uct masters thesis submission dates

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Table of Contents

1.      Intention to Submit 2.      Dissertation Submission 3.      Paper Requirement 4.      Registration 5.      Fees 6.      Contact Details

1.   Intention to Submit

A research student submits a 60, 120 or 180 credit dissertation for examination. Students must inform the Faculty Office of their intention to submit for examination prior to actual submission for examination, by uploading the following to PeopleSoft :

• EBE01 - Intention to submit form
• EBE02 - IP assessment form
• EBE03 - Dissertation Open Access Suppression Form (Embargo Request)
• A copy of your abstract according to the Student Upload Intention to Submit Guide.

Please see Student Upload Intention to Submit Guide

What does ‘qualify’ mean?

A student qualifies when he or she has met the requirements for the degree/diploma which is ratified by the FEC and approved by SEC.  Graduation may take place weeks or even months after this approval process.  A student may apply for a transcript which will show that the qualification has been completed and that graduation will take place on a date sometime in the future.

What does ‘graduate’ mean?

A student graduates at a congregation of the University of Cape Town. That is a graduation ceremony where the degree or diploma is conferred upon him/her. The graduation date appears on the certificate and transcript.

Kindly note that the University of Cape Town does not undertake to reach a decision on the award of the degree by any specific date.  We will inform you once your examination process has been completed. 

Please note that these dates are not necessarily in line with the fee rebate dates – please see point 5 below for the deadlines for fees.

2.  Dissertation Submission

After consultation with the supervisor, a candidate hoping to graduate midyear/end of the year, is required to submit via PeopleSoft to the Faculty Office:

• Dissertation

Please include the following in your dissertation - a signed declaration that states: "I know the meaning of plagiarism and declare that all the work in the document, save for that which is properly acknowledged, is my own. This thesis/dissertation has been submitted to the Turnitin module (or  equivalent similarity and originality checking software) and I confirm that my supervisor has seen my report and any concerns revealed by such have been resolved with my supervisor."

• A copy of your completed and signed EBE Faculty ‘Assessment of Ethics in Research Projects form’. This would have been completed when you registered for your dissertation.  
• A copy of your unofficial transcript
• EBE04 - Declaration of Free Licence form

Please see  Student Upload Thesis/Dissertation for Examination Guide

Please note that only online submissions of the dissertation are required. You do not need to submit a hard copy.

Please check your PeopleSoft within a week to see if your service request was accepted or declined. If no action was taken, please contact the Faculty Office. 

3. Paper Requirement

Please note this requirement is only for those completing a 120 / 180 credit dissertation.

You are in addition required to submit a summary of the key aspects of the dissertation, presented in the form of a paper which is, potentially, of publishable standard, approved by the supervisor.

Note: The Paper requirement is intended to develop a candidate's skills in academic communication through exposure to the discipline of preparing a scholarly, succinct overview of the subject of the research topic, with due attention to structure, detail, clarity of expression and referencing. If you have not already done so, you must liaise with your supervisor and take appropriate steps to satisfy this requirement. 

You are required to submit the following to the Faculty Office:

• EBE05 – Paper submission form and guidelines
• An electronic copy can be submitted to  [email protected]  

4.  Registration

• Please note that if you intend to submit your Master's dissertation for examination between December and before the academic term commences the following year you will not be required to register.
• If you submit your dissertation after the term commences you must re-register by the date set out on the registration programme . If you do not register and you submit your dissertation for examination, your dissertation will not be sent off for examination until you have re-registered.

The following is an extract taken from the Fees Handbook (Submission of Doctoral Theses and Master's Dissertations) on rebates.  Refer to the Fees Handbook (No. 8.2) for the exact fee deadline dates.  Kindly note that these are not Faculty deadline dates, but fee deadline dates:

Revise and Resubmit

Where a student is required to revise and resubmit a thesis or dissertation the academic fee will be charged per quarter (ie. If the candidate must work for up to one quarter, he/she will pay 25% of the full fee; for up to two quarters, he/she will pay 50% of the full fee and so on). 

