What to expect during examination

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Your examination is the final stage of your graduate research degree.

This process involves the submission of your thesis, the live performance or exhibition of creative components of your research (if applicable), and potentially for doctoral candidates, an oral examination known as the viva.

Once you have fulfilled the following examination requirements, you will have successfully completed your research degree.

How the examination process works

The examination process – from submitting your thesis to your viva, or, if being examined by thesis only, being notified of your examiners’ recommendations – will usually take a minimum of four months.

The length of time will vary for each examination, as examiners who are external to the University will be involved.

The Graduate Research Examinations Office (GR Examinations Office) will keep in touch with your examiners, to help minimise delays.

All communication regarding your examination, including arrangements for your viva (if relevant), completion, conferral and graduation will be sent via your University of Melbourne student email address. Please check your email regularly.

The rules about examination are within the Graduate Research Training Policy (MPF1321) and associated Processes.

There are also processes in place to help you resolve issues, should any arise during examination.

Receiving your examination result

You will receive a result at your viva, if you choose or are required to undertake an oral examination.

If your examination is by thesis alone, the Graduate Research Examinations Office will deliver your result after the chair of examiners has received and considered all examiner reports.

Once you receive your formal examination outcome, you will have a clearer idea of when you are likely to complete all degree requirements.

Generally, you can expect the following during examination:

  • Masters candidates will be examined by thesis only.
  • PhD and doctoral candidates who commenced from 2025 onwards will have a viva examination.
  • PhD and doctoral candidates who commence before 2025 can choose to undertake a viva. You can indicate this when registering your intention to submit on Thesis Examination System (TES).
  • Examinations for Joint PhD candidates will follow the requirements outlined in their Graduate Researcher Agreement (GR Agreement).

What examiners look for

Examiners evaluate your work for understanding of the relevant literature, the methods and techniques used, the results and conclusions obtained.

You can read the full criteria in the Graduate Research Training Policy.

Preparing to submit your thesis for examination

You should start planning for your examination around two months before your intended thesis submission date.

You will also need to present your research at a completion seminar (within six months of your submission date).

Learn how to submit your thesis for examination.

Steps for examination by thesis only

You will need to do the following, if your examination is by thesis only.

  1. Lodge your intention to submit via the Thesis Examination System (TES). Your principal supervisor will be asked to contact potential external examiners.
  2. Present your research findings at a public completion seminar.
  3. Submit your thesis (along with the iThenticate report of the submitted thesis).
  4. Begin writing your 50-word citation.

Once you have submitted your thesis, the GR Examinations Office will review your submission. Your principal supervisor and chair of examiners will also approve your thesis for examination.

The GR Examinations Office will send your thesis to the approved examiners, who will assess your thesis and provide a report with their recommendation. The chair of examiners will then review the reports.

If you are a masters candidate, you will receive your final percentage when you complete your degree.

If you are a doctoral candidate, you will receive your examination outcome. This may include recommendations for revisions and/or resubmission.

Your principal supervisor will submit your 50-word citation via TES for approval. You will also   need to electronically deliver the final copy of your thesis to the chair of examiners.

Using the Thesis Examination System (TES)

You will use the Thesis Examination System (TES) to register your intention to submit and then submit your thesis electronically.  You will also use TES to submit the final thesis for your completion of degree.

The GR Examinations Office uses TES to manage your examination online. As your thesis progresses through the examination process, you can view the progress status through TES.

Read further guidance on using TES during the examination period.

What to expect in a viva examination

All doctoral candidates commencing from 1 January 2025 must participate in a viva examination, unless the University approves a waiver.

If you commenced before 2025, you can choose to undertake a viva examination.

We recommend preparing for your viva from the beginning of your candidature.

At the viva, you will discuss your thesis with your examiners, demonstrating your understanding, and the originality and the significance of your research.

This process allows you to engage deeply with your research topic and helps you develop and demonstrate strong communication skills, which are highly valued in both academic and professional settings.

The viva examination will take place after your examiners have reviewed your thesis and will involve the examiners asking in-depth questions about the research.

