Submitting your PhD thesis can feel strangely surreal. After years of reading, drafting, rewriting, and doubting whether any of it makes sense, the moment finally arrives: you’re ready to hand in the document that represents your contribution to knowledge. But before you upload your file or head to the binders, you need one last crucial tool—a thesis submission checklist.
A good PhD thesis submission checklist doesn’t just help you stay organised. It gives you confidence that no important detail—administrative, stylistic, or structural—will slip through the cracks. Below, you’ll find a clear, comprehensive, and practical guide to everything you should review before you submit, along with examples, expert tips, and answers to common questions at the end.
Do Not Underestimate the Value of a PhD Thesis Submission Checklist
PhD submissions come with strict rules—not because universities want to make your life harder, but because they need consistency across all theses. Formatting, structure, accompanying documents, file types… these small details matter.
A carefully planned thesis submission checklist helps you:
- Avoid delays caused by missing documents
- Meet formatting requirements without panic
- Stay focused in the final days before submission
- Reduce the risk of post-submission corrections
1. Check Your University’s Formatting and Submission Guidelines
Before anything else, read your university’s official requirements in detail. These documents outline how the thesis must be formatted, what sections it must contain, and how it should be submitted. They typically include information about word limits, margin sizes, heading structures, binding rules, the use of appendices, and expectations for the abstract and acknowledgements.
If you want a sense of what these guidelines look like in practice, the University of Reading publishes its full submission rules here.
This first step may feel administrative, but it determines how the rest of your submission process unfolds. Many students discover late in the writing process that their institution specifies exact font sizes, requires certain sections to appear in a specific order, or insists on digital bookmarks in the PDF.
Every institution publishes its own guidelines for PhD thesis submission, and reviewing these early will save you significant stress later.
2. Final Editing and Clarity Review
The final weeks before submission should focus on clarity rather than rewriting entire chapters. This is the stage where you polish your arguments, tighten the narrative flow, and ensure each chapter leads logically into the next.
A clarity-focused edit is particularly important in dense sections such as methodology, theoretical framework, and literature review. Your examiners are specialists, but they will still appreciate writing that guides them through your ideas rather than obscuring them.
If you’d like to refine how you explain complex concepts or want advice on improving readability, our ‘Editing for Clarity’ guide offers practical techniques for making academic writing more accessible:
3. Proofread the Entire Document Carefully
Proofreading is often underestimated, but it makes a significant difference to the professional presentation of your thesis. You’re not just correcting spelling errors; you’re ensuring the document reads cleanly, consistently, and confidently.
A strong proofreading pass should include checks for:
- Grammatical accuracy in every chapter, particularly in complex sentences or passages written under time pressure.
- Consistent terminology, especially if certain phrases evolved over the course of the research.
- Correct numbering of tables, figures, subheadings, and appendices.
- Accurate captions and labels, particularly in data-heavy chapters.
- Smooth transitions between paragraphs and sections, avoiding abrupt jumps.
- Uniform spelling choices (e.g., British vs American English).
You may find it helpful to proofread once on screen and once on paper, as different errors stand out in different formats.
4. Review All Formatting and Layout Requirements
Formatting can be one of the most time-consuming parts of thesis preparation—not because it’s intellectually challenging, but because large documents require careful, systematic adjustments. A well-formatted thesis signals professionalism and attention to detail.
Spend time checking elements such as:
- Whether your chosen font and font size align with your university’s expectations (most institutions specify 11 or 12 pt in an academic font).
- The required line spacing – which is often 1.5 – but may differ across faculties.
- Margin sizes, page alignment, and paragraph spacing across the entire thesis rather than in isolated chapters.
- A clear and consistent hierarchy of headings and subheadings that accurately reflects the structure of the argument.
- The correct placement and formatting of required front matter, such as the abstract, acknowledgements, and declarations.
- The elimination of typographic issues, such as widow/orphan lines or inconsistent indentation.
Formatting is easier when it’s done early, but even if you’re revising at the last minute, a structured sweep of the whole document ensures nothing is overlooked.
5. Verify Your References and Bibliography
The reference list is one of the first components examiners skim when forming an initial impression of your thesis. A polished bibliography communicates academic rigour and care.
During your final review, ensure that:
- All in-text citations appear fully and correctly in the reference list, with no missing entries.
- The bibliography uses a consistent formatting style, including identical punctuation, capitalisation, and spacing across all entries
- Every source includes the necessary details—page ranges for chapters, DOIs for articles, and publication years for books.
- Mismatched citation styles (e.g., mixing Harvard and APA conventions) have been eliminated.
- Digital sources such as webpages or reports include stable URLs and access dates if required by your style guide.
Since reference lists tend to grow over several years, inconsistencies are common. Addressing them before submission prevents minor issues from becoming examiner comments later.
6. Prepare All Required Submission Documents
In addition to the thesis itself, universities often require a set of accompanying documents. These may include declaration forms, proof of originality, ethical approval confirmation, and sometimes a separate summary of the thesis. Again, you’ll always find an updated list in your university website.
Make sure you have checked:
- Whether your supervisor needs to confirm that the thesis is ready for submission.
- Whether a declaration of originality or authorship must be signed and appended to the thesis.