• NOTE 1: Full annual fees will be billed from the date on which the student is notified to revise and resubmit, and any fee rebate will be processed on resubmission.
• NOTE 2: International students who are required to revise and resubmit a dissertation or thesis and who need to re-register at the start of a new academic year, may have their international term fee pro-rated up-front where there is a clear indication from the supervisor that the student is expected to submit in a period shorter than a year. 

Should you be entitled to a rebate, this will only take effect once we know the outcome of your dissertation. 

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Degree by Dissertation

The Faculty of Law offers dissertation-only Masters and PhD programmes. While much of the information applies to both levels, each degree type has specific requirements, regulations and guidelines. All of this information is provided at the menu links. 

A full guide for Masters and Doctoral theses is available here and should be read in conjunction with the other downloads provided on the pages relevant to your degree type.

Coursework & Dissertation

In addition to the research-only LLM, MPhil and PhD options, students can consider a coursework-based LLM with a mini-dissertation. This is referred to as a Coursework & Dissertation masters (or C&D). Information is provided at the menu links about rules, regulations and guidelines for mini-dissertations.

Postgraduate Research in the Health Sciences Library Guide

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• Useful links

Turnitin  is the leading academic plagiarism detector, utilized by teachers and students to avoid plagiarism and ensure academic integrity. Contact the   CILT Helpdesk for further support: [email protected]

• Turnitin for UCT Postgraduate Students

Online submission of theses

• Digital Submission of a Thesis/Disertation for Examination and Library Access Student help document
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Thesis/Dissertation/Mini-Dissertation Structure

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There is no standard format for the submission of a dissertation or thesis: formatting is at the candidate’s discretion, but using A4 paper is the expected norm. Reasonable width margins (2 – 2.5 cm) are desirable to ensure that binding does not impede reading of the text. However, candidates should consult their supervisor early on in the process. The contents must be printed in either double or one and a half spacing using a common font throughout. Printing on both sides of the page is allowed, but a reasonable weight paper must then be used. Although it is expected that the dissertation/thesis be written in English, it is possible with prior support of the supervisor and prior permission from the Doctoral Degrees Board, to submit a PhD in another language.

It is acceptable for a Masters dissertation or PhD thesis to include published papers , provided that:

• where published papers are included as separate chapters, the dissertation/thesis must nonetheless show acceptable academic style, constant formatting, scholarly content and coherence as a connected account with a satisfactory general introduction, statement of thesis and a final discussion chapter. The latter should not duplicate material that is already contained in the discussion sections of the various chapters/papers, but integrate the results from the various chapters and place them in a broader context;
• where multi-authored papers are included, the contribution of the candidate can be distinguished and is clearly stated

For Masters degrees a candidate must submit either three hard copies (degree by dissertation only) or TWO hard copies (degree by coursework plus dissertation) of the dissertation in temporary binding to the Postgraduate Officer in the Science Faculty Office . Once the dissertation has been finally accepted, one unbound hard copy and one electronic copy (in pdf format on a labelled, read-only CD packed in a hard "jewel" case) of the final, corrected dissertation must be lodged with the Faculty Office.

In the case of a PhD , the thesis may not exceed 80,000 words . If it is felt that it is essential to exceed this length, special permission must be obtained from the Dean. It is the expectation that Masters degrees should be substantially shorter than this with a maximum of 50,000 words allowed; on the order of 35,000 words (~100 pages) would be the expected norm.

There must be a title page on which should appear the thesis title, name of candidate (plus qualifications if you wish), name of Department, University and the month and year of submission. The following is the recommended wording used after the thesis title and name of the candidate: Dissertation (or Thesis) presented for the degree of Master of Science (or Doctor of Philosophy) in the Department of … University of Cape Town Month and Year

For a coursework Masters minor dissertation the wording should read "Dissertation presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of…".

Plagiarism Declaration

Following the title page there should be a page containing the following signed statement by the candidate: "I know the meaning of plagiarism and declare that all of the work in the dissertation (or thesis), save for that which is properly acknowledged, is my own‟.

