci Anderson via email (see instructions below).

[Friendly advice: Contact jrstein [at] mit.edu (Joseph Stein) at least two weeks before your scheduled date to arrange for advertising via email and posters. A defense can be canceled for insufficient public notice.]

Before the Thesis Defense 

Committee Approves Student to Defend: The thesis committee, working with the student and reviewing thesis drafts, concludes that the doctoral work is complete. The student should discuss the structure of the defense (general guidelines below) with the thesis committee chair and the research advisor. 

Schedule the Defense: The student schedules a defense at a time when all members of the thesis committee will be physical present. Any exceptions must be approved in advance by the IMES/HST Academic Office.

Reserve Room: It is the student's responsibility to reserve a room and any necessary equipment. Please contact imes-reservation [at] mit.edu (subject: E25%20Room%20Reservation) (IMES Reservation) to  reserve rooms E25-140, E25-141, E25-119/121, E25-521. 

Final Draft: A complete draft of the thesis document is due to the thesis committee two weeks prior to the thesis defense to allow time for review.  The thesis should be written as a single cohesive document; it may include content from published papers (see libraries website on " Use of Previously Published Material in a Thesis ") but it may not be a simple compilation of previously published materials.

Publicize the Defense:   The IMES/HST Academic Office invites the community to attend the defense via email and a notice on the HST website. This requires that the student email a thesis abstract and supplemental information to  jrstein [at] mit.edu (Joseph Stein)  two weeks prior to the thesis defense. The following information should be included: Date and time, Location, (Zoom invitation with password, if offering a hybrid option), Thesis Title, Names of committee members, with academic and professional titles and institutional affiliations. The abstract is limited to 250 words for the poster, but students may optionally submit a second, longer abstract for the email announcement.

Thesis Defense Guidelines

Public Defense: The student should prepare a presentation of 45-60 minutes in length, to be followed by a public question and answer period of 15–30 minutes at discretion of the chair.

Committee Discussion:  Immediately following the public thesis presentation, the student meets privately with the thesis committee and any other faculty members present to explore additional questions at the discretion of the faculty. Then the thesis committee meets in executive session and determines whether the thesis defense was satisfactory. The committee may suggest additions or editorial changes to the thesis document at this point.

Chair Confirms Pass: After the defense, the thesis committee chair should inform Traci Anderson of the outcome via email to tanderso [at] mit.edu (tanderso[at]mit[dot]edu) .

Submitting the Final Thesis Document

Please refer to the MIT libraries  thesis formatting guidelines .

Title page notes. Sample title page  from the MIT Libraries.

Program line : should read, "Submitted to the Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology, in partial fulfillment of the the requirements for the degree of ... "

Copyright : Starting with the June 2023 degree period and as reflected in the  MIT Thesis Specifications , all students retain the copyright of their thesis.  Please review this section for how to list on your title page Signature Page: On the "signed" version, only the student and research advisor should sign. Thesis committee members are not required to sign. On the " Accepted by " line, please list: Collin M. Stultz, MD, PhD/Director, Harvard-MIT Program in Health Sciences and Technology/ Nina T. and Robert H. Rubin Professor in Medical Engineering and Science/Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

The Academic Office will obtain Professor Stultz's signature.

Thesis Submission Components.  As of 4/2021, the MIT libraries have changed their thesis submissions guidelines and are no longer accepting hard copy theses submissions. For most recent guidance from the libraries:  https://libguides.mit.edu/mit-thesis-faq/instructions  

Submit to the Academic Office, via email ( tanderso [at] mit.edu (tanderso[at]mit[dot]edu) )

pdf/A-1 of the final thesis should include an UNSIGNED title page

A separate file with a SIGNED title page by the student and advisor, the Academic Office will get Dr. Collin Stultz's signature.

For the MIT Library thesis processing, fill out the "Thesis Information" here:  https://thesis-submit.mit.edu/

File Naming Information:  https://libguides.mit.edu/

Survey of Earned Doctorates.  The University Provost’s Office will contact all doctoral candidates via email with instructions for completing this survey.

Links to All Forms in This Guide

• MEMP Rotation Form (optional)
• Semi-Annual Progress Review Form
• Letter of Intent One
• Letter of Intent Two

Final Thesis

• HST Sample thesis title page  (signed and unsigned)
• Sample thesis title page  (MIT Libraries)

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Summer Thesis Submission Deadline: Monday, August 19

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Formatting Requirements

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Thesis and Dissertation Credit

Thesis track master's students and all PhD students are required to submit their final thesis or dissertation to the Graduate School after the work has been successfully defended and deemed complete by the committee.  All students must complete  the submission process by the deadlines posted on the academic calendar for the desired semester of graduation. 

Details on the submission and formatting process can be found below.   The Graduate School has not prescribed a particular style to be followed in writing a thesis/dissertation. The style chosen must be appropriate to the student’s field of study. However, the Graduate School has adopted standards for form and organization. These standards are outlined in the formatting manual linked on this page.  

Formatting and Submission Resources

• Thesis and Dissertation Formatting Manual
• ProQuest Submission FAQ
• UNH Connors Writing Center
• Automatic Table of Contents
• Page Numbering
• Landscape Pages

Other Resources

• Intent to Graduate
• UNH Commencement
• UNH Scholars Repository

The Graduate School offers a free formatting review to all students submitting a thesis or dissertation.  This review is not required, but is strongly suggested.  To obtain a review, please email your thesis/dissertation, either in PDF or with a sharing link, to [email protected] with 'Thesis Review' as the subject line. Reviews may take up to a week depending on the time of year. 

Students should become familiar with the formatting requirements that are outlined in the thesis manual .  The formatting specifications are based on universal formatting required by many colleges and universities around the country.  These requirements are also mandated by the publisher to ensure that all thesis and dissertations have a consistent format.

Students should not rely solely on previously bound copies of theses for answers on formatting issues. While bound copies may provide ideas for possible procedures, format requirements may have changed. If you have a question, please contact the Graduate School. 

The Graduate School does not create or host any formatting templates (Overleaf, LaTeX, etc.).  Any templates that may exist were created by prior students.  Students are advised caution when using previously created templates as formatting requirements may have changed. 

Final Submission

The final approved thesis/dissertation must be submitted to the Graduate School through ProQuest via the UNH ETD Administrator website by the appropriate deadline as published in the Graduate School calendar. Publishing options include traditional publishing (free) as well as open access publishing (additional cost).  The benefits of each can be found on the ProQuest website.  Students can opt to embargo their thesis (hold publication) if needed, which will delay publishing for a specified period of time.  Bound copies are available for purchase through ProQuest at the time of submission. Students should check with their department to determine if a bound copy is required. All fees are to be paid by the student at the time of submission.

Students are advised not to wait until the last minute to submit their work. Submissions must be received by the published deadline for your intended graduation term unless the Graduate School has granted an extension. The specific deadline for submission for each graduation date is published on the UNH Academic Calendar as well as on our calendar page .

*Under no circumstances will a submission be accepted after the graduation date has passed.

The final version of the thesis must be submitted electronically to the Graduate School via the secure UNH ProQuest ETD Administrator website: http://www.etdadmin.com/unh . Submissions should be made only after a student has successfully passed the defense and has made all the necessary corrections required by their committee. In addition to the ProQuest submission, students will also need to submit the Thesis Submission Form as well as a copy of their signed signature page to the Graduate School Dean's Office .  

ProQuest Thesis/Dissertation submission: Submit the completed and approved thesis/dissertation through ProQuest.  You will be able to choose from two publishing options and will be able to purchase bound copies if desired.

Signature Page: The signature page is created by the student and should be based on the sample template that we provide in the thesis formatting manual.  This page should be signed by all committee members as confirmation that the thesis/dissertation has been approved.  As we understand that not all faculty may be local or able to sign in person, digital or otherwise electronic signatures are permitted.  A hard copy signature page is not required.  The final page should be submitted to the Graduate School as  PDF file. 

Final Submission Form: This form/checklist, found linked at the top of this page, is to be filled out and submitted by the student as confirmation that all steps in the process have been completed.

The submission form and signature page can be submitted as PDF files to [email protected] (preferred).  Pages can also be submitted in person or mailed to the Graduate School Dean's Office in Thompson Hall.

These materials can be submitted in any order.  Once all materials have been received the Graduate School will review the submission.  If there are changes needed, the student will be notified and will be able to make the necessary changes and resubmit.

Students can choose between Traditional Publishing (no cost) or Open Access Publishing.  More information about the publishing options can be found on the ProQuest website at the time of submission.   All publishing fees are the responsibility of the student. 

Thesis/dissertation submissions will be sent for publishing after all degrees are awarded.  Publishing normally takes 8-10 weeks.  Once published, the thesis/dissertations will be made available online through ProQuest as well as through the UNH Library Scholar's Repository.  

Note: If the student opted for an embargo, then release will not be completed until the embargo expires.  In the case of an infinite embargo, the submission will never be made available. 

Students can request bound copies at the time of submission.  The Graduate School does not require students to purchase copies to complete the submission process.  However, some departments may still require/request copies.  Students can select any format for personal bound copies, however, for university use the 8 1/2 x 11 hardcover is recommended.  Payment for any bound copies is the responsibility of the student. 

After publication, bound copies will be printed and mailed to the address the student provided at the time of submission. Students can also order additional bound copies at any time through the ProQuest portal once publication is completed. 

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

A thesis requires the completion of between 6-10 thesis credits.  Some departments have more specific requirements.  Students who enrolled for more than 10 credits will need to work with the Graduate School to withdraw the excess credits.  

Once the thesis is approved and submitted the department will submit a request to award the CR grade for thesis completion.  The Graduate School monitors thesis grades closely, but it is not unusual for thesis grades to remain incomplete until immediately before the degree is awarded. 

PhD students are required to register for Doctoral Research (999) each semester until their degree is awarded.  Once the dissertation is submitted and approved the department will submit a request to award the CR grade for the dissertation.  Please note that only the most recent registration of 999 will be given a CR.  All other registrations will have a IA grade. 

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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 a single file 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) unless they have been granted an allowance or exemption of terms . The thesis may be submitted from the first day of the term in which this requirement is met, provided that full-time students have also met the minimum residence requirement (unless they have been granted an allowance 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. If you have an application for an allowance or exemption of terms under consideration in CamSIS at the time you submit your thesis, your thesis will be kept on hold until a decision on your application is made.

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. Content such as figures, tables, photographs, bibliography, or appendices is contained within the submitted thesis and would not normally constitute separate additional materials. Additional materials are integral to the thesis but in a format that cannot be easily included in the 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. Talk to your supervisor and contact your Degree Committee if you require any advice. The application 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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PhD/MPhil Thesis submission

What criteria is the thesis examined against.

Please refer to:

• the criteria the examiners are asked to assess your thesis against on the exam outcome form
• the Research Degree regulations

Royal Holloway's proofreading scheme

CeDAS oversees the  Royal Holloway proofreading scheme , which enables students to pay for an approved third-party proofreader to identify surface error in final drafts. Please note, the University does not permit the use of paid third-party proofreaders who are not part of this scheme. The Doctoral School is unable to contribute to any costs incurred for proofreading theses.

Does the thesis have to be formatted as a monograph?