This interactive session provides you an opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, clarify your understanding of your theoretical framework, methodology and findings, and actively engage in an academic discussion about your research with two world experts in your field.

The Examination of Doctoral Degrees by Viva Process sets out the requirements for the viva.

Steps for examination by viva

If your examination includes a viva, you will follow the same initial process as examination by thesis only:

  1. Lodge your intention to submit via the Thesis Examination System (TES). Your principal supervisor will be asked to contact potential external examiners.
  2. Present your research findings at a public completion seminar.
  3. Submit your thesis (along with the iThenticate report of the submitted thesis).
  4. Begin drafting your 50-word citation.

Viva scheduling will then take place while your examiners review your thesis.

Viva scheduling

The GR Examinations Office will send your thesis to approved examiners and begin scheduling the viva. You will be contacted by email to confirm your availability for the proposed viva date.  The examiners will assess the thesis and provide a preliminary report ahead of the scheduled viva date.

The chair of examiners will approve the preliminary reports, which are circulated to the viva chair and examiners only.

If  you are completing a joint PhD, the partner institution will usually arrange your viva or oral examination. Scheduling will depend on the partner institution’s requirements and may take place after you receive the written reports.

Complete your viva

You will complete the viva via video conference and receive verbal advice on the outcome and the expected level of any required revisions.

If you are completing a Joint PhD, you may be required to attend in-person.  Your partner institution will contact you with further details.

After the viva

Once your viva has taken place, the examiners will co-author a final report for approval by the chair of examiners.

You and your principal supervisor will receive formal notification from the GR Examinations Office of your examination outcome, including the final report and preliminary reports. Your principal supervisor will also submit your 50-word citation to TES for approval by the associate dean (graduate research).

You will then submit your final copy of the thesis to the chair of examiners. Once approved, you will submit an electronic copy of the final thesis to TES. The final thesis will then be deposited to University’s institutional repository, Minerva Access.

If you are Joint PhD candidate, your partner institution will also inform you of the examination outcome and may provide you with additional reports. They will let you know how to submit your final thesis to their institution.

Tips to minimise delays in your examination

The Graduate Research Examinations Office conducts regular follow-ups with supervisors and examiners to minimise delays.

You can also help minimise any delays by doing the following:

  • Schedule your completion seminar early enough to include any feedback you receive into your final thesis submission.

  • You should aim to register your intention to submit through TES about two months before you submit your thesis.

    This will start the process of examiner nominations with your principal supervisor.

    Check that your principal supervisor has received the request to nominate examiners and started contacting potential examiners.

    Two months is generally enough time to find and sign off on examiners and for them to formally accept the invitation before your approved thesis is sent to them.

  • Discuss your submission with your supervisors, including your iThenticate report and ensure that they are happy with the version you are submitting ahead of time, so that they can approve your submission more quickly.  Once your thesis is submitted, further changes are not usually permitted.

    See our thesis submission checklist [Word] for further guidance.

    Please note, your thesis will not be sent for approval until the GR Examinations Office has acknowledged that your submission is complete.

  • Share the live version of your iThenticate report with your principal supervisor and chair of examiners. You can look up who your chair of examiners is in advance.

    If you are not sure who your chair of examiners will be, you can find out through your principal supervisor. This may be particularly relevant if one of your supervisors is listed a the chair of examiners nominee.

  • Please do not communicate with examiners while your thesis is under examination.

    In cases of unauthorised contact, the PVC for graduate research may replace an examiner and/or annul their report which means a new examiner will need to be identified and approved before they commence assessing your thesis.

Submitting your final thesis for masters (by research)

Your examiners cannot request revisions to your thesis.

Once you have received your examiner reports , you are required to submit your final thesis  within two months. You may choose to make minor corrections or fix typographical errors, before submitting your final thesis, but you are not required to do so. Submission is via TES for deposit in the University’s institutional repository, Minerva Access.

You will receive your final percentage mark when you complete your degree.

Examination of jointly awarded PhD

As part of a Joint PhD examination, you must meet the requirements of both institutions.

