Pre-defence format checking is required for the following types of research documents:
- Doctoral dissertation, Master’s thesis (all programs except M.F.A.), and Master’s creative writing project (English);
- Master’s major paper (all programs) and Political Science Internship paper.
Students are to submit to graduate studies for format checking BEFORE the defence:
- at least two weeks prior to the intended oral defence date - for Master’s thesis or major research paper. Refer to the Master's Timeline tracker for guidance.
- at least four weeks prior to the intended oral defence date - for a Doctoral dissertation. Refer to the PhD Dissertation Timeline tracker for guidance.
View a summary of all Defence related requirements.
How to submit to graduate studies for format review:
- ensure your document is prepared in compliance with the format requirements
- go through the format checklist and check off each item after ensuring it has been implemented in your formatted document
- within the pre-defence Deadline specified above, submit your (1) formatted thesis document as a PDF file attachment along with (2) the populated format checklist and (3) intended defence date, via email to thesis@uwindsor.ca and ensure your graduate program office is cc-ed on your email.
The graduate studies thesis office will review your document for format compliance. During peak submission times allow at least 5 business days for the format review and feedback. Documents are reviewed in the order received and you will be notified by email after your document format has been reviewed. Any formatting issues must be resolved before obtaining format approval.
Note: the format is pre-approved and finalized before the defence, with the understanding that your document content may continue to be updated even after the defence at the direction of your supervisory committee. Normally post-defence changes requested by the committee are content-related and do not affect the overall structure and approved format features. However, should subsequent structural changes (or major re-formatting) need to be made to your document after you have obtained format approval by graduate studies, use the format checklist as a guide to ensure any subsequent updates are in compliance with the format requirements. When in doubt promptly consult with the Thesis Administrator via email to thesis@uwindsor.ca outlining the specific format-related change(s) made after your format has been approved (allow sufficient time for your format to be re-visited).
Next step:
Following a successful final oral defence, candidates will obtain final Committee approval and complete the post-defence submission ("Deposit") with graduate studies as outlined on the Post-Defence Deposit instructions.