Master's Dissertation Information
Table of Contents
4. Registration
5. Fees
1. Intention to Submit
A research student submits a 60, 120 or 180 credit dissertation for examination. Students must inform the Faculty Office of their intention to submit for examination prior to actual submission for examination, by uploading the following to PeopleSoft:
- EBE01 - Intention to submit form
- EBE02 - IP assessment form
- EBE03 - Dissertation Open Access Suppression Form (Embargo Request)
- A copy of your abstract according to the Student Upload Intention to Submit Guide.
Please see Student Upload Intention to Submit Guide
The final dates for submission of dissertations are:
- December 2017 graduation deadlines have changed:
- Intention: 14 August 2017
- Submission of dissertation: 01 September 2017
- April 2018 graduation deadlines:
- Intention: 06 October 2017
- Submission of dissertation: 01 November 2017
NOTE:
- Students who submit their corrections by 23 October 2017 as well as meeting the requirements for their qualification, can attend a graduation ceremony in December 2017.
- Students who submit their corrections by 22 January 2018 as well as meeting the requirements for their qualification, can attend a graduation ceremony in April 2018.
- A letter of completion may be issued, if required prior to the graduation ceremonies.
What does ‘qualify’ mean?
A student qualifies when he or she has met the requirements for the degree/diploma which is ratified by the FEC and approved by SEC. Graduation may take place weeks or even months after this approval process. A student may apply for a transcript which will show that the qualification has been completed and that graduation will take place on a date some time in the future.
What does ‘graduate’ mean?
A student graduates at a congregation of the University of Cape Town. That is, a graduation ceremony where the degree or diploma is conferred upon him/her. The graduation date appears on the certificate and transcript.
Kindly note that the University of Cape Town does not undertake to reach a decision on the award of the degree by any specific date. We will inform you once your examination process has been completed.
Please note that these dates are not necessarily in line with the fee rebate dates – please see point 5 below for the deadlines for fees.
2. Dissertation Submission
After consultation with the supervisor a candidate hoping to graduate midyear / end of the year is required to submit via PeopleSoft to the Faculty Office:
- Dissertation
Please include the following in your dissertation upon submission the following signed declaration: "I know the meaning of plagiarism and declare that all the work in the document, save for that which is properly acknowledged, is my own. This thesis/dissertation has been submitted to the Turnitin module (or equivalent similarity and originality checking software) and I confirm that my supervisor has seen my report and any concerns revealed by such have been resolved with my supervisor."
- A copy of your completed and signed EBE Faculty ‘Assessment of Ethics in Research Projects form’. This would have been completed when you registered for your dissertation.
- Abstract
- A copy of your unofficial transcript
- EBE04 - Declaration of Free Licence form
Please see Student Upload Thesis/Dissertation for Examination Guide
Please note that only online submissions of the dissertation is required. You do not need to submit a hardcopy.
3. Paper Requirement
Please note this requirement is only for those completing a 120 / 180 credit dissertation.
You are in addition required to submit a summary of the key aspects of the dissertation, presented in the form of a paper which is, potentially, of publishable standard, approved by the supervisor. The final date for receipt of the hardcopy paper by the Faculty Office shall be:
- 06 October 2017 for persons who submits a dissertation hoping to graduate at the end of the year
- 09 November 2017 for persons who submits a dissertation hoping to graduate at in April 2018
Note: The Paper requirement is intended to develop a candidate's skills in academic communication through exposure to the discipline of preparing a scholarly, succinct overview of the subject of the research topic, with due attention to structure, detail, clarity of expression and referencing. If you have not already done so, you must liaise with your supervisor and take appropriate steps to satisfy this requirement.
You are required to submit the following to the Faculty Office:
- EBE05 – Paper submission form and guidelines
- 1 x Hardcopy of your Paper (the second copy must be submitted to the Department for record keeping)
4. Registration
- Please note that if you intend submitting your Master's dissertation for examination between December and before the academic term commences the following year you will not be required to register.
- If you submit your dissertation after the term commences (after 12h00 on 13 March 2017) you must re-register by the date set out on the registration programme. If you do not register and you submit your dissertation for examination, your dissertation will not be sent off for examination until you have re-registered.
5. Fees
The following is an extract taken from the Fees Handbook (Submission of Doctoral Theses and Master's Dissertations) on rebates. Refer to the Fees Handbook (No. 8.2) for the exact fee deadline dates. Kindly note that these are not Faculty deadline dates, but fee deadline dates:
A rebate on the annual academic fee for a masters’ dissertation is granted in the second or subsequent year in which the dissertation is being completed.
- submission before 12 noon on Monday, 08 May 2017, the beginning of the second quarter; 75% adjustment
- submission before 12 noon on Monday, 14 August 2017, the beginning of the third quarter; 50% adjustment
- submission by 12 noon on Monday, 02 October 2017, the beginning of the fourth quarter; 25% adjustment
- submission after 12 noon on Monday, 02 October 2017; nil
Note that the above deadlines only pertain to the initial submission of the dissertation. Where a student is required to revise and resubmit a thesis or dissertation the appropriate academic fee will apply (refer to Fees Handbook, No. 8.3):
- Where a student is required to revise and resubmit a thesis or dissertation the academic fee will be charged per quarter (i.e. if the candidate must work for up to one quarter, he/she will pay 25% of the full fee; for up to two quarters, he/she will pay 50% of the full fee and so on).
- Note: Full annual fees will be billed from the date on which the student is notified to revise and resubmit and any fee rebate will be processed on resubmission.
Should you be entitled to a rebate, this will only take effect once we know the outcome of your dissertation.
CONTACT PERSON AT FACULTY OFFICE
021 650 5278
POSTGRADUATE ADMINISTRATORS IN THE DEPARTMENTS
The Postgraduate Administrators in the departments and their email addresses are:-
* Architecture, Planning & Geomatics: Heather Martin
* Chemical Engineering: Belinda Davids
* Civil Engineering: Rowen Geswindt
* Construction Economics & Management: Mareldia Fagodien
* Electrical Engineering: Nicole Moodley Nicole Moodley
* Mechanical Engineering: Tasha Dilraj
* Energy Research Centre: Fazlin Harribi
