The PhD journey

Whilst registered, you are expected to be in regular attendance whether in person or online at the LSE for workshops, seminars and supervisory meetings (unless the School has given you permission to reside outside of the UK). Please refer to the School's statement on term dates, vacations and working during MPhil/PhD.

If you're going to be absent from the School during the Winter and Spring break periods, you don't need to notify the School. Outside of these periods, students are expected to reside in London and study on campus at LSE. Specifically, period between the end of Spring term and the beginning of the Autumn term is not a vacation period for research students, though you are entitled to take up to 4 weeks of leave during this period with agreement from your department (following the mechanism set out below).

To be absent from the School at any time other than the Winter and Spring break periods, please follow the guidance set out below.

• For absences of 2 weeks, you only need to notify your department. Please remember that if you are going to a conference you will need to obtain School level approval first, and complete the Health and Safety team’s Notification of Travel form. It may be that you need to undertake a risk assessment with the Health and Safety team, who will contact you about this after you submit your notification.
• For absences of 2-4 weeks, you will need to seek approval from your supervisor and Doctoral Programme Director (DPD), who will be required to confirm their approval in writing to the PhD Academy, specifically stating the start and end date of the period of absence.
• For absences of more than 4 weeks, you are required to contact the PhD Academy for advice. 

Please also note: Where a period of absence is approved, this does not involve an interruption of studies. This means that your final thesis submission deadline will remain the same, and you will not normally be able to cite the reason for your absence in any future interruption of extension request.

If you have a question regarding this please submit an enquiry.

If you are sponsored by the School for a Tier 4/Student Route visa to study in the UK, you need to make sure you understand the conditions of your visa and are not in breach of them. You will find guidance and updates on rule changes on the Student Advice and Engagement Team webpage.

The PhD Log should be used to record meetings with your supervisor throughout your time at the School. Please note that using the PhD Log is a formal School requirement and a vital part of our processes to ensure we are meeting our legal responsibilities to the UKVI.

The PhD log is used to record attendance and engagement and it is the system we would refer to should we receive queries about attendance and engagement from UKVI. It is therefore vital that you update your PhD Log with your supervisor meeting on a regular basis. 

There are a number of regulations governing your study at the School. It is your responsibility to ensure you have read and understood all regulations relevant to registration on your degree programme. You can seek advice on the regulations from any member of the PhD Academy team.

See the School's policies and procedures for further details.

If you are taking any courses throughout your programme, you can choose them using LSE for You (LFY), LSE's web-based self-service student administration system.

Full information on course selection, including the deadline and how to make your selections can be found here.

If you are attending a course and not taking the assessment for it please submit an enquiry  before the examinations take place.

The PhD Academy also runs a number of events and courses specifically aimed at research students. 

Researchers have responsibilities; to society, to funders, to their institution, and to those taking part in their research. For any research involving human participants, or data relating to identifiable human subjects, researchers are required to complete a research ethics review, and should begin by looking at the Research Ethics webpage here.

The LSE Research Ethics Policy aims to: 

• promote a culture within the School whereby researchers conscientiously reflect on the ethical implications of their research
• encourage researchers to properly consider such discipline-specific frameworks, statutory requirements and best practice guidelines as may be relevant to their research

Researchers need to consider a number of issues, such as the potential effects of the research they conduct – on participants, on those who may be indirectly affected by the outcomes of that research, and on those conducting the research. Researchers must also ensure they comply with any relevant statutory requirements – such as the UK Data Protection Act, the Mental Capacity Act. 

If you have any queries concerning the Ethics Policy contact Lyn Grove, research.ethics@lse.ac.uk.

The PhD Log should be used to record meetings with your supervisor throughout your time at the School. You will also be able to find your submission deadline and other information on the Log and can use it to post work for comment. You should discuss with your supervisor how you will use the Log.

At the end of each academic year, your academic progress will be reviewed by your department and a decision made as to whether it is sufficient so that you can be re-registered for the following academic year.

You should check your departmental PhD Student Handbook for further information on how progress review will be conducted. Please refer to the Regulations for Research Degrees which sets out School-wide requirements for progress review.

If you are initially registered on an MPhil/PhD programme, you will need to be upgraded to PhD status at the end of the first or second year. You will find further information on School-wide upgrade requirements in the Regulations for Research Degrees.

Check your departmental PhD Student Handbook for further details.

