phd thesis correction letter

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught
• Postgraduate examinations
• Writing, submitting and examination
• PhD, EdD, MSc, MLitt
• Cambridge students
• New students overview
• Pre-arrival courses
• Student registration overview
• Information for New Students
• Information for Continuing Students
• Frequently Asked Questions overview
• Who needs to register
• When to register
• Received registration in error/not received registration email
• Problems creating an account
• Problems logging in
• Problems with screen display
• Personal details changed/incorrectly displayed
• Course details changed/incorrectly displayed
• Accessing email and other services
• Miscellaneous questions
• Contact Form
• First few weeks
• Manage your student information overview
• Student record overview
• Camsis overview
• Extended Self-Service (ESS)
• Logging into CamSIS
• What CamSIS can do for you
• Personal information overview
• Changing your name
• Changing Colleges
• Residing outside the University's precincts
• Applying for person(s) to join you in Cambridge
• Postgraduate students overview
• Code of Practice for Master's students
• Code of Practice for Research Students
• Postgraduate student information
• Requirements for research degrees
• Terms of study
• Your progress
• Rules and legal compliance overview
• Freedom of speech
• Public gatherings
• Disclosure and barring service overview
• Cambridge life overview
• Student unions
• Extra-curricular activities overview
• Registering societies
• Military, air, and sea training
• Food and accommodation
• Transport overview
• Bicycles and boats
• Your course overview
• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate study overview
• Changes to your student status (postgraduates only) overview
• Applying for a change in your student status (postgraduates only)
• Changing your mode of study
• Withdrawing from the University
• Allowance/exemption of research terms
• Withdrawal from Study
• Reinstatement
• Changing your course registration
• Changing your department/faculty
• Changing your supervisor
• Exemption from the University composition fee
• Confirmation of Study: Academic Verification Letters
• Extending your submission date
• Medical intermission (postgraduates)
• Non-medical intermission (postgraduates)
• Returning from medical intermission
• Working away
• Working while you study
• Postgraduate by Research Exam Information
• Research passports
• Engagement and feedback
• Student elections
• Graduation and what next? overview
• Degree Ceremonies overview
• The ceremony
• Academical dress
• Photography
• Degree ceremony dates
• Eligibility
• The Cambridge MA overview
• Degrees Under Statute B II 2
• Degree certificates and transcripts overview
• Academic Transcripts
• Degree Certificates
• After Graduation
• Verification of Cambridge degrees
• After your examination
• Exams overview
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught overview
• All students timetable
• Undergraduate exam information overview
• Postgraduate examinations overview
• Examination access arrangements overview
• Research programmes
• Taught programmes
• Writing, submitting and examination overview
• PhD, EdD, MSc, MLitt overview
• Research Best Practice
• Preparing to submit your thesis
• Submitting your thesis
• Word limits
• The oral examination (viva)
• After the viva (oral examination)
• After the examination overview
• Degree approval and conferment overview
• Final thesis submission
• Examination allowances for certain Postgraduate degrees (except PhD, MSc, MLitt and MPhil by thesis degrees)
• Requesting a review of the results of an examination (postgraduate qualifications)
• Higher degrees overview
• Higher doctorates
• Bachelor of divinity
• PhD under Special Regulations
• Faith-provision in University exams
• Publication of Results
• Exam Support
• Postgraduate by Research
• EAMC overview
• Annual Reports of the EAMC
• Dates of meetings
• Frequently asked questions
• Guidance notes and application forms
• Resources overview
• Build your skills overview
• Research students
• Fees and financial assistance overview
• Financial assistance overview
• General eligibility principles and guidance
• Cambridge Bursary Scheme funding overview
• What you could get
• Scottish students
• EU students
• Clinical medics and vets
• Independent students
• Extra scholarships and awards
• Undergraduate Financial Assistance Fund
• Postgraduate Financial Assistance Fund
• Realise Financial Assistance Fund
• The Crane Fund
• Loan Fund I
• External Support 
• Support from your Funding Sponsor
• Guidance for Academic Supervisors and College Tutors
• Fees overview
• Funding overview
• Mosley, Worts, and Frere Travel Funds
• Support for UKRI Studentship Holders
• Student loans overview
• US loans overview
• Application procedure
• Entrance and Exit Counselling
• Cost of attendance
• What type of loan and how much you can borrow
• Interest rates for federal student loans
• Proof of funding for visa purposes
• Disbursement
• Satisfactory academic progress policy
• In-School Deferment Forms
• Leave of absence
• Withdrawing and return to Title IV policy
• Rights and Responsibilities as a Borrower
• Managing Repayment
• Consumer information
• Submitting a thesis — information for PhD students
• Private loans
• Veteran affairs benefits
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Student support

This information is for postgraduate research students.

Notification of the result of the viva (oral examination).

Your Examiners are asked not to give any direct indication of the likely outcome of the viva as the official result can be confirmed only by the Degree Committee (and in certain circumstances the Postgraduate Committee). Student Registry (doctoral and MSc/MLitt students) or your Degree Committee (MPhil) will email you with notification of the outcome.

Process following the oral examination

Degree Committee and Postgraduate Committee meeting dates can be found here . Congregation dates can be found here .

With the exception of being offered a lower degree only or outright failure, the steps following your viva are as follows:

• Your examiners complete a joint report and make a recommendation which is sent to your Degree Committee;
• Your Degree Committee consider the reports at their next available meeting; 
• For doctoral and MSc/MLitt students the Degree Committee forward their decision to the Student Registry who will email you to confirm the result;
• For Master's students the Degree Committee emails you to confirm the result.

If the outcome of your doctoral examination is being offered a lower degree only or outright failure, the first two steps above will apply and Degree Committee will then forward their recommendation to the Postgraduate Committee for consideration at their next meeting. The Postgraduate Committee will email you to confirm the outcome.

Making corrections to a thesis after examination

MPhil by Thesis students:  Your Degree Committee will advise about the process for submission of corrections.

Doctoral and MSc/MLitt students:   You may need to make corrections to your thesis before full approval can be granted for your degree. This decision will be emailed to you by the Student Registry as soon as possible after the Degree Committee confirms their decision to them.

Once you have received your reports you need to undertake the following:

• Check the joint report from your Examiners to see if corrections need to go to the Internal/External or both examiners.
• Put the original and new page numbers on a separate list of corrections for the examiners. For their convenience, the list of corrections should describe precisely how the earlier text has been amended - with page, paragraph and line references. The list should be in page order.
• You are expected to make all the corrections required by your examiners. If any change has been suggested, rather than required, you should indicate, as part of the list of corrections made, the extent to which you have taken account of such suggestions.
• Copy in [email protected]  when submitting your corrected thesis so that Student Registry can update your record.
• Please note that once your Examiner(s) have approved your corrections, it will not be possible to make any further corrections to your thesis - this includes typographical corrections and amendments to preliminary sections. 

If you have been told directly by your examiners or Degree Committee (and not the Student Registry) that you need to undertake corrections, you will need to follow their instructions taking note of the points above.

A brief overview of the corrections process is shown on this  corrections map . NB: MSc and MLitt students are not required to submit a hardbound thesis or upload their thesis to Apollo. If you need more time to complete your corrections you will need to request an extension.

How long do I have in which to submit my corrections?

The time-frame for completing the corrections begins from the date of the email formally confirming the outcome of your examination. 

Do I need to go through another Degree Committee meeting?

Once you have received a conditional approval subject to corrections you do not need to be considered at a further Degree Committee meeting.

What happens next?

See information on submitting your final hardbound and e-thesis (doctoral students only) and  degree approval and conferment .

Once your Examiner(s) have approved your corrections, it will not be possible to make any further corrections to your thesis - this includes typographical corrections and amendments to preliminary sections. 

Revising and Resubmitting the Thesis

Doctoral and MSc/MLitt students: If Student Registry (on behalf of the Postgraduate Committee) confirms that you need to revise and resubmit your thesis for examination, you must respond to the email sent by them to confirm that you intend to do so.

The email from Student Registry will state the deadline for submission of your revised thesis and will have the examiners' reports attached proving details of the revisions you need to make to your thesis.  On completion of the revised thesis, you will have to submit it along with all the submission paperwork - in the same way as for the original submission.  See the pages on  Submitting the thesis  for further information.

Normally the same examiners will examine the revised thesis, but in some cases new examiner(s) may be appointed. If the same examiners are appointed, they will decide whether or not a 2nd viva should be held. If one or both of the Examiners did not previously examine the thesis on its first submission another viva must be held.

If you are unable to meet the submission date for your revised thesis, you must apply for an extension . 

