Completing
Completing the PhD: Thesis and Viva
Time Frame
Documentation
Thesis Binding
Submitting the thesis
Academic Guidelines
Time Frame
Students are expected to submit a written PhD thesis at the end of their degree program. For full-time students, this lasts for three years while for part-time students it is five years.
Completing Research Students (CRS)
If extra time is needed, students are permitted to apply for a CRS extension. The maximum extension is one year for full-time students or two years for part-time students. Only one extension will be granted. Further information regarding CRS status, including the application.
All full-time students are expected to submit their thesis within at most four years of their start date.
Documentation
To begin the process, the student must complete and submit a Research Degree Examination Entry Form approximately four-to-six months before submitting their thesis. Typically this means the form should be submitted in approximately May, assuming a submission date of September.
Research Degree Examination Entry form and instructions
Thesis Binding
Information about thesis binding can be found here
Submitting the thesis
You must submit your thesis together with the Abstract of Thesis Form and the Reproduction of Theses Form / Thesis Access Declaration and Thesis Deposit Agreement form for UCL award, directly to the UCL Student Records office. These forms are available here.
Guidelines
The complete set of UCL rules and regulations pertaining to submitting a PhD thesis and conducting a viva are set out in the Academic Regulations for Research Degrees: Section 2 – Requirements of a Thesis
