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Submit your thesis

Congratulations on completing your thesis! Before graduating, you must submit the final version of your thesis to the Library.

We no longer require print copies to be deposited in the Library, in cases where the thesis can be prepared as a single PDF file. An electronic version submitted through the thesis self-deposit form is the only version required.

  • You are still required to deposit your electronic version, based on the guidelines below.
  • If you have already had your thesis printed and bound for the purposes of physical deposit in the Library, these will be accepted (contact Library Research Services). However, if you prefer, you could use these copies for other purposes, as it is no longer a requirement to deposit them.
  • If your thesis consists of something other than a single PDF file – for instance, a physical object or digital object other than a single PDF file – a physical copy may still be required.

Please contact Library Research Services at library-research@vuw.ac.nz with any questions.

To be eligible to graduate, you are required to deposit your thesis at the Library. This page will give you information and guidance on how to complete the deposit process.

As every thesis is unique, you may have questions or concerns that aren’t addressed here. Please read through the information below and get in touch with the Library Research Services team if you have any questions about the deposit process.

You may have other upcoming deadlines that require the deposit process to be completed. If you have any questions or concerns about deadlines, your degree, or graduation, please contact your faculty.

Note that your thesis can only be deposited in the Library after it has been examined, marked, and finalised.

How do I submit my thesis?

Before submitting the electronic version of your thesis:

  1. Ensure your thesis meets the necessary formatting requirements as set out in the thesis formatting guide. The standard accepted format for a thesis is a single PDF file. A physical copy is no longer required. If the format of your thesis falls outside of these requirements, including the case where your work takes the form of a physical object or a digital object other than a single PDF file, you may include written approval from your head of school pdf156.6KB for a non-standard format (more information is given in the formatting guide).
  2. If your thesis contains any third-party content, for example, any images, maps, tables, or charts that you did not create yourself, we strongly urge you to read through this page on third-party content before you submit your thesis. Once your thesis is online, it will be publicly available worldwide and will therefore have to abide by New Zealand copyright law for digitally published works.
  3. Redact any personal contact details and signatures (in any part of the thesis; even in ethics approval letters) or other information or content that could be considered sensitive or confidential. This is because personal signatures could be easily copied and used for fraudulent purposes and personal contact details could be used to contact individuals without their consent. A guide to preparing a redacted copy of your thesis for submission is available.pdf455.8KB

Submitting your thesis

If your thesis is being withheld (including those for study at the International Institute of Modern Letters (IIML)), refer to the section below on withheld theses.

All other electronic theses must be submitted through the Library’s thesis self deposit service. This requires a student (preferably) or staff username and password to access. Help and a walk-through guide for the service are available. Please consult the Research Codes section in the guide for information regarding the ‘Type of Research Activity’ and ‘Fields of Research’ sections.

Thesis Self Deposit

Once your thesis has been received, you will receive a thesis deposit receipt. The receipt will also go to your faculty and school admins and your supervisor(s).

Where will my thesis be kept?

Your thesis will be held in the University’s Open Access Institutional Repository. The Repository is open to the public, and anyone who is interested may access, read, and download material. The contents of the Repository are regularly harvested and indexed by NZResearch, Google Scholar, and Digital New Zealand, among other services.

If you do not want to have your thesis accessible by anyone, you may apply for it to be withheld: see below.

Withheld theses

Theses can be withheld permanently or for a specified period (up to two years). Withheld theses are held in the University’s RestrictedArchive rather than the Open Access Institutional Repository.

If you wish to have your thesis withheld, you must apply for permission from the Wellington Faculty of Graduate Research. Note that you do not need to apply for permission for theses for study at the IIML.

Theses to be withheld must be submitted manually, either by email at library-research@vuw.ac.nz or brought in to the Library on a digital storage device. You must also include a permission and deposit form:

Once your thesis has been received, you will receive a thesis deposit receipt. The receipt will also go to your faculty and school admins and your supervisor(s).

For alumni

If you completed a thesis at VUW in the past and are willing to allow us to digitise it and make it available to the public through the University’s Institutional Repository, please download and fill out the Permission form for alumnipdf92KB (a Guide to filling out the formpdf249.3KB is available) and email it to Library Research Services.

Alternatively, you may post it to:

Library Research Services
Victoria University of Wellington Library
1 Kelburn Parade
PO Box 3438
Wellington 6012
New Zealand

General information