MPhil by Thesis students:  Your Degree Committee will email you with the outcome of your viva and will provide information about the process for re-examination.

Temporary withdrawal/Reinstatement 

If you are unable to undertake corrections or revisions by the given deadline and you have not been granted an extension, you will be temporarily withdrawn from study.

When you have completed your work and wish to submit your corrected or revised thesis, you will need to be  reinstated . 

If you require a visa to return to the UK for reinstatement, or to complete your studies thereafter, please contact the  I nternational Student Office  as early as possible ( [email protected] ) . You must not return undertake your viva and/or complete corrections on a general visitor visa.

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

Effective Strategies for Addressing Major PhD Thesis Corrections

approached with purpose and proficiency. In this blog post, we will unravel the art of navigating through this critical phase, offering invaluable insights and effective strategies to not only meet the demands of thesis corrections but to emerge stronger, wiser, and poised for academic excellence.

Strategy 1: Systematic Revision Roadmap

Addressing major PhD thesis corrections necessitates a systematic and structured approach. Begin by meticulously cataloguing the feedback and corrections provided by your committee or supervisor. Create a detailed spreadsheet or document that organizes each correction point along with corresponding page numbers and sections. This not only provides a clear visual overview but also serves as a reference point during the revision process. Next, prioritize types of corrections in PhD thesis based on their significance and interdependencies. Start with foundational revisions that have overarching implications for your thesis. These could include theoretical frameworks, methodology, or critical analytical approaches. Once these fundamental aspects are refined, proceed to more nuanced corrections in data analysis, results interpretation, and discussions. Furthermore, establish a revision timeline with specific milestones. Assign realistic deadlines to each correction task, factoring in ample time for review and iterations. This structured timeline ensures steady progress while preventing last-minute rushes. Regularly track your progress against these milestones to maintain momentum and accountability.

Strategy 2: Thorough Literature Review Integration

One of the most common PhD thesis correction reasons is the need for enhanced integration of the existing literature. To address this, embark on a comprehensive review of relevant literature, ensuring it aligns seamlessly with your research objectives, methodology, and findings. Begin by revisiting your literature review section and scrutinize each citation for its direct relevance and contribution to your research. Seek out additional sources that may offer alternative viewpoints or provide supplementary evidence. Pay close attention to recent publications, as they may introduce novel perspectives or data that enrich your thesis. Moreover, weave the literature into the fabric of your thesis by employing effective citation strategies. Integrate key concepts and findings from seminal studies to support your arguments and interpretations. Establish clear connections between your research and the broader academic discourse, demonstrating a nuanced understanding of the field.

Strategy 3: Rigorous Methodological Scrutiny and Validation

A crucial aspect of major PhD thesis corrections often pertains to the methodology employed in your research. To address this, conduct a thorough review and validation of your research design, data collection methods, and analytical techniques. Begin by revisiting your research questions and hypotheses. Verify that your chosen methodology is aligned with these objectives and provides the most appropriate means of data collection and analysis. If necessary, consider alternative methods that may better suit the nature of your research or offer more robust results. Next, scrutinize the data collection process. Ensure that it adheres to rigorous standards of reliability and validity. Evaluate any potential sources of bias or confounding variables, and implement measures to mitigate their impact. Additionally, consider seeking external validation or peer review of your data collection procedures to bolster the credibility of your findings. Furthermore, conduct a comprehensive review of your data analysis techniques. Verify that they align with the nature of your data and research questions. Provide clear justifications for the chosen analytical methods, demonstrating their appropriateness in extracting meaningful insights from your dataset.

PhD Thesis Correction Reasons

The common corrections that the PhD students have to face are:

1. Conceptual Clarity:

– Lack of clear thesis statement or research questions. – Inadequate definition or explanation of key terms and concepts. – Weak connections between different sections or chapters.

2. Methodology:

– Incomplete or insufficient description of research methods and procedures. – Lack of justification for the chosen methodology. – Failure to address potential limitations of the chosen methodology.

3. Literature Review:

– Inadequate coverage of relevant literature. – Failure to critically analyze and synthesize existing research. – Insufficient citation of key sources or overreliance on a few.

To solve these problems, researchers can

– Engage in thorough proofreading and editing. – Seek feedback from advisors, peers, or professional editors. – Use style guides and resources for correct formatting and citation. – Consider hiring professional editing services for a final review.

In the arduous journey towards a PhD, the phase of addressing major thesis corrections stands as a testament to a scholar’s dedication and resilience. Through this comprehensive guide, we’ve outlined powerful strategies to not only navigate this critical juncture but to emerge with a thesis of unparalleled academic rigor. By adopting a systematic revision roadmap, integrating literature with finesse, and scrutinizing methodology with precision, researchers can approach corrections with purpose and confidence. Each correction, each refinement, serves as a stepping stone towards a thesis of exceptional quality, poised to make a meaningful contribution to your field of study.

Elevate Your Thesis with iThesisEdit: Your Partner in Academic Excellence

At iThesisEdit, we understand the significance of presenting a flawless, impeccably crafted thesis. Our team of seasoned editors and subject matter experts specialize in refining academic manuscripts, ensuring that they meet the highest standards of quality and coherence. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to clarity, we assist researchers in addressing major PhD thesis corrections with precision and finesse. Whether it’s fine-tuning your methodology, enhancing literature integration, or polishing the language for utmost clarity, our dedicated team is poised to elevate your thesis to its fullest potential. Partner with iThesisEdit and embark on the final leg of your PhD journey with the assurance of presenting a thesis that reflects your unwavering commitment to academic excellence. Your research deserves nothing less.

FAQ Questions

1. what is the difference between minor and major corrections.

The distinction between minor and major corrections in PhD thesis lies in their scope and impact. Minor corrections typically involve relatively small adjustments, such as clarifications of concepts or minor revisions in language. They do not alter the fundamental structure or conclusions of the thesis. Major corrections, on the other hand, encompass more substantial revisions that may affect the methodology, data analysis, or overall argumentation. These corrections often stem from significant PhD thesis correction reasons, necessitating a more in-depth reassessment of the research.

2. How to present PhD correction?

When presenting PhD corrections, it’s crucial to approach it with a clear and organized strategy. Explore effective strategies to tackle major PhD thesis correction s. Learn about common PhD thesis correction reasons and types of corrections in PhD thesis.Begin by systematically cataloging the corrections based on their nature and relevance to different sections of the thesis. Prioritize major corrections that address fundamental PhD thesis correction reasons, and ensure they are integrated seamlessly into the narrative. Clearly document each correction along with the corresponding page numbers and sections. Providing a concise summary of the changes made and the rationale behind them will demonstrate a rigorous and thoughtful approach to addressing the corrections.

3. How to make a Thesis correction report?

Crafting a comprehensive thesis correction report is essential for transparently documenting the revisions undertaken. Begin by categorizing the corrections according to their nature, such as conceptual, methodological, or linguistic. For each correction, provide a clear description of the original issue, the specific modification made, and the corresponding page numbers. Additionally, elucidate the rationale behind the changes, particularly in the context of the underlying PhD thesis correction reasons. A well-structured and informative correction report not only aids in the review process but also showcases a meticulous and scholarly approach to addressing corrections.Master your PhD dissertation defense preparation with dissertation defense preparation outline to excel in yout dissertation defense preparation.

4. What are the common errors in PhD thesis?

Several common errors tend to surface in PhD theses, often necessitating corrections. These include issues related to conceptual clarity, where definitions or theoretical frameworks may require refinement. Methodological rigors such as validity and reliability of data collection instruments can be areas of correction. Additionally, literature review integration, data presentation, and logical coherence are common points of scrutiny. Furthermore, language and expression errors, including grammar and terminology, may also be flagged. Recognizing these common errors and proactively addressing them can significantly reduce the likelihood of major corrections.

5. How do you avoid major corrections?

To avoid major corrections in a PhD thesis, it’s imperative to adopt a proactive and meticulous approach throughout the research process. Begin by thoroughly understanding and adhering to the specific guidelines and expectations set forth by your institution or committee. Regularly engage with your advisor for feedback and guidance, ensuring that your research aligns with their expectations. Conduct rigorous self-reviews and peer reviews to catch and rectify potential issues early on. Additionally, maintain clear and transparent documentation of your methodology, data collection, and analysis processes. By being vigilant and attentive to potential PhD thesis correction reasons, you can minimize the likelihood of major corrections and ensure a smoother path towards thesis approval.

