Table of Contents

1.     Intention to Submit
2.     Dissertation Submission
3.     Paper Requirement
4.     Registration
5.     Fees
6.     Contact Details

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:

• April 2020 graduation deadlines:
  • Intention: 16 August 2019
  • Submission of dissertation: 01 October 2019
• December 2020 graduation deadline:
  • Intention: 01 May 2020
  • Submission of dissertation: 01 July 2020

NOTE:

1. Students who submit their corrections by 31 January 2020 as well as meeting the requirements for their qualification, can attend a graduation ceremony in March 2020.
2. Students who submit their corrections by 21 October 2020 as well as meeting the requirements for their qualification, can attend a graduation ceremony in December 2020.
3. Students who submit their corrections by 31 January 2021 as well as meeting the requirements for their qualification, can attend a graduation ceremony in March 2021.
4. 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 - a signed declaration which states: "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.

Please check your PeopleSoft within a week to see if your service request was accepted or declined. If no action was taken, please contact the Faculty Office. 

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:

• 13 January 2020 for persons who submits a dissertation hoping to graduate in March 2020
• 01 October 2020 for persons who submits a dissertation hoping to graduate in December 2020
• 14 January 2021 for persons who submits a dissertation hoping to graduate in March 2021

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 10 February 2020) 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 doctoral thesis or master’s dissertation is granted according to the following schedule: 

In the case of a master’s dissertation, this applies in the second or subsequent year in which the dissertation is being completed;
In the case of a doctoral thesis, this applies in the third or subsequent year in which the thesis is being completed;

a)    Submission before 12 noon on Monday, 30 March 2020, the beginning of the second quarter; 75% adjustment

b)    Submission before 12 noon on Monday, 13 July 2020, the beginning of the third quarter; 50% adjustment

c)    Submission before 12 noon on Monday, 31 August 2020, the beginning of the fourth quarter; 25% adjustment

d)    Submission after 12 noon on Monday, 31 August 2020 – nil

Students who intend submitting by 12 noon on Monday 10th February 2020, the start of the 2020 academic year, do not need to re-register. 

Revise and Resubmit

Where a student is required to revise and resubmit a thesis or dissertation the academic fee will be charged per quarter (ie. 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 1: 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.
• NOTE 2: International students who are required to revise and resubmit a dissertation or thesis and who need to re-register at the start of a new academic year, may have their international term fee pro-rated up-front where there is a clear indication from the supervisor that the student is expected to submit in a period shorter than a year. 

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

Mr Zaeem Najaar

021 650 5278

POSTGRADUATE ADMINISTRATORS IN THE DEPARTMENTS

The Postgraduate Administrators in the departments and their email addresses are:-

* Architecture, Planning & Geomatics: Naomi Gihwala

* Chemical Engineering:  Belinda Davids

* Civil Engineering: Rowen Geswindt

* Construction Economics & Management: Mareldia Fagodien

* Electrical Engineering: Nicole Moodley

* Mechanical Engineering: Denise Botha