After submission

Find out about what happens after you submit your doctoral thesis for examination.

Doctoral examination process: an overview and timeframe

The examination process is rigorous. It aims to ensure that candidates meet the highest standards of scholarship and that the degrees conferred by Victoria University of Wellington are of the highest quality. The examination is a two-stage process involving an expert review of the thesis by three examiners and a viva (an oral examination of the thesis).

The examination process usually takes a minimum of 6 months and can take up to 12 months from the date you submit your thesis.

The timeframe depends on:

  • examiner and supervisor availability for the viva
  • scheduling your viva (oral exam), which is usually a date about 4 months after submission. If you submit in September - December, the viva will always be scheduled for the following year due to the summer break. We generally do not schedule viva between mid-December and the start of February.
  • examiners returning their reports and recommendations on time (they are given 8 weeks but many request an extension)
  • your examination outcome. Most candidates are required to make some amendments to their thesis in order to pass. This can take up to 6 months, depending on is required by your Examination Committee and the availability of the approver (usually the internal examiner) to complete their review.

The examiners

There are three examiners: the panel is usually an internal examiner from the University, an examiner from another New Zealand university and an overseas examiner. They each submit an independent report to the Dean FGR.

You should not know who your examiners are prior to receiving the reports. Examiners are not permitted to consult, nor to communicate with either you or your supervisors. If you accidentally discover who they are, you must not discuss your thesis with them as this could nullify the entire examination process.

Notes for examiners

Examiners are sent these information sheets to guide their examination of VUW doctoral theses:

Examiners’ recommendations after reading your thesis

Each examiner is asked to make one of the following recommendations.

  • The thesis is of sufficiently high standard to meet the requirements of the doctoral degree, although it may require minor editorial changes.
  • The thesis is not yet of a standard to meet the requirements of the doctoral degree, and there are matters that must be addressed.
  • The thesis does not meet the standard with respect to the requirements of the doctoral degree.

Examiners’ reports

Each examiner sets out the grounds for their recommendation in a detailed report. Examiners are asked to help the University gauge the quality of the thesis by commenting on such things as originality, critical insight and contribution to knowledge. They are also asked to provide guidance for revision and to indicate areas requiring exploration in the viva.

You and your supervisors will receive links to the examiners’ reports in Panoho at least five working days before the viva.

Reviewing examiners’ reports

The Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Research (FGR) is responsible for reviewing the examiners' reports. If the examiners are satisfied that your thesis is of sufficient quality, the Dean will approve your move to a viva.

In cases where the examiners disagree significantly about the quality of the thesis, the Dean may coordinate consultation between examiners to decide if the viva will proceed.

The viva

We aim to schedule the viva approximately four months after your thesis is submitted. Setting this date can sometimes be difficult due to availability of the examiners and your supervisors. If you submit in September - December, the viva will always be scheduled for the following year due to the summer break. We generally do not schedule viva between mid-December and the start of February.

Once a date has been provisionally scheduled, you will be advised by the FGR Exams Team.  Provisional dates are only rescheduled in exceptional circumstances, so you must let the Exams Team know as soon as possible if you have any unavailability around the time your exam is expected to be held.

Usually, the viva is held on campus in Wellington, with your supervisor(s) and internal examiner present. Your New Zealand examiner attends via Zoom and the overseas examiner does not usually attend. The Examination Committee is chaired by an independent, senior academic University staff member. If you are in Wellington, you are expected to attend in person, but you may request to attend online. If you are offshore, please keep in mind that time zone differences may mean that you will have to sit your exam outside of normal working hours.

You must receive access to the examiners reports a minimum of five working days before the exam so that you have enough time to prepare. Occasionally exams may be delayed if the examiners return their reports late, or if the outcome is unclear and the Dean needs to consult further, but the FGR Exams Team will keep you informed if a significant delay is likely.

We will confirm the viva as soon as possible after the three examiners’ reports have been received and the Dean has approved your exam to proceed to the viva. If the Dean does not approve this move, you will receive an email outlining some alternative options.

For more information, visit The viva/oral examination.

After the viva

There are several possible examination outcomes. Most students will be required by the Exam Committee to make some amendments. If the recommendation is that you be awarded the doctoral degree subject to satisfying the conditions set out in the examination report, you will be given up to six months to make these amendments. Once you have completed this work, you will submit your amended thesis to the approver via the Amendments form in Panoho. This version of your thesis needs to be approved by your School (usually by your Internal Examiner) before you can deposit your thesis in the Library.

Depositing your thesis in the Library

Once your corrections and amendments have been approved, you must deposit the final version of your thesis in the Library. You will receive instructions on how to deposit your thesis once you have reached this stage. When you successfully deposit, the Library will confirm receipt of your thesis to FGR Exams Team who will then update your Student Record, marking you as "degree complete". Further information can be found at Apply to graduate. Please note that deposit of your thesis to the Library is a requirement to have your degree conferred (see Doctoral Regulations section 16). You cannot have your degree conferred or attend a graduation ceremony until you have lodged your thesis in the Library.

Dean’s List

The Dean’s List recognises theses that have been judged by their examiners to be of exceptional quality and whose work makes an outstanding contribution to their field of research. Your examiners are invited to consider whether your thesis is worthy of nomination for the Dean’s List and make a confidential recommendation to the Dean. Unless you are selected, you will not know if your thesis has been nominated. The FGR Exams Team contact the recipients in April and November each year.

If you have any questions about the examination process, you can contact the FGR Exams Team