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

5 Tips to Help You Handle Your PhD Thesis Revisions

• 4-minute read
• 4th October 2020

You have passed your PhD viva! Well done! All you have to do now is make a few corrections based on your examiners’ feedback. But how should you approach this? Our five tips for handling your thesis revisions include:

• Read the examiners’ report to gain a sense of what you need to do.
• Take a break to clear your head before getting stuck in.
• Plan your changes using a roadmap.
• Keep a record of the changes you make and your reasons for making them, focusing on the issues the examiners identified in their report.
• Proofread your revisions before submitting them.

For more on all the above, read on below.

1. Read the Examiners’ Report

When you have it, read through the examiners’ report a couple of times. And try not to freak out! We know it can feel like some unthinking monster is tearing your precious thesis apart. But critique is part of academic life. And all the feedback in the report should help you make your thesis stronger.

So instead of worrying about any criticism, make some initial notes about the changes the examiners want you to make. This will give you a sense of the work required and the strengths and weaknesses of your thesis.

2. Take a Break

Once you’ve read the examiners’ feedback, it’s time to… take a break.

Try to forget about the examiners’ report for a day or two. Instead, do something that you haven’t had time to do while working on your thesis. Or just get some well-deserved rest. The break will allow you to return to your thesis feeling refreshed and better equipped to make the final corrections.

 3. Plan Your Changes Using a Roadmap

Before setting to work on your revisions, you’ll need to plan the changes you will make. And the first step in this process is re-reading your thesis, paying close attention to the passages your examiners highlighted.

You’ll then have a clearer sense of how your argument works as a whole, and how the revisions will fit within the overall thesis.

Next, create a ‘roadmap’ for your revisions by creating a four-column spreadsheet or table and fill in the columns as follows:

• Column 1 – Note where you need to make a change.
• Column 2 – List each issue that your examiners highlighted. If relevant, you might also note the examiner who recommended the change.
• Column 3 – Note how you will respond to each issue.
• Column 4 – Assign a priority to each change (e.g. major revision, minor revision). This will help you plan your thesis corrections.

You can see an example of a table with revisions below.

  In addition, while you might spot other areas of your work you could polish while planning the corrections, focus first on what the examiners have asked you to do. You don’t want to create too much extra work for yourself!

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

4. Keep a Record of the Changes You Make

Depending on your university, you may be asked to submit a report or cover letter with your thesis revisions. Typically, this is where you should summarise the changes you made and explain why you made them.

In most cases, this should simply involve working your way through each of the examiners’ suggestions and stating how your revisions have addressed them. You can even use your roadmap of corrections as the basis for this.

But what if you disagree with one of the examiners’ suggestions? In this case, while you are not obliged to make the change, you will need to justify your decision. To do this, give a polite, detailed argument, referring to both your own thesis and the wider literature as required.

Remember, though, that examiners don’t suggest changes without reason! Thus, even if you disagree with their comments, you may want to make revisions to clarify whichever part of your argument they misunderstood.

5. Proofread Your Thesis Revisions

Before you submit your revisions, make sure to proofread them. You don’t want to introduce new typos if you’ve already taken the time to make sure the original thesis was error free. And if you would like any extra help checking for typos, or any other aspect of your revisions, our professional proofreading service  is available whenever you need it.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Get help from a language expert. Try our proofreading services for free.

9-minute read

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Is your content getting noticed? Capturing and maintaining an audience’s attention is a challenge when...

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

How to Ace Slack Messaging for Contractors and Freelancers

Effective professional communication is an important skill for contractors and freelancers navigating remote work environments....

3-minute read

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

2-minute read

How to Cite the CDC in APA

If you’re writing about health issues, you might need to reference the Centers for Disease...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

• Deutschland
• United Kingdom

• PhD Dissertations
• Master’s Dissertations
• Bachelor’s Dissertations
• Scientific Dissertations
• Medical Dissertations
• Bioscience Dissertations
• Social Sciences Dissertations
• Psychology Dissertations
• Humanities Dissertations
• Engineering Dissertations
• Economics Dissertations
• Service Overview
• Revisión en inglés
• Relecture en anglais
• Revisão em inglês

Manuscript Editing

• Research Paper Editing
• Lektorat Doktorarbeit
• Dissertation Proofreading
• Englisches Lektorat
• Journal Manuscript Editing
• Scientific Manuscript Editing Services
• Book Manuscript Editing
• PhD Thesis Proofreading Services
• Wissenschaftslektorat
• Korektura anglického textu
• Akademisches Lektorat
• Journal Article Editing
• Manuscript Editing Services

PhD Thesis Editing

• Medical Editing Sciences
• Proofreading Rates UK
• Medical Proofreading
• PhD Proofreading
• Academic Proofreading
• PhD Proofreaders
• Best Dissertation Proofreaders
• Masters Dissertation Proofreading
• Proofreading PhD Thesis Price
• PhD Dissertation Editing
• Lektorat Englisch Preise
• Lektorieren Englisch
• Wissenschaftliches Lektorat
• Thesis Proofreading Services
• PhD Thesis Proofreading
• Proofreading Thesis Cost
• Proofreading Thesis
• Thesis Editing Services
• Professional Thesis Editing
• PhD Thesis Editing Services
• Thesis Editing Cost
• Dissertation Proofreading Services
• Proofreading Dissertation

PhD Dissertation Proofreading

• Dissertation Proofreading Cost
• Dissertation Proofreader
• Correção de Artigos Científicos
• Correção de Trabalhos Academicos
• Serviços de Correção de Inglês
• Correção de Dissertação
• Correção de Textos Precos
• Revision en Ingles
• Revision de Textos en Ingles
• Revision de Tesis
• Revision Medica en Ingles
• Revision de Tesis Precio
• Revisão de Artigos Científicos
• Revisão de Trabalhos Academicos
• Serviços de Revisão de Inglês
• Revisão de Dissertação
• Revisão de Textos Precos
• Corrección de Textos en Ingles
• Corrección de Tesis
• Corrección de Tesis Precio
• Corrección Medica en Ingles
• Corrector ingles
• Choosing the right Journal
• Journal Editor’s Feedback
• Dealing with Rejection
• Quantitative Research Examples
• Number of scientific papers published per year
• Acknowledgements Example
• ISO, ANSI, CFR & Other
• Types of Peer Review
• Withdrawing a Paper
• What is a good h-index
• Appendix paper
• Cover Letter Templates
• Writing an Article
• How To Write the Findings
• Abbreviations: ‘Ibid.’ & ‘Id.’
• Sample letter to editor for publication
• Tables and figures in research paper
• Journal Metrics
• Revision Process of Journal Publishing
• JOURNAL GUIDELINES

Select Page

Do NOT risk failure – Final Corrections of PhD Theses before Submission

Posted by Rene Tetzner | Oct 25, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |

4.8.2 Final Corrections and Revisions: Minor or Major?

If your thesis contains many small errors and/or inconsistencies in typing, spelling, punctuation, capitalisation and the like, you will certainly hear about it from your examiners. They may consider it a minor matter or a major one (punctuation that obscures or confuses the meaning of your text, for instance, is always major no matter how small the errors may seem). Occasionally, a generous-spirited committee member will actually prepare a list of such errors (particularly typing and spelling errors) as he or she reads the thesis and then present the list to you at the examination. Your gratitude for this should be immediate and sincere: he or she may have noticed things you did not, so the list will be helpful after the examination as you polish the thesis for final submission. It is also a good idea, however, to make a list of such errors yourself as you read the thesis before the examination, because you can share such a list with your examiners as you give your presentation, for example, or if one of the examiners raises the matter. This demonstrates your awareness of the problem and your ability to fix it. If, however, you were not aware of such errors until your examiners pointed them out, you should explain why.

English may not be your first language, for instance, so you may have been struggling with writing in it throughout the thesis process. If this is the case, explain the situation (your external examiner may not already know this), emphasise the efforts you have made and the improvements you have achieved, and make it clear that you will do everything you can to correct all errors in preparing the thesis for final submission after the examination. It may also be a good idea to voice your intention of having a professional academic or scientific proofreader check the thesis before you submit the final version for the degree. Sloppiness, laziness or even a lack of time is never an acceptable reason for errors in a doctoral thesis, however, so if you are unwilling to proofread for such errors or simply do not have the proclivity or time to do so, you should definitely engage the services of a qualified proofreader before submitting the thesis for examination. You will certainly have to do so after you defend your thesis if you have not done so before, and you will also have to use some careful language during the examination to explain your negligence.