If you have as papers (including book chapters, journal articles, or conference proceedings) that you would like to include as part of your thesis, you can either present your thesis:

• as a monograph with the papers included as supplementary material at the back of the thesis / adapted and incorporated into the main body of the thesis (see Guidelines for including your own published work in a monograph thesis ) 
• in a format other than a monograph (alternative format)

Find out more about the requirements for the format other than a monograph 

Guidance on formatting your thesis

Instructions and notes on submission

LaTeX templates

Suggested order for pages in the thesis (please note that this a guide only and is not prescriptive):

• Declaration of authorship
• Acknowledgements
• List of contents
• List of tables/figures/illustrations/accompanying material
• Body of Thesis
• Glossary/Abbreviations
• Bibliography/References

What should be submitted?

The following should be emailed to the  Doctoral School :

• An electronic PDF copy of your thesis
• The  declaration of number of words form  (signed by your supervisor)

Your electronic thesis should be submitted before midnight on the date of your submission deadline. The thesis should not be submitted directly to any of the examination team.

Thesis going to be larger than 20MB?

If your thesis is going to be 20MB or larger, you won't be able to share this via email. If this is the case, at least two weeks before your submission deadline, you should email the Doctoral School to request a share link to a thesis deposit folder. You will be given access to a SharePoint folder where you can upload the thesis, and any supporting files in time for your submission deadline.  Please do not zip/compress the files when uploading files to the folder.  In order to complete the thesis submission process, you must also email the Doctoral School attaching your declaration of words to the email. We ask you not to use WeTransfer or Dropbox for this process and not to share files directly via Sharepoint to the Doctoral School Mailbox.

The only exception to submission of electonic theses, is where agreement is in place for a restriction of access for reasons of confidentiality, commercial sensitivity or patents which makes it inappropriate to provide an electronic copy for the examiners.  An application for permission to exclude the need to submit a pre-viva electronic copy of the thesis should be made in writing to the Doctoral School no later than the time of your entry to the examination. This application must be supported by your supervisor.

If any of the examination team request a hard copy of your thesis, the Doctoral School will let you know so that you can make arrangements to provide this. Please be aware that this may be made known to the Doctoral School after submission of your electronic thesis.

Documents which support your submission

If you are submitting physical items to support your thesis, such as a photo books, portfolios etc, please make it known to the Doctoral School at the time of submission, if these should be returned to you after examination. Otherwise, these items will not be returned.

Please ensure that when emailing the Doctoral School, you use your Royal Holloway email account , and also quote your student ID in the subject line of your email.

Is a hard copy of the thesis required?

A hard copy of the thesis is no longer required as a matter of course.  Hard copies for your thesis are only required if:

• the requirement to submit an electronic copy of your thesis has been waived (see above).  In such cases, you will need to submit three copies of the thesis
• either / both your examiners specifically request a hard copy.  The Doctoral School will inform you if that is the case once the examiners have accepted their invitation to examine
• you have a particular reason why you would like to present the thesis as a hard copy to the examiners, in which case you will need to submit three copies of the thesis

 If you are submitting hard copies of your thesis:

• By post: to the  Student Services Centre , Davison Building, Royal Holloway, Egham TW20 0EX
• The content  and format of the hard copies must be identical to the electronic copy submitted
• The theses must be robust enough to endure the examination process and be easily identifiable
• The theses must be securely bound (e.g. spiral bound, cloth bound, comb bound). If you have queries regarding appropriate binding formats, please email the  Doctoral School .

The hard copy theses should be submitted by 5pm on the submission deadline date.

The University takes the issue of plagiarism and other academic misconduct extremely seriously.   All new PGR students are required to complete the ‘Avoiding Plagiarism’ course in Moodle ( moodle.royalholloway.ac.uk ) prior to their first annual review. This 60 minute interactive online course is designed to ensure that students across all discipline areas follow best practice in referencing, paraphrasing and using citations. 

Please refer to the University’s  Regulations on Academic Misconduct  for what constitutes academic misconduct, as well as the procedures to be followed for the investigation of alleged academic misconduct and possible outcomes

Random submission of theses to Turnitin

To help deter plagiarism, it is University policy to select a random sample of research degree theses, which have been submitted to the Doctoral School, for submission to the plagiarism detection software Turnitin before the examination process is initiated. Exemptions are in place for theses covered by commercial confidentiality agreements. Turnitin reports are reviewed by the School Director of PGR Education.  Should concerns be raised, you will be notified by the Doctoral School.

If you would like to use Turnitin as a formative tool to check your draft work prior to submission, please discuss this option with your supervisor. 

Quick links

Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, theses & dissertations.

Review the thesis deadlines, including deadlines for the initial format check and required forms.

Thesis Manual

Read over the Thesis and Dissertation Manual for an overview of document and format guidelines and more.

View the checklist of required documents for thesis submission.

Access needed forms for the thesis and dissertation process.

Format your thesis or dissertation using our thesis format templates.

Resources to Help You Through the Process

Whether you need to make an appointment or need guidance about copyright rules, the following resources are available to support you:

Spring 2024 Thesis Info Session Resources

• Watch the Thesis Information Session presentation
• Access the Thesis Information Session presentation slide deck

Virtual Thesis & Dissertation Appointments

The Graduate Education Thesis and Dissertation coordinator is offering virtual appointments for questions related to:

• Thesis/dissertation process
• Format checking feedback
• Graduation policies and procedures
• Read about copyright information
• Attend Library classes and events
• Learn about citation tools
• Connect with subject expert librarians
• Access Library theses and dissertation resources

Conducting & Communicating Research

• Including Previously-Published Work in Dissertation
• Effective and Responsible Use of AI in Research  (updated July 10, 2024)
• Ethical and Responsible Use of AI in Research Projects Presentation
• Connect with the Naugle CommLab

Pathways to Graduation

Have questions about graduation? Not sure where to begin? The Office of Graduate Education has developed Pathways to Graduation , a self-guided Canvas course which helps to equip graduate students with the tools to succeed and experience a smooth, stress-free road to graduation.

Many policies related to this process are listed in Georgia Tech’s Policy Library. For international students, there are Office of International Education policies on enrollment and optional practical training that you’ll want to become familiar with.

Graduate Thesis Faculty Submission Form

Effective for the summer 2023 term, the policy on advisement of graduate students has been updated in the Catalog . Tenure-track faculty are members of the Graduate Thesis Faculty by default. All other Georgia Tech faculty must be approved by the program and submitted to the Office of Graduate Education. Departments must submit those names, once approved, via our submission form below.

Electronic Submission and Disseminating Your Work

Tech requires all theses and dissertations to be submitted electronically. Once it is approved by your committee, here’s what happens next:

• Visit the Electronic Thesis and Dissertations (ETD) Submission System . Please follow the instructions, and upload your approved thesis or dissertation as a PDF.
• Graduate Education will check your uploaded PDF and will notify you if there are any corrections. You must make the corrections, and resubmit the corrected file.
• If Graduate Education has all the required pre-thesis and thesis-related (or dissertation) documents, we will approve your thesis/dissertation and notify the Office of the Registrar that you are eligible to graduate.
• You and your committee members will receive an approval notice via Vireo/ETD. Approximately a month after you graduate, your thesis/dissertation will be released for electronic circulation.
• You can request that your thesis/dissertation be withheld from release for one year for intellectual property reasons. The Graduate Thesis Office ( [email protected] ) must receive a written request from your advisor approving your request at the same time as you submit your other thesis documents. The Request for Withholding form is available via DocuSign.

When you’re ready to share your work with the public, check out the Georgia Tech Digital Repository  on disseminating your thesis or dissertation.

Upcoming Defenses

To view the full listing of upcoming defenses, see MS and Ph.D. Defenses .

PhD Proposal by Maher Saadeh

Ph.d. dissertation defense - alejandro owen aquino, phd proposal by chaojian li, phd proposal by janhavi nistane, phd proposal by linqi jin.

Check our frequently asked questions (FAQ) to see if your question has already been answered. Else, contact [email protected] .

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The electronic version of the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation must follow all formatting requirements set forth in the manual. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that the thesis/dissertation appears as originally intended when it is accessed or printed.

The thesis/dissertation must be submitted as a single electronic Portable Document Format (PDF) file. If the original thesis/dissertation is a Microsoft Word or RTF file, you will be able to convert the thesis/dissertation to a PDF at the UCI Thesis/Dissertation Submission Site . If the doctoral dissertation is not in Microsoft Word, RTF, or PDF – e.g. LaTeX or WordPerfect – it must be converted to PDF before the student uses the Submission Site. Certain types of fonts and graphics work better with PDF, and special attention should be paid to creating equations for PDF conversions. Optional supplemental files (images, video, audio) that are an integral part of the thesis/dissertation but not part of the full text may also be submitted electronically

OTHER HELPFUL RESOURCES INCLUDE: UCI Thesis and Dissertation Manual Graduate Student Filing Deadlines Ph.D. Dissertation Checklist/final degree paperwork packet-DocuSign link Master’s Thesis checklist/final degree paperwork packet-DocuSign link Forms How can we help?

If you need additional information, please contact:

Graduate Division [email protected]

Instructions for Electronic Submission

*Please check in with your individual program before starting the submission process as they may have additional program specific guidelines

Student submits final PDF version of thesis/dissertation to the ProQuest*/ETD website (see information on ProQuest website below) and completes entire on-line submission process at the link provided below. The UCI Libraries staff will send a verification e-mail stating your submission has been received and is under review. This e-mail confirms the initial submission has been received, it is not the final approval. Once the submission has been reviewed by UCI Libraries staff, the student will either receive the final confirmation e-mail that their submission has been accepted or an e-mail noting revisions that are needed before it can be accepted.

www.etdadmin.com/uci

* When creating your ProQuest account and completing the submission process, please note there are no required fees for UCI students to pay. There is no need to pay for open access or copy right. Any fees for services provided by ProQuest are optional.   

Submit your complete final degree packet to the Graduate Division, using the official Graduate Division DocuSign form link:

Ph.D. Dissertation Checklist/final degree paperwork packet

Master’s Thesis checklist/final degree paperwork packet

Ph.D. Dissertation Required Items-(all items listed below are incorporated into the official Graduate Division DocuSign forms)

Ph.D. Submission Checklist

Ph.D. Form II/Signature Page – Report on Final Examination for the Ph.D. Degree serves as the official signature page.

Final confirmation e-mail from the Proquest/ETD website

The student will attach the confirmation e-mail to their DocuSign final degree paperwork.

Survey of Earned Doctorates

Upon completing the survey, students are given the opportunity to enter their e-mail address to which a confirmation e-mail will be sent. The student will attach the confirmation e-mail to their DocuSign final degree paperwork.

UCI Exit Survey

Upon completing the survey, students will receive a confirmation e-mail. The student will attach the confirmation e-mail to their DocuSign final degree paperwork.

Master’s Thesis Required Forms-(all items listed below are incorporated into the official Graduate Division DocuSign forms)

Master’s Thesis Submission Checklist

Master’s Thesis/Signature Page Report on Final Examination for the Master’s Degree

$55 Master’s Thesis Submission Fee must be paid with the proof of payment uploaded as an attachment to the DocuSign final degree packet before submitting the form to Graduate Division

Step Three:

Graduate Division

Completed DocuSign final degree packet is routed to Graduate Division for review and degree processing, a staff member will:

Verify all required items have been submitted.

