Preparing to Submit
This page contains everything you need to know about submitting your thesis and how to prepare for your doctoral examination.
Thesis submission and examination process
You can expect the process to run as follows:.
- Intention to submit (three months before you submit)
- Initial thesis submission
- Thesis examination
- Thesis examination recommendation
- Oral examination
- Outcome advised
- Final submission
For the Doctor of Fine Arts (DocFA), the oral examination takes place before the thesis examination and at the same time as the performance or exhibition.
The examination process generally takes up to six months, though it may be longer in some cases. Your examination will be managed by a dedicated Examinations team at the School of Graduate Studies (SGS).
Candidates on Wahapū will receive regular automatic updates at key stages of the process, and will be able to log into the system at any time to check the progress of the examination.
Candidates not on Wahapū will make use of the forms on the Doctoral Forms web page and receive updates via email.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis is awarded annually to the five most exceptional theses from the previous year. Criteria for nomination include the demonstrable significance, originality, contribution and excellence of the thesis.
Seven steps to success
1. Examination Process Canvas Course
You should aim to complete the online PhD Examination Process Canvas Course six months before you submit your thesis. This will prepare you for a smooth submission and examination process.
2. Doctoral Examination Workshop
We also recommend you attend the Preparing for your Doctoral Examination workshop six months before you submit your thesis. It's a great opportunity to learn more and ask questions.
3. Additional Resources
It's important to familiarise yourself with the exam-related policies on the University's Policy Hub. We also recommend signing up for the Word Thesis Formatting workshop, which focuses on the essential tools needed to format a thesis or dissertation using Microsoft Word. We also suggest that you find out whether your faculty offers writing retreats for doctoral candidates, by contacting your Group Services team.
4. Intention to Submit
To ensure your examination process is fast and efficient, you are required to notify SGS three months in advance of your planned submission date, which must be on or before your maximum submission date. PhD students will follow the Intention to Submit process in Wahapū, while those who are studying towards a Named Doctorate will email their name, ID, and intended submission date to doctoraladvice@auckland.ac.nz.
5. Scholarships
If you're on a scholarship, you need to let your scholarship administrator know once you have submitted, because your scholarship will stop at this point. If you have a University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship, you can email doctoralscholarships@auckland.ac.nz.
6. ResearchSpace
After your thesis has been examined, and you have made any required minor corrections to the satisfaction of your supervisor, you are required to submit your final thesis to both Wahapū (if relevant) and ResearchSpace (the University's institutional repository). You will need to send confirmation of the ResearchSpace receipt to sgs-exams@auckland.ac.nz so the examination process can be completed. You can expect a reply from SGS within two weeks, and your thesis should be available on ResearchSpace within eight weeks.
7. Apply to Graduate
To be eligible to graduate, you must have complied with step 5 above and also completed all other tasks listed in Student Services Online. Once all this has been done, you would need to apply to graduate, whether in person or in absentia.
Who to contact
To receive an accurate answer about thesis submission and exams as quickly as possible, please follow the steps outlined below.
Doctoral candidates
Option 1: Contact your Supervisor
Option 2: Contact the Doctoral Adviser for your Department/School
Option 3: Contact the Doctoral Research Coordinator for your Faculty/LSRI
Option 4: Email doctoraladvice@auckland.ac.nz
Supervisors
Option 1: Contact the Doctoral Advisor for your Academic Unit
Option 2: Contact the Doctoral Research Coordinator for your Faculty/LSRI
Option 3: Contact your ADPGR
Frequently asked questions
- What should I do when I am ready to submit my doctoral thesis?
- How do I prepare for the initial submission of my doctoral thesis?
- How do I apply for early submission of my doctoral thesis?
- How do I declare co-authors and publications in my doctoral thesis?
- How do I submit the final copy of my doctoral thesis?
- Do I get a fees refund if I finish my doctoral programme part-way through the year?
- How do doctoral candidates get split enrolment in their final year?
- What should international doctoral candidates do if they want to stay in New Zealand after thesis submission?
- Why am I being charged full tuition fees after submitting my doctoral thesis?
- Can I request my postgraduate thesis to not be available to the public?
- How do doctoral candidates become eligible for graduation?