Minor errors are rarely a reason for denying a doctoral candidate his or her degree, though it is usually assumed that such errors will be corrected, and you can certainly be asked to ensure that they are fixed and have your supervisor (and perhaps your other committee members) check your work before the degree is granted. Major problems, on the other hand, with your methodology, results, conclusions or argument can prevent you from obtaining your degree. It is highly unlikely that your supervisor and committee would allow you to advance to the final examination if they detected any such problems with your thesis, but it is not impossible that such problems could arise for the first time in the examination. Often your external examiner is the only other person involved who will be as much an expert in your field as your supervisor is (other committee members, for example, might specialise in related but different topics or disciplines at your university), and that examiner might have views and experiences very different from those of your supervisor. It is most likely, therefore, that any major problems at this point will be observed by the external examiner.

On a more positive note, however, your external examiner may consider entirely valid certain aspects of your thesis that you have had to defend vigorously in response to the comments of your committee, so there can be pleasant as well as unpleasant rewards associated with a new reader. Major problems can result in your degree being denied or granted only if the problems are resolved within a set period of time, if your revised thesis is reread and approved by your supervisor and other committee members and, in extreme situations, if the thesis is formally submitted for a second (this time successful) examination. The last scenario is rare, and rarer still is a situation in which the degree is simply denied and you are not given any sort of second chance to bring your work up to the required standard. If this does happen, however, do not despair. Unless you have completely and consistently refused to accommodate the feedback of your supervisor and other committee members (and if so you would not have advanced to the final examination at all), such an unfortunate state of affairs stems as much from them as from you, and many departments and universities will compromise by granting you a lesser degree (an M.A., M.Sc. or M.Phil., for example), so your time will not have been entirely wasted.

Leaving that possibility behind as an extraordinary rarity and focussing instead on the idea that you have now successfully defended your thesis and know what you need to do to polish it before final submission for your degree, I have to emphasise that this is no time to relax your vigilance no matter how relieved you may feel. Whatever revisions either you or your examiners have identified and specified as necessary or desirable should be attended to as soon as possible, and any deadlines set for having your work checked and formally submitted for the degree must be met. Major changes will take significantly more time to complete than minor ones will and may even involve additional research; you will generally be given more time to complete such changes than you would be for minor changes alone, but you may nonetheless find that there is a great deal of work to do in very little time. It is essential that you remain positive and focus on what needs to be achieved – you have expended a lot of effort to get to where you are and one final burst of enthusiasm, energy and brilliance will complete the task. Remember to make final adjustments to or automatically update the table of contents (altering page numbers and headings if these have changed as you revised) and do not forget any final additions to the acknowledgements if you have received help from anyone (such as your external examiner) not previously acknowledged. The abstract can always use a final polish as well and may need to be revised to reflect changes in the thesis and/or to correct any problems your examiners may have identified in the abstract itself. You will probably want to leave enough time for a final read through the revised text, and if you feel the need for a second pair of objective and critical eyes to assist you in perfecting your work at this point, you will also want to leave enough time to share your final version of the thesis with a colleague or send it to a professional proofreader.

There may be administrative forms, procedures and technicalities to attend to when you submit the final version of the thesis for your degree, so along with ensuring that all parts of the thesis are submitted in the correct formats to the right people and offices, make sure that you do not neglect any necessary bureaucratic details and thereby delay the awarding of your degree. Once it is all done, however, and the thesis has officially left your hands, do not forget to revel in your achievement. Some doctoral graduates feel a sense of deflation or even disorientation at this point, which is not surprising given the intense focus over an extended period of time required by a doctoral thesis, but if you have the luxury to feel so, rest assured that new demands will soon be made on your time and new projects will preoccupy your thoughts. Whatever your situation may be as you surface from your thesis, you have achieved an enormous goal that has required intelligence, creativity, confidence, self-discipline, persistence and patience, and you have no doubt improved your writing skills, learned a great deal about scholarly argumentation and grown in a variety of both intellectual and personal ways during the process. You are well on your way to what I hope will be a long and prosperous career! 

Why PhD Success?

To Graduate Successfully

This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.

The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.

The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.

Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations. 

Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.

Interested in Proofreading your PhD Thesis? Get in Touch with us

If you are interested in proofreading your PhD thesis or dissertation, please explore our expert dissertation proofreading services.

Rene Tetzner

Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.

Related Posts

PhD Success – How To Write a Doctoral Thesis

October 1, 2021

Table of Contents – PhD Success

October 2, 2021

The Essential – Preliminary Matter

October 3, 2021

The Main Body of the Thesis

October 4, 2021

The Essex website uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are consenting to their use. Please visit our cookie policy to find out which cookies we use and why. View cookie policy.

After your viva

What happens next will depend on the outcome of your viva. Below are some possible outcomes, as well as advice about what you should do next.

Congratulations! All you need to do now is  upload your thesis to the Research Repository .

Pass subject to typographical corrections

Normally you’ll be informed about these corrections at the viva, or they’ll be marked in the copy of the thesis that the examiners will return to you.

You need to complete these corrections and then upload your thesis to the Research Repository .

Pass subject to three months corrections

You will be asked to implement minor corrections within three months, which should not require you to conduct further research or undertake substantial further work. These can include typographical errors, clarifying points, rephrasing, editing/adding paragraphs, correcting references, etc.

Shortly after the viva, the PGRE team will send you the list of these corrections, which your examiners will have created. Whilst there isn’t a requirement to undertake another viva, the ‘Pass’ element of the outcome is only valid when all of the required corrections have been completed. Failure to complete the required corrections could result in the outcome of a lower award, or a fail.

When you receive the corrections, take some time to fully read them and then discuss them with your supervisor. If there are any corrections which require further clarification, please ask your supervisor to liaise with your internal examiner, or external examiners in the case of staff candidates. Remember your supervisor is available during your corrections period to support you if you require it.

Once your corrections have been completed, you’ll need to send the updated version of your thesis, showing tracked changes, along with a letter/statement explaining how you have addressed the corrections, to [email protected]  The PGRE Team will liaise with your examiner (s) regarding the submitted corrections, which usually takes approximately two weeks. If the corrections are not deemed by your examiner(s) to have been completed satisfactorily, a further corrections period may be recommended.

Once your corrections have been approved by your examiner, the PGRE Team will seek formal approval by the relevant Faculty Dean (Postgraduate) and subsequently notify you that you can upload the new thesis to the Research Repository . This process can take up to two weeks.

Pass subject to six months corrections

 This outcome requires you to amend your thesis within six months. This requires you to undertake substantial further work but the corrected thesis does not require full re-examination. Such major corrections include more extensive editorial revisions, the addition of substantial new material, re-writing of substantial parts of the thesis, re-analysis of existing data, etc.

Whilst there isn’t a requirement to undertake another viva, the ‘Pass’ element of the outcome is only valid when all of the required corrections have been completed. Failure to complete the required corrections could result in the outcome of a lower award, or a fail. 

Shortly after the viva, the PGRE team will send you the list of these corrections, which your examiners will have created. Take some time to fully read the corrections and then discuss them with your supervisor. If there are any corrections which require further clarification, please ask your supervisor to liaise with your internal examiner, or External Examiners in the case of staff candidates. Remember your supervisor is available during your corrections period to support you if you require it.

Once your corrections have been completed, you’ll need to send the updated version of your thesis, showing tracked changes, along with a letter/statement explaining how you have addressed the corrections,  to  [email protected]  The PGRE Team will liaise with your examiner (s) regarding the submitted corrections, which usually takes approximately four weeks. If the corrections are not deemed by your examiner(s) to have been completed satisfactorily, a further corrections period may be recommended.

This outcome means that, at present, you have not met the requirements for the award, and you’ve been permitted to undertake further substantive work on your thesis for submission for re-examination within the next 12 months.

The examiners will provide a statement describing the shortcomings of the thesis and the changes required. These may include, amongst other things, editorial corrections and revisions, rewriting a part, parts or the whole of the thesis and/or conducting further research or experimental work.

During this period it’s really important that you work closely with your supervisor to undertake the work requested by the examiners and that you liaise with the internal examiner if anything is unclear. Whilst in your referral period, you’ll be registered as a student and required to pay the relevant tuition fee .

At the end of your referral period, you must resubmit your amended thesis to [email protected] and the viva process will commence again.

A lower award

If you do not meet the requirements of the degree for which you’re being examined, you may be awarded a lower award or be asked to make further corrections in order to be awarded a lower award.

Further details regarding this can be found in the Principal Regulations for Research Degrees, section 4.33 .

In very rare circumstances, examiners may deem that the thesis hasn’t met the requirements for the various examination outcomes outlined previously, and so recommend the outcome is ‘fail’.

In this instance, the examiners will provide a clear statement describing the reasons for the failure of your thesis.