As the contract which governs your program, your Graduate Researcher Agreement (GR Agreement) should outline these requirements. Please contact your supervisors if anything in your GR Agreement is unclear.

You will need to register your intention to submit and submit your thesis to both institutions. In most cases, both institutions will ask the examiners to submit the same report.

Most jointly awarded degree programs require an oral examination in addition to the examination of the thesis. You will only undertake one oral examination or viva.

Currently, oral examinations are generally arranged by your partner institution as outlined in the signed GR Agreement and must include at least one of the examiners engaged by the University of Melbourne.

The timing of the release of reports to you and your supervisors may be before or after the oral examination depending on the institution administering the viva and the requirements outlined in your GR Agreement.

Unless otherwise stated in your GR Agreement, a viva administered by the University of Melbourne will be conducted as outlined in the Graduate Research Training Policy.

Examination criteria, marking and outcomes

Examiners of PhD and doctoral theses will recommend one of the following outcomes:

  • Pass
  • Pass with minor revisions
  • Major revision
  • Fail.

Examiners of masters theses will be asked to award a numeric mark in accordance with the Graduate Research Training Policy Schedule 4 : Masters degree (research) examination criteria and outcomes, Table 1. A mark of 65 per cent is required to pass.

The examination criteria and processes are described in detail in the policy. The tables in the Graduate Research Training Policy Schedules 3 and 4 describe how examiners’ recommendations work.

Responding to examiner reports

Once you receive the examiners' recommendations, you will need to consider their feedback and discuss this with your supervisors and chair of examiners.

For doctoral candidates, if one or both examiners ask you to resubmit your thesis for reassessment, you can write a response to their reports. The examiners will receive your response along with the revised thesis.

Making changes to your PhD and doctoral theses

The majority of PhD and doctoral theses require some amendment before the degree is awarded. The University will let you know what revisions are required and provide copies of the examiners' reports.

You should only make changes to your thesis as recommended by your examiners.

The only other permitted change is if the publication status of a publication incorporated into your thesis has changed. You can then update the material to the latest version as permitted by your publishing agreement.

The corrections to your thesis should be incorporated into the body of the text. If your examiner has provided a list of requested changes, you will also be required to supply a similar enumerated list to describe how you have responded to those requests.

The outcome you are given will dictate the level of amendment required to finalise your thesis.

  • No changes required, or only minor edits required, such as typographical errors, formatting issues or other corrections that have no bearing on the quality of the overall argument.

    The chair of examiners verifies the required changes have been addressed. You will be given two months to complete any minor amendments but are encouraged to submit your final thesis as soon as possible.

  • Minor revisions to content are required.

    Examiners will provide a list and an explanation of each required revision. The chair of examiners will review and verify the revisions and may consult an examiner to confirm the changes are valid. The revised thesis is the final version.

    You will be given two months to complete any revisions.

  • Serious shortcomings in the content of the thesis are present but can be resolved with major revision.

    Examiners will provide a list and an explanation of the required changes. The University will return the revised thesis to one or both examiners, to assess it again.

    A thesis submitted for reassessment may only be awarded a result of pass, pass with minor revisions, or fail.

    You will have a maximum of 12 months to revise and resubmit the thesis but you are encouraged to submit your revised thesis as soon as you are ready to do so.

    Your revision should address and respond to any concerns raised by the examiners. Your revised thesis will be reassessed in its entirety.

    This is a final opportunity to ensure that your thesis meets the requirements of the degree.

If you need more than 12 months to finish the corrections, you can apply for an extension by completing an extension form.

The Graduate Research Training Policy has more information around this process.

Completing your degree

You will be eligible to complete once the final thesis is certified by the chair of examiners and an approved citation has been received by the GR Examinations Office and approved by the associate dean (graduate research) of your faculty.

Once all requirements have been fulfilled, you will receive an email stating that you have successfully completed your degree.

Your completion of degree notification email will also contain information about graduation and conferral.