Publication

When a candidate submits a thesis he/she shall be deemed to have granted the University free license to publish it in whole or part in any format the University deems fit.

Referencing

Forms of referencing must be standard for the discipline and must adhere to a recognised international convention, agreed to with the supervisor.

Due Dates and Process of Submission

At the conclusion of research, the candidate must submit a dissertation or thesis for examination. This normally occurs after receiving an indication from the supervisor that the product is in a form which is acceptable for submission. However, a candidate is not prevented from submitting without the supervisor’s approval.

If a candidate intends submitting a Masters dissertation for examination he/she must inform the Head of Department in writing, with a copy to the Dean, of such an intention two weeks in advance of planned submission date. The Head of Department, with input from the supervisor, will then nominate suitable examiners for approval by the Dean. If submitting a PhD thesis, the candidate must inform the Doctoral Degrees Board Officer (New Student Administration Building) in writing of such intention one month prior to planned submission.

The dates for submission of dissertations and theses are: First or Second week in February for persons hoping to graduate in September; First or Second week in August for persons hoping to graduate in March of the following year.

Please refer to the University Fees Booklet for submission dates with respect to fee rebates. Candidates who submit their thesis/dissertation before the beginning of the start of the first term are not required to register. If submitted after the start of the first term a candidate must register for that year, and a pro-rata fee will be charged, depending on the date of submission. Where a student who submitted prior to the start of term is required to revise and resubmit a dissertation/thesis, they must register and pay the academic fee for that year. Further information can be found at the UCT Student Handbook site .

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Research Protocol and Thesis

Please download the  document  for more detailed information and the  process flow as explained below., what is your question, goal, timeframe.

It is likely that you will spend some time on your thesis. To make it worthwhile choose a question that interests you. Make this question as specific as possible. If you find a question that is part of our strategy then you will be able to draw from our resources even more. Plan ahead and realize what your time frame is. Ideally you should complete the project within the first 2 years of your registrar time because you will be studying in your last 2 years. It is expected that you publish your thesis in a peer-reviewed journal and that you present it at a (inter)national congress.

There are 4 phases to your MMed

1. Protocol phase 2. Data collection phase 3. Publication and submission phase 4. Correction phase

Step 1 - Protocol Phase, DRC and Ethics approval

This phase can be time consuming if you are not following the guidelines. Make sure you tick all the boxes. The time spend here will save you many days of work during the later stages.

Pointers for your protocol.

• Use the UCT guidelines FHS 015  and  checklist of the Surgical Departmental Research Council for the content you need.
• Use the FAST TRACK FORM FOR RETROSPECTIVE FOLDER REVIEWS  of the Surgical Departmental Research Council if this is your study design.
• Use  CONSORT  and  EQUATOR  guidelines as checklist. This will help keep a standard you need for publication. 
• Include data sheet ( example ), statistical analysis, and a power calculation if needed (Statistician: clinical research centre)
• Make sure you check spelling!
• Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (D2a) with your supervisor.

After your supervisor has approved the protocol (with consent forms and appendix) it must be submitted to Michael Held. This will ensure that you are not overloaded with high risk projects and that you are in line with our strategy.  Don't submit unfinished protocols .  

Once approved you have to electronically submit your protocol to the Departmental Research Council ( DRC )

• Make sure you don't make  common mistakes .
• Make sure you meet the deadlines of the DRC meetings. 

After DRC approval you have to apply for ethics approval at HREC

• FHS 013 form (New Protocol Application form) - signed by you, your supervisor, HOD and DRC
• Synoptsis (Section B) - this is a "Protocol in simple language"
• Your Protocol
• Consent forms and other appendix documents
• DRC approval letter

send the HREC an email with everything but they need the submission pack in 3 hard copies.

The following documents need to be handed in to the Postgraduate Office as they are required for the Professional Masters Committee Chair and the Board of the Faculty of Health Sciences.