- Whether your department requires a notice of intention to submit before the actual submission date.
- Whether ethical approval documentation must be included in the appendices or submitted separately.
- Whether you need to complete a deposit agreement for the university library.
These documents may seem secondary, but missing paperwork can cause administrative delays and unnecessary stress.
7. Complete a Plagiarism or Similarity Check
Even when you know your work is original, a similarity check is an important final step. Universities may require a formal report to be submitted alongside the thesis, and even if yours doesn’t, running a check protects you from later complications.
This stage is particularly important if your thesis includes long literature review sections, multiple authors, or reused phrasing from earlier published work. The similarity report helps you identify passages that need clearer citations or more careful paraphrasing.
8. Prepare Your Digital Submission Files
Most UK institutions use digital submission platforms, meaning you’ll need to produce a final PDF that meets the university’s requirements. These requirements can be surprisingly technical.
Before submitting, ensure your files:
- Are saved in PDF format with embedded fonts so no characters shift during the upload process.
- Contain bookmarks for each chapter or major section if required by your institution.
- Use a naming format that aligns with the university’s instructions (usually your student number and surname).
- Include high-resolution images, diagrams, and charts that remain clear in the PDF version.
- Are checked for file size limits, especially if your thesis contains large figures or scans.
Generate your final PDF at least a few days before the deadline so you have time to fix any unexpected formatting problems.
9. Arrange Printing and Binding (If Applicable)
Some universities now accept fully digital submissions, but others still require one or more bound copies for examination or archives. If printing and binding are required, check whether the university has approved suppliers and whether specific colours, bindings, or covers are mandated.
Students often underestimate how busy printing services become around deadlines, so booking early can prevent last-minute stress. It’s also wise to review a proof copy to catch any printing errors or alignment issues.
10. Conduct a Final Pre-Submission Review
Once every component is ready, perform a final, uninterrupted read-through of the entire thesis. This last review is not just about spotting errors—it’s about ensuring your research is presented in the strongest possible way.
During your final sweep, check:
- That every chapter begins on a new page and matches the structure outlined in the table of contents.
- That internal cross-references (such as “see chapter 4”) point to the correct sections.
- That the abstract accurately reflects the content of the thesis after your latest edits.
- That your appendices are complete and appear in the correct order.
- That the PDF opens correctly on multiple devices.
- That all required forms and documents are included in the submission package.
Your future self will thank you for taking this final step seriously.
Thesis Submission Checklist Sample
To help you stay organised and confident, here is a streamlined checklist sample that summarises the essential steps you should complete before submitting your PhD thesis.
What Happens After You Submit Your PhD Thesis?
Once your thesis is formally submitted, the university carries out initial checks for formatting, documentation, and digital compatibility. After this, the examination process begins, and you’ll eventually receive a date for your viva. Preparing for the viva can feel like a separate challenge entirely, but approaching it with a strong, well-presented thesis gives you a solid foundation.
If you’d like clear guidance on what to expect and how to prepare with confidence, our article on 10 Tips for Preparing for a Viva offers practical, reassuring advice to help you get ready.
Conclusion
Submitting a PhD thesis isn’t just the end of a long project. It’s where years of ideas, doubts, breakthroughs, late-night edits, and evolving arguments finally settle into a document you’re ready to stand behind. And clear thesis submission checklist will help you cross that final line with purpose.
And when you’re this close to the finish, a careful editorial eye can make all the difference. If you want your thesis to read with the clarity and authority it deserves, our editors are here to support you as you prepare for submission.
👉 Explore our PhD proofreading and editing services
FAQs About PhD Thesis Submission
Can I write my PhD thesis in 3 months?
Yes, many students complete the writing phase in around three months, especially if their research and data analysis are already finished. However, it requires disciplined scheduling, consistent writing sessions, and minimal interruptions. Planning each chapter in advance makes this timeline far more realistic.
Is it possible to do a PhD in 1 year?
A traditional PhD cannot typically be completed in one year, as the research, data collection, and writing phases require sustained engagement over several years. However, some professional doctorates or accelerated programmes may have shorter timelines, though these are not equivalent to a full research PhD.
How common is failing a PhD viva?
Failing a viva outright is rare. The majority of candidates pass with minor or major corrections. Examiners generally want to support candidates who have completed substantial and original research, and outright failure usually only occurs when a thesis has significant structural or ethical issues. In practice, most serious issues are identified much earlier in the PhD journey—typically during the confirmation of registration (or upgrade) stage. This is where supervisors and an external examiner assess whether the project is viable and whether the candidate is ready to progress. Because of this early checkpoint, outright failure at the viva is extremely uncommon.
What is the format of a PhD thesis?
Most PhD theses follow a familiar structure that includes the abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, introduction, literature review, methodology, results or analysis chapters, discussion, conclusion, and references. Depending on your discipline, you may also include creative components, case studies, or project portfolios.
What is the best font size for a PhD thesis?
Most universities require a readable academic font in size 11 or 12. Common choices include Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri. Always check your institution’s formatting guidelines because requirements can vary across faculties.
Should my thesis have an abstract?
Yes. Every PhD thesis must include an abstract that summarises the research question, methods, key findings, and overall contribution. It is usually placed before the table of contents and acts as a quick overview for examiners.
