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Submit PhD Thesis without supervisor approval

T

Hi,
I am a PhD student in the sixth year. My extension is finished and my supervisor still have comments on my thesis. I have done all the chapters but my supervisor would like to review them more than once. Please would it possible to submit PhD Thesis without supervisor approval as my extension is finished and I do not have time.
Any help...
Thanks

M

I think you should let your supervisor have the final review of the thesis. I doubt your supervisor would be happy finding out you have submitted without informing. I don't think it is worth risking your working relationship with your supervisor for such a reason as you both should have been aware that the extension time was running short.

T

Yes but isn't it the case that if he/she misses the deadline it will be too late to submit it?

E

Check your institution's regulations about submission. At my university you had submit an examination entry form signed by the supervisor before you could submit the actual thesis (and I think there was another form to be submitted along with your thesis).

But surely your supervisor will understand that the deadline is not optional? If you're still waiting for comments, can you email your supervisor with a reminder that you WILL be submitting on [whatever date it is] (because you have no choice), and that any comments they have must reach you by then, or else you won't have time to incorporate them?

I also think that the regulations are that supervisors sign off on the thesis before submission.

At my university both supervisors signed off, and then I found that the Head of School (or their stand-in as No 2 sup was the head of school) also looked at it and signed off before it was accepted for examination and sent to the examiners by the research admin staff. There is a rigorous process around submitting the thesis. The faculty and supervisors want to maximise both your chances of receiving a good result and for this to reflect well on the university and on their supervisory experience.

What does your supervisor say about going over this deadline?

Often the deadline is financial-as in if you are being financed or receive some form of benefit (even if it is just access to resources, such as the library, office space and photocopier), these entitlements are subject to the deadline or extension deadline. However, it is usually still possible to submit the thesis after the deadline without academic penalty, just not to receive an extension on these entitlements or resources.

How comfortable are you with raising the issue of deadlines and submission with your supervisor and discussing your concerns?

Best wishes during this time; it's can be very challenging and frustrating I found, P

N

Hi ...it's the same in my uni...the supervisor has to sign off.

But there are also other things to consider like if your supervisor thinks the thesis needs more revions, maybe they are right...you don't want to submit a thesis that's not good enough.

I would meet with your supervisor and discuss a time frame for getting the feedback and making any revisions.(ie is two weeks /a month/6 weeks)....and then get an extension and set new hArd deadline. And no u probably won't be funded but it will be worth it, after all the work you put in, to pass.

A

I agree with previous posts, check with the uni. There are usually some rules related to approval for submission by supervisors. At my uni, there is a process to submit without supervisory approval, in which case there will be two adjudicators (usually head of school and someone from grad school) who step in. I don't know if they're expected to read the thesis in place of the supervisor or just mediate. But this burns bridges and isn't helpful in the longer run e.g. when it is time to review corrections. I know it can be frustrating when we're so tired and sick of the thesis and just want to submit (or have reached the maximum stipulated time allowed like me), but supervisors usually do know best because they have been in the shoes of examiners. Assuming your supervisor has your best interests at heart (and isn't just giving you a hard time), the more he/she reads it, the better your chances are with your examiners. This saves future grief e.g. fewer corrections or a shorter route to passing.

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