Before submitting your Master's or Doctoral thesis
Before making your initial submission, there are some key steps you need to take. It is important to ensure that your initial deposit is complete and that it respects rules of presentation.
If information or documents are missing, processing of your initial submission will be needlessly delayed.
Before submitting your Master's or Doctoral thesis, make sure you have checked each of the following points:
You are registered for the current session and for the entire session of your initial submission:
- in your degree program OR
- in ongoing research OR
- in a course* from another program to which you have been admitted at Université Laval.
*Professional Skills Development (DVP) courses do not meet this requirement.
The title of the Master's or Doctoral thesis listed on your transcript in Capsule is identical to the title of the document you are about to submit to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
If it is not, contact academic advising of your program to have it corrected.
You have written your Master's or Doctoral thesis in accordance with the FESP presentation rules (Academic Regulations, section 12).
You have submitted two versions of your Master's or Doctoral thesis to the FESP (evaluation@fesp.ulaval.ca): a Word, ODT or LaTeX version and a PDF file.
You have submitted your Student Declaration on research ethics (VRR-101) (in French only) to Academic Advising of your program.
You have completed the evaluation committee makeup form in collaboration with your research director and sent it to your program director.
You have completed and signed all required forms applicable to your situation in the following section.
Several forms must be filled out when you submit your Master's or Doctoral thesis. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have completed and signed all applicable forms before making your initial submission.
Required forms for all students
- Non-Exclusive Distribution License of a Master's or Doctoral thesis (PDF) (FESP-102), even if you request a restriction on release. Make sure that the title given in the form is matching your manuscript's title.
- Information sheet on the format of your manuscript:
- document written in Word or ODT (PDF)
- document written in LaTeX (PDF)
One or the other of these forms is required as per your situation
Your manuscript has at least one chapter written in a language other than French:
- Authorization to Write a Master's or Doctoral thesis in a Language Other than French (PDF) (FES-101)
This form must be signed by you and your program director.
Your manuscript includes one or more coauthored papers. You must fill out an authorization form for each paper:
- Coauthor Authorization for Inclusion of an Article in a Master's or Doctoral thesis (PDF) (FES-100)
This form must be signed by you and the coauthor(s).
You are requesting a restriction on release:
- Request to Restrict Release of a Master's or Doctoral thesis (PDF) (FES-106)
This form must be signed by you and your supervisor.
- Request to Extend Restriction on Release (PDF) (FES-106b)
This form must be signed by you and your supervisor.
If there is an agreement on the protection and confidentiality of information with which you have worked or have been exposed:
- Declaration relating to the confidentiality of work and