Students should be aware that  in each term there is a cut-off date for submitting the thesis for evaluation. If the student misses this date, there are financial and possibly other consequences. Students are advised to verify applicable deadlines.

Prior to submitting the thesis, the student must have fulfilled all of the program's requirements and have submitted the list of examiners.

If the student is in a cotutelle arrangement, he or she should read their cotutelle agreement and check with the academic units of each institution regarding the submission procedures for both universities.

Evaluation by the thesis jury

The jury examiners must evaluate the thesis independently and, during the evaluation process, must not contact other examiners, the thesis supervisor, or the student to discuss the thesis evaluation before they submit their report to the office organizing the evaluation and defence.  

• Written evaluation of master’s thesis without oral defence and verdicts: See regulation C-7.10.2 of the Academic Regulation on thesis.
• Written evaluation of master’s thesis with oral defence and verdicts: See regulation C-7.10.2 of the Academic Regulation on thesis.
• Written evaluation of a doctoral thesis and verdicts: See regulation C-7.10.2 of the Academic Regulation on thesis.

For theses with an oral defence component, the thesis will be evaluated and then defended in person before a jury composed of professors other than the thesis director. Jury members read and evaluate the thesis. They must express their opinion on the thesis, and indicate whether they consider it ready for defence.

Thesis evaluation report with oral defence requirement

All examiners must submit a written and detailed evaluation report. All reports and examiner's name will be sent to the student and the thesis supervisor(s) and to the other examiners, including the president of the defence, prior to the thesis defence.

The examiner's reports must be sufficiently detailed to allow student to prepare for the defence or, if necessary, to make revisions. It is therefore very important for examiners to write relevant comments. An examiner who judges that the thesis is not ready to go to the defence must specify what gaps need to be filled.

• Are there any flaws in the interpretation of the results or in the method?
• The presentation is problematic and harms the comprehension of certain passages?

Note that the examiner's comments are also considered when a student is recommended for a prize (thesis with or without oral defence requirement).

Typographical errors should not be listed in the report itself but on a separate page.

Students who wish to know their status at this stage can connect to the Candidate center (uoZone).