Thesis and practicum examinations and MSpace submission

When you have finished writing your Master’s or Ph.D. thesis or practicum, it must be examined and passed by your examining committee before being revised, if necessary, and submitted to MSpace, the university’s digital repository, where it will become available worldwide.

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Thesis submission deadlines and requirements

Procedures for the submission and examination of Master’s theses and practica may vary between programs and are carried out at the unit level. For details, please consult the program’s supplementary regulations.

Doctoral theses must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies office via the Graduate Studies Hub (University of Manitoba account login required) to initiate the written examination process. The Ph.D. thesis examination process is carried out by the Faculty of Graduate Studies; please see below for details.

Students are strongly encouraged to submit their theses and practica well in advance of the relevant deadlines outlined in the table below to ensure that they will be able to graduate in their intended graduation period (May, October, or February).

Timelines for completing thesis examinations and satisfying outstanding requirements can vary significantly; students who leave the distribution of their theses and practica until the deadline often have difficulty getting their work approved in time to meet graduation deadlines. Failing to meet these deadlines will result in delays to your convocation.

Required action Deadline to graduate in October 2023 Deadline to graduate in February 2024 Deadline to graduate in May 2024
Recommended deadline for submitting your Ph.D. thesis and the “Approval to Proceed to Thesis Examination” form to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for examination.1 May 1 September 1 December 1
Recommended deadline for distributing your Master’s thesis or practicum to your examining committee June 15 October 15 January 15
Final deadline to submit the following to the Faculty of Graduate Studies
To be submitted by the student:
  • Theses/practica to MSpace
To be submitted by departments/units:
  • Reports on theses/practica, comprehensive examinations, and projects
  • Lists of potential graduands (coursework, major research paper, project)
 August 24, 2023 January 4, 2024 March 28, 2024

Table notes:

1The “Approval to Proceed to Thesis Examination” form verifies that each member of the advisory committee has read the complete version of the thesis and has provided the candidate with a detailed review and comments including any necessary revisions. Please contact your unit/department for internal procedures and deadlines regarding review of your thesis by the internal examiners.

It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all requirements are delivered to the Faculty of Graduate Studies office by the deadline noted.

  • Students cannot be added to the potential graduand list after the final deadline listed in the table above.
  • When a submission date falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.

Submitting your Ph.D. thesis for examination

Before submitting your thesis to the Faculty of Graduate Studies for examination, your advisory committee must verify that they have read the complete thesis and provided you with a detailed review and comments, including any necessary revisions, by signing the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form (PDF available on the Faculty of Graduate Studies Forms page). This form must be signed by all parties and submitted by the student alongside the thesis. Signing the Approval to Proceed form does not constitute a formal evaluation of the thesis.

The thesis will be eligible for examination if:

  • No more than one (1) member of the advisory committee indicates on the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form that they do not support proceeding to the formal examination of the thesis; and
  • The department/unit indicates on the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form that they do support proceeding to the formal examination of the thesis.

Once the Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination form is signed by all parties and the thesis is ready for examination, you must submit it, your thesis, and any related files (if applicable) to the Faculty of Graduate Studies via the Ph.D. Thesis Submission Form on the Graduate Studies Hub (University of Manitoba account login required). Below are complete instructions on how to submit your thesis to the committee and for what to expect after your thesis has been submitted.

Graduate Studies Hub

Note on advisors, co-advisors, and internal examiners from outside of the University of Manitoba
Individuals who do not have a UMNetID and University of Manitoba email address (e.g., faculty from the University of Winnipeg who do not have an appointment at the University of Manitoba) must be added to the University of Manitoba's Microsoft user directory in order to access the Graduate Studies Hub and the administrative processes hosted on that site, including the Ph.D. thesis examination process. For additional details, please see the External Users page on the Graduate Studies Hub site (University of Manitoba account login required).

Those who hold adjunct appointments or are otherwise eligible to claim a UMNetID must claim their UMNetID to be able to access the Graduate Studies Hub and other University of Manitoba services and systems. For additional information, please visit the Claim UMNetID page on the University of Manitoba website.

If your Advisor, Co-Advisor, and/or examining committee members do not have an appointment (including adjunct) at the University of Manitoba, they must be granted access to the Graduate Studies Hub before you submit your thesis for examination.

Submission instructions

The Ph.D. thesis examination process is located on the Graduate Studies Hub Sharepoint site, which is accessible to all faculty, staff, and students. This is the method Ph.D. students must use to submit their thesis for examination.

