Timing of submission

You must submit your dissertation by your final submission date. Late submissions will not be examined

If you think you need a suspension or an extension, you should discuss this with your supervisor in the first instance and you may request a suspension and extension form from your School PGR administrator. If you are studying on a student visa (formally known as Tier 4), you must discuss any visa implications with a Student Visa Adviser. In addition, you may request a short emergency extension from the Faculty PGR Director if there are unforeseen circumstances near your final submission date, taking visa advice if needed.

Submitting your dissertation

You must submit two electronic copies of your dissertation separately to cover:

1.  Examination. You must email a fully formatted pdf of your dissertation to the Academic Quality and Policy Office (pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk). The pdf file must be named ‘PGR_submission_student surname_student first name_student number'. You may use the Facility for the Upload of Large Files (fluff), if your dissertation forms a large file. Please contact pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk if you have any queries on this submission, including if your dissertation incorporates physical material, such as creative works.

2.  Turnitin check. You must upload an electronic copy of your dissertation to Turnitin via Blackboard so that the pre-examination academic integrity and plagiarism check can be completed. You must also send an email to the relevant e-submission mailbox specified on Blackboard to notify your School that you have uploaded to Turnitin. Please contact your School PGR administrator if you need help with uploading to Turnitin.

The Turnitin check can - in exceptional circumstances where there are contractual, security of safety obligations - be replaced by a manual check by the main supervisor, but only where this approach has been approved by the Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (PGR). If there is an exceptional reason, a research student or their main supervisor can complete a Request for a non-Turnitin submission for examination (Office document, 31kB) and send the completed form to their Faculty Office.

The examination copy counts as your formal submission and must be emailed to pgr-exams@bristol.ac.uk by your final submission date. Submissions will be accepted up to 11.59pm on your final submission date or by 11.59pm on the next working day if your submission date falls on a weekend, a Bank Holiday, or on a University closure day. Late submissions will not be examined.

Once you have submitted, you cannot make any alterations to your dissertation prior to the oral examination unless this is required as a result of the academic integrity and plagiarism check. You will be informed fomally if you are required to make any changes.

The Academic Quality and Policy Office will circulate the dissertation to your examiners when the examiners have been formally appointed and when the Turnitin check has been completed by your School. You must not send a copy of the dissertation to your examiners, even if there is a delay in any part of the process.