If all the required items are present:

Graduate Division staff will begin the degree audit to confer the degree

Please note during peak business time of the quarter, degree processing may take 14 business days or more

If any of the required items are missing, the staff member will hault the degree audit and contact the student and/or department to submit the missing required items. If the required items are not submitting, Graduate Division staff will void or decline to sign the DocuSign form

UCI Libraries

Approves ETD submission to be sent to Proquest/UMI

[email protected]

Princeton University Library

Phd dissertation and master's thesis submission guidelines.

The Princeton University Archives at the Mudd Manuscript Library is the repository for Ph.D. dissertations and Master’s theses. The Princeton University Archives partners with ProQuest to publish and distribute Princeton University dissertations beyond the campus community.

Below you will find instructions on the submission process and the formatting requirements for your Ph.D. dissertation or Master's thesis. If you have questions about this process, please use our Ask Us form  or visit the Mudd Manuscript Library during our open hours.

Ph.D Dissertation Submission Process

The first step is for the student to prepare their dissertation according to the Dissertation Formatting Requirements . Near the time of the final public oral examination (FPO) (shortly before or immediately after) the student must complete the online submission of their dissertation via the ProQuest UMI ETD Administrator website . Students are required to upload a PDF of their dissertation, choose publishing options, enter subject categories and keywords, and make payment to ProQuest (if fees apply). This step will take roughly 20-25 minutes.

 After the FPO the student should log on to TigerHub  and complete the checkout process. When this step is complete, Mudd Library will be notified for processing. This step will occur M-F during business hours. The Mudd Library staff member will review, apply the embargo (when applicable), and approve the dissertation submission in ProQuest. You will receive an email notification of the approval from ProQuest when it has been approved or needs revisions. 

The vast majority of students will not be required to submit a bound copy of their dissertation to the library. Only students who have removed content from the PDF to avoid copyright infringement are required to submit a bound copy to the library. This unredacted, bound version of the dissertation must be formatted according to the Dissertation Formatting Requirements , and delivered by hand, mail, or delivery service to the Mudd Manuscript Library by the degree date deadline in order to be placed on the degree list. Address the bound copy to: Attn: Dissertations, Mudd Manuscript Library, 65 Olden Street, Princeton, NJ 08540.

ProQuest Publishing Options

When you submit your dissertation to the ProQuest ETD Administrator site, you will be given two options: Traditional Publishing or Open Access Publishing Plus. ProQuest compares the two options in their  Open Access Overview document . Full details will be presented in the ProQuest ETD Administrator site.

Traditional Publishing

No fee  is paid to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text to subscribing institutions only through the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global ; If you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing or purchase through the subscription database during the embargo period.

Open Access Publishing Plus

$95 fee to ProQuest; your dissertation will be available in full text through the Internet to anyone via the ProQuest Database ; if you have an embargo, your dissertation will be unavailable for viewing through the open access database during the embargo period.

Optional Service: Copyright Registration

$75 fee to ProQuest; ProQuest offers the optional service of registering your copyright on your behalf. The dissertation author owns the copyright to their dissertation regardless of copyright registration. Registering your copyright makes a public record of your copyright claim and may entitle you to additional compensation should your copyright be infringed upon. For a full discussion of your dissertation and copyright, see ProQuest’s Copyright and Your Dissertation .

If you have questions regarding the ProQuest publishing options, contact their Author and School Relations team at 1-800-521-0600 ext. 77020 or via email at [email protected] .

Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace

Each Princeton University dissertation is deposited in Princeton’s Institutional Repository, DataSpace . Dissertations will be freely available on the Internet except during an embargo period. If your dissertation is embargoed, the PDF will be completely restricted during the embargo period. The bound copy, however, will be available for viewing in the Mudd Manuscript Library reading room during the embargo. 

According to the Graduate School’s embargo policy , students can request up to a two-year embargo on their dissertation, with the potential for renewal by petition. If approved, the embargo would apply to the dissertation in ProQuest, as well as in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace . Students in the sciences and engineering seeking patents or pursuing journal articles may be approved for a shorter embargo period. Students must apply for the embargo during the Advanced Degree Application process . More information can be found on the Graduate School's Ph.D. Publication, Access and Embargoing webpage .

Those who have been approved for the embargo can choose "Traditional Publishing" or "Open Access Plus" publishing when they complete their online submission to ProQuest. Mudd Manuscript Library staff will apply the embargo in the ProQuest ETD system at the time of submission of materials to the Library. In the case of Open Access Plus, the dissertation would become freely available on the ProQuest open access site when the embargo expires. The embargo in ProQuest will also apply to the embargo in Princeton’s digital repository, DataSpace

Those who wish to request a renewal of an existing embargo must email Assistant Dean Geoffrey Hill and provide the reason for the extension. An embargo renewal must be requested in writing at least one month before the original embargo has expired, but may not be requested more than three months prior to the embargo expiration date. Embargoes cannot be reinstituted after having expired. Embargoes are set to expire two years from the date on which the Ph.D. was awarded (degrees are awarded five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings); this date will coincide with the degree date (month and year) on the title page of your dissertation. Please note: You, the student, are responsible for keeping track of the embargo period--notifications will not be sent.

• To find the exact date of an embargo expiration, individuals can find their dissertation in DataSpace , and view the box at the bottom of the record, which will indicate the embargo expiration date.
• The Graduate School will inform the Mudd Library of all renewals and Mudd Library staff will institute the extensions in ProQuest and DataSpace .   
• Princeton University Archives'  Dissertation Formatting Requirements  (PDF download) document provides detailed information on how to prepare the dissertation PDF and bound volume (if you are required to submit a bound volume). Please take special note of how to format the title page (a title page example is downloadable from the upper-right-hand side of this webpage). The title page must list your adviser’s name.  
• ProQuest's Preparing Your Manuscript guide offers additional information on formatting the PDF. Where there are discrepancies with the Princeton University Archives Dissertation Formatting Requirements document, the Princeton University Archives requirements should be followed. Special consideration should be paid to embedding fonts in the PDF.
• ProQuest ETD Administrator Resources and Guidelines  web page offers several guides to assist you in preparing your PDF, choosing publishing options, learning about copyright considerations, and more. 
• ProQuest's Support and Training Department can assist with issues related to creating and uploading PDFs and any questions regarding technical issues with the online submission site.

Whether a student pays fees to ProQuest in the ETD Administrator Site depends on the publishing option they choose, and if they opt to register their copyright (if a student selects Traditional Publishing, and does not register their copyright, no charges are incurred). Fees are to be submitted via the UMI ETD Administrator Site. Publishing and copyright registration fees are payable by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express and a small service tax may be added to the total. The options listed below will be fully explained in the ETD Administrator site. 

• Traditional without copyright registration: $0 to ProQuest (online)
• Traditional with copyright registration: $75 to ProQuest (online) 
• Open Access without copyright registration: $95 to ProQuest (online)
• Open Access ($95) with copyright registration ($55): $150 to ProQuest (online)

Degrees are granted five times per year at Board of Trustee meetings. Deadlines for materials to be submitted to the Mudd Manuscript Library are set by the Office of the Graduate School . The title page of your dissertation must state the month and year of the board meeting at which you will be granted your degree, for example “April 2023.”

Academic Year 2024-2025

• Friday, August 30, 2024, degree date "September 2024"
• Thursday, October 31, 2024, degree date "November 2024"
• Tuesday, December 31, 2024, degree date "January 2025"
• Friday, February 28, 2025, degree date "March 2025"
• Thursday, May 8, 2025, degree date "May 2025"

Please note: If a student is granted an extension for submission of their materials after a deadline has passed, the Mudd Manuscript Library must have written confirmation of the extension from the Office of the Graduate School in the form of an email to [email protected] .  

One non-circulating , bound copy of each dissertation produced until and including the January 2022 degree list is held in the collection of the University Archives. For dissertations submitted prior to September 2011, a circulating , bound copy of each dissertation may also be available. Information about these dissertations can be found in Princeton University Library's catalog .

Electronic Copy (PDF) in ProQuest 

ProQuest Dissertation Publishing distributes Princeton University dissertations. Members of the Princeton University community can access most dissertations through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database, which is made available through the Princeton University Library. For students that choose "Open Access Plus publishing," their dissertations are available freely on the internet via  ProQuest Dissertations and Theses . Dissertations are available for purchase through ProQuest Dissertation Express . Once the dissertation has been accepted by the Mudd Library it will be released to ProQuest following the Board of Trustee meeting on which your degree is conferred. Bound copies ordered from ProQuest will be printed following release.  Please note, dissertations under embargo are not available in full text through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses subscription database or for sale via ProQuest Dissertation Express during the embargo period.

Electronic Copy (PDF) in Princeton's Institutional Repository, DataSpace  

Beginning in the fall of 2011, dissertations will be available through the internet in full-text via Princeton's digital repository, DataSpace . (Embargoed dissertations become available to the world once the embargo expires.)

Interlibrary Loan 

Dissertations that have bound copies and are not under embargo are available through Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to libraries in the United States and Canada, either through hard copy or PDF. If PDFs are available, they can be sent internationally. 

Master's Thesis Submission Process

Students who are enrolled in a thesis-based Master’s degree program must upload a PDF of their thesis to Princeton's ETD Administrator site (ProQuest) just prior to completing the final paperwork for the Graduate School. These programs currently include:

• The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Computer Science (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Operations Research and Financial Engineering (M.S.E.)
• The Department of Near Eastern Studies (M.A.)

The PDF should be formatted according to our  Dissertation Formatting Requirements  (PDF download). The Mudd Library will review and approve the submission upon notification from the Graduate School that your final paperwork is ready for this step. Bound copies are no longer required or accepted for Master's theses. 

Students who are not in a thesis-based Master's degree program do not need to make a submission to the library upon graduation. If you have questions, please complete the form on the Ask Special Collections page.

• Dissertation Formatting Requirements

Format Requirements for Your Dissertation or Thesis

Main navigation.

The final dissertation or thesis manuscript must have a ready-for-publication appearance and standard features.

The Office of the University Registrar does not endorse or verify the accuracy of any dissertation or thesis formatting templates that may be available to you.

It is your student responsibility to make sure that the formatting meets these requirements. Introductory material, text, and appendices must all be clearly and consistently prepared and must meet all of the specifications outlined below.

Once you upload and submit your dissertation or thesis in Axess, and it has been approved by the university, the submission is considered final and no further changes are permitted.

The digital file of the dissertation or thesis, which is sent to Stanford Libraries for cataloging, must meet certain technical requirements to ensure that it can be easily accessed by readers now and into the future. 

Follow the specifications outlined below.

Style and Format

Word and text divisions, style guides, content and layout, special instructions for d.m.a. students, order and content, page orientation, embedded links, supplementary material and publishing, supplementary material, scholarly reference, published papers and multiple authorship, use of copyrighted material, copyrighting your dissertation, file security and file name, stanford university thesis & dissertation publication license.

Pages should be standard U.S. letter size (8.5 x 11 inches).

In order to ensure the future ability to render the document, standard fonts must be used. 