Once you have confirmation that your degree has been conferred, you can add post-nominals to your signature, for example, PhDMelb. Doctoral degree graduates can use the title Dr.

If you require an official statement of your completion, including the official date of completion, you will be able to download a free Evidence of Qualification statement from my.unimelb (SSO login required).

Once you complete, you will receive your academic statements and transcripts. The University will issue an Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS), which will include your citation, after your degree is conferred. You can also order other documents, such as those relevant to your discipline.

Preparing your citation for completion

To complete your degree, you must have an approved citation recorded.

Your citation will be read out at the graduation ceremonies for PhD and doctorate graduates. Your citation will also be included in the University's Evidence of Qualification and in your Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement (AHEGS).

The Graduate Research Citation Process explains the requirements for the citation.

Citation examples

  • "who investigated biofilms of the hospital 'superbug' Klebsiella. Biofilms are resistant to standard disinfection and treatment regimes.  He discovered that biofilm formation was mediated by Mrk, a bacterial attachment structure, regulated by a protein, MrkH. The identification of MrkH presents opportunities for creating biofilm-resistant plastics and drug inhibitors of biofilms."

    "who investigated the invasion process of cancer cells. A protein known as Tks5 was implicated in the formation of membrane structures on the cell surface known as invadopodia. His study gives unique insight as to how cancer cells utilise Tks5 within invadopodia to facilitate invasion throughout the body."

  • Agricultural Sciences

    "who investigated how to use nitrogen fertilisers more efficiently and reduce their environmental harm. They contributed to developing compounds that slow nitrogen loss from soil, creating a gradual-release system, and building models to predict fertiliser performance. His findings support more sustainable agriculture worldwide."

    Arts

    "who completed a study of Victoria's celebrated initiatives in community consultation in the 1970s and 80s. She showed how governments and key mediating agencies marginalised radical and politically turbulent values and interests to achieve forms of consultation consistent with conservative interest accommodation practices traditional to Victorian politics."

    Business & Economics

    "who examined major immigration restrictions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to understand their long-term economic and social impacts. Their findings show how limiting migration can harm workers, slow regional development, and deepen social divides. This work provides historical insight for designing fairer migration policies today."

    Ecology

    "who investigated how light pollution affects coral reef fish. They found that artificial light at night alters behaviour and changes community dynamics, improving understanding of how human activities affect biodiversity on coral reefs."

    Education

    "who investigated the impact of learning on the political literacy of young activists. They developed our understanding of political knowledge, skills and values and how these influenced participation. Their study gives unique insight to a new generation of activists and poses challenges for researchers, policy makers and education practitioners."

    Engineering

    "who studied the structural behaviour of concrete walls, composite steel-concrete columns and industrial buildings when subjected to fire. The study improved our understanding of appropriate levels of building safety and now forms the basis of structural design requirements for building elements and buildings in situations involving fire."

    Law

    "who examined the problem of human trafficking for forced labour in the fishing industries of Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia. He demonstrates the failure of these countries to harmonise their responses under norms of ‘transnational criminal law’. His findings expose legal and policy ‘fault-lines’ for the benefit of future industry regulation."

    Medicine

    "who studied a key receptor that guides immune cells during infection. By conducting a comprehensive screen, their findings revealed new molecules that control this receptor. This work significantly advances our knowledge of immune regulation, opening new pathways for developing targeted medical therapies."

    Music

    "...who studied the traditions of the violinist as arranger and the use of folk materials in Ukrainian classical music. Their research showcases historically-repressed Ukrainian culture and expands contemporary violin repertoire with six new published arrangements of Ukrainian folk-songs for violin and three international album releases containing world-premiere recordings."

    Psychological Sciences

    "who investigated how people do and do not act on their emotions in everyday life. They documented how individuals can use emotions strategically, and why they often choose not to regulate even when experiencing strong emotion. Her work clarifies conceptual foundations, with implications for understanding and promoting emotional wellbeing."

    Physics

    "who investigated the sensors and detector designs used in the search for dark matter. Their work improves the ability of future experiments to detect this mysterious substance thought to make up much of the universe."