Document Requirements for Final Submission

Important: This section is only for final, post-defence submission of theses and dissertations.

This section describes the various forms associated with final thesis submission to cIRcle and indicates which are mandatory and which are optional. Please read through the descriptions of the forms to determine which ones you need.

Submission of Forms

Thesis or Dissertation Approval forms must be submitted to your graduate program. The program will ensure that the form is complete and that the signatures/endorsements are genuine, and will forward the form to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies on your behalf.

It is preferable for you to submit the Thesis/Dissertation Cover Sheet to your program office at the same time as you submit the Thesis or Dissertation Approval form, so that forms arrive as a complete package.

All forms can be downloaded from this page or from the Forms Centre.

Doctoral forms: Mandatory

Master's forms: Mandatory

Doctoral and Master's: Optional

Thesis/Dissertation Approval Forms

As of December 2020, Thesis or Dissertation Approval forms must be submitted to your graduate program. The program will ensure that the form is complete and that the signatures/endorsements are genuine, and will forward the form to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies on your behalf.

Examining Committee members confirm their approval for submission of a defended dissertation or thesis by signing/endorsing either the Master's Thesis Approval form or the Doctoral Dissertation Approval form.

If necessary, each party required to sign the Thesis or Dissertation Approval form may sign/endorse a separate copy and send it back to you by fax or PDF scan so that you can submit all the forms together. We hope that this will make it easier for you to collect signatures from absent committee members.

Please note: In addition to signing/endorsing the Thesis/Dissertation Approval form, your supervisor must initial the form:

  • to verify the content of the Preface;
  • and EITHER to verify that approval of the UBC Office of Research Services was not required,
  • OR to verify that approval of the UBC Office of Research Services was obtained for research.

If you would like a copy of this form for your records, please photocopy it before submitting it to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. We cannot make copies of the form once the thesis has been approved.

Master's Thesis Approval Form

Form must contain the signatures/endorsements of at least two examiners.

Graduate programs: Please ensure you have entered the student’s supervisory committee in the Supervisory Committee screen in SISC before sending in the Master's Thesis Approval form.

Instructions for using the Supervisory Committee screen are here:

  • Go to the bottom of any page on the G+PS website
  • Click on “Faculty and Staff Intranet”
  • Login with your CWL
  • Click on “Resources” in the top drop-down menu
  • Choose “Documentation”
  • Click on “Supervision & Supervisory Committee Screen in SISC (GRAD-11)” in the left-hand menu

Doctoral Dissertation Approval Form

Form must contain the signatures/endorsements of at least three examiners; your research supervisor, one University examiner, and one other examiner.

Additional Forms and Documents

cIRcle Non-Exclusive Distribution Licence

The cIRcle Non-Exclusive Distribution License is used for all submissions to cIRcle. You agree to this click-through license when you upload your thesis or dissertation.

Text of cIRcle licence

Information about cIRcle licence

Thesis/Dissertation Submission Cover Sheet

The Cover Sheet provides us with additional information about your submission, and acts as a checklist for required documents.

Delaying Publication of a Thesis

Under certain circumstances, publication of a thesis may be delayed for a limited period of time, at the request of the student, supervisor, and Graduate Advisor or Head of Department.

IMPORTANT: If you would like to request a delay in publication of your thesis, you must obtain approval from the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies before submitting to cIRcle.

For more information, see Delaying Publication of Your Thesis.

The Request for Delay in Publication of Thesis form  must be signed by the following people:

  1. Student
  2. Student's Supervisor
  3. Graduate Advisor or Head of Department