For MRes/PhD programmes, upgrade to PhD status will have been part of your progression from the MRes programme and registration onto the PhD programme.

The School makes text-matching software (iThenticate) available to its research students who might wish to use it to check their written work. Some departments also require students to use it, for example, as a part of the upgrade process.

If you are a research student and wish to use the software, please submit an enquiry  and we will set up an account for you.

You should check with your department (in the PhD Student Handbook) whether use of iThenticate is required as a part of your programme. If it is, an account should have been set up for you.

A copy of the Quick Start User Guide for iThenticate is provided here for your information: Quick Start User Guide [PDF].

You will also find further instructions on how to use the software on the iThenticate website. Fuller guidance is provided in the User Guides 

Should you have any questions about using the software or reading a report produced by it, please contact a member of the PhD Academy team.

All students who wish to undertake a period of fieldwork or a period of study elsewhere must complete a fieldwork/study elsewhere application form and submit this, fully completed, to the PhD Academy at least one month prior to the start of the fieldwork or study elsewhere period.

Please refer to the up-to-date forms for fieldwork and study elsewhere here.

Students should also get fieldwork/study elsewhere travel approved by the LSE Health & Safety  (please find more information here) and get a confirmation from the LSE Research Ethics on whether any further ethics review is required (please see the webpage here).

Those intending to undertake fieldwork/data collection in London still need to submit the fieldwork form and relevant attachments.

At certain times you may need to apply for a change to your student enrolment, for example to go on fieldwork or if you need to interrupt your studies. You will need to complete the relevant form to request such a change which you will find listed on A-Z of guidance documents.

All forms should be submitted well in advance of the start date of the proposed change in student enrolment.  

You can speak to a member of the PhD Academy team about any questions you may have before submitting your request. Please book an appointment with a member of the Research Degrees Management team to discuss any queries you have. 

If at any point during your studies, you require an interruption to your studies, you should complete the interruption to studies form which can be found in the A-Z of Guidance documents. Prior to submitting your form, you are strongly encouraged to speak with a member of the PhD Academy team who will be able to discuss what happens with your visa (if applicable), funding (if applicable) and submission deadline.

You can speak to a member of the PhD Academy team about any questions you may have before submitting your request. Please book an appointment with a member of the Research Degrees Management team to discuss any queries you have. 

The LSE Parental Leave policy for Research Degrees Students is available under the A-Z of Guidance documents and outlines what the leave policy is and what students need to do to apply for parent leave.

As each individuals case is unique, speak to a member of the PhD Academy team who will be able to discuss your options and  what happens with your visa (if you need one), funding and submission deadline. Please book an appointment with a member of the Research Degrees Management team to discuss any queries you have. 

In 2020 the School put in a place a scheme to offer financial support to students who were registered on their MRes/MPhil/PhD programme in the 2019/20 academic year and whose research plans had been significantly disrupted by the pandemic. The scheme is now broadened to include students who started their registration in August/September 2020 (on either an MPhil or an MRes or on an ESRC funded MSc) and to students who have already received a COVID extension under the original scheme.

The way the scheme will work depends on a number of different factors, which are explained in detail here.  Please read this document carefully to determine which version of the scheme you are eligible to apply for.

UKRI have issued updated guidance to advise that research council funded COVID extension schemes will close at the end of the 2024/25 academic year. In practice, this means that the ESRC COVID extension scheme closes for applications on 01 August 2025 and must be fully resolved and recorded with ESRC no later than 01 October 2025. For non-ESRC funded students, the deadline to submit a COVID-19 extension request is 19 June 2026.

Any student will still be able to request a standard interruption or extension using the standard forms that can be found in the A-Z of guidance.

As you enter the final year of your programme you will need to begin thinking about the preparation for submitting your thesis and your viva examination. 

Examination entry

As you enter your final year you should discuss the exam entry process with your supervisor you should start completing the Examination Entry form with your supervisor.

Your supervisor is responsible for nominating your examiners although it is likely that they will discuss possible nominations with you to ensure they are the most appropriate choice. 

Completed entry forms should be returned to the PhD Academy at least two months in advance of submitting your thesis: this is to allow sufficient time for your examiners to be formally appointed and to avoid potential delays to the examination (see below). If you are unable to meet this deadline, please seek advice from a member of the PhD Academy team. 

Once we have received your completed examination entry form, the examiner nominations are sent to the relevant subject panel for approval. We will then formally invite the examiners to act.