• Protocol (beware of the timelines here - there is a 6 month deadline for MSc/PhD students).
• Approval letter of HREC
• Form D1 - Approval of Study proposal
• Form D3 - supervisor appointment form
• Form D2a - Memorandum of understanding between supervisor and student
• Form D2b - Annual Progress report for your supervisor if you take longer
• ANNUAL APPROVAL  After 1 year, apply to HREC for continuing approval Form FHS016 (for intervention study) or FHS017 (for record review) or submit a study closure form, FHS010, if the study is complete. If registration in MMED III is required for more than one year then complete form D2(b) and submit to Post Grad Office when re-registering. 

Step 2 - Data Collection Phase

• Stick to the approved timelines
• Changes to the protocol need to be discussed with the supervisor and will need to be dealt with to prevent delays, whilst submitting change requests to ethics, if necessary.
• Students should communicate with their supervisor at the very least quarterly on their progress
• you will need to report on your progress every 6 months to the ORU
• A formal report is required annually
• Redcap is available as data collection tool to all UCT students. The Clinical Research Centre will assist with queries here.

Step 3 - Writing-up Phase / Publication

• Read and follow the MMed guidelines provided by UCT postgraduate office for the format.
• We only accept submissions of MMed as published journal article (see guidelines)
• Use a referencing program such as Endnote or Refworks.
• Make use of the UCT Writing Centre.
• Only use publication-ready format ( template for MMed ) if you have written your Final exam and are running out of time. 
• For your article, choose a journal which is relevant to your topic. It must be listed in the citation index of the Institute for  Scientific Information  (ISI) or accredited by the Department of Education.
• You must list the affiliation and that you completed your research for the degree of MMed at UCT, as well as the affiliation of your supervisors and co-authors.  It should state: Orthopaedic Research Unit. Division of Orthopaedic Surgery- Department of Surgery. University of Cape Town.  (and reference to the hospital , i.e. Groote Schuur Hosptial)
• Candidates must closely liaise with their supervisors to coordinate timelines and make sure submissions happen to meet graduation timelines and/ or College cut-offs.
• It is recommended that the candidate only submits if the supervisor(s) agree that the dissertation is ready for submission. It is recommended that enough time is left for both the candidate to thoroughly proofread the document, not just for factual correctness, but also for style, grammar, punctuation and spelling, while giving the supervisor enough time to make suggestions and recommendations (also see below).​
• Should the candidate fail to submit a manuscript to a journal within this time period, they must accept that their supervisor(s) is/ are entitled to publish their data on their behalf, with the student as co-author. It is unethical not to publish the research findings, negative or positive. 

Step 4 - Correction and Submission Phase

Candidates are required to answer all queries and suggestions made by the examiners of the thesis in a line by line fashion. All queries are addressed, to the satisfaction of the supervisor before re-submission. Be very aware of timelines.

Turnitin Use  People Soft  and  Turnitin  to hand in your thesis.

UCT Dissertation Submission deadlines (confirm this with the postgraduate office)

1. March 15th for June graduation 2. August 15th for December graduation Note on fees: To avoid attracting fees, dissertations need to be submitted before the beginning of the first quarter (first day of academic year), and before the start of the second semester (mid July) to qualify for a 50% fee rebate ( Fees) .

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Thesis Submission and Fees

Thesis submission graduate students.

Submission Dates 2021/22:

Submission Dates 2022/23:

Submission Dates 2023/2024

Extensions & Fees:

If you do not submit your thesis by the deadline, and you need to extend registration into the next academic session, the following fee implications will apply: Submission in Autumn Trimester - 33% of full year’s fee payable. Submission in Spring Trimester - 67% of full year’s fee payable. Submission in Summer Trimester - full year’s fee payable. * Please note that registering for a new academic session results in a full year’s fee appearing on your fee account prior to submission of the thesis. A thesis cannot be submitted unless all relevant fees and charges have been paid. Fee charges will adjust to reflect your registration, as appropriate. More detailed information on extending your registration on a graduate research programme can be found at  on the Graduate Studies website .

Additional Info

(opens in a new window) Policy on Theses in Graduate Research Programmes

Policy for Research Degree Examination

 If you have any questions, feel free to contact the Student Desk. 

Contact the Student Desk

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