To access the thesis submission form, you will need to:

  1. Log in to your Microsoft account using your University of Manitoba student credentials (i.e., example@myumanitoba.ca).
    • If you accessed the login page from a link to the Graduate Studies Hub, you will be directed to the Graduate Studies Hub home page once you have logged in using Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). If you were already logged into your account in your web browser, you will not be prompted to log in again.
    • If you accessed the login page from another link (e.g., portal.office.com), you can navigate to Sharepoint from the Apps waffle menu in the top left-hand corner of your screen. Once you are on the Sharepoint homepage, search for the Graduate Studies Hub using the search bar at the top of the screen. For more information on navigating Sharepoint, please visit the Microsoft website.
  2. From the Graduate Studies Hub home screen, select the “Ph.D. Thesis Examinations” button or navigate to the page from the navigation toolbar at the top of the screen (under “Program Requirements”).
  3. Read the “Before you begin” section on the Ph.D. Thesis Examinations page for details about submission requirements. Ensure that you have all of the proper documents and information available before navigating to the submission form.
  4. Once you are ready to submit your thesis, select “Submit your Ph.D. thesis for examination”. This link is available in multiple places along the right-hand side of the screen and will open in a new tab in your web browser upon selection.
  5. Enter the required details into the appropriate form fields. The form is structured into the following sections for ease of navigation:
    • Preamble (eligibility for examination and anticipated graduation date)
    • Student Information (student name, number, email address, program)
    • Thesis Information (title, abstract, PDF thesis file, Approval to Proceed to Ph.D. Thesis Examination Form, supplementary file(s) and/or descriptions of revisions, if applicable)
    • Examining Committee Information (for each examiner: name, email address, role, department/unit)
  6. Review all information entered for accuracy before proceeding to the next section and ensure that the correct documents are uploaded. When you are ready to submit the form, select the “Submit” button at the bottom of the screen. You will receive a confirmation email shortly after the thesis has been submitted.

If you have any questions, please contact Graduate.Programs@umanitoba.ca.

Thesis examination process

As per University policy, students are required to check their @myumanitoba.ca email account regularly as continuous information is emailed to students throughout the examination process.

The Ph.D. thesis examination process consists of the examination of the written thesis by an examining committee comprised of the Advisor/Co-Advisor, internal examiners, and an external examiner selected by the Faculty of Graduate Studies. If the thesis is passed at the written examination stage, it will be permitted to proceed to the oral examination.

The Ph.D. thesis examination process begins with the submission of the Ph.D. Thesis Submission Form (including the thesis and Approval to Proceed form). Once this form has been successfully submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies:

  1. The student will receive an email confirming that their thesis has been received.
     
  2. The Advisor/Co-Advisor will receive an email informing them of the thesis submission and requesting the nomination of at least three (3) and up to five (5) distinguished scholars from outside of the University of Manitoba to serve as the external examiner for the thesis. Advisors and/or departments/units must contact the prospective external examiners to obtain the required information listed below and determine if they are available to review the thesis prior to submitting their nominations via the Nomination of External Examiners form. External examiner eligibility criteria are listed in the Academic Guide. Nominations must include:
    • The thesis submission number and student number (included in the email notification);
    • The Advisor (and Co-Advisor, if applicable) name and email address;
    • For each nominee:
      • Full name, email address, department/unit, and University
      • Current Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing their scholarly publications, research activities, and Ph.D. student supervision/examination experience in Word or PDF format;
      • A short statement explaining the rationale for the nomination; and
      • Acknowledgements of each of the eligibility requirements with room to elaborate, if necessary.
         
  3. If there is a Co-Advisor, they will receive an email asking them to approve the nominations. This email will contain instructions for submitting their approval or rejection.
     
  4. The external examiner will be chosen and invited to serve by the Faculty of Graduate Studies Associate Dean and will remain anonymous until the external examiner’s report is received.
     
  5. Once the external examiner has been chosen by the Associate Dean and has accepted the invitation to serve, the thesis examination will be initiated. Email notifications will be sent to:
    • The student and Advisor/Co-Advisor informing them that the thesis examination has begun. They are reminded that while the thesis is undergoing review, no communication is permitted with examining committee members regarding the thesis until all internal and external examiner reports have been received
    • Internal and external examiners providing them with a link for accessing a .pdf copy of the candidate’s thesis (and supplementary files if applicable) and instructions for submitting their report. Internal and external examiners are requested to submit their detailed reports via the appropriate Report Form within four (4) weeks. Automated reminders will be sent one (1) week before the report deadline and one (1) day after the deadline. The Faculty of Graduate Studies will contact examiners who have not submitted their report by one (1) week after the deadline.
       
