Leeds Beckett's research degrees run through The Graduate School, and the document that governs your thesis is the Form of Presentation of Theses. It is short and unusually specific.
The awards
| Award | Full time | Part time |
|---|---|---|
| Masters by Research (MRes) | 1 year | 2 years |
| MPhil | 3 years | 4 years |
| PhD | 3 years | 6 years |
| PhD by Existing Published Work | — | 1 year |
| Doctorate of Engineering (DEng) | — | 6 years |
| Professional Doctorates (Built Environment, Engineering) | — | 6 years |
Note that the MPhil is three years full time here, the same as the PhD. At many universities the MPhil is shorter, so do not assume it is a quicker route.
The PhD is assessed via a thesis of up to 100,000 words and a viva voce.
What the word limit actually covers
References, appendices, glossary and indices are not included in the overall word count.
This matters more than the headline number. A hundred thousand words of argument, with the apparatus outside it, is generous. You do not need to trim your bibliography to fit, and a thorough appendix costs you nothing against the limit.
The thesis must also include a bibliography of all sources consulted, which is a slightly broader requirement than a list of works cited.
Presentation
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Page size | A4 |
| Sides | Single-sided or duplex |
| Body font | Arial 11 throughout |
| Footnotes | At least Arial 10 |
| Line spacing | Double or one-and-a-half |
| Quotations and footnotes | Single spacing permitted |
| Paper | White, 70 to 100 g/m² |
| Pagination | Consecutive through the main text, including photographs and diagrams |
Two of these are worth dwelling on.
Arial 11 is a sans serif body face, which runs against the default assumption that theses are set in Times New Roman or similar. If you have been drafting in a serif, switching late will reflow the entire document and move every page break. Set it early.
Pagination includes photographs and diagrams. Full-page figures inserted as separate objects commonly break this, because word processors treat them as floating content and skip them in the sequence.
Where a thesis runs to separate volumes, each must be identified and the pagination must run sequentially through from the first volume. Volume two does not restart at page one.
The margin figures sit in a table in the presentation document that does not extract reliably as text. Read them directly from the current PDF rather than taking a figure from elsewhere, since a wrong binding margin is exactly the sort of error that requires reprinting.
The title, and the abstract
The title would not normally exceed 12 words. That is tight, and it is usually the subtitle that breaks it. A title like "An Investigation into the Effects of X on Y in the Context of Z: A Mixed-Methods Study of Practitioners in the North of England" is well over. Work out your twelve words early, because the title also has to stay consistent across your submission paperwork.
The abstract is approximately 300 words, and it has a two-part requirement:
- Bound into the thesis on a separate page, immediately following the title page
- A loose copy submitted with the thesis
The loose copy is the one people forget. It is a physical deliverable separate from the bound document, and turning up without it means an incomplete submission.
Binding for examination
The thesis may be submitted for examination in either thermal binding or spiral binding, provided the binding is sufficiently secure to ensure that pages cannot be added.
This is student-friendly and worth knowing before you spend money. Examination copies do not need expensive hard binding. The only real requirement is tamper resistance, which is why loose-leaf and ring binders are out.
The viva
Your supervisors assemble the examination team based on your research subject. It includes one external examiner, normally an academic from another institution, or a professional with expertise in your area.
One expectation to set realistically:
It can take up to three months to confirm a viva date.
So the gap between submitting and defending is measured in months, not weeks. If you have a job offer, visa deadline or funding end date in view, that three month window is the number to plan against rather than hoping for a quick turnaround.
What to confirm rather than assume
- Margin measurements, from the presentation document itself
- Word limits for MPhil, MRes, DEng and the professional doctorates, which are not published alongside the PhD figure
- What the PhD by Existing Published Work requires in its abridged review
- Citation style, a disciplinary matter
- Examination outcomes and correction deadlines
- Similarity thresholds and any policy on generative AI use
- Embargo options for repository deposit
Pre-submission checklist
- Within 100,000 words, understanding references and appendices sit outside it
- Title at twelve words or fewer, and consistent across all paperwork
- Arial 11 body text, footnotes at Arial 10 or larger
- Double or one-and-a-half spacing, single only in quotations and footnotes
- A4, on 70 to 100 g/m² white paper
- Margins checked against the current presentation document
- Pagination consecutive and including every photograph and diagram
- Pagination running through from volume one if there is more than one volume
- Abstract of about 300 words bound in after the title page
- Loose copy of the abstract prepared for submission
- Bibliography of all sources consulted included
- Bound thermally or by spiral, securely enough that pages cannot be added
- Planning for up to three months before the viva is confirmed
Where to get help
The Graduate School owns the regulations, the forms and the examination process. Your supervisors assemble the examination team and own the academic judgement.
If the writing itself is where you are stuck, our thesis writing support works through it chapter by chapter, and our PhD thesis help covers doctoral work specifically.
