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Once you have completed your thesis, you will need to submit it for examination. You are required to notify us in advance of your intended submission date, to allow us to arrange your examination.
Four months before your latest date for submission, we will send you instructions on completing your Notice of Intent to Submit.
This outlines the date you plan to submit your thesis and needs to be completed three months before your expected submission date. You can lodge your notice using the Notice of intent to submit form.
Your supervisor will nominate examiners and usually provide them with your thesis abstract. Prospective examiners will need to formally accept this invitation. Your supervisor will organise any additional examination requirements. This may be the case if your thesis contains highly confidential information, musical scores, an exhibition of artwork or is in a language other than English.
If you want to submit your thesis after your earliest date for submission but more than three months before your latest date for submission, contact HDRAC. If you want to submit your thesis before your earliest date for submission, contact us for advice.
There are three different ways of having your thesis examined. A student has the right to select a relevant mode of examination, subject to supervisor endorsement and faculty/school approval; so you should discuss with your supervisors the possible selection of examination mode. At the notice of Intention to Submit stage, you will be asked to select from
It may be possible for you to change your selection of examination after the Intention to Submit has been lodged. You will need to request this with your Chair of Examination.
If you have a thesis-only examination (no exhibition), you should provide a Notice of Intent to Submit as described above and follow the steps to submit your thesis set out below.
If your thesis submission includes an exhibition, alternative arrangements need to be made to accommodate your exhibition and an oral examination.
You need to provide a Notice of Intent to Submit as described above. You will also need to follow the steps to submit your thesis.
Your exhibition and oral examination will need to occur during the examination exhibition period closest to your latest completion date. We will allocate you to a period unless approval for an alternative venue has been given.
Latest completion date | Examination period | Thesis submission date | Examination exhibition period |
---|---|---|---|
28 February | September | 28 February | 8-11 September |
31 March | September | 31 March | 8-11 September |
30 June | September | 30 June | 8-11 September |
30 September | May 2021 | 30 September | To be confirmed |
31 December | May 2021 | 31 December | To be confirmed |
The Graduate School Director and gallery staff allocate you an exhibition space based on the information provided in your Notice of Intent to Submit.
You will meet with the responsible studio and technical supervisor and your research supervisor to complete a Technical & equipment requirements form and risk assessment. Your exhibition specifications need to be approved by the SCA Work Heath & Safety Committee and you need to observe the terms and conditions, installation requirements and schedule provided by the Graduate School.
We will try to meet your space and equipment requirements, however we can’t guarantee all requirements can be met due to the large and complex nature of the exhibition.
You need to complete an oral examination to:
One week before your oral examination your examiners will send you interim reports on your research paper. This will help you prepare for your presentation. The reports are confidential and can’t be published in any form without consent.
On the day of your examination, the Chair of the examination will meet you 20 minutes before your examination time to help you set up.
Your oral examination will take about two hours and consists of four sections.
Once the Faculty receives the Chair’s report and any final reports, a final recommendation on your result will be made. We will notify you of this outcome.
You need to submit an electronic copy of your thesis to the Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Administration Centre.
Before you submit, make sure your thesis meets the requirements for composition and frontispiece sections.
HDRAC is closed for in-person enquiries
Level 5, Jane Foss Russell Building, Darlington Campus
Opening hours:
9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
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