• For enquiries contact your Student Services Hub
• University of Essex
• Wivenhoe Park
• Colchester CO4 3SQ
• Accessibility
• Privacy and Cookie Policy

Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools

• Log in/Register Register

https://www.vitae.ac.uk/doing-research/doing-a-doctorate/completing-your-doctorate/your-viva/thesis-outcomes

This page has been reproduced from the Vitae website (www.vitae.ac.uk). Vitae is dedicated to realising the potential of researchers through transforming their professional and career development.

• Vitae members' area

Thesis outcomes and corrections

There will usually be a bit more work to do after the viva. Each institution will have its own regulations about viva outcomes and how to inform the candidate of them. Find out before you go into your viva so that you know what to expect. In the UK they typically they fall into one of the following categories:

• Outright pass. Your work needs no corrections
• Minor corrections. Your examiners have a few minor suggestions that they would like you to incorporate
• Major corrections or resubmission. The thesis needs further work to be of doctoral standard. This might include more research, rewriting sections or including new literature
• Suggestion that you resubmit for, or are awarded, a lower degree (MPhil or MSc). Research is of good quality but too narrow for a doctorate
• Outright fail. Usually used only in cases of plagiarism or where the examiners judge that the candidate will never be able to complete a doctorate.

Most candidates fall within the minor or major corrections categories. This means that you will have some corrections to complete. However, regardless of the number of corrections that you have to do most people who reach the viva stage do  go on to get their doctorate relatively quickly.

Thesis corrections

After your viva you are likely to have some corrections to complete before you are awarded your doctorate. The extent can range from a few spelling mistakes to rewriting or adding complete chapters. You may be given a deadline by your examiners or your institution but regardless of this, it is best to aim to complete your corrections as soon as possible to use the momentum acquired during thesis writing.

In order to be sure that your corrections make the right changes:

• take notes during the viva and write them up immediately after
• meet with your main supervisor to discuss the changes that you need to make
• analyse the examiners' report carefully to make sure that you have dealt with all of the issues that they raise
• proofread your work again.

Thesis resubmission

Your examiners, or often just the internal examiner, will check that all corrections have been incorporated, and then you can resubmit your thesis. Your institution will have regulations on the format of the final submitted thesis copy of your thesis, which will usually be deposited in the institutional library. It has become more common for institutions to request the submission of an electronic copy for ease of cataloguing and searching.

Bookmark & Share

Recommended pages

• Lecture timetables
• Campus maps
• Student digital services
• Staff Digital Services
• Student support
• Online registration
• Core systems
• Car parking
• Room bookings
• Staff development

Corrections to your thesis

Where you are asked to make corrections or revisions to your thesis, the examiners’ report forms will provide details of these corrections. You may also be given information at the oral examination about the required corrections or revisions. You should make sure that you understand the nature of the required corrections and revisions and discuss them with your supervisor. 

It is important that you understand the differences between minor and major corrections and revision and resubmission of your thesis as the procedures when you have completed the corrections or revisions are different.

• Minor corrections: normally one month (*)
• Major corrections: normally six months (*)
• Revise or resubmit: normally one year (*)

 (*) The examiners may give longer than this.

The email confirming the outcome of the examination will clearly state the deadline for submission of your corrected or revised thesis. 

You should take your deadline seriously, and work towards submitting your thesis by the deadline. You should continue to complete monthly online GRS2 forms to keep your supervisor in order to keep your supervisor updated on the progress of your correction.

If you are unable to meet the deadline, in exceptional cases you may request an extension to your deadline by submitting an extension request form for consideration by the University’s Research Progress and Awards Sub-Panel.

Further information about extensions can be found on the extensions webpages . 

Submission of corrected thesis (minor or major corrections) 

You are permitted one opportunity to complete corrections to the satisfaction of the examiners. You should raise any queries regarding the required corrections with your supervisor who will liaise with the examiner(s) on your behalf.

Your corrected thesis should be submitted electronically by email to your examiner(s), copying in Research Student Administration ( [email protected] ).

• Minor corrections: to be checked by the internal examiner
• Major corrections: to be checked by the internal and external examiner

The date on the cover page for a corrected thesis (examiners decision of minor or major corrections) should be the original submission date.

For information regarding resubmission of your thesis following the recommendation of revise and resubmit, see the revise and resubmit web pages.

The RSA team will provide your examiners with a deadline by which they should complete the checking of corrections and they will be asked to certify that the corrections have been completed to their satisfaction. RSA will then write to let you know whether the examiners are satisfied with the corrections.

Find out more

If you have any questions about corrections that have not been answered on this page, please contact the RSA team by  submitting an online enquiry .

• College of Arts and Law
• College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• College of Life and Environmental Sciences
• College of Medical and Dental Sciences
• College of Social Sciences

Professional Services

• Academic Services
• Campus Services
• Development and Alumni Relations
• Executive Support
• External Relations
• Human Resources
• IT Services
• Legal Services
• Research Strategy and Services

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Current Students

Degree Committee for the Faculty of Earth Sciences & Geography

• About the DC overview

Meeting dates

• Department contacts
• Prospective Students overview
• Continuing students
• Current Students overview
• Change in student status overview
• Changing course, dept or mode
• Extending submission deadline
• Intermission
• Withdrawal and reinstatement
• Working Away from Cambridge
• Supervision reports
• First year review
• Exams MRes & MPhil (taught) overview
• Rules and Regulations
• After the examination
• Exams MPhil by thesis overview
• Before you submit
• Thesis submission
• The oral (viva)
• Results overview
• Corrections
• Revising a thesis
• Exams PhD overview
• Submitting a hardbound copy
• PhD not awarded
• LWA Research Fund
• Complaints and appeals
• Supervisors overview
• Supervisor appointment
• Roles and responsibilities overview
• Supervisor role: postgraduate admissions
• Supervisor role: current students
• Supervisor role: examinations
• Guidance for supervisors
• Supervision reporting
• Examiners overview
• PhD or MPhil by thesis exam overview
• Examiner appointment
• Pre-viva actions
• Post-viva actions
• Submitting reports
• Fees and expenses
• Examining a revised thesis
• MRes or MPhil (taught) exam overview
• Senior/Chair of Examiners
• External Examiner for taught courses
• Examiners and Assessors
• Plagiarism or poor scholarship
• Appeals procedures
• Higher Degrees overview
• PhD under Special Regulations
• ScD and LittD

Corrections PhD

• Degree Committee for the Faculty of Earth Sciences & Geography

Types of correction

Most PhD candidates have some corrections to make after the oral. They tend to fall into three categories:

• very minor (typos) - these can be completed and approved by the Examiners within a few hours, and the Examiners can then recommend a pass when they submit their reports. You will need to submit your hardbound and electronic final version before the degree can be conferred.
• minor, straightforward corrections - you usually have up to 3 months to complete these; they are usually checked by the Internal Examiner. The Examiners send in their reports before the corrected thesis has been approved so you will be given  conditional approval for the degree. You will only be formally approved for the degree once the corrections have been checked and found to be satisfactory and your hardbound and electronic final version submitted . 
• substantial, less straightforward corrections - you usually have up to 6 months to complete these; they are usually checked by both Examiners. You will be given  conditional approval for the degree. You will only be formally approved for the degree once the corrections have been checked and found to be satisfactory and your hardbound and electronic final version submitted . 

Making corrections

Once you have received the Examiners' reports and know what corrections you need to make, you can start work on them. Do discuss with your supervisor if you need additional guidance. If necessary (s)he can discuss your questions with the Examiners.

The time you have to complete your corrections starts from the date your official result email is sent to you by Student Registry, not the date of your oral. If you do not complete the corrections within the permitted timeframe you will be withdrawn from study. You can still hand in the corrected work for approval when you're ready - you will normally be reinstated for the purpose of degree approval when your Examiner(s) inform the Degree Committee that they approve your corrections.

We know it is often the case that Examiners provide a list of corrections directly to the candidate so they can be worked on immediately after the viva. They are not required to do so.

Submitting corrections

You are expected to make all the corrections required by your Examiners. If a change has been suggested, rather than required, you should indicate, as part of the list of corrections made, the extent to which you have taken account of such suggestions.

When you have made all the corrections the Examiners requested you should prepare a corrected version of the thesis and a separate a list of the corrections made, including the original and new page numbers. For the convenience of the Examiner, the list of corrections should describe precisely how the earlier text has been amended - with page, paragraph and line references. The list should be in page order.

The joint Examiners report (PhD2) will tell you if corrections need to be approved by the Internal, External or both Examiners. Submit the corrected work and the list of corrections directly to the relevant Examiner(s). Student Registry ask that you copy them in if you are submitting your corrections to your examiners by email, so they can update your record.

