A thesis or appropriate equivalent such as a novel, dance performance or exhibition in creative fields, is a major component of the assessment in a research degree. Your thesis is examined by external examiners and determines the final result in your degree.

All theses must be submitted in accordance with these guidelines, as well as any additional requirements in your Faculty. 

Preparing your thesis

You must ensure your thesis is prepared in accordance with these guidelines.  We have developed a thesis template incorporating the following guidelines for your convenience:

Title page

The thesis you submit for examination must contain a title page with:

• title of the thesis
• title of the degree
• name of the School/Centre/Institute and Faculty in which the research is carried out
• your full name and the year of submission

The title should be a clear description of the research project on the spine of the thesis when it is bound. It should contain no more than 150 characters and should be in sentence case with only the first letter of the significant words capitalised.

The title on the thesis you submit for examination must be identical to the title you registered with the university. Please contact the Student Advice Officer in your Faculty to confirm the titles are the same before submitting your thesis for examination.

The thesis title in your citation and the graduation book will be exactly the same as the title on the thesis you submit for examination. 

If you want to change the title on your thesis you must submit an Application for Change in Thesis Title before it is submitted for examination.

Abstract

Your thesis must contain a 300 word abstract summarising the following:

• context and purpose of the research project
• method of analysis used
• major conclusions reached

Declaration of authenticity

Each copy of your thesis submitted for examination must contain a Student Declaration of authenticity. This should be inserted after the title page and abstract, before the Table of Contents. You must ensure your thesis complies with the Copyright Guide for Research Students before it is added to the online repository.

Additional declarations, including Details of Included Papers and the Declaration of Co-Authorship are required for those submitting a Thesis By Publication.

Table of Contents

You must include a detailed Table of Contents in the thesis you submit for examination.

Word limit

The word limit for each degree includes quotes, but excludes tables, figures, appendices, bibliography, references and footnotes. 

If your thesis exceeds the word limit specified in your degree your Principal Supervisor must contact the examiners to confirm they are willing to read it. If the examiners agree your supervisor will write a letter explaining why the thesis has exceeded the word limit and confirming the examiners approval. You must attach the letter to your thesis when you submit it for examination. 

Format 

Your thesis must be typed on A4 paper single sided using 11 or 12 font in Times New Roman or Arial, with a minimum 1.5 line spacing. The left and right margins must be a minimum of 3cm and pages numbered. All diagrams, tables etc must contain a number and caption and be placed as near as possible to relevant text.

Submitting your thesis

You must give your Principal Supervisor and Head of School Centre/Institute at least 3 months notice of the date you intend to submit your thesis for examination. This will give your Principal Supervisor sufficient time to identify and nominate 2-4 external examiners (varies depending on the discipline) for approval by the Faculty Postgraduate Research Committee. In addition, you must have an enrolled status when you submit your thesis examination.

Submitting your thesis early

If you complete your thesis 12 months (or equivalent part time) before your candidature due date you must submit an application for early submission to the Student Advice Officer in your Faculty. Your application should contain:

• a copy of your thesis
• Release of Thesis form
• detailed letter from your research supervisor providing reasons for early submission and confirming the thesis has been analysed through Turnitin

Your application for early submission will be reviewed by the Associate Dean (Research & Research Training) in your Faculty. If the Associate Dean approves your application it will be forwarded to the Faculty Postgraduate Research Committee for final approval. You will be advised in writing about the outcome of your application. If the Committee approves your application you may submit your thesis  for examination.

Submission requirements

You must submit a Release of Thesis form with your thesis so it can be released to examiners. The Chair of Examiners is normally your Head of School/Centre/Institute.  However, if your Principal Supervisor is also your Head of School/Centre/Institute, he or she is unable to act as Chair of Examiners. In this instance, the Associate Dean (Research & Research Training) will normally act as the Chair of Examiners for your thesis. Please note that the number of bound copies you need to submit for examination will vary depending on the discipline and the number of examiners that will be assessing your work.

• Master by Research students must submit submit 3 spiral bound copies to the Student Advice Officer in their Faculty.
• Master by Research by performance or exhibition students must submit 4 spiral bound copies to the Student Advice Officer in their Faculty.
• DPsych and DAppPsych students must submit 3 spiral bound copies to the Manager of Postgraduate Research Administration, in the Office for Postgraduate Research.
• PhD, EdD, DSW and DBA students must submit 4 spiral bound copies to the Manager of Postgraduate Research Administration, in the Office for Postgraduate Research.
• PhD by performance or exhibition must submit 5 spiral bound copies to the Manager of Postgraduate Research Administration, in the Office for Postgraduate Research.

Self bind facilities are available at most campus libraries. Please enquire at the service desk of your campus library. Alternatively, you can search the Yellow Pages under 'bookbinder', or have your thesis bound at one of the bookbinders in the list of thesis binders we have identified.

If you are on a scholarship contact the Admissions and Scholarships Coordinator to see if you are eligible for a binding allowance.

Submitting your Masters thesis

You must make an appointment with the Student Advice Officer in your Faculty to submit your Masters thesis for examination.

Submitting your Doctoral thesis

You must make an appointment with the Manager of Postgraduate Research Administration to submit your Doctoral thesis for examination.

Contact us

If you require further information please contact your research supervisor, the Student Advice Officer in your Faculty or the Office for Postgraduate Research.