For the main text body, type size should be 10, 11, or 12 point. Smaller font sizes may be used in tables, captions, etc. 

The font color must be black. 

Font Families

Acceptable font styles include:

• Times New Roman (preferred)
• Courier, Courier Bold, Courier Oblique, Courier Bold-Oblique;
• Helvetica, Helvetica Bold, Helvetica Oblique, Helvetica Bold-Oblique;
• Times, Times Bold, Times Italic, Times Bold-Italic;
• Computer Modern (or Computer Modern Roman).

Note: Do not use script or ornamental fonts. Do not use proprietary fonts.

If you use mathematical or other scientific notation in your dissertation or thesis using a font other than Symbol, you must embed the font into the PDF that is submitted to the university. 

Inner margins (left edge if single-sided; right edge for even-numbered pages, and left edge for odd-numbered pages if double-sided) must be 1.5 inches. All other margins must be one inch.

Pagination, headers, and/or footers may be placed within the margin, but no closer than one-half inch from the edge of the page.

For double-sided copies, 1.5 inches must be maintained as the inner margin. Margin requirements should apply to the entire document, including the title page.

The main body text of the manuscript should be one-and-a-half or double-spaced lines, except where conventional usage calls for single spacing, such as footnotes, indented quotations, tables, appendices, etc.

Words should be divided correctly at the end of a line and may not be divided from one page to the next. Use a standard dictionary to determine word division. 

Avoid short lines that end a paragraph at the top of a page, and any heading or subheading at the bottom of a page that is not followed by text.

The dissertation and thesis must be in English. 

Language Exceptions for Dissertations Only

Approval for writing the dissertation in another language is normally granted only in cases where the other language or literature in that language is also the subject of the discipline. 

Exceptions are granted by the school dean upon submission of a written request from the chair of your major department. Approval is routinely granted for dissertations in the Division of Literature, Cultures, and Languages within department specifications.

Prior to submitting in Axess, you must send a copy of the approval letter (or email message chain) from the department dean to [email protected]    

Dissertations written in another language must include an extended summary in English (usually 15 to 20 pages in length). In this case, you should upload your English summary as a supplemental file, during Step 4 of the online submission process.

Select a standard style approved by your department or dissertation advisor and use it consistently. 

Some reliable style guides are:

• K.A. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, 
• Theses and Dissertations (University of Chicago Press), and 
• the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (Modern Language Association).

If you are a student in the Doctor of Musical Arts program, you may submit musical scores formatted at 11 x 17 inches in size. 

If you are submitting a performance as your dissertation, submit the audio file in WAV format as a supplemental file. 

Note: The maximum file size accepted for submission is 100 MB. If a performance recording exceeds the maximum file size, break the file into multiple files and submit the parts individually as supplemental files.

Your dissertation or thesis must contain the following sections. All sections must be included in a single digital file for upload.

• Title Page — The format must be followed exactly. View these title page examples for Ph.D. Dissertation and this title page sample for an Engineer Thesis . Use uppercase letters. The title of the dissertation or thesis should be a meaningful description of the content of the manuscript. Use word substitutes for formulas, symbols, superscripts, subscripts, Greek letters, etc. The month and year must be the actual month and year in which you submit your dissertation or thesis electronically to the university. (Note: A student who submits in Autumn quarter is conferred his/her degree in the following calendar year.)
• Copyright Page — The dissertation or thesis PDF uploaded in Axess should not contain a copyright page. The copyright page will be created automatically by the online submission system and inserted into the file stored by Stanford Libraries.
• Signature Page — The dissertation or thesis PDF uploaded in Axess should also not contain a signature page. The submission process has moved away from ink-signatures, so a digital facsimile of the signature page will be created automatically by the online submission system and inserted into the dissertation or thesis in its final format stored by Stanford Libraries.
• Abstract — An abstract may be included in the preliminary section of the dissertation or thesis. The abstract in the body of the dissertation or thesis follows the style used for the rest of the manuscript and should be placed following the signature page. There is no maximum permissible length for the abstract in the dissertation or thesis.    Dissertation authors must enter an abstract using the online submission form for uploading the digital dissertation or thesis file to the library. This abstract, which will be indexed for online searching, must be formatted in plain text (no HTML or special formatting). It should be a pithy and succinct version of the abstract included in the dissertation or thesis itself.
• Preface, an Acknowledgment, or a Dedication.   This is optional.
• Table of Contents – Include page references.
• List of Tables –  Include titles and page references. This list is optional.
• List of Illustrations – Include titles and page references. This list is optional
• Introduction/Main body – Include suitable, consistent headings for the larger divisions and more important sub-divisions.
• Appendices.   This is optional.
• Bibliography or List of References.

Except for the title page, which counts as 'i' but is not physically numbered, each page of the manuscript, including all blank pages, pages between chapters, pages with text, photographs, tables, figures, maps, or computer code must be assigned a number. 

Consistent placement of pagination, at least one-half inch from the paper’s edge, should be used throughout the manuscript.

Follow these pagination instructions exactly:

• For the preliminary pages, use small Roman numerals (e.g., iv, v, vi).
• The title page is not physically numbered, but counts as page i.
• Keep in mind that a copyright page ii and augmented signature page iii (based off your student record) will automatically be inserted to your manuscript during submission.  This means you must ensure to remove pages ii and iii from your dissertation or thesis.
• Failing to remove pages ii and iii is most common formatting mistake: you must remove your copyright page ii and signature page iii from the pdf file before you submit your dissertation or thesis, and begin pagination on your abstract with page number "iv". If the document is formatted for double-sided printing with each section starting on the right page, then pagination will begin on a blank page (page"iv") and the Abstract should be numbered as page "v", and so forth.
• For the remainder of the manuscript, starting with the Introduction or Chapter 1 of the Main Body, use continuous Arabic pagination only (1, 2, 3, etc) for text, illustrations, images, appendices, and the bibliography. Remember to start with Arabic numbered page 1, as this is not a continuation of the Roman numeral numbering from the preliminary pages.
• The placement of page numbers should be consistent throughout the document.

For text, illustrations, charts, graphs, etc., printed in landscape form, the orientation should be facing away from the bound edge of the paper.

Images (color, grayscale, and monochrome) included in the dissertation or thesis should be clearly discernible both on screen and when printed. The dimensions should not exceed the size of the standard letter-size page (8.5” x 11”).

Image resolution should be 150 dots per inch (dpi), though resolutions as low as 72 dpi (and no lower) are acceptable. 

The format of images embedded in the PDF should be JPEG or EPS (the format JPEG2000 is also acceptable when it is supported in future versions of the PDF format). GIF and PNG are not preferred image file formats.

Large images, including maps and charts or other graphics that require high resolution, should not be included in the main dissertation or thesis file. Instead, they can be submitted separately as supplemental files and formatted in other formats as appropriate. 

Multimedia, such as audio, video, animation, etc., must not be embedded in the body of the dissertation or thesis. These media types add size and complexity to the digital file, introducing obstacles to users of the dissertation or thesis who wish to download and read (and “play back”) the content, and making it more difficult to preserve over time.

If you wish to include multimedia with your submission, upload the media separately as a stand-alone file in an appropriate media format. See Supplementary Material section below.

It is acceptable to include “live” (i.e., clickable) web URLs that link to online resources within the dissertation or thesis file. Spell out each URL in its entirety (e.g., http://www.stanford.edu ) rather than embedding the link in text (e.g., Stanford homepage ). By spelling out the URL, you improve a reader’s ability to understand and access the link reference.

Supplementary material may be submitted electronically with the dissertation or thesis. This material includes any supporting content that is useful for understanding the dissertation or thesis, but is not essential to the argument. It also covers core content in a form that can not be adequately represented or embedded in the PDF format, such as an audio recording of a musical performance.

Supplementary materials are submitted separately than the dissertation or thesis file, and are referred to as supplemental files.

A maximum of twenty supplemental files can be submitted. There are no restrictions on the file formats. The maximum file size is 1 GB.

You are encouraged to be judicious about the volume and quality of the supplemental files, and to employ file formats that are widely used by researchers generally, if not also by scholars of the discipline.

The following table outlines recommended file formats for different content types. By following these recommendations, the author is helping to ensure ongoing access to the material.

After uploading each supplemental file, it is important to enter a short description or label (maximum 120 characters for file name and the description). This label will be displayed to readers in a list of the contents for the entire submission.

If copyrighted material is part of the supplementary material, permission to reuse and distribute the content must be obtained from the owner of the copyright. Stanford Libraries requires copies of permission letters (in PDF format) to be uploaded electronically when submitting the files, and assumes no liability for copyright violations. View this sample permission letter .

System restrictions allow for a maximum of 10 individually uploaded permission files. If you have more than 10 permission files we recommend combining all permission letters into a single PDF file for upload.

In choosing an annotation or reference system, you should be guided by the practice of your discipline and the recommendations of your departments. In addition to the general style guides listed in the Style section above, there are specific style guides for some fields. When a reference system has been selected, it should be used consistently throughout the dissertation or thesis. The placement of footnotes is at your discretion with reading committee approval.

An important aspect of modern scholarship is the proper attribution of authorship for joint or group research. If the manuscript includes joint or group research, you must clearly identify your contribution to the enterprise in an introduction.

The inclusion of published papers in a dissertation or thesis is the prerogative of the major department. Where published papers or ready-for-publication papers are included, the following criteria must be met:

• There must be an introduction that integrates the general theme of the research and the relationship between the chapters. The introduction may also include a review of the literature relevant to the dissertation or thesis topic that does not appear in the chapters.
• Multiple authorship of a published paper should be addressed by clearly designating, in an introduction, the role that the dissertation or thesis author had in the research and production of the published paper. The student must have a major contribution to the research and writing of papers included in the dissertation or thesis.
• There must be adequate referencing of where individual papers have been published.
• Written permission must be obtained for all copyrighted materials. Letters of permission must be uploaded electronically in PDF form when submitting the dissertation or thesis. 
• The published material must be reformatted to meet the university's format requirements (e.g., appropriate margins and pagination) of the dissertation. The Office of the University Registrar will approve a dissertation or thesis if there are no deviations from the normal specifications that would prevent proper dissemination and utilization of the dissertation or thesis. If the published material does not correspond to these standards, it will be necessary for you to reformat that portion of the dissertation or thesis.
• Multiple authorship has implications with respect to copyright and public release of the material. Be sure to discuss copyright clearance and embargo options with your co-authors and your advisor well in advance of preparing your thesis for submission.

If copyrighted material belonging to others is used in your dissertation or thesis or is part of your supplementary materials, you must give full credit to the author and publisher of the work in all cases, and obtain permission from the copyright owner for reuse of the material unless you have determined that your use of the work is clearly fair use under US copyright law (17 USC §107). 

The statute sets out four factors that must be considered when assessing Fair Use:

• the purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purpose;
• the nature of the copyrighted work;
• the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
• the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

The Association of American University Presses requires permission for any quotations that are reproduced as complete units (poems, letters, short stories, essays, journal articles, complete chapters or sections of books, maps, charts, graphs, tables, drawings, or other illustrative materials). You can find this guideline and other detailed information on Fair Use at http://fairuse.stanford.edu . 