Correction approval

Your Examiner(s) will check that the corrections have been made to their satisfaction. Corrections are usually approved first time but if the Examiner(s) are not content they can ask you to have another attempt (they will never require additional corrections they had not previously identified). The degree will not be awarded until the Examiner(s) are satisfied.

When the Examiner(s) are satisfied they will inform the Degree Committee of their decision. If your examination reports have already been considered at meetings of the Degree Committee your corrections can normally be accepted as approved without further consideration at a Degree Committee meeting. 

We will let you know when your corrections have been approved. If your Examiner(s) have indicated to you that they are happy with the corrections but you have not heard from the Degree Committee within 10 days please get in contact with us.

You should wait to make the hardbound copy until after the corrections have been approved.

Student Status while making corrections

University working restrictions do not apply to you while you make corrections, although students on a student visa are still expected to comply with the working conditions laid down by UK Visas and Immigration at all stages (see Working on a student visa ). You will need to apply for leave to work away if you are planning to complete the corrections outside Cambridge.

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 Earth Sciences and Geography 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.

Meetings of the Degree Committee and Degree Ceremonies

Essential Links

Cambridge Students portal

Code of Practice for Postgraduate Students

International Students Office

Student Registry (for staff)

Degree Committee for Earth Sciences & Geography, School of Physical Sciences, 17 Mill Lane, Cambridge, CB2 1RX. Tel: 01223 746764 / 746766

[email protected]

Site privacy & cookie policies.

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

• Schools & departments

Final Submission and Award

Requirements for submitting your final thesis.

How will you know when to submit?

Once your Internal Examiner (and External if required) has confirmed your corrections, the College Postgraduate Research Student Office will send you an email requesting submission of your final Thesis. Detailed instructions of what you need to submit and where will be included with this email. We typically expect to receive final thesis submissions within one month of this email. If you think you will not be able to get your thesis submitted within that time, please contact the College Postgraduate Research Student Office on [email protected] as soon as possible.

PLEASE NOTE:  Students must have all corrections approved by 3 June and the final version uploaded to PURE by 10 June to ensure you will be eligible to graduate in Summer 2024. Later submissions may not be included and have to wait until Winter 2024.

You are ready to submit the final version of your thesis: what do you need to submit.

You will need to submit one electronic copy of your thesis, and this should be submitted in PURE. Full details of this process can be obtained on the Information Services webpages:

  How to submit the final version of your PhD thesis | The University of Edinburgh

Please note there should be no final hard-bound Thesis submitted.

Your Thesis must contain an Abstract and Lay Summary on final submission.  If these additional documents are not within your main thesis please also upload them at the same time.   An Access to Thesis form should be submitted along with your thesis . 

If you wish to restrict access to your thesis, please ensure that your Restriction to Thesis form has been fully completed on PURE when you submit.

You can restrict access to the electronic version of your thesis for one year without any special permissions. If an embargo is required, this must be indicated on the Access to Thesis form, otherwise, the thesis may be made publicly available. This form should be deposited in Pure alongside the full text of the thesis.

At the end of the embargo period, the University is under no obligation to contact you about extending the period of restriction. If towards the end of your embargo period you have any concerns that the forthcoming public availability of your thesis would be problematic please contact the Library ( [email protected] ) and the Scholarly Communications Team will be able to help.

Requests for embargoes that exceed 12 months starting from the date the work is added to the Library's collection require Head of School approval and must be accompanied by a clear rationale as to why a longer period is required.

Please email the PGR Student Office to confirm that you have uploaded your final thesis to PURE - this confirmation should be sent to [email protected]    

Detailed guidance on how to format your thesis can be found in the:

Thesis Format Guidance

What year should appear on your thesis title page?

The year on your thesis title page (which is the year used in citations of your thesis) should be the year you first submitted your thesis for examination. If your thesis was re‐submitted for re‐examination, the date on your title page should be the year of resubmission.

Where will your thesis be made available?

Provided you have not restricted access, your electronic thesis will be made available via the Edinburgh Research Archive (ERA).

Find more information on the ERA and thesis collections on the University's Information Services website.

When can you register for graduation?

PGR Students are required to wait for their Award Letter to be issued following submission of their final thesis before registering.  Once your award has been keyed Student Administration will send an automated email with a link to the registration form.

Find out more about graduations and proceed when registrations are open.

Funding and scholarships

Please make sure you are aware of the terms and conditions of any scholarships or funding arrangements you have. Please refer to the information sent from your funding provider with regards to your final submission and graduation.

When will you get your award letter?

Once we can verify that your electronic version is uploaded to PURE , we will issue you with your final award letter. Award letters confirm all work is complete, but the award must be conferred by the Senatus Academicus, which will take place on Graduation day but should be assumed. 

You will be sent this final award letter as an electronic copy by email.

Will you be able to access University buildings and your emails once you become eligible to graduate?

Student Systems advise that access to buildings will be shut off almost immediately once you are made eligible to graduate.  There is no way to reverse this once your award has been keyed by the Student Records team.  Your email access will however be retained for a good while after graduation (see link below for a detailed timeline).

Graduates are normally entitled to keep using the University Libraries, but must register as an external borrower.

Graduates of University of Edinburgh | The University of Edinburgh

Graduates can still access a host of eResources in the interim eResources | The University of Edinburgh

Information about computer and email access can be found at the following link: 

Account Expiry Policy | The University of Edinburgh

Will the title of my thesis be on the degree certificate?

Please note the School, Subject Area and the Thesis Title are not included on the degree certificate.  If your PhD is carried out by Distance this will not be detailed on your certificate. 

When can you use the title ‘Doctor’?

Any title from your degree will only be officially conferred upon graduation. Degrees must be approved by the Senatus Academicus so all awards are conferred following a meeting of the Senate as part of the Summer and Winter Graduation ceremonies. Only when the award is conferred can you use the title of Dr.  

After you have graduated (whether in person or in absentia), you will be able to use your title from your degree.

• PhD Viva Voces – A Complete Guide
• Doing a PhD
• A PhD viva involves defending your thesis in an oral examination with at least two examiners.
• The aim of a PhD viva is to confirm that the work is your own , that you have a deep understanding of your project and, overall, that you are a competent researcher .
• There are no standard durations, but they usually range from one to three hours, with most lasting approximately two hours .
• There are six outcomes of a PhD viva: (1) pass without corrections (2) pass subject to minor corrections, (3) pass subject to major corrections, (4) downgrade to MPhil with no amendments, (5) downgrade to MPhil subject to amendments, (6) immediate fail.
• Almost all students who sit their viva pass it, with the most common outcome being ‘(2) – pass subject to minor corrections’.

What Is a PhD Viva?

A viva voce , more commonly referred to as ‘viva’, is an oral examination conducted at the end of your PhD and is essentially the final hurdle on the path to a doctorate. It is the period in which a student’s knowledge and work are evaluated by independent examiners.

In order to assess the student and their work around their research question, a viva sets out to determine:

• you understand the ideas and theories that you have put forward,
• you can answer questions about elements of your work that the examiners have questions about,
• you understand the broader research in your field and how your work contributes to this,
• you are aware of the limitations of your work and understand how it can be developed further,
• your work makes an original contribution, is your own and has not been plagiarised.

Note: A viva is a compulsory procedure for all PhD students, with the only exception being when a PhD is obtained through publication as opposed to the conventional route of study.

Who Will Attend a Viva?

In the UK, at least two examiners must take part in all vivas. Although you could have more than two examiners, most will not in an attempt to facilitate a smoother questioning process.

One of the two examiners will be internal, i.e. from your university, and the other will be external, i.e. from another university. Regardless, both will be knowledgeable in your research field and have read your thesis beforehand.

In addition to your two examiners, two other people may be present. The first is a chairperson. This is an individual who will be responsible for monitoring the interview and for ensuring proper conduct is followed at all times. The need for an external chairperson will vary between universities, as one of the examiners can also take on this role. The second is your supervisor, whose attendance is decided upon by you in agreement with your examiners. If your supervisor attends, they are prohibited from asking questions or from influencing the outcome of the viva.

To avoid any misunderstandings, we have summarised the above in a table:

Note: In some countries, such as in the United States, a viva is known as a ‘PhD defense’ and is performed publicly in front of a panel or board of examiners and an open audience. In these situations, the student presents their work in the form of a lecture and then faces questions from the examiners and audience which almost acts as a critical appraisal.

How Long Does a Viva Last?

Since all universities have different guidelines , and since all PhDs are unique, there are no standard durations. Typically, however, the duration ranges from one to three hours, with most lasting approximately two hours.

