TES Graduate Researcher FAQs

General

• Why can't I log into TES?

  Use the University student login that you use to access your student email and my.unimelb. If  you can access my.unimelb and see your enrolment and address details, you will be able to access TES. You can reset your password if you have forgotten it.

  If you are also a University of Melbourne staff member please remember to use your student username and password.

  If your student account (such as my.unimelb) has been deactivated, you will need to create an account, using the steps below and contact Student IT if you experience any issues.

  1. Go to accounts.unimelb.edu.au/manage/
  2. Click on Create Account under the Students section
  3. Login using their personal details (Student ID, name, postcode and DOB)
  4. Then click the Create button on the next screen next to Gmail.

  TES will work with any browser supported by the University. Refer to a list of browsers.

  If you need assistance in accessing or using TES, please contact the Graduate Research Examinations Office.

• Why do I receive an ‘inactive username’ error message although I can login to TES?  

  If your username in my.unimelb, the University’s Student System is inactive, this will prevent you from progressing past the ‘Your Details’ section and accessing any TES online forms.  This is usually because you don’t have a current enrolment and this will need to be corrected before you can access the TES online forms.  For further advice and information, contact your Graduate School or the Graduate Resarch Examinations Office.

• What is the difference between TES and Minerva Access?

  TES is used to manage your thesis examination and Minerva Access is the University’s institutional repository of electronic documents.

  You need to submit your thesis to TES first for examination. Once your examination is finalised, you will be instructed to upload your final thesis along with any redacted version (if the original thesis is restricted) and supporting files (if any) to TES. TES will transfer your thesis to Minerva Access once the Chair of Examiners approval is received. You will then receive an email with an assigned identifier for locating and citing your submission.

  When submitting your thesis for examination to TES, you will be asked about access of your final thesis in Minerva Access.

• What if I need to change the Public Access type (e.g. Open Access, External Embargo, Full Embargo) after submitting my thesis?

  It depends on the stage of your examination.  If you have not received confirmation that your final thesis has been successfully transferred to Minerva Access, contact the Graduate Research Examinations Office. Otherwise, you will need to contact the Minerva Access Team.

• What happens after I register my intention to submit or once I submit my thesis?

  Usually within three working days, your intention to submit or your thesis submission, will be processed and you will then receive email confirmation.

Submitting an intention to submit (80-word summary)

• Why is my degree not listed or listed more than once?

  Contact the Graduate Research Examinations Office. There may be an issue with your enrolment that the Examinations Office staff can check.

• My summary is more than 80 words. Will that be OK?

  Please try to limit the summary to 80 words. The summary needs to be a brief overview of your research question, methods and results. It will be read by your examiners who will be experts in the field, therefore it can be quite technical if necessary.

• My supervisors are listed incorrectly. What should I do?

  The Examinations Office will use TES to create correspondence to your primary supervisor regarding the nomination of your examiners. It is important that they are listed correctly otherwise it will cause a delay in your examination. TES is linked to the University’s student system which stores all of your current enrolment information. If what is displayed is incorrect please complete a ‘Change of Project Details’ form. Once you have been informed that the changes have been processed,  please return to TES to submit your 80-word summary.

• How do I nominate an unsuitable examiner?

  You will be given the opportunity to list up to two people that you consider to be unsuitable examiners.  You will be asked to list any names and substantiated reasons when registering your intention to submit.  Once any names are listed you will be unable to update these unless there are special circumstances.

• How can I change my thesis title after submitting my 80-word summary?

  Login to TES and choose ‘Update my intention to submit’ to update it. A Change of Project Details form should also be completed, this will update your thesis title in the University’s Student System.

• I would like to change my summary. Is that possible?

  Yes. Login to TES and choose ‘Update my intention to submit’ to update it. Please provide a copy of the new summary to your primary supervisor via email.

• When submitting my intention to submit I am asked to indicate an ‘Estimated submission date’. Is this the date recorded in my.unimelb?

  Your ‘Estimated thesis submission date’ is the date you expect to submit your thesis for examination.  The date you indicate via TES will be used to communicate to your supervisor and examiners when the thesis is likely to be submitted.  This date is likely to be different to the official ‘Expected submission date’ that you would see in my.unimelb and on documents like progress reports, which is an indicator of the maximum amount of candidature you have been granted.

  You can submit your thesis on any day of the year but please discuss this proposed date with your supervisor before submitting. Find out more about thesis submission deadlines on the Graduate Research Hub.

• What happens if my estimated submission date changes? How do I update this in TES?

  Log in to TES and select ‘Update my intention to submit’, to update your estimated submission date. This date must not exceed your maximum submission date, i.e. your expected thesis submission date as listed on the Graduate Research Details page of my.unimelb.

Submitting a thesis for examination

• I have not completed my completion seminar. Can I still submit my thesis?