  6. Once all examiner reports are received, they will be reviewed by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and sent via email to the Advisor/Co-advisor, internal examining committee members and the Department/Unit Head. The Advisor/Co-Advisor will be asked to share the reports with the student. If the written examination is passed, they will also be provided with information concerning scheduling the Ph.D. Oral Examination at this point.

Please see the Faculty of Graduate Studies Academic Guide for policies and regulations regarding the Ph.D. thesis examination process.

The Ph.D. oral examination
Please visit the Ph.D. oral examination page for details about Ph.D. oral examination scheduling and procedures.

If both the written and oral examinations are passed, the final copy of the thesis (including any necessary revisions) must be submitted to MSpace.

Submitting your thesis or practicum to the MSpace digital repository

All theses and practica are submitted electronically to MSpace, the University of Manitoba digital repository. Here they become searchable and available to a worldwide audience.

You must submit your thesis or practicum to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the deadlines indicated in the Academic Schedule in the Graduate Calendar to be eligible for graduation for a specific graduation period. The Faculty of Graduate Studies does not provide extensions for thesis or practicum submissions beyond these final deadlines.

You submit your thesis or practicum to MSpace following the approval of the work by the examining committee and the completion of any revisions required by that committee. The digital copy is required for the University of Manitoba library and remains the property of the University of Manitoba.

To be eligible to receive your parchment and official transcripts, you must pay all outstanding university fines and fees (library, parking, tuition, etc.) and your file must not be on hold.

Benefits of MSpace

Having your thesis or practicum in the university's digital repository has a number of advantages.

  •  

    Global exposure and self-promotion

    Your thesis/practicum can be read from anywhere in the world in full text by prospective employers, researchers, colleagues, friends and relatives. You can promote your thesis/practicum by adding its MSpace URL to your CV and your home page.

  •  

    Faster and wider accessibility

    Your thesis/practicum will be processed quickly and will be accessible from MSpace, Google, Google Scholar, the UM Libraries’ catalogue, and elsewhere. 

  • URLs and accompanying files (including multimedia files)

    You can add URLs with active links within your e-thesis. You can also add audio or video or other accompanying files to MSpace as separate files.

  • Lower costs and less paper

    You save money and trees by providing everyone with the MSpace URL to your thesis/ practicum.

Before you submit your thesis or practicum

Please review these points to ensure you are prepared to submit your thesis or practicum. 

Log in to MSpace

You log in to MSpace using your UMNetID user name and password.

Prepare your thesis/practicum PDF

  • You must submit the electronic version of your thesis (”e-thesis”) in portable document format (PDF). 
  • Convert your electronic thesis into a single unsecured (not password protected) PDF file with fonts embedded. The PDF file must remain unsecured for full text indexing and processing. For help, please see the Libraries’ Depositing Help page.
  • Name the PDF file as your last and first name.  For example: doe_jane.pdf
  • Remove signatures and personal information. Make sure your thesis does not contain any personal contact information (e.g., addresses, email addresses, and/or telephone numbers).
  • Any signatures on scanned letters or forms should be removed before sending your thesis to the printer (if stipulated in your program’s supplementary regulations) and submitting to MSpace.

Information to have on hand

Before posting your thesis, please review What you need before you deposit  

Submitting additional files

Please review What you can deposit.

Thesis and practicum submission checklist

  • Submit one electronic copy of your thesis or practicum according to the instructions on the MSpace website. Ensure there are no missing pages in your document. Submit additional files separately.
  • You will be asked to agree to the MSpace license before your submission can be completed.

Submit to the Faculty of Graduate Studies:

  • Master’s students: The original Thesis/Practicum Final Report form. This is signed by your examining committee after you have successfully defended and/or completed your thesis and practicum revisions.
  • PhD students: The Faculty of Graduate Studies provides the Chair Report Form and the Final Approval of the Ph.D. Thesis Form to the Chair of the Ph.D. oral examination. These forms must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies by the Chair and Advisor/Co-Advisor, respectively, following the oral examination.

Other Requirements:

  • The Thesis Release form – this is a copyright license declaration form that you must complete in MSpace when you submit your thesis
  • A copy of the Ethical Review Board approval letter (if applicable) received from the Research Ethics Board and any other pertinent access approval forms (if applicable).

It is your responsibility to provide copies of your thesis or practicum to your department if required in the supplementary regulations for your program.

Archiving of your thesis and practicum

Please see Expectations and obligations in a deposit for more information.

Delay before your thesis appears on MSpace

After you post your e-thesis, it goes into the MSpace submission pool, and the status will appear as “Awaiting Editor’s Approval”. Your e-thesis will appear in MSpace after a Graduate Studies staff member has reviewed and accepted it.

Contact us

For help and information about submitting electronic theses, please see Depositing help & FAQ.