If you are in doubt, it is safest to obtain permission. Permission to use copyrighted material must be obtained from the owner of the copyright. Stanford Libraries requires copies of permission letters (in PDF format) to be uploaded electronically when submitting the dissertation or thesis, and assumes no liability for copyright violations. For reference, view this sample permission letter .

Copyright protection is automatically in effect from the time the work is in fixed form. A proper copyright statement consisting of the copyright symbol, the author’s name, year of degree conferral, and the phrase “All Rights Reserved” will be added automatically to the dissertation or thesis in its final form.

Registration of copyright is not required, but it establishes a public record of your copyright claim and enables copyright owners to litigate against infringement. You need not register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office at the outset, although registration must be made before the copyright may be enforced by litigation in case of infringement. 

Early registration does have certain advantages: it establishes a public record of your copyright claim, and if registration has been made prior to the infringement of your work, or within three months after its publication, qualifies you to be awarded statutory damages and attorney fees in addition to the actual damages and profits available to you as the copyright owner (should you ever have to sue because of infringement).

For more information about copyright, see the Stanford Libraries' resource on Copyright Considerations.

For further information on Registration of Copyright, see https://www.copyright.gov/registration/ .

Do not require a password to make changes to your submitted PDF file, or apply other encryption or security measures. Password-protected files will be rejected.

The file name and description will be printed on a page added to your dissertation or thesis, so choose a file name accordingly.

Important note: File names may only consist of alphanumeric characters, hyphen, underscore, at sign, space, ampersand, and comma – before the ending period and file extension.  Specifically,

• A file name cannot start with a space, period (nor contain a period), underscore, or hyphen.
• Files names must be 120 characters or less.

Here is an example of a filename that is allowed, including all of the possible characters:

• A Study of Social Media with a Focus on @Twitter Accounts, Leland Student_30AUG2023.pdf

In submitting a thesis or dissertation to Stanford, the author grants The Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford) the non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable right to reproduce, distribute, display and transmit author's thesis or dissertation, including any supplemental materials (the Work), in whole or in part in such print and electronic formats as may be in existence now or developed in the future, to sub-license others to do the same, and to preserve and protect the Work, subject to any third-party release or display restrictions specified by Author on submission of the Work to Stanford.

Author further represents and warrants that Author is the copyright holder of the Work, and has obtained all necessary rights to permit Stanford to reproduce and distribute third-party materials contained in any part of the Work, including use of third-party images, text, or music, as well as all necessary licenses relating to any non-public, third-party software necessary to access, display, and run or print the Work. Author is solely responsible and will indemnify Stanford for any third party claims related to the Work as submitted for publication.

Author warrants that the Work does not contain information protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), confidentiality agreements, or contain Stanford Prohibited, Restricted or Confidential data described on the University IT website , or other data of a private nature.

Stanford is under no obligation to use, display or host the work in any way and may elect not to use the work for any reason including copyright or other legal concerns, financial resources, or programmatic need.

• Downloadable Forms

Current Students

Additional funding from rgc for hkpfs awardees, ​conference and research-related travel allowance for hku-ps and hkpfs awardees, courses & workshops, dissertation year fellowship, hku foundation publication award for research postgraduate students , progress monitoring, research postgraduate student innovation award, thesis submission / examination, three minute thesis (3mt) competition, annual report form for hku-ps awardees, others  .

1st Round (Closed for application)

Guidelines (165/122 amended)

Application Form (166/122)

Report Form (167/122)

2nd Round (Application Deadline: May 19, 2022)

Guidelines (112/422)

Application Form (113/422)

Conference and Research-related Travel Allowance for HKU-PS and HKPFS Awardees

Applicable before July 1, 2022

Application Form

Reimbursement Claim Form

Final Report Form

 Applicable after July 1, 2022

Courses & Workshops

Change of course

Application for Change of Graduate School Course Enrolment (GS2)

Application for Change of Faculty/Departmental Course Enrolment (Faculty)

Course Exemption

Application for Exemption from Graduate School/ Faculty/ Departmental Courses (for MPhil/ 4-year PhD students) 

Application for Exemption from the coursework component on research conduct (for 3-year PhD students only)

Cross-Institution Course Enrolment

Endorsement Form for Cross-Institution Course Enrolment (for HKU Students Only)

Application for Cross-institutional Course/Subject Enrolment for Research Postgraduate Students (for Students from All HK Universities)

Application for other courses/ workshops/ support services

Student Record Form for Enrollment in Courses Offered under the Joint Centre for Advanced Study ( PDF / fillable PDF )

Application Form for Workshop Registration ( PDF / Word )

Cantonese Courses

Writing Support Service for MPhil/PhD Students

Operational Guidelines (150/822)

Nomination Form (151/822)

HKU Foundation Publication Award for Research Postgraduate Students

Terms of Reference (181/622)

Application Form (111/822)

Candidate's Progress Report for MPhil/PhD Students Registered (in or after September 1999)

Online Form ( HKU Portal → My Page → Academic Records → RPg Progress Report System)

Form for Candidate's Additional Comment

  Research Postgraduate Student Innovation Award

Operational Guidelines (160/722)

Application Form (161/722)

Thesis Submission / Examination

Notice of Intent to Submit a Thesis (MPhil and PhD students)

Notice of Intent to Submit a Thesis (Joint Programmes)

Thesis Submission Form by Supervisor of MPhil/PhD Thesis (207/1116 amended)  (For submission of thesis for examination)

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1. Notice of intention to submit

At least two months before you intend to submit your thesis you need to inform the Degree Committee of your proposed title, expected submission date and provide a short summary. Your expected submission date should be on or before your submission deadline (you can find this in your CamSIS self-service or talk to your Department Postgraduate Office if you are unsure of your submission deadline). You will also have the opportunity to state your preference for an in-person viva (default) or viva by video conference at this stage.The intention to submit form initiates the Examiner appointment process and will open the submission portal to you, so it is very important that you remember to do this.

Your intention to submit notice will be normally be acknowledged within 4 working days. The acknowledgement includes a link to the Moodle course to which you will submit your thesis. The Degree Committee Office will then approach your supervisor for nominations of potential examiners.

If you do not give any/sufficient notice before submitting your thesis your examination will be delayed.

Online form: Intention to submit a research thesis

2. Examination access arrangements (optional)

Should you wish to make a voluntary disclosure of any disability/chronic illness that might affect the conduct of your viva please complete and email the disclosure form to the Degree Committee Office before you submit. We invite you to do this up to two months in advance to allow us time to consult with the DRC and make appropriate access arrangements . Please download the form, complete and sign it, then email back to us in the Degree Committee office.

https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/files/voluntary_disclosure_form.pdf

3. Confidential Research (optional)

If your research is confidential (e.g. you are sponsored by industry and they claim rights over your findings), you may apply for a confidentiality agreement to be put in place for the examination. Contact the Degree Committee Office at least one month before you intend to submit your thesis. You will also want to give consideration to the appropriate level of access that should be applied to your final hardbound and e-thesis when depositing to the University library (see Cambridge Students information on Final thesis submission ).

4. Complete your thesis

Word limit : Be aware of the word limit and what is/is not included. Candidates are often confused as to how to include equations and formulas in the word count. We recommend you count them as as having the same number of words that text occupying the same area would have, using an average of 13 words per line or 350 words per page (at the 1.5 line spacing).

Format: The PhD thesis is submitted electronically in A4 portrait format. See the Cambridge Students website for details on all aspects of formatting the text etc . You are strongly advised to check your thesis carefully prior to submission for typing errors, spelling mistakes and poor English. Number the pages consecutively and ensure work is fully referenced. Remember, the Examiners must be left in no doubt as to which parts of your submitted work are your own original work and which are not .

Including additional material : You may seek permission though your CamSIS Self-Service page if you wish to submit additional materials alongside your thesis (e.g. video files). Datasets supplied as a separate item or an additional volume connected to the thesis but not included within it require this permission. This process should be initiated and ideally approved prior to you submitting your thesis. If you submit additional material without permission your examination will be delayed.

Published papers: University guidance on including published material can be found here . If you are unsure please discuss with your supervisor who should be able to advise you how to present your published work in context or contact us for advice. You will need to make sure any included publications form part of the overall narrative of your thesis by writing an introduction to each included paper to show how it fits in to the thesis, states where it was published, and makes clear exactly what your own contribution was if there is more than one author. Your final approved thesis will be available through an online repository so you must ensure you have appropriate copyright to include any published material, including part or all of any manuscript where you are the sole or co-author (see the Apollo website for more information). 

Compulsory inclusions : the Cambridge Students website details what must be included in the thesis, and in what order.

Electronic copy : Please remember the electronic version of the PhD thesis you submit is the only document that can be examined. You should not attempt to send any additional documents to your Examiners as they cannot be taken into consideration. If the Examiner makes any request for additional documents to you directly please contact the Degree Committee Office.

COVID-19: If your progress was impeded by coronavirus, please see Research Impact Statement and extension information on our Coronavirus pages .

Ukraine: If your progress was impacted by the situation in Ukraine, please see Research Impact Statement and extension information on our Coronavirus pages . The guidance only refers to COVID-19 but now also applies to the situation in Ukraine.

If you can't find the page you are looking for or find a broken link do let us know (please use the email link in the 'Contact us' section below).

Ukraine - University resources

Coronavirus advice from the University

Office closures

The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Physics & Chemistry will be closed from 5pm on Thursday 28 March 2024 and will reopen again on Tuesday 2 April 2024. Research degree theses should still be submitted by your submission deadline even if that falls over the holiday period.

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Thesis Submission & Examination

Your thesis is the culmination of your research studies with us. It is essential to follow the guidance regarding deadlines and submissions.

How to submit

To submit your thesis for examination you must submit an electronic copy of the thesis to the Research Degrees Office in the approved format (a digital (PDF) file) by email to  [email protected] . The email submitting the thesis must be received in the RDO by  23:59  hours on the thesis submission deadline.  

The thesis may be submitted by email to  [email protected]    

If the file is too large you may send us a link to a shared OneDrive file. Please email  [email protected]  letting us know that you have done this. If you have any issues please contact us.   

Please complete the  PGR Thesis Submission Form (RD02) [DOC 39KB]  and attach this to your email to RDO.  

The two bound copies of the thesis are  NOT  required. The thesis must be submitted as a single combined document, preferably PDF. Appendices must not be submitted as separate documents. If you have any questions or need to submit additional material with your thesis, e.g. digital material, please contact   [email protected]   so that we can advise.  

The date of thesis submission recorded on MySIS is the date on which the electronic copy of the thesis is submitted to RDO.  

Thesis submission deadline

The thesis submission deadline is determined by programme length and whether a student is studying full-time or part-time. Please see the table below for general guidance.

Students who have changed their mode of study from full-time to part-time (and vice versa), interrupted their studies, or have been granted an extension to their period of registration will have a different thesis submission deadline to the guide above. A student’s thesis submission deadline is published in the  MySIS  Research Student Data view on the student’s home page. The submission deadline date is shown in the “Thesis” section.

Please contact the  Research Degrees Office (RDO)   to confirm the thesis submission deadline. 

How to submit your thesis

Thesis submission .

The formal entry for examination is the submission of the thesis to the Research Degrees Office before the thesis submission deadline. 

