School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences

Thesis readiness review

You can request a Thesis Readiness Review at any time after two years of full time registration.  Otherwise, the Review takes place at the time shown on the Timetable of reviews in your Box folder.

A Thesis Readiness Review is required before you can transfer onto pre-submission registration.

If your Thesis Readiness Review is successful, no further reviews will be required.

What to do for your Thesis Readiness Review

Step 1.  Book a meeting with your Reviewer

You will find a Timetable of reviews in your Box folder.  If you cannot find it, contact the School office on mps-pgrsupport@sussex.ac.uk

Contact your main Reviewer and arrange a time and location for Thesis Readiness Review meeting, taking into account the deadline shown on your Timetable of reviews, and allowing your reviewer sufficient time to check over your review documents (next section).

Arrange to meet in one of the faculty offices, or over Zoom/Skype if need be. 

Book your main Reviewer early because he/she will be busy!  A meeting of 30 to 60 minutes will be required.

Step 2.  Prepare the documents

Get these documents together and upload them to your Box Folder.  Then ask your Reviewer to read them before the meeting.

  • Your thesis in draft form.
  • A Researcher's Report, Maths, Physics (see the penultimate section of these documents).
  • Your full Training Record.
  • An application to Transfer to Pre-Submission status (download here).  Ask your main Supervisor to complete Section B of the form indicating the extent to which your research is completed and your writing up is under way.  You may wish to check the MPS Pre-Submission policy.
  • A completed Intention to Submit Thesis form with a Thesis outline attached (download here).  Ask your main Supervisor to complete Section B of the form.
Step 3.  During the Interview

Your Reviewer will discuss your thesis content and structure, your planned schedule to submission, and any publications that may result from it.  They may suggest changes which you should consider carefully, discussing them with your supervisor.

Remind your Reviewer they should write a short statement about your progress and add it to your Box Folder for the Director to see.  They should say if they agree you should go onto pre-submission registration.

Step 4.  After the Interview

Check that you have uploaded all the documents to your Box folder.

Then send an email to the School office (mps-pgrsupport@sussex.ac.uk), saying your Thesis Readiness Review is completed.

The office will check that all the documents are present and will inform the Director or Sub-Director.

The director or subdirector will take a decision about your future registration status, which will be communicated to you. Occasionally the director/sub-director may require further information or revisions.


School Office: mps-pgrsupport@sussex.ac.uk