Triangle

You are required to submit a thesis for examination after your period of registered study and before the conclusion of the thesis pending period.  

Your thesis for examination should be submitted (first submission, corrections or re-submission) via this form here, and must be the result of your own work, done mainly while you were registered as a researcher of this university. Student Services will work with your supervisors in preparing the thesis to be sent for examination. 

The information on this page will signpost you to the different processes, policies and detailed instructions on submission. More detailed information can be found in submission pack.

What you need to know

Submission deadline 

You are required to submit your thesis for examination by the submission deadline outlined within NottinghamHub. In exceptional circumstances, you can apply for an extension to your submission deadline, in line with the extension to thesis pending policy in the quality manual. If you need more information on applying for an extension to thesis pending, you can find it on our writing up thesis, understand your submission deadlines webpage. 

If your submission deadline falls on a non-working day, then you are permitted to submit on a first working day after this deadline.

 
Publishing your thesis: open access, embargo or restriction

In most cases, your thesis will be published in the University’s online library when you have graduated. Exceptions apply, such as embargo and thesis restriction, the distinction and process for application is explained below. You should discuss these options with your supervisor. 

Embargo:

You may wish to delay online publication of the full text by requesting an embargo period, of up to 2 years to allow publication through alternative channels.

Please note: If you wish to extend the embargo beyond the initial period, please enquire by emailing UA-etheses. 

For embargoed theses, the full text is not publicly available, but the bibliographic details (author, title and abstract) are discoverable and available to read. You must request embargoes when submitting the final draft of your thesis to Nottingham ePrints. 

Creative writing researchers may apply for an extended embargo of up to seven years. 

Thesis Restriction: 

The University Senate may fully restrict theses in special cases- where a thesis includes work which is politically, commercially or industrially sensitive. Theses may be restricted for a period of two years from conferral of the degree, if requested to do so. 

Thesis restrictions may be applied for by completing the application for restriction form below. Where the restriction is contractually obliged, the documentation should be appended to the application form. For more information visit the quality manual applications for a restriction or embargo to be placed on a thesis webpage.

Application for thesis restriction form

Applications for a restriction or embargo to be placed on a thesis

 
 
How to submit 

Examination of thesis including first submission, corrections or re-submission:

You are required to submit a thesis for examination after your period of research concludes and before your final submission date outlined in MyNottingham.

Your thesis should be submitted for examination (first submission, corrections or re-submission) via this form, in pdf format and must be the result of your own work, done mainly while you were registered as a researcher of this university. Student Services will work with your supervisors in preparing the thesis to be sent for examination. 

You are not routinely required to use turnitin prior to thesis submission. However, you are strongly recommended to discuss this with your supervisory team for their recommendations for best practise within your area of research. 

Post examination - Award of the degree for which you are registered:

All doctoral candidates for research degrees are required by University regulations to upload a final version of their thesis to the University Nottingham ePrints, your final version will be retained for publication in the repository.

Please note: Nottingham ePrints will be changing to a new portal for final versions to be published from 13th November 2025 so please check here for the correct link before uploading your final version from this date.

 

 
What happens once I have submitted 

Your submission will be checked by the Student Services team. Once initial processing is complete, the Student Services team will write to confirm receipt of your thesis. Your thesis will then be stored securely in a local drive so that it can be shared with your examiners.  

First submissions, corrections and re-submissions will be forwarded to examiner(s) for examination and/or final approvals. 

If you are awarded the degree for which you are registered, all doctoral candidates for research degrees are required by University regulations to upload a final version of their thesis to the University of Nottingham ePrints.

Your final version will be retained for publication in the repository, unless you indicate a different preference.

 
 

Postgraduate research - A to Z
Student enquiry centre
Get help
Find a student service centre