You must also submit a completed   PGR Thesis Submission Form (RD02) [DOC 39KB]   with the electronic copy of your thesis. The electronic copy of the thesis can be submitted by email to   [email protected] , or you can also use the   Queen Mary 'Collect' file transfer service  for files up to 2GB. Please ensure that the maximum time limit for download is chosen.  The date of thesis submission is recorded on MySIS by the Research Degrees Office. 

Once the Research Degrees Programmes and Examinations Board has approved your examiners (please see our page on the   nomination of examiners   for more information about this process), the Research Degrees Office will formally invite your examiners to act.  Once the examiners have accepted the formal invitation, RDO will send the thesis to them electronically.

Your thesis will not be sent until both examiners have accepted the formal invitation.

The two bound copies of the thesis will not be required . The thesis must be submitted as a single combined document, preferably PDF. Appendices must not be submitted as separate documents. If you have any questions or need to submit additional material with your thesis, e.g. digital material, please contact    [email protected]   

Embargo your thesis

If you do not wish your thesis to be available online, you will be able to indicate it on the online form when you submit the final version of the thesis to the library (post-viva).

Presentation of the thesis

The thesis must be presented in the format set out in the notes on   PGR Presentation of Thesis Notes Apr 23 [PDF 122KB] .   Bound copies of the thesis are not required unless the examiners request a paper copy. Please see the above guidance about thesis submission.

Queen Mary policy on editorial assistance for research degree theses

Please note that only a pdf of the thesis is required

Word limits.

The thesis must not exceed the following word limits:

• PhD – 100,000 words
• MPhil – 60,000 words
• MD(Res) – 50,000 words

[The bibliography is excluded from the word count; footnotes are included within the word count; appendices are excluded from the word count and should only include material which the examiners are not required to read in order to examine the thesis, but to which they may refer if they wish.]

Your supervisor is responsible for arranging the viva and keeping you and the Research Degrees Office informed of these arrangements. If you have any queries about the viva, please speak to your supervisor in the first instance.

Research degree oral examinations may be held remotely with all participants attending online or face-to-face on a Queen Mary campus, in line with health and safety and travel guidance in place on the day of the viva. All participants must agree the format of the viva. One examiner can attend remotely if the student and other examiner can attend in person together. The student’s supervisor is responsible for organising the viva and will contact the examiners to liaise with them about these arrangements. This is subject to change according to Government guidelines.

PGR Exam Guidance Notes August 2023 [DOC 67KB]

You must not contact the examiners yourself. You or your supervisor must not send the thesis to the examiners.  Your examination may be declared invalid if you do.  Please ensure that you or your supervisor(s) make it clear if your thesis needs to be printed and a hardcopy is to be dispatched to the examiner.  

Acknowledging support

Students who have received financial support from external funding bodies such as Research Councils should acknowledge this according to the format stipulated by their funding body. Research Councils require the following to be included on the appropriate page:

This work was supported by the [NAME of funding body]  [grant NUMBER, if applicable]

Multiple grant numbers should be separated by a comma and a space. Where the research was supported by more than one agency, the different agencies should be separated by a semi-colon, with "and" before the final funder. 

For example:

This work was supported by the [NAME of funding body] [grant NUMBERS e.g.1234, 11223344]; the [NAME of funding body] [grant NUMBER, 12345]; and the [NAME of funding body] [grant NUMBER 000]

Examination outcomes

After the viva, your examiners will inform the Research Degrees Office of the outcome. They are required to do this within two weeks of the viva. They may inform you of the outcome of the examination at the end of the viva, but are not required to do so. There are eight possible outcomes:

• Pass subject to minor amendments to be completed and checked by one or both examiners within six months;
• Pass subject to major amendments to be completed and checked by both examiners within nine months.
• Not pass, but the candidate is allowed to revise the thesis and resubmit it within 18 months (for the PhD and MD(Res) degrees) or 12 months (for the MPhil degree);
• Not pass, but the candidate is allowed to take a written paper or practical examination;
• Not pass, but the candidate is allowed to submit to a second oral examination on the same thesis and by the same examiners within 18 months;
• [If entered for a PhD] Fail PhD but the candidate is deemed to have met the requirements for an MPhil (with or without minor amendments) or should be allowed to resubmit a revised thesis for the MPhil degree within 12 months;
• Fail outright: no re-entry permitted.

The Research Degrees Office will write to you to formally notify you of the outcome of the examination and advise you of the post-viva procedure. The RDO will send you a copy of the examination outcome form, a copy of the examiners’ report on the examination, and a list of amendments required by the examiners, unless you have passed outright or have already been provided with a list of amendments. You are responsible for submitting the revised thesis to the examiner(s) responsible for checking your amendments by the date stipulated on the examination outcome form. Please ensure that you keep your personal details up-to-date in  MySIS  to ensure that you receive this correspondence.

The outcome will need to be ratified by the Research Degrees Progression and Examinations Board which is held once a month. 

Research Degree Office

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Research degrees: examination entry

This guidance explains how you must enter for your examination. You need to do this before you submit your thesis.

This information is for postgraduate research students. There are further details about examination entry for research degrees in the Academic Manual.

Find out more in the Academic Manual

During your examination process, we will use your UCL email address for all correspondence. Please check this regularly. 

Entering for the examination

You will need to log in to Portico to enter for your exam about four months before you plan to submit your thesis. Once you have completed the online task your entry will pass to your supervisor for consideration. 

You will receive an email to confirm your entry has been successful and you will be able to submit your thesis after this.

Log into Portico

You will find the task in the 'My Studies' section of your Portico page, under the 'Research Student Administration' container. A user guide is available with step-by-step instructions for submitting an application.

Conjoint work

If you are submitting conjoint work you must state fully your own share of this work. You must include a signed statement detailing your share of the research with each copy of your thesis. The statement must be countersigned by your supervisor. We will send this to your examiners with your thesis.

Change of thesis title or field of study

If your thesis title or field of study changes after you have entered for the exam please ask your supervisor to contact the  Research Degrees Office with the amended details.

Examination re-entry for re-submission of thesis

If you have been asked to resubmit your thesis in a revised form you will need to re-enter for the exam at least two weeks before you intend to submit. You will need to log in to Portico and complete the online exam entry task. 

You will find the task in the 'My Studies' section of your Portico page, under the 'Study Administration' container.

If you have any queries about the task, please log in to AskUCL and search the FAQs or raise a ticket.

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How to apply for a research degree

Once you’ve found a PhD project or decided on your own proposal and spoken with a potential supervisor, you can apply using our online application system.

Prepare your application

The online application form takes about 30 minutes to complete. 

Typically when you apply, you’ll need:

• your personal details
• how you plan to fund your studies
• project title
• supervisor name (you should speak to the supervisor before applying)
• 2 academic references from your most recent place of study
• an academic transcript of your undergraduate degree showing modules and marks achieved
• an academic transcript from your Master's degree showing modules and marks achieved if you have already graduated
• undergraduate degree certificate and Master's degree certificate (if you have already graduated)
• English language qualification (if required)
• CV (also referred to as a resume)
• personal statement
• research proposal (if you are planning your own project or if it states you need to provide it)

Apply as early as possible if you need to secure a UK visa or if you are applying for funding or sponsorship. Deadlines for research funding are usually at least 6 months in advance of the start date. 

Some projects will have a different application procedure. This is usually the case when the project is funded by a doctoral training partnership.

Steps to apply

• Check that you meet the entry requirements and confirm the key dates either on the project page or with your potential supervisor.
• Write a personal statement including your motivation for the project, your relevant skills and experience, and how it supports your future goals. Keep this focused and concise.  
• Have supporting documents ready to attach to your online application.
• Register for an account then complete and submit the online application form. You’ll be able to save and review your application before submitting it.  
• Check you have received our email confirming we've received your application. We usually send this straight away.
• Use your account login details to track the progress of your application.

Ready to apply?

 for questions about applying, please contact our faculty  graduate  schools:,  arts and humanities: .

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Commonwealth PhD Scholarships

by Alumni Team | Aug 2, 2022

COMMONWEALTH PHD SCHOLARSHIPS

How to apply, supporting documentation, advice for applicants, choosing a university/course, applicant eligibility.

• Eligible countries

Completing the application form

• Selection process and criteria

Tenure and placement

Financial assistance, general conditions, faqs and enquiries.

Commonwealth PhD Scholarships are for applicants from least developed countries and vulnerable states, as classified by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC), in the Commonwealth, for full-time doctoral study at a UK university.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) provides the UK government scholarship scheme led by international development objectives. It operates within the framework of the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) and offers a vivid demonstration of the UK’s enduring commitment to the Commonwealth. By attracting individuals with outstanding talent and identifiable potential from all backgrounds and supporting them to become leaders and innovators on returning to their home countries, the CSC’s work combines sustainable development with the UK national interest and provides opportunities for international partnerships and collaboration.

Purpose: Funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) , Commonwealth PhD scholarships contribute to the development needs of Commonwealth countries by supporting research that will have a developmental impact. They also enhance individual teaching and research capacity leading to increase institutional capacity in academic and other sectors in Commonwealth countries, and will contribute to UK higher education and research by attracting high-calibre international applicants and encouraging links and collaboration, and are aimed at those who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK.

Intended beneficiaries: Commonwealth PhD scholarships are for high-quality graduates who have the potential to undertake world-class research of a developmental nature and to become influential leaders, teachers, or researchers in their home countries.

These scholarships are offered under the six  CSC Development themes .

Applications for Commonwealth PhD scholarships for the 202 5 /2 6 academic year are now open . The deadline for submitting an application is 16:00 hours BST (15:00 GMT) on 1 5 October 202 4 . The s cholarships are for study in the UK beginning in September/October 2 02 5 .  

Applications to the CSC must be made using the CSC’s online application system .

The CSC is unable to accept any applications or documentation not submitted via the online application system .

Applicants are advised to complete and submit applications as early as possible, as the online application system will be very busy in the days leading up to the application deadline.

As well as applying to the CSC, applicants must apply to a nominator.

There are three types of nominator invited to participate in the PhD scholarship programme:  

• National nominating agencies  – this is the main route of application.
• Selected universities/university bodies  – which can nominate their own academic staff.
• Selected non-governmental organisations and charitable bodies .

Participating n ominators put forward an agreed number of candidates to the CSC for consideration . The CSC does not accept direct applications for these scholarships.

Each nominator oversees its own selection process and may have additional eligibility criteria. Applicants must check with the nominator for their specific advice and rules for applying, and their own eligibility criteria.

Nominators may set their own closing dates for applications. They will nominate candidates to the CSC in December 2024.  

Selections are made from the pool of nominations. Candidates are asked to note that a nomination is no guarantee of selection.

Applicants can expect to hear the outcome of their applications by July 2025. We will contact all applicants by email and they should ensure all folders of their email accounts are monitored, including junk mail and spam folders. A scholarship offer may be withdrawn if a candidate is emailed but does not respond within a specified time.  

Applications must include supporting documentation to be eligible.

Please note that applicants are required to collect references and supporting statements, either on institution letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from referees and proposed supervisors in the UK, and then upload them in PDF format to the application system with their other supporting documentation.

The references and supporting statements must be uploaded to the application system by the deadline for applications and we are unable to accept references and supporting statements any other way or after this date.

