This page gives information about the recommendations available to the Examiners, consideration of your Examiners’ Report by the Graduate Board, completing corrections and submission of the hard bound thesis.

Possible examination outcomes
The recommendation of the examiners should be given informally to you by the Examiners, normally within 24 hours of completion of the oral examination.

• (a) Pass: no further correction to the thesis is required
• (b) Pass (subject to the correction of ‘minor editorial corrections’ or ‘stated minor deficiencies’) (see below)
• (c) Referral:
• (d) Fail: The candidate has no further opportunity for submission for the degree

For candidates submitting for PhD, the following recommendations are also available:

• (e) Award of MPhil: (in these circumstances the degree of MPhil may not be awarded with distinction)
• (f) Award of MPhil (subject to the correction of ‘minor editorial corrections’ or ‘stated minor deficiencies’ as in (b) above) 
• (g) Referral for MPhil the candidate is required to revise the thesis and resubmit this for re-examination for the degree of Master of Philosophy

Graduate Board’s Examinations Group
The Examiners must produce a joint report, following the oral examination, which outlines their recommendation. The recommendation of the examiners is subject to confirmation by the Graduate Board’s Examinations Group which will consider the examiners’ report at its next meeting. In some cases the Examinations Group may request additional information or clarification of the Examiners’ Report from the Examiners to ensure that the recommendation made is clear.
You can find more information about this Group, and the dates of the meetings for session 2011/2012 here.

Correction of minor errors or stated minor deficiencies
If the recommendation is pass subject to either Correction of minor errors or stated minor deficiencies your Examiners will provide you with notification of the required corrections. You will not receive formal notification of the recommendation of the Examiners or the required amendments from RSA.
Minor editorial corrections must be completed within four weeks from the date of the oral examination. Stated minor deficiencies must be completed within twelve weeks from the date of the oral examination. You should therefore begin the required amendments immediately after the viva. This deadline is the date by which a final version should be submitted to the internal examiner. Your internal examiner must approve the corrections undertaken and confirm this to RSA, wither in writing or by signing the Thesis Deposit Form.

Thesis Deposit Form
Before having the final hard copies of the thesis bound, all candidates should complete the Thesis Deposit Form which specifies for the library and whether your thesis can be made immediately available or whether a restriction on access might be necessary. This must be checked and countersigned by your Supervisor and Postgraduate Research Tutor. If you were awarded the degree with minor errors or minor deficiencies you should also pass the form to your Internal Examiner along with the corrections to your thesis. Further instructions are given on the front, advice sheet of the form and in the Research Student Handbook.

Submission of the final, hard bound thesis
After approval of any corrections you can have the final thesis printed and hard bound in accordance with the Thesis Format Regulations. Any PDF “Ethesis” to be deposited with the University can also be prepared in accordance with the information given in the Guidance on Ethesis Preparation, Copyright and Publication.
The fully corrected hardbound version of the thesis (plus PDF copy for those candidates commencing study from September 2009 – see the ethesis section of the site) with a completed Thesis Deposit Form, should be submitted at the Student Services Centre Counter.

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last updated 09/09/11