Your examiners will also influence the duration of your viva as some will favour a lengthy discussion, while others may not. Usually, your university will consult your examiners in advance and notify you of the likely duration closer to the day of your viva.

What Happens During a Viva?

Regardless of the subject area, all PhD vivas follow the same examination process format as below.

Introductions

You will introduce yourselves to each other, with the internal examiner normally introducing the external examiner. If an external chairperson is present, they too are introduced; otherwise, this role will be assumed by one of the examiners.

Procedure Explained

After the introductions, the appointed chair will explain the viva process. Although it should already be known to everyone, it will be repeated to ensure the viva remains on track during the forthcoming discussion.

Warm-Up Questions

The examiners will then begin the questioning process. This usually starts with a few simple opening questions, such as asking you to summarise your PhD thesis and what motivated you to carry out the research project.

In-Depth Questions

The viva questions will then naturally increase in difficulty as the examiners go further into the details of your thesis. These may include questions such as “What was the most critical decision you made when determining your research methodology ?”, “Do your findings agree with the current published work?” and “How do your findings impact existing theories or literature? ”. In addition to asking open-ended questions, they will also ask specific questions about the methodology, results and analysis on which your thesis is based.

Closing the Viva

Once the examiners are satisfied that they have thoroughly evaluated your knowledge and thesis, they will invite you to ask any questions you may have, and then bring the oral examination to a close.

What Happens After the Viva?

Once your viva has officially ended, your examiners will ask you to leave the room so that they can discuss your performance. Once a mutual agreement has been reached, which can take anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour, you will be invited back inside and informed of your outcome.

PhD Viva Outcomes

There are six possible outcomes to a viva:

• Immediate award of degree: A rare recommendation – congratulations, you are one of the few people who completely satisfied your examiners the first time around. You do not have to do anything further at this point.
• Minor amendments required: The most common recommendation – you obtain a pass on the condition that you make a number of minor amendments to your thesis, such as clarifying certain points and correcting grammatical errors. The time you have to make these changes depends on the number of them, but is usually one to six months.
• Major amendments required: A somewhat uncommon recommendation – you are requested to make major amendments to your thesis, ranging from further research to collecting more data or rewriting entire sections. Again, the time you have to complete this will depend on the number of changes required, but will usually be six months to one year. You will be awarded your degree once your amended thesis has been reviewed and accepted.
• Immediate award of MPhil: An uncommon recommendation – your examiners believe your thesis does not meet the standard for a doctoral degree but meets the standard for an MPhil (Master of Philosophy), a lower Master’s degree.
• Amendments required for MPhil: A rare recommendation – your examiners believe your thesis does not meet the standard for a doctoral degree, but with several amendments will meet the standard for an MPhil.
• Immediate fail: A very rare recommendation – you are given an immediate fail without the ability to resubmit and without entitlement to an MPhil.

Finding a PhD has never been this easy – search for a PhD by keyword, location or academic area of interest.

What Is the Pass Rate for Vivas?

Based on an  analysis of 26,076 PhD students  who took their viva exam between 2006 and 2017, the PhD viva pass rate in the UK is 96%; of those who passed, about 80% were required to make minor amendments to their thesis. The reason for this high pass rate is that supervisors will only put their students forward for a viva once they confidently believe they are ready for it. As a result, most candidates who sit a viva are already well-versed in their PhD topic before they even start preparing for the exam.

How Do I Arrange a Viva?

Your viva will be arranged either by the examiners or by the chairperson. The viva will be arranged at least one to two months after you have submitted your thesis and will arrange a viva date and venue that is suitable for all participants.

Can I Choose My Examiners?

At most universities, you and your supervisor will choose the internal and external examiners yourselves. This is because the examiners must have extensive knowledge of the thesis topic in order to be able to examine you and, as the author of the thesis in question, who else could better determine who they might be than you and your supervisor. The internal examiner is usually quite easy to find given they will be from your institution, but the external examiner may end up being your second or third preference depending on availability.

Can I Take Notes Into a Viva?

A viva is about testing your competence, not your memory. As such, you are allowed to take notes and other supporting material in with you. However, keep in mind that your examiners will not be overly impressed if you constantly have to refer to your notes to answer each question. Because of this, many students prefer to take an annotated copy of their thesis, with important points already highlighted and key chapters marked with post-it notes.

In addition to an annotated copy of a thesis, some students also take:

• a list of questions they would like to ask the examiners,
• notes that were created during their preparation,
• a list of minor corrections they have already identified from their viva prep work.

How Do I Prepare for a PhD Viva?

There are several ways to prepare for a PhD viva, one of the most effective being a mock viva voce examination . This allows you to familiarise yourself with the type of viva questions you will be asked and identify any weak areas you need to improve. They also give you the opportunity to practise without the pressure, giving you more time to think about your answers which will help to make sure that you know your thesis inside out. However, a mock viva exam is just one of many methods available to you – some of the other viva preparation methods can be found on our “ How to Prepare for a PhD Viva ” page.

Browse PhDs Now

Join thousands of students.

Join thousands of other students and stay up to date with the latest PhD programmes, funding opportunities and advice.

How to write a PhD in a hundred steps (or more)

A workingmumscholar's journey through her phd and beyond, responding to examiners’ feedback.

I finally got my three examiners’ reports on my thesis this week, after just over 3 long months of waiting. I have been joking that I have been through something like the 5 stages of grief waiting an extra 5 weeks because examiner 3 was late with her report. At first there was a kind of denial (this can’t actually be happening – the report can’t really be taking so long. Maybe this is all some sort of weird email mix-up). Then there was anger (how could she do this to me? Doesn’t she know how hard I have worked?). After a couple of weeks of being really cross, I moved quite quickly through bargaining (if it comes this week, I will do all my corrections, I won’t procrastinate, I’ll be nice to everyone and walk the dog every day), to depression (I’m not going to graduate. The report will not come in time), and finally to acceptance (well, it will come in time for me to graduate or it won’t, but ranting won’t make it happen faster).

I think,  in hindsight, that the additional few weeks of waiting for the last report was a good thing although it drove me crazy at the time. I think it was a good thing because of the way it influenced my attitude towards my 3 reports when they did finally arrive. I was just so grateful to get them and to finally know, good or bad, what the examiners thought of my work and what additional work I needed to do in order to graduate that I think I took the critique better than I might otherwise have done.

Kate Chanock has these 7 stages of resentment about getting feedback on your work from reviewers, which can be adapted for how a PhD student might respond to examiners, whether the reports are written or oral in the form of a Viva (although I am aware that an oral exam in quite different to receiving written reports).

I think I can revise this list, personally, thus:

1. Relief – thank god the feedback is here

2. Anxiety and nerves – but what do the examiners say? What if it’s bad news?

3. Suck it up and read – you’ve been waiting for ages!

4. Wow – what lovely comments 🙂

5. What!? That’s not fair – I covered that in my discussion! I explained why I did that/left that out/showed that data and not the rest. Didn’t they read it carefully?

6. Hm, okay, fair point. I could probably make that a bit clearer. I suppose. Maybe.

7. Well, these are really good reports. I think they mostly got what I was trying to do. Phew! And actually, the corrections they want could make the thesis much better. Time to get going on them!

At first I read the reports, and called my husband and read bits to him, and told my mum, and my best friends and my Facebook people – they were all thrilled, as was my uber-supervisor – and I just basked in all of that for a day. Then I had a conversation with my supervisor about the corrections I will need to make (the final recommendation was that I make corrections to my supervisor’s satisfaction), and the reality started to set in. It’s not quite finished yet, and the corrections are not just typos. They require rethinking, reflection, rewriting, adding, clarifying, refining. It’s more than an afternoon with the ‘Find’ and ‘Replace’ functions, or fiddling with formatting. I wandered back into post-submission blues territory, and I’m still there, being a bit petulant and procrastinating because I just don’t really want to rethink and rewrite and revise. I just want to be finished now.

But, and there is always a but isn’t there, I really do have to engage with these reports and the comments and suggestions for changes precisely because they are not small, take-or-leave-them changes. In beginning with examiner 1’s report, I can see that a lot of what she is commenting on is vagueness in some of my definitions, explanations and discussion – partly because the literature itself is vague, and partly because I did not make my writing and thinking as clear as I could have. Examiner 2 has concerns about my analysis – he thinks I have made things a little to easy for myself – is he right? If so, what do I do to respond to his thoughtful and also probably somewhat accurate critique? Examiner 3 doesn’t think I need to make any changes, but she poses a couple of questions about my methodology I think I should respond to.