Applicants must upload the following documents with the application:

• Proof that they are a citizen or have refugee status in an eligible Commonwealth country: a copy of a valid passport (or national ID card) showing a photograph, date of birth, and country of citizenship.
• Full transcripts detailing all higher education qualifications, including to-date transcripts for any courses currently being studied, with certified translations if not in English. Where any transcripts are missing or do not include all pages, the application will be considered ineligible.
• References from at least two individuals, in PDF format, signed and on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details.
• A supporting statement, in PDF format, signed and either on institutional letterhead or an email clearly showing the sender’s details, from a proposed supervisor in the UK from at least one of the institutions named on the application form.

Applications will be considered ineligible if any of the required documentation is not included by the closing date.

The CSC will not accept supporting documentation submitted outside the online application system.

When completing the references, referees should be asked to comment as fully as possible on the applicant, keeping in mind the following points for inclusion, as appropriate:

• How long, and in what capacity, the referee has known the applicant.
• The referee’s views on the applicant’s suitability for the proposed Scholarship and the need for the particular subject of study in the UK.
• capability to grasp concepts and reason analytically;
• capacity for original thought;
• and motivation and perseverance in achieving objectives.
• Assessment of the applicant’s particular strengths and weaknesses.
• The applicant’s potential to impact development in their home country.
• Any other general qualities which the referee considers would make the applicant a good recipient of a Scholarship.

Please note that the CSC does not charge apply for any of its scholarships or fellowships through its online application system.

When completing supporting statements, proposed supervisors should be asked to confirm that they are, in principle, prepared to have the applicant working with them and that they have the facilities to undertake the research. They should also be asked how the applicant’s plan of study fits with the expertise of their department and to indicate how much of the applicant’s plan of study, if any, they wrote. Any additional comments they make will be appreciated by the Commission.

Applicants can find general information about applying for a Commonwealth Scholarship on our advice for applicants page .

Applicants may find the following resources useful when researching their choices of institution and course of study in the UK:

• Study UK – British Council website, with guidance for international students and a course and institution search
• Steps to Postgraduate Study – a guide to asking the right questions about taught postgraduate study in the UK
• Postgrad.com  – information for postgraduate students, with a course search
• Prospects – information on postgraduate study in the UK
• Research Excellent Framework 2021 results – results of a system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions
• UCAS Postgraduate – guidance on how to find and apply for a postgraduate course
• Discover Uni – the official website for comparing UK higher education course data
• UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) – advice for international students on choosing a course of study

The CSC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Applicants can also discover how Commonwealth Alumni are making an impact and leading change across critical development issues by visiting our development impact stories page .

To apply for this scholarship, applicants must:

• Be a citizen of or have been granted refugee status by an eligible Commonwealth country, or be a British Protected Person.
• Be permanently resident in an eligible Commonwealth country.
• Be available to start academic studies in the UK by the start of the UK academic year in September 2025.
• By September 2025, hold a first degree of at least upper second-class (2:1) honours standard, or a lower second-class degree and a relevant postgraduate qualification (usually a Master’s degree)*.
• Not be registered for a PhD, or an MPhil leading to a PhD, at a UK university or in their home country before September/October 2025.
• Be unable to afford to study in the UK without this scholarship.
• Have provided all supporting documentation in the required format.

*The CSC recognises that disabled people have often faced and overcome challenges or barriers in their education journey which have prevented them achieving the academic requirement for a Commonwealth Scholarship. Disabled applicants who can demonstrate their potential to contribute to international development but who do not hold a 2:1 Undergraduate degree may be considered for a contextualised nomination through the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum (CDPF) nominator. For more information, please contact CDPF directly using the details on our NGOs and charitable body nominators page .

The CSC aims to identify talented individuals who have the potential to make change. We are committed to a policy of equal opportunity and non-discrimination and encourage applications from a diverse range of applicants. For further information on the support available to scholars who share that they have a disability, see the  CSC disability support statement .

There is no age limit for CSC applications. Applicants are advised to confirm with their employers any age restrictions on leave entitlement they may have in place.

Eligible Countries

Please note that only candidates from the eligible countries listed below can apply for Commonwealth PhD Scholarships .

Bangladesh Cameroon The Gambia Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Mozambique Nigeria Pakistan Rwanda Sierra Leone Solomon Islands Sri Lanka Tanzania Togo Tuvalu Uganda Zambia

In the application form, applicants are asked to:

• List all undergraduate and postgraduate university qualifications obtained.
• List up to 10 publications and prizes.
• Provide details of employment history and explain how the experience gained supports and is relevant to the programme to be undertaken in the UK.
• List names and positions of three referees who are qualified to comment on both their capacity to benefit from the proposed Scholarship in the UK and their ability to deliver development impact afterwards. One of the referees must be a current employer (if applicable) and at least two references must be included with the application.
• Provide a Development Impact statement in four parts.

In the first part applicants should explain how the proposed scholarship relates to:

• Development issues at the global, national, and local level
• Development issues connected to the chosen CSC development theme and the wider sector

The second part should explain how they intend to apply their new skills once the Scholarship ends.

The third part should outline what they expect will change in development terms following the Scholarship, including:

• The outcomes that they aim to achieve
• The timeframe for their implementation
• Who the beneficiaries will be

In the fourth part applicants should write about how the impact of their work could be best measured and evidenced.

Applicants are also asked to:

• Confirm what their award objectives are and how each of them will be met by the Scholarship programme.
• Confirm what their career plans are for the 5 years following the Scholarship.
• Confirm their long-term career plans.
• Provide a detailed plan of study.
• Provide a personal statement to summarise the ways in which their personal background has encouraged them to want to make an impact in their home country. Applicants may wish to highlight any areas where they have already made significant contributions, including overcoming personal or community barriers in accessing higher education or within their field.
• Summarise the ways in which they have engaged in voluntary activities and the opportunities they have had to demonstrate leadership.

Selection Process and criteria

Applications will be considered according to the following selection criteria:

• Academic merit
• Quality of research proposal
• Potential impact on the development of the candidate’s come country

For further details, see the Commonwealth Scholarships selection criteria .

Applicants should note the criteria carefully and link their answers in the application form to each point listed.

Scholarships are tenable at any approved UK university or higher education institution with which the CSC has a part-funding agreement for a specific programme of research for 36 months of full-time study only. For the full list, see here: cscuk.fcdo.gov.uk/uk-universities

Scholarships are to obtain one degree; funding will not be extended to enable candidates to complete a qualification in addition to or higher than that for which the selection was made.

Scholarships are made in respect of full-time study only and no other course of study may be undertaken at the same time.

The CS C does not support four-year PhDs.  

The CSC does not provide new direct financial or promotional support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas, defined as the extraction, production, transportation, refining and marketing of crude oil, natural gas or thermal coal, as well as any fossil-fuel fired power plants.

Applicants must make clear in the application which qualification they are applying for. This will enable the CSC to consider the application in the correct category. Applications which do not make this clear may be considered ineligible.

Applicants are advised to list three universities and supervisors that they think are the most appropriate for their study, in order of preference, and to explain their reasons. This is important because the CSC will not change the university or supervisor (or the order of preference) of a provisionally selected candidate after the point of selection, unless exceptional information becomes available that could not have been foreseen at the time of application.

The CSC will make the final decision on institution of study, and reserves the right to overrule any preferences indicated by the candidate. The CSC will consider the suitability of the course and its value for money when deciding on any overrule.

Applicants must take the necessary steps to apply for admission to their preferred universities in advance of their scholarship application. Many courses have strict admission deadlines and candidates should check admission requirements carefully when applying. If an applicant is selected for a scholarship and has not applied and been accepted for a course, it may not be possible to proceed with the scholarship.

Applicants must provide a supporting statement for a named supervisor from at least one of the UK universities to which they are applying. Details of what the supporting statement should include are outlined in the supporting documentation section. Applicants are strongly advised to provide a supporting statement from a supervisor at the first choice university. If not, the CSC reserves the right to select for placement at another university for which a statement is provided.

Each scholarship provides:

• Approved airfare from the Scholar’s home country to the UK and return at the end of the award (the CSC will not reimburse the cost of fares for dependants, nor the cost of journeys made before the award is confirmed).
• Approved tuition fees: full fees are covered by agreement between the CSC and the UK university, and Scholars are not liable to pay for any part of the tuition fee.
• Stipend (living allowance) at the rate of £1,378 per month, or £1,690 per month for those at universities in the London metropolitan area (rates quoted at current levels).
• Warm clothing allowance, where applicable.
• Study travel grant towards the cost of study-related travel within the UK or overseas.
• Provision towards the cost of fieldwork undertaken overseas (the cost of one economy class return airfare to the fieldwork location), where approved.
• Paid mid-term visit (airfare) to the Scholar’s home country, unless they have claimed or intend to claim spouse and/or child allowances during their scholarship or have received a return airfare to their home country for fieldwork.
• If a Scholar is accompanied by their spouse but no children: spouse allowance of £297 per month for a maximum period of nine months, if they and their spouse are living together at the same address in the UK (unless the spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply).
• If a Scholar is accompanied by their spouse and children: spouse allowance of £297 per month and child allowance of £297 per month for the first child, and £146 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if their spouse and children are living with them at the same address in the UK (unless their spouse is also in receipt of a scholarship; other conditions also apply).
• If a Scholar has children and is widowed, divorced, or a single parent, child allowance of child allowance of £590 per month for the first child, and £146 per month for the second and third child under the age of 16, if their children are living with them at the same address in the UK.

If a Scholar shares that they have a disability, a full assessment of their needs and eligibility for additional financial support will be offered by the CSC.

The CSC’s family allowances are intended to be only a contribution towards the cost of maintaining a Scholar’s family in the UK. The true costs are likely to be considerably higher, and Scholars must be able to supplement these allowances to support any family members who accompany them to the UK.

For more information, see the current Handbook for Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows .  

Please note that the conditions outlined in the Handbook are subject to change.

A Commonwealth Scholarship covers fees, approved fares, and personal maintenance. Other scholarships, awards, or bursaries that cover the same costs may not be held concurrently.

For the CSC to administer the application effectively and efficiently after submission, it will be necessary to create a record in the applicant’s name. If they apply for an award to the CSC, their details will be kept on file. Basic anonymised demographic data for all applicants will be kept for analytical research. The CSC is committed to protecting personal information and to being transparent about the information we are collecting about applicants and what we do with it. To find out more, see our privacy notice .

Applicant’s personal information will be used to conduct necessary due diligence checks to CSC’s satisfaction, before CSC proceeds with any type of formal agreement or contractual relationship. In most cases, the due diligence checks will be straightforward, however further information may be requested, so we ask for full co-operation to speed up the process.

If an applicant does not agree to personal data being used for the purpose of conducting due diligence, unfortunately CSC will not be able to proceed further with the application process.

If an application is successful, the CSC will notify the applicant that they have been provisionally selected (selected for an award subject to the CSC agreeing terms of admission to the university) at which point they will be a provisional scholarship candidate.

The CSC does not require any applicants to take an IELTS (English language) test.

The CSC will not be able to offer a scholarship if it would contravene the terms and conditions of another scholarship previously held.

When terms of admission to the university have been agreed, the CSC will provide a Notification of Award (formal offer of a scholarship).

