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  6. Research Thesis Examination - from 6 Jan 2020
  7. New Doctorate Thesis Submission Steps

New Doctorate Thesis Submission Steps

All Thesis Submissions will be Electronic from 6 Jan 2020

When can I submit?

Please make sure you are aware of your start date. If you have made changes to your registration (for example leave of absence) this will change your submission date. Research students start in January, April, July or October, and usually agree a registration period of 3 or 4 years from their start date.

Students can submit any time in their last year of study. Students must begin planning for thesis submission 6 months before their submission date. 

StepStudent ResponsibilityUCC Responsibility 
1. Intention to submit
  • Ensure student registration and fee payments are up-to-date.
  • Ensure you have completed any mandatory elements of your programme (example 15 module credit requirement for Doctorate programme).
  • At least three months prior to the proposed date of thesis submission, complete the Intention to Submit form.
HELPFUL TIPS
  • You can submit this form more than three months in advance. 
  • You only have to submit this form once and we will await your thesis submission.
  • You can submit less than three months in advance but it may delay your examination process.
 Supervisors should advise their students of the Intention to Submit form and to start planning 6 months in advance to meet their submission deadline.
2. Approval of external and internal examiners Students do not play a role in the approval of external and internal examiners process. Graduate Studies Office informs the school/department of student intention to submit and requests the school/department to appoint the examiners. Final approval resides with College Graduate School.
3. E-thesis Submission for Examination
  • Check the thesis examination deadlines to see what your next deadline is. 
  • You must then submit a PDF copy of your thesis online - the upload facility will go live on 6 Jan 2020. 
  • IMPORTANT: If your Examiner requests a paper copy of your thesis, you will be notified of this and required to submit a paper copy to the Graduate Studies Office.  
  • Along with your thesis you must upload a completed Submission for Examination Form, where you will choose the level of access required for your final thesis. You must read the Access Options Here, and agree the required level of access with your Supervisory Team. The Submission for Examination Form must be signed by all Supervisors and the Head of School/Department.   
  • SUBMIT YOUR E-THESIS HERE - this will go live on 6 Jan 2020. 
HELPFUL TIPS
  • You can submit before the deadline. 
  • There are no exceptions or extensions to the deadline, however, a three-month grace period applies for all students. 

What is the three-month grace period?

You must be a registered student to submit your thesis for examination. If your registration period is about to expire you have an additional three months in which you can submit your thesis for examination without being liable for registration fees, but you must register for the next academic year. If you do not submit within the three months, you will be liable for a reduced fee (€1700 per annum/€850 per 6 months) for the remainder of the year.

  
4. Viva Voce and Post Viva Voce (not applicable to MD thesis) Supervisor/s will arrange the Viva Voce examination required for students and will communicate the details to students. 

Doctorate students liaise with supervisor/s on all aspects of Viva Voce.

Students will be given an unofficial recommendation after their Viva Voce.		 Doctorate students will undertake a Viva Voce. Doctorate supervisors arrange this and will communicate the details to students.
5. Examiner Report

An examiners report is generated from the Viva Voce and requires formal approval at the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee (see dates here).


Students receive an official recommendation after approval at Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee.

 

 

 Examiners should submit a joint examiners report to thesissubmission@ucc.ie within 5 working of the Viva. 

Graduate Studies Office will submit the report to the next Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee for formal approval.

The Graduate Studies Office will notify Doctorate students by email regarding your approval and any associated recommendations.


Students receiving a recommendation of award on condition of major or minor amendments should liaise with their internal examiner and supervisor regarding completion of the amendments.

RECOMMENDATIONS EXPLAINED

Award, no amendments needed

Student progresses to the next step which is final e-thesis submission. Find your deadline here.

Award, on condition minor amendments are carried out

  1. Students liaise with their internal examiner to confirm the amendments needed.
  2. Student carries out amendments and sends them to their internal examiner for review.
  3. Internal Examiner emails thesissubmission@ucc.ie confirming amendments have been made and student can now progress to final e-thesis submission online via CORA.

Award, on condition major amendments are carried out

  1. Student liaises with their internal examiner to confirm the amendments needed.
  2. Student carries out amendments and sends them to both their internal examiner and external examiner for review.
  3. Internal examiner and the external examiner must email thesissubmission@ucc.ie confirming amendments have been made.
  4. The original examiners report along with the emails from examiners regarding major amendment completed are submitted to the next ACGSC meeting (see dates) for final approval.
  5. Graduate Studies Office sends email to student confirming they can now progress to final e-thesis submission online via CORA.

Reject, but permit submission of a revised thesis

  1. Student is required to undertake a major rewrite of all or a significant part of the thesis.
  2. This process should be completed within 12 months and the candidate must be registered as a student.
  3. The new thesis needs to be submitted as a PDF online for a new examination (see step 1).

Reject, but allow the award of a lower degree

A research Masters degree is awarded in lieu of a Doctorate as the thesis stands, or such a degree is awarded subject to minor or major amendments. A recommendation will need to be made on the grade of award of the lower degree (on the original thesis).

Reject

No degree is awarded as the thesis is very seriously and inherently deficient.

MORE INFORMATION

For detailed information here. 

StepStudent ResponsibilityUCC Responsibility 
6. Final e-thesis submission and conferring Doctorate students

You cannot submit your final e-thesis until you receive final confirmation of approval by email of your thesis examination from the Graduate Studies Office.

Take a look at the final e-thesis submission deadlines and corresponding conferring deadlines to decide when you will submit and confer.

Log in to CORA https://cora.ucc.ie/shibboleth-login with your UCC IT account details (@umail.ucc.ie) and submit your abstract and thesis online.

 
7. Conferring Once the final e-thesis has been submitted you will be put forward to graduate at the next conferring ceremony and will receive information on this by email.

UCC Conferring - https://www.ucc.ie/en/conferrings/dates/ Contact: conferrings@ucc.ie

 

Graduate Studies Office

Oifig na Staidéar Iarchéime

2nd Floor, West Wing, Main Quad, UCC , T12 YN60

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