  You must present your research findings at a public completion seminar within six months prior to submission. Your advisory committee may allow you to present your seminar via video-conference if you are not resident at the University within six months of submission. The completion seminar is to recognize a significant milestone in your candidature and to support you in your acquisition of the graduate attributes including the development of the ability to synthesise and present research findings and identifying opportunities to improve/advance your thesis prior to submission.

  Graduate researchers who are enrolled in a degree which only requires the submission of a compilation of papers are not required to present a completion seminar.

• I presented my completion seminar more than six months prior to submission. What do I do?

  You are required to present another completion seminar in the six months prior to thesis submission. It is possible to submit your thesis and to provide an explanation as to why one cannot be arranged again, including the date that you presented your completion seminar. Your supervisor will be asked to advise if what you have indicated is acceptable, so please ensure that you have discussed this with them before submitting your thesis.

• What is the maximum file size that I can submit through TES?

  TES can accept files that are up to 500MB, however files below 100MB are recommended for ease of download. If your thesis file is larger, it is recommended that you separate some of the content or reduce image resolution so that the main file fits within the maximum file size.

  For larger or multiple files, contact the Graduate Research Examinations Office to arrange a secure University Graduate Research SharePoint link for uploading. You can then add the shared link when submitting your thesis through TES.

• How many iThenticate similarity report files can be submitted?

  TES can accept one file that is up to 500MB. If you have multiple files, it is recommended that you combine and submit as a single file. If necessary, you can upload a zip file or save the files in the cloud storage platform (e.g. OneDrive, Dropbox) and provide the link to the files.

• How do I combine my multiple Declaration for publication incorporated in a thesis forms?

  You can use Adobe Acrobat's 'Combine Files' tool which will allow you to combine files of different filetypes into a PDF. Alternatively, you can open a PDF copy of a file and then use the 'Organise Pages' tool which will allow you to drag additional pages where you can then save it as a single file.

• Is there a filename convention

  The filename should include no spaces, appropriate alpha-numeric combinations, and no commas or symbols, except for – [hyphens] or _ [underscore].

• I have more than one thesis file, e.g. a file for each chapter

  Where possible, your written thesis files should be combined into one pdf file. Most of the common software used to create a thesis (i.e. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Latex) can be saved into pdf format individually and then merged into one file.

  If it is not possible to create one file, upload the main file as part of the thesis submission process and contact the Graduate Research Examinations Office to arrange a secure University Graduate Research SharePoint link to upload additional files. You can then add the shared link via TES as part of your submission. Your thesis Abstract should indicate where there are multiple components of your thesis and any supplementary files.

• What information will I need to provide when I submit my thesis?
  1. The date and location of your completion seminar.
  2. Field of Research codes for your work. At least two, and up to four codes can be listed. You can view your current listed Fields of Research via my.unimelb.
  3. If you have included a publication that is in progress or in its published form in your thesis you will need to attach a ‘Declaration for Publication incorporated in a thesis’ form. The form and further information can be found on the Graduate Research Hub.
  4. The public access option to your final thesis in the University’s digital repository, Minerva Access.
  5. Your ORCID. If you do not have an ORCID, follow the steps to create an ORCID.

  Finally, you need to upload your thesis and confirm that it complies with University policy. After you click submit you will see a page confirming that your thesis has been submitted into TES.

• What if I am only able to submit a hard copy of my thesis?

  In the rare circumstance a thesis cannot be submitted electronically, e.g. a large scale (A3 sized paper), you will have the option to select a hard copy submission only, through TES. Instructions will then be provided by the Examinations Office via email.

• How will I know if my thesis has been successfully submitted?

  When you complete the thesis submission process in TES, you will end up on the confirmation of successful submission page.  The status that you will see on the TES Dashboard will display ‘Thesis submitted’.  A confirmation email will be sent to you once your thesis submission has been processed, usually within three to five working days.

• How do I know the status of my examination and when my thesis has been sent to my examiners?

  You can check the status of your examination on the TES Dashboard. To view the different statuses, click here.

• There is an error after I click submit, or there is no acknowledgement that my thesis has been submitted.  What do I do?

  You should see a final page acknowledging that it has been received. If not it could be because you have not completed one of the required questions. Errors in red text will indicate this at the top or bottom of the page and if you then answer those questions and click submit the form should be accepted. If the error is not resolved, please take a screenshot and email the Examinations Office with your name and student number.

• My supervisors are listed incorrectly after submitting my thesis

  If you have already submitted a change of supervisors using a ‘Request Change in Project Details’ form via the Graduate Research Hub, the Examinations Office will update the details on TES to reflect what is on my.unimelb once your thesis submission has been processed.

  If you have not requested to change your supervisor yet, you will need to submit a change of supervisors using a ‘Request Change in Project Details’ form via the Graduate Research Hub.

  Please also inform The Examinations Office to ensure that the appropriate details are entered on both TES and my.unimelb.