When all conditions of the Notification of Award have been met, the CSC will provide a formal Confirmation of Award.

Candidates will be required to submit a Health and Disability Form  before the Confirmation of Award can be issued.

Candidates will be required to sign an undertaking to return to their home country as soon as possible after the end of the award.

Candidates are expected to start the award on the date stated in the Notification of Award.

If a candidate requires a Student visa to come to the UK to study, they must meet all relevant immigration requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration. They should check the GOV.UK website for updated information.

All UK immigration regulations are set by UK Visas and Immigration and are subject to change. The CSC has no control over these regulations.

Candidates will be selected for an award based on the plan of study outlined on the application form, which is not expected to change significantly during the award. Any such changes must be agreed by the CSC.

Throughout their award, Scholars are expected to reside in the UK, and must seek approval from the CSC in advance of any overseas travel.

Scholars must not undertake paid employment during the award without approval from the CSC in advance.

Collaboration is a feature of doctoral research. The CSC expects that participants in collaborative projects will develop a collaborative agreement to clarify the contributions and rights of each partner. The CSC will not get involved in negotiating an exploitation agreement but will need to be assured that an arrangement acceptable to all parties exists. Arrangements should be made to identify, protect, and value any arising intellectual property and to secure a suitable return to the institution and the investigators through exploitation. The CSC considers the intellectual property ownership to lie initially with the student; however, many universities have their own locally applicable policy. In many cases, it is in the best interest of a student for ownership to be vested with the university, which will have greater negotiating powers and will be likely to be able to seek the best returns in any exploitation agreement. Award holders are expected to notify the CSC when CSC-funded intellectual property is exploited.

The CSC will consider a request to extend a Scholar’s leave to remain in the UK after their award only if they wish to move from Master’s to PhD study. Strict conditions will apply.

The CSC cannot provide a letter of support or permission for Scholars to remain in or return to the UK after the award to enable them to work or undertake postdoctoral study.

The following are not eligible to apply for a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship; an employee, a former employee, or relative of an employee of the Government of the United Kingdom; or a staff member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities or the British Council; or a Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner, former Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner or a relative of a Commonwealth Scholarship Commissioner. Former employees of the organisations listed above are eligible to apply three years after ceasing their employment with them.

In line with the UK Bribery Act 2010, any applicant convicted of bribery will be banned from reapplying for a Commonwealth Scholarship or Fellowship for a period of up to five years.

Applicants are expected to adhere to the CSC’s Code of Conduct for award holders and the Disciplinary Policy and Procedure .

An award may be terminated at any time for reasons of unsatisfactory conduct, progress, or attendance, or if registration is suspended or terminated by the university for any reason.

The CSC is committed to administering and managing its scholarships and fellowships in a fair and transparent manner. For more information, see the CSC Anti-Fraud Policy and Procedure at and the FCDO guidance on reporting fraud .

The CSC is committed proactively to safeguard and promote the welfare of our beneficiaries, and to protect its staff, Commissioners, beneficiaries and all those with whom the CSC comes into contact. The CSC requires staff, members of the Commission, applicants for and recipients of CSC awards and suppliers to act consistently with its requirements for safeguarding. Applicants should note the  CSC Safeguarding Policy which sets out the obligation for staff, members of the Commission, applicants for and recipients of CSC awards and suppliers to act consistently with its requirements for safeguarding.  Any safeguarding concerns should be reported to the Commission at:   [email protected]

All conditions of award are subject to UK local law and practices and are subject to change by the CSC.

For more information, see the current Handbook for Commonwealth Scholars . Please note that the conditions outlined in the Handbook are subject to change.

For general information about applying for Commonwealth Scholarships or Fellowships, please see our FAQs page.

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Medical Device Reporting (MDR): How to Report Medical Device Problems

Update August 28, 2024:  The FDA has issued the final guidance Voluntary Malfunction Summary Reporting (VMSR) Program for Manufacturers; Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff . The updated information about the VMSR program is available at Voluntary Malfunction Summary Reporting Program .

Overview of Medical Device Reporting

Mandatory medical device reporting requirements, voluntary medical device reporting, how to report a medical device problem, submitting medical device reports for devices licensed as biological products, searching medical device reports.

Each year, the FDA receives over two million medical device reports of suspected device-associated deaths, serious injuries, and malfunctions. Medical Device Reporting (MDR) is one of the postmarket surveillance tools the FDA uses to monitor device performance, detect potential device-related safety issues, and contribute to benefit-risk assessments of these products.

Mandatory reporters (that is, manufacturers, device user facilities, and importers) are required to submit to the FDA certain types of reports for adverse events and product problems about medical devices. In addition, the FDA also encourages health care professionals, patients, caregivers and consumers to submit voluntary reports about serious adverse events that may be associated with a medical device, and use errors, product quality issues, and therapeutic failures. These reports, along with data from other sources, can provide critical information that helps improve patient safety.

The FDA reviews all medical device reports (MDRs) received. The FDA's analysis of MDRs evaluates the totality of information provided in the initial MDR and as any MDR supplemental reports subsequently provided. The submission of an MDR itself is not evidence that the device caused or contributed to the adverse outcome or event. For example, in certain MDRs, the text of the report may include the word "death" or a related term. However, the MDR would not, and should not, be classified as death unless the reporter believes the patient's cause of death was or may have been attributed to the device or the device was or may have been a factor in the death.

In addition, although MDRs are a valuable source of information, this passive surveillance system has limitations. The incidence, prevalence, or cause of an event cannot be determined from this reporting system alone due to under-reporting of events, inaccuracies in reports, lack of verification that the device caused the reported event, and lack of information about frequency of device use. Because of these limitations, MDRs comprise only one of the FDA's several important postmarket surveillance data sources.

The Medical Device Reporting (MDR) regulation ( 21 CFR Part 803 ) contains mandatory requirements for manufacturers, importers, and device user facilities to report certain device-related adverse events and product problems to the FDA.

Manufacturers: Manufacturers are required to report to the FDA when they learn that any of their devices may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury. Manufacturers must also report to the FDA when they become aware that their device has malfunctioned and would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur.

Importers: Importers are required to report to the FDA and the manufacturer when they learn that one of their devices may have caused or contributed to a death or serious injury. The importer must report only to the manufacturer if their imported devices have malfunctioned and would be likely to cause or contribute to a death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur.

Device User Facilities: A "device user facility" is a hospital, ambulatory surgical facility, nursing home, outpatient diagnostic facility, or outpatient treatment facility, which is not a physician's office. User facilities must report a suspected medical device-related death to both the FDA and the manufacturer. User facilities must report a medical device-related serious injury to the manufacturer, or to the FDA if the medical device manufacturer is unknown.

A user facility is not required to report a device malfunction, but can voluntarily advise the FDA of such product problems using the voluntary MedWatch Form FDA 3500 under the FDA's Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. Healthcare professionals within a user facility should familiarize themselves with their institution's procedures for reporting adverse events to the FDA. See " Medical Device Reporting for User Facilities ," a guidance document issued by the FDA.

Visit Mandatory Reporting Requirements: Manufacturers, Importers and Device User Facilities for specifics on requirements and associated processes.

Medical Device Reports for Devices Licensed as Biological Products: For instructions for mandatory medical device reporting for licensed medical devices regulated as biological products by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), see Submitting Medical Device Reports (MDRs) to CBER for Devices Licensed as Biological Products .

The FDA encourages healthcare professionals, patients, caregivers and consumers to submit voluntary reports of significant adverse events or product problems with medical products to MedWatch , the FDA's Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

Medical device reports are submitted to the FDA by mandatory reporters (manufacturers, importers and device user facilities) and voluntary reporters (health care professionals, patients, caregivers and consumers).

Mandatory Reporting for Manufacturers, Importers and Device User Facilities (Form FDA 3500A):

Find information and instructions for mandatory device reporting at:

• Reporting Medical Device Adverse Events for Manufacturers, Importers and Device User Facilities
• Instructions on Voluntary Malfunction Summary Reporting Program
• Instructions for Completing Form FDA 3500A
• eMDR - Electronic Medical Device Reporting
• Medical Device Reporting for Manufacturers - Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff
• FDA Guidance: Medical Device Reporting for User Facilities (PDF Only) (PDF - 313KB)

For Questions about Medical Device Reporting, including interpretation of MDR policy:

• Call: (301) 796-6670
• Email: [email protected]

Voluntary MedWatch Reporting for Patients, Health Professionals and Consumers (Form FDA 3500):

Patients, healthcare professionals and consumers who find a problem related to a medical device are encouraged to report medical device adverse events or product problems to the FDA through MedWatch, the FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program. Submit reports to the FDA through the MedWatch program in one of the following ways:

• Complete the MedWatch Online Reporting Form
• Download form  or call 1-800-332-1088 to request a reporting form, then complete and return to the address on the pre-addressed form, or submit by fax to 1-800-FDA-0178

To Report an Emergency

If you have identified a public health emergency, you may use the following contact information to alert the FDA:

FDA Office of Crisis Management, Emergency Operations Center

• Voice (24hr/day) phone: 866-300-4374 or 301-796-8240
• FAX: 301-847-8543

While most medical devices subject to the FDA's oversight are regulated by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is also responsible for the regulation of certain medical devices.

Currently, CBER is designated the lead center in the FDA for regulating in vitro diagnostic (IVD) medical devices intended for screening or confirmatory clinical laboratory testing associated with blood banking practices and other process testing procedures. For more information unique to IVDs, see Overview of IVD Regulation .

IVD devices licensed as biological products are also subject to the applicable regulations under 21 CFR Part 803 – Medical Device Reporting. For instructions for medical device reporting for devices regulated as biological products by CBER, see Submitting Medical Device Reports (MDRs) to CBER for Devices Licensed as Biological Products .

The Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database contains mandatory reports filed by manufacturers and importers from August 1996 to present, all mandatory user facility reports from 1991 to present, and voluntary reports filed after June 1993. The MAUDE database houses MDRs submitted to the FDA by mandatory reporters (manufacturers, importers and device user facilities) and voluntary reporters such as health care professionals, patients and consumers.

There are certain cases in which such information was not included in MAUDE. Older reports received through CDRH's legacy Device Experience Network (DEN) reporting system from 1984 – 1996 and reports received under the Alternative Summary Reporting Program from 1999 – April 2019 are not available in MAUDE. In the spirit of promoting public transparency, the FDA posted Alternative Summary Reporting (ASR) data and Device Experience Network (DEN) reports on the MDR Data Files page .

Individuals are also able to request information related to Medical Device Reports by submitting a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request either in writing or online.

For general questions, please contact the Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE) .

Additional Resources

• MedWatch: The FDA's system for voluntary reporting
• MAUDE - Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database (MDRs received from August 1, 1996-present)
• MDR Database Search (MDRs received from 1984 - July 31, 1996 )
• Mandatory Reporting Requirements: Manufacturers, Importers and Device User Facilities
• Electronic Medical Device Reporting (eMDR)
• CDRH Learn with Medical Device Reporting (Postmarket Activities)
• Exemptions, Variances, and Alternate Forms of Adverse Event Reporting for Medical Devices
• Voluntary Malfunction Summary Reporting (VMSR) Program