Award of degrees

Next steps before your degree can be awarded

Once the examiners have approved the award of a degree and returned their forms to Research, Partnerships and Innovation there are several steps that need to be completed before we can confirm the award of the degree:

• All examiners’ reports must be considered and approved by the relevant faculty before the degree can be awarded.
• By regulation, all students are debt-checked to ensure that any tuition or tuition-related fees have been paid.
• All students must provide a Library copy of their final awarded thesis and an Access to Thesis form specifying the terms under which access to the thesis can be granted.
• Students required to undertake the Doctoral Development Programme must have demonstrated satisfactory engagement via submission and approval of an Evidencing Development Summary.

If any of the above are outstanding the degree will be withheld until they have been completed.

Once the above checks have been satisfactorily completed, Research, Partnerships and Innovation will update the student record with the degree award and send the student an award letter and the examiners' report forms via email.  

Every effort is made to minimise the time between receipt of the examiners' report, formal approval by the faculty and award of the degree; however, this process can take several weeks. Students can help expedite the process by ensuring that they have completed any required tasks in good time such as submitting a DDP Evidencing Development Summary, paying outstanding fees and providing an eThesis and Access to Thesis form. Any student who requires urgent notification of their award, eg. for employment purposes, should alert Research, Partnerships and Innovation.

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Transferring and disposing of your research data at the end of your degree

It is the responsibility of all postgraduate research students to ensure that they review and move, delete or transfer ownership of any data they have collected during their time at the University. Please read the guidance on how to do this and take the appropriate steps to manage your research data. This must be done prior to your student account being closed when you are awarded your degree.

Transferring and disposing of your research data at the end of your degree

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Conferment of degrees

Following the award of a degree, the Events Team will contact the student by email in due course with details of when the degree will be conferred. Enquiries concerning graduation ceremonies, conferment of degrees or receipt of degree certificates should be addressed to the Events Team via email: graduation@sheffield.ac.uk.

While many students are invited to the first ceremony scheduled after the award of their degree, not all candidates can be included due to space constraints. Students should not presume automatic inclusion, even if departments and supervisors suggest it. Only the Events Team can confirm invitations to specific ceremonies.

Candidates who are awarded their degree by the end of March will be invited to attend the July graduation ceremonies and candidates who are awarded by the end of September will be invited to attend the January graduation ceremonies. Candidates completing after these deadlines will be invited only if space permits and may be required to wait until the next ceremonies.