Thesis & external review
DURING YOUR PHD
Thesis & external review
Prepare and submit your doctoral thesis, complete the external evaluation procedure and, where required, revise the dissertation before progressing to the public final examination.
01 · PREPARE
Complete the thesis and documentation
Check academic, editorial, funding, confidentiality and intellectual-property requirements.
02 · SUBMIT
Upload the electronic thesis
Use the dedicated UNICAM procedure within the deadline established for your PhD cycle.
03 · REVIEW
Independent external evaluation
External evaluators assess the thesis and propose admission to the final examination or postponement where significant additions or corrections are required.
CHECK YOUR ADMISSION CYCLE
Different regulations apply to different PhD cycles
The current University Regulations apply to Programmes activated from academic year 2025/2026, Cycle XLI onwards. Candidates admitted in earlier cycles must follow the Regulations applicable to their own cycle and any additional rules established by national, joint, international or co-tutelle arrangements.
01 · COMPLETION OF THE DOCTORAL PATHWAY
Complete the academic assessment before thesis submission
ACADEMIC BOARD
Final academic evaluation
At the end of the final year, the Academic Board evaluates the research activity carried out during that year and throughout the entire doctoral Programme, decides on admission to the final-examination procedure and formulates an overall assessment of the candidate’s activities.
AFTER ADMISSION
Follow the administrative final-exam procedure
Candidates admitted to the final examination must also complete the administrative registration procedure and submit the documents requested by the competent Office according to the instructions communicated for their cycle.
02 · PREPARE THE THESIS
Prepare the final dissertation and accompanying information
TITLE PAGE
Use the current UNICAM model
Use the official thesis title-page template and include the Programme, curriculum where applicable, cycle, Supervisor information and any logos, project codes, funding statements or acknowledgements required for your position.
THESIS CONTENT
Language, activities and publications
Under the current Regulations, the thesis normally consists of a written dissertation or graphic work and is usually written in English. In any case, it must include a detailed summary in English. A descriptive report of the activities carried out during the PhD and the list of publications or research outputs must also accompany the thesis where required by the applicable framework.
03 · ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION
Upload the thesis through the UNICAM thesis portal
Complete the electronic submission within the deadline established by the Regulations applicable to your admission cycle.
CYCLE XLI AND SUBSEQUENT CYCLES
Within 45 days
Following the end of the final year of the Programme.
CYCLES XXXVIII–XL
Within 30 days
Following the end of the final year, under the Regulation applicable to those cycles.
OTHER FRAMEWORKS
Check your specific rules
Earlier cycles and specially regulated Programmes may follow different provisions.
BEFORE UPLOADING
Check the final file and accompanying information carefully
Verify the thesis title, candidate and Supervisor information, Programme and curriculum, cycle, abstract and keywords, acknowledgements, funding statements, project codes and logos, activity report and publications list where required, and any confidentiality or intellectual-property restrictions before completing the electronic submission.
04 · EXTERNAL REVIEW
Independent evaluation before the public defence
EXTERNAL EVALUATORS
At least two independent experts
Under the current Regulations, the thesis is assessed by at least two professors or expert researchers who do not belong to UNICAM’s tenured staff and are identified through the institutional procedure as highly qualified external evaluators. Evaluators may also belong to foreign institutions.
WRITTEN ASSESSMENT
Analytical evaluation of the thesis
Each external evaluator produces a written analytical assessment and proposes either admission to the final examination or postponement where significant additions or corrections are considered necessary.
DOCTOR EUROPAEUS · ADDITIONAL REVIEWER REQUIREMENTS
If you are planning Doctor Europaeus, choose the reviewers accordingly
The ordinary UNICAM external-review rules and the Doctor Europaeus requirements are not identical. For Doctor Europaeus, the thesis must be reviewed by at least two professors from two higher education institutions located in two different European countries, both different from the country in which the thesis is defended.
If you intend to request the certification, inform your Supervisor and Programme Coordinator before the external reviewers are formally proposed, so that their institutional affiliations and countries can be checked together with the other Doctor Europaeus requirements.
06 · IF REVISIONS ARE REQUIRED
Revise and resubmit the thesis
REVISION PERIOD
Up to six months
Where significant additions or corrections are necessary, admission to the public defence may be postponed for a period not exceeding six months. Work on the required revisions with your Supervisor and follow the instructions communicated for resubmission.
SECOND ASSESSMENT
The same reviewers assess the revised thesis
At the end of the authorised revision period, the same external evaluators issue a new assessment taking account of the corrections or additions made. Under the current Regulations, the thesis is then admitted to public discussion accompanied by their new opinion.
DO NOT CONFUSE THE TWO PROCEDURES
An extension of the PhD is different from a reviewer-requested revision period
An extension concerns additional time needed before completion and submission of the doctoral thesis and affects the duration of the doctoral pathway. A postponement following external review occurs after the thesis has already entered the review procedure and is intended to allow significant additions or corrections requested by the external evaluators.
CYCLE XLI AND SUBSEQUENT CYCLES
External reviewers cannot serve on the final examination committee
Under the Regulations applicable from Cycle XLI, the external evaluators who reviewed the candidate’s thesis cannot be appointed as members of the final examination committee. The Supervisor is also excluded from the committee.
07 · CONFIDENTIALITY & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Protect confidential or potentially exploitable research before disclosure
Discuss confidential information, patentable results, industrial-property issues and contractual restrictions with your Supervisor before submitting or circulating the final thesis. Where necessary, contact the competent University offices before public disclosure.
Under the current Regulations, for the protection and exploitation of industrial or intellectual property rights, a candidate may request delayed public access to the deposited thesis for a period of up to 18 months.
08 · AFTER EXTERNAL REVIEW
Move to the public final examination
DOCUMENTS FOR THE COMMITTEE
The review becomes part of the final-examination documentation
The thesis, the Academic Board’s overall assessment and the external evaluators’ written judgments are transmitted or made available to the final examination committee according to the institutional procedure.
NEXT STEP
Prepare for the public defence
After completion of the external review, follow the official communications concerning the examination committee, session date, defence and completion of the final degree procedure.
QUICK CHECKLIST
Before completing the thesis submission
1
Check your deadline
Identify the Regulation applicable to your admission cycle.
2
Prepare the final file
Use the current title page and check all thesis information.
3
Check project requirements
Include required acknowledgements, codes, logos and supporting information.
4
Protect confidential results
Address confidentiality, patent or embargo requirements before public disclosure.
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT
Need assistance with the thesis or review procedure?
Contact the Advanced Studies Office in case of difficulties concerning the submission portal, applicable deadline, title-page model, external review, revisions, embargo or the transition to the final examination. Include your full name, PhD Programme, curriculum where applicable, cycle and Supervisor.