I do not have to do all of the corrections and follow-up on all the suggestions. I can decide which changes need to be made now to improve on my thesis, and which comments and suggestions need rather to be taken into account later, when I am writing up parts of my argument for publication. Examiners should and do go beyond the thesis to comment on other things you can think about and do post-PhD; they comment on the theory and how your have used it, on methodology more generally and on how you have realised yours, on the strength of your analysis and on things you could have done differently, and might want to do differently in future studies. A student’s work, then, in reading or taking in their critique is to work out what is for now and what can be for later (although not all students have a choice).

Hopefully, examiners will judge your thesis on its own merits, whether they agree with you or not, and will not make suggestions that have you writing their thesis into your corrections and revisions rather than your own. If you do have a choice, think very carefully about what they have said – they are experts in your field, and if you can open yourself up to the critique as well as the praise, I think you will find much food for thought. I certainly have. Of course, now I just have to work out what to do with all of it…

Share this:

Leave a comment cancel reply.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

Stack Exchange Network

Stack Exchange network consists of 183 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow , the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers.

Q&A for work

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search.

Correcting mistakes in PhD thesis that examiners missed

I finished my thesis defense and my examiners recommended minor corrections, all of which are based in the lit review and results chapters. However, after they approved the corrections I made, I spotted mistakes they overlooked in my materials chapter. These mistakes were accidental and they included things like incorrect amounts of chemicals and ambiguous directions. These are things that I have intimate knowledge of. Before submitting to examiners, when I spotted overlooked mistakes in other results chapters, I only told my advisor and corrected them with his OK. I thought it would be embarrassing to confess to examiners that I had made silly mistakes when my destiny was in their hands. Why would anyone make an exam harder than it needs to be?

In hindsight, should I have told them about these mistakes I corrected even though they only specified corrections needed in other places? Correcting descriptions of methods I used isn't going to change my results. I've read online articles that recommend students not to change parts of thesis that examiners don't ask you to change. However is there a chance that I could get called out in the future, while perusing my thesis, for making changes that they did not approve?

• research-process
• graduate-school
• thesis-committee

• 9 "I thought it would be embarrassing to confess to examiners that I had made silly mistakes " I would have viewed it as a good professional attitude to have corrected them and added them to the list of corrections. We all make mistakes, it is no big deal, the best recipe for mistakes is thinking you don't make them or being unwilling to admit and correct them (which can put you off checking for them). –  Dikran Marsupial Commented Jan 23, 2023 at 15:59
• 4 Lol at the idea that your examiners are perusing your thesis in the future! (Not to mention that they would notice changes in amounts of chemicals!) –  Dawn Commented Jan 23, 2023 at 16:14
• 4 It's your responsibility to make sure that your work is correct. –  Tom Commented Jan 24, 2023 at 10:43

2 Answers 2

Yes you should have sent them a summary of changes. No it’s not a big deal. They almost certainly wouldn’t have looked at it, and they’re very unlikely to have judged you badly for it anyway, everyone catches errors when they reread stuff.

In a dissertation you are unlikely to be "called" in the future, assuming you made corrections and didn't add errors (unlikely). If your advisor is knowledgeable in your field and approves of what you did you should be fine.

It is likely that the examiners just missed some things that should have been fixed. It's good that you caught them. They aren't perfect, of course.

Note that the work is yours. It doesn't belong to your examiners.

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for browse other questions tagged research-process graduate-school thesis thesis-committee defense ..

• Featured on Meta
• Upcoming sign-up experiments related to tags

Hot Network Questions

• How are secret encodings not a violation of amateur radio regulations?
• How to count the number of lines in an array
• In "Romeo and Juliet", why is Juliet the "sun"?
• Wrappers around write() and read() and a function to copy file permissions
• Am I wasting my time self-studying program pre-requisites?
• What is the difference between a group representation and an isomorphism to GL(n,R)?
• pdfx workaround breaks itemize
• Starship IFT-4: whatever happened to the fin tip camera feed?
• Should I practise a piece at a metronome tempo that is faster than required?
• Short story in which the main character buys a robot psychotherapist to get rid of the obsessive desire to kill
• Going around in circles
• Why is “selling a birthright (πρωτοτόκια)” so bad? -- Hebrews 12:16
• If something happened in the past but I feel that it's still true now, can I use either past simple and present simple?
• What symbolism or deeper meaning is conveyed by the statues encountered in "The Endless"?
• Horror movie that has a demon hand coming through a mirror
• Is there any reason to keep old checks?
• Read metaplex metadata in rust & anchor
• Was Croatia the first country to recognize the sovereignity of the USA? Was Croatia expecting military help from USA that didn't come?
• Is the "deaths per passenger mile" metric more useful for evaluating air travel safety than "deaths per flight"?
• Why is "Colourless green ideas sleep furiously" considered meaningless?
• How should I end a campaign only the passive players are enjoying?
• tnih neddih eht kcehc
• Bound states between neutrinos using Schrödinger's equation?
• What was the title and author of this children's book of mazes?

PhD thesis minor corrections

Hi, I recently got minor corrections for my PhD thesis (very happy with this result!). I am aware that it is important to do all of the corrections that the examiners have suggested, as this almost 'guarantees' success. However, one of the corrections they have suggested is not possible - they have suggested that I show some data in a way that I cannot do as it will be very unreliable and will not make sense. Is it ok to not do this as long as I support why I haven't? I do not want to offend them but I really cannot do what they asked! Thanks for any advice : )

Hi there, congratulations! Great result. You do not need to do all of the corrections listed provided you provide a good reason and argue your case. With your university, does a minor corrections result require you to show your corrections to your panel chair (or equivalent). If so, you would generally make a table that lists the corrections, lists where you have made corrections, and then indicates the page or section and you would then provide them with this table and the corrections made. You should have received a written email or letter that outlines what you have to do along with your results from your department admin personnel. If you are making most of the corrections and have a good argument as to why you can't make one, then this should be okay. However, what do your supervisors say? Are you expected to meet with them to decide which corrections you will make and which you will argue? (When I say argue-I don't mean write an essay on it, I mean make a short but relevant point on the table under that item that refutes the need for that correction, and explains very briefly why it does not apply to your study.)

Minor changes means the external doesnt need to see or approve your changes. Simply argue away the things you wont be changing. I didnt change every single comment either. I suspect most of us will do the same thing.

Quote From pm133: Minor changes means the external doesnt need to see or approve your changes. Simply argue away the things you wont be changing. I didnt change every single comment either. I suspect most of us will do the same thing. Just clarifying something from my comment that might be unclear. When I mention Panel Chair, I don't mean an external, I mean the internal person/academic who checks through your thesis and corrections for the admin personnel before they process your thesis-finalise awards and things. That person is called the Panel Chair or Committee Chair at my university. However, I know that other universities may not use this terminology, and/or have a slightly different version of the processes or committees and have often subtly different versions of what constitutes the different levels of corrections. And just confirming again what PM133 has said. You don't have to make all of the corrections provided you can argue why. There were some corrections suggested by one of my examiners, for example, that really don't apply in my study and I have stated why I won't make these on my table. My supervisors told me that this was common practice and agreed with me completely on the points. (I am just finalising my corrections and table this weekend. My corrected thesis does not need to be checked by externals).

My goodness! Congratulations on such a happy outcome (the one we all hope for, by the way!). I have also heard it said that minor things do not have to necessarily be changed because this is your research and you are the expert on this topic. So you should know better than anyone else if a suggested change is appropriate or not. Have confidence in your expertise.

Post your reply

Postgraduate Forum

Masters Degrees

PhD Opportunities

Postgraduate Forum Copyright ©2024 All rights reserved

PostgraduateForum Is a trading name of FindAUniversity Ltd FindAUniversity Ltd, 77 Sidney St, Sheffield, S1 4RG, UK. Tel +44 (0) 114 268 4940 Fax: +44 (0) 114 268 5766

Welcome to the world's leading Postgraduate Forum

An active and supportive community.

Support and advice from your peers.

Your postgraduate questions answered.

Use your experience to help others.

Sign Up to Postgraduate Forum

Enter your email address below to get started with your forum account

Login to your account

Enter your username below to login to your account

Reset password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password

An email has been sent to your email account along with instructions on how to reset your password. If you do not recieve your email, or have any futher problems accessing your account, then please contact our customer support.

or continue as guest

Postgrad Forum uses cookies to create a better experience for you

To ensure all features on our website work properly, your computer, tablet or mobile needs to accept cookies. Our cookies don’t store your personal information, but provide us with anonymous information about use of the website and help us recognise you so we can offer you services more relevant to you. For more information please read our privacy policy