• Can I obtain a copy of the thesis I submitted for examination?

  Yes. Click on the 'Thesis Submission' tab in TES and click on the download link.

• How do I submit my thesis if I am no longer enrolled and have no access to University systems?

  You must be admitted to the relevant graduate research degree in order to submit your thesis. If your candidature is suspended, cancelled or terminated and you wish to submit, you must first apply for reinstatement and readmission.

  Before applying for readmission you should contact your supervisor or head of department to discuss your thesis. If your supervisor is no longer available, please contact the graduate research team for your faculty, or the faculty nearest in discipline to your former department.

Final submission of thesis for completion

• How will I know when I can submit my final thesis to TES?

  You will receive your examination outcome and examiner reports by email.  If no further amendment is required, you will receive instructions for submitting the final thesis to TES. If your examiners have requested you make any changes to your thesis, you will need to send your revised thesis to your Chair of Examiners for approval via email before the final thesis is deposited.

• What specific instructions are there for the final thesis?

  You will need to upload a PDF file of your written thesis and any additional files (if applicable, e.g. creative component of the thesis, appendices, multimedia files, etc) to TES.  Additional files can be deposited in most file formats. When submitting multiple files, you should upload them individually. If the total size of all files exceeds 500 MB, contact the Examinations Office to arrange a secure University SharePoint link for uploading additional files. Alternatively, upload the files to a cloud storage platform and email the shared link to the Examinations Office. Please do not upload your index of Changes.

  Files deposited should not include your signature and should not contain encryption or other access limitations (no password protection).

  If there is third-party copyright material or other sensitive material in your thesis, you should submit a complete copy and a redacted copy of your thesis to TES.  Access to the complete copy of your thesis will be restricted.  You may also choose to restrict additional files (e.g. they contain third-party copyright material, there are privacy issues, etc).  Restricted files will never be made publicly available.

• Do I need to upload my Index of Changes to TES?

  While you should provide your Index of Changes to your supervisor and Chair of Examiners to ensure that your final thesis is appropriate for upload, you should not upload your Index of Changes when uploading your final thesis to TES.

• What should I do if an examiner requests changes to published papers?

  As you cannot change the parts of your thesis that have been published you should consult with your Chair of Examiners to see if the suggestions can be incorporated elsewhere in the thesis. If a thesis is required to be re-examined, an explanation can be provided in the response to the examiners regarding the publication.

• What is the maximum file size that I can submit through TES?

  TES can accept files that are up to 500MB, however files below 100MB are recommended for ease of download. If your thesis file is larger, it is recommended that you separate some of the content so that the main file fits within the maximum file size.

  You can submit any additional files as supplementary files. If the total size of all files exceeds 500 MB, upload your thesis file through the final thesis process and, contact the Examinations Office to arrange a secure University SharePoint link for uploading additional files. Alternatively, upload the files to a cloud storage platform and email the shared link to the Examinations Office.

• Is there a filename convention?

  The filename should include no spaces, appropriate alpha-numeric combinations, and no commas or symbols, except for – [hyphens] or _ [underscore].

• What if my thesis title has changed from the version submitted for examination?

  When you deposit your final thesis to TES, the Graduate Research Examinations Office will check your thesis title and will make any changes in my.unimelb so that any academic statements, such as your transcript and AHEGS, will include your updated thesis title.

• I can’t submit my final thesis and receive ‘An error occurred while saving your thesis’. What do I do?

  Please copy your thesis abstract into Notepad and copy/paste into TES to enter the abstract. This is to avoid unsupported special characters, which TES doesn’t allow. If you have included three dots (…) in your abstract, remove them. If the error is not resolved, please take a screenshot and email the Graduate Research Examinations Office with your name and student number.

• What if my thesis abstract includes special characters e.g. italics or superscripts?

  TES and Minerva Access, don’t support italics, superscripts and three dots (...), but Minerva Access may support some special characters.  You should submit an abstract that can be submitted to TES.   When your thesis is transferred to Minerva Access, you will have an opportunity to request updates to the abstract recorded in Minerva Access.  You will receive a confirmation email with an email address for contacting Minerva Access when your thesis is deposited in Minerva Access.

  As academic transcripts and statements don’t support non-English or Latin script, you can submit a transliteration of your thesis title to the Graduate Research Examinations Officer. This is not a change of the thesis title, but how it is converted to English script (e.g. a Chinese name into English script instead of Chinese characters).

• How long will it take before my submitted thesis appears in Minerva Access?

  TES will transfer your thesis to the University of Melbourne Institutional Repository, Minerva Access once your final thesis has been certified by your Chair of Examiners. You will receive an email with an assigned identifier for locating and citing your submission once the final thesis files(s) are transferred to Minerva Access.

• Do I have to provide an ORCID?

  It is mandatory to have an ORCID when submitting your final thesis. Follow the steps to create an ORCID.