Until the examiners have confirmed with the PhD Academy that they can act, they are not appointed as your examiners. Therefore, we cannot send your thesis to them until that time and no arrangements for the viva examination should be agreed.  

In cases where an examiner nomination is not approved or an examiner is no longer able to act, supervisors will need to nominate a new examiner using the replacement examiner nomination form.

If you require additional arrangements for your viva, you should note this on your Exam Entry Form and a member of the PhD Academy team will contact you about this. If you already have an Inclusion/Adjustment Plan, it is recommended that you make contact with the Disability and Wellbeing Service 6 months prior to your submission date to discuss what arrangements you need for the viva. An updated copy of the Inclusion/Adjustment Plan should be provided to the PhD Academy.  You are encouraged to speak with a member of the PhD Academy team about your additional viva arrangements. 

You can speak to a member of the PhD Academy team about any questions you may have before submitting your request. Please book an appointment with a member of the Research Degrees Management team to discuss any queries you have.

If you wish to apply for the Graduate Route post study visa, you should note this on your Exam Entry Form. You are advised to speak with the Student Advice and Engagement Team about the visa process. After receiving advice from the Student Advice and Engagement Team, please contact the PhD Academy to discuss the examination process and the visa scheme.

Thesis submission is electronic only. The easiest way to submit the electronic version - in PDF format-of your thesis to the PhD Academy by emailing phdacademy@lse.ac.uk . 

You should refer to the Formatting and binding your thesis document to ensure your thesis is formatted in line with the School’s requirements. The front pages of your thesis should contain certain information and you should refer to the Template for the front pages of your document for further guidance.  

You must submit your thesis by the deadline. If you are unsure what your deadline is, please submit an enquiry.

Theses that are submitted late cannot be accepted without an approved extension from the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair. You should ensure you allow time for the final editing, printing and binding of your thesis within your deadline. 

Once we have received your thesis, and assuming your examiners have been formally appointed, we will then post your thesis to them for examination and confirm with you once we have done so. Examiners are not permitted to accept a thesis, in any format, from any source other than from the PhD Academy.  

Editorial help with your thesis

You might wish to seek help from a third party in editing your thesis before you submit it for examination. You will need to read the School’s Statement on Editorial Help [PDF], provide a copy of it to any third party you use and declare what help you have received from a third party in the front pages of your thesis (see template for front pages of your thesis [PDF]). 

From the start of the 2021/2022 academic session (from October onwards) regulations have been amended following consultation to allow departments the flexibility to undertake vivas either on campus or remotely, using approved video conferencing facilities.  

Departments have been asked to ensure that all parties have been consulted, have approved the online arrangement, and that they have adequate technical facilities. They have also been asked to ensure that support is available to you during the viva, in case you encounter any issues (e.g. your supervisor/s or DPD should be reachable during and after the viva). 

 You should not be involved in making any arrangements for your viva examination. Find further information about the viva and other examination arrangements in the Guidelines for MPhil/PhD examinations [PDF].

The PhD Academy runs sessions on preparing for your viva and you are strongly encouraged to attend one of these sessions. Please check our webpages on a regular basis to see when the next session will be scheduled. 

Confirmation of your examination outcome

After your examination, the PhD Academy will email you to confirm the examiners' decision and give full details of what you will then be required to do. We ask examiners to confirm their decision to us within two weeks of your viva and we will normally email you confirmation of the examination outcome within two weeks of receiving the examiners’ decision. 

You can find the possible outcomes from the examination in the Regulations for Research Degrees.. We cannot confirm an examiners decision with you until we have received the relevant information from both of your examiners.

Examination re-entry procedures

If your examiners decide that you require a further period (of between 7 and 12 months) in which to revise and resubmit your thesis, you will need to re-enter for the examination.

When the PhD Academy confirms the outcome of your original examination, we will also confirm the date by which you will need to submit your revised thesis. One month in advance of that deadline you should complete the Examination re-entry form [DOC] and submit it to the PhD Academy. You will also need to pay the £200 re-entry fee using eshop at the same time: LSE eShop. You should follow the same formatting guidelines as provided above.

If you have any questions about this process, please submit an enquiry to our office.
 
You are welcome to contact the PhD Academy to discuss the outcome of your viva examination at any stage and we will share with you the information we have at that time.

