Applying for the Appointment of Examiners: what you need to do and how to apply

Applying for the Appointment of Examiners:  what you need to do and how to apply

You should apply for the appointment of examiners at least three months in advance of submitting your dissertation by completing the Appointment of Examiners Application Form which you will need to send to the Degree Committee Office once it has been completed.  Send: Grad.enquiries@aha.cam.ac.uk

If you expect to leave the UK soon after submission you will need to return to the UK to attend the oral examination (viva).

You should state on the application form your proposed date of departure, allowing at least eight weeks between the date of the submission and the proposed date of departure.

The Degree Committee will do its best to arrange an oral examination as quickly as possible. A delay may result if there is any difficulty in finding an examiner.  Longer delays may be experienced during vacation periods.

Whilst it is possible to submit your thesis for examination without the formal support of your supervisor, the Faculty strongly recommends that you only submit your dissertation when your supervisor says that you are ready to do so.  You will note that the Appointment of Examiners Application Form includes a box where your supervisor can indicate whether they are content for you to submit your thesis for examination or not.

The Application Form also includes an area where you can request special requirements for the oral examination should you need them.  

You will also need to propose a title for your dissertation and include a summary with your application.  The summary must be written in English and should consist of a piece of connected prose forming an abstract of the dissertation and be about 300 words in length.  If at all possible, it should be accommodated on one side of A4 sized paper. It should bear your name and the exact title of the dissertation at the head of the page.

The summary will be considered by the examiners.