When you have successfully completed your MPhil or PhD (i.e. once you have completed your viva examination and any revisions your examiners have required you to make in your thesis) and in accordance with the School’s Regulations for Research Degrees (paragraph 53.3), we will ask you to provide a final electronic copy of your thesis for deposit in LSE Research Online. Read further information on  the Theses collection and guidance on submitting.

Please note that this is a requirement of the degree and we cannot make an award to you until we have received a final copy of your thesis.

The School encourages all PhD graduates to make their research widely available in line with its own Open Access Policy and that of the UKRI.

The School’s policy limits the delay that publishers may wish to impose between online publication and availability via a repository in accordance with the UKRI commitment that “the outputs of publicly funded research [is] to be freely available” The maximum acceptable embargo periods vary according to discipline; for the social sciences it is 12 months. Since LSE Research Online has been operating (2011-12) the experience of our PhD graduates has been that depositing their work in it has had a positive rather than detrimental effect on publishing from their thesis.

It is, however, recognised that graduates may need to apply for an embargo. Under regulation 55, a 24-month embargo can be applied on grounds of publication, commercial exploitation and protection of participants. Please note that 24 months is the maximum amount that can be applied for.

Please ensure you have read the relevant regulation (paragraph 55, Regulations for Research Degrees.) and/or seek advice from a member of the PhD Academy Team before you apply for an embargo.  

Your request will be considered for approval by the Research Degrees Subcommittee. If granted, you will still be required to provide an electronic copy of your final thesis. Your thesis title and abstract will still appear in LSE Research Online, but the full text of it will not be accessible until the end of the agreed period of restricted access. If you also require the abstract/citation of your thesis to be embargoed, you should state this clearly in your request.

You will have the opportunity to apply for an embargo as part of the final thesis submission process and further information will be provided at that point.

Requesting transcripts

If you would like confirmation of any taught modules that you undertook as part of your MPhil/PhD studies, please submit an enquiry. Please ensure that you include your full name, date of birth and student number (if known) as well as details of the courses undertaken.

Proof of examination outcome  

Once your examiners have confirmed their decision with the PhD Academy, the PhD Academy will process the final outcome with 1-2 weeks of receiving the decision.  In order to be awarded, you will need to submit a final e-thesis to the Library. Once you have submitted a final copy of your thesis in accordance with the School’s requirements, we will be in a position to award you a degree.

If you require a letter confirming your award, please submit an enquiry. Please note that we can only confirm that a degree has been awarded once your final e-thesis has been received by the Library.

Degree certificates and replacements

Once you have been awarded, your degree certificate will be produced within 2 months of your award date. Degree certificate will be sent to your permanent  home address as per our records at the time of awarding. Please ensure you update check and update your permanent home address on LfY prior to your award date. Please note we cannot provide you with your degree certificate until you have provided a final copy of your thesis.

The School only issues one certificate to each student but in exceptional circumstances, you can make an application for a replacement. Applications can be made in the event of loss, damage or non-receipt of the original certificate. Please note that you must wait a minimum of 8 weeks from the date of issue of your original degree certificate before making an application for a replacement. This is to allow for a full search to be undertaken of the recorded delivery tracking system used for posting degree certificates.

To make an application for a replacement MPhil or PhD LSE degree certificate, please complete a form here. Please note there is a fee charged for the replacement certificate which can be paid here. Please email phdacademy@lse.ac.uk with any queries with this process.

If your degree certificate was issued by the University of London and not the LSE (your certificate will have the University of London on it) you will need to request a replacement from them. To make an application for a replacement, please contact diploma.enquiries@london.ac.uk. 

Degree verification

Third-parties (e.g. employers or other educational institutions) who wish to verify the details of an individual’s LSE degree award should do so online via Higher Education Degree Datacheck (HEDD). Further information on the process can be found here.

The School’s graduation ceremonies take place in July and December each year. In order to attend the July ceremony you will need to have been awarded your degree by 30 April and to attend the December ceremony you will need to have been awarded your degree by 30 September.

To be awarded your MPhil or PhD degree you must have completed the following: 

• the viva examination
• all revisions to your thesis required by your examiners following your viva examination
• received confirmation that your examiners are now satisfied that therequired revisions have been made
• submitted the final copy of your thesis to LSEthesesonline in accordance with the School’s requirements

These steps will need to have been completed by the deadlines above in order for you to be able to attend the relevant graduation ceremony. If you have further questions about how an award is made please contact us via this enquiry form. 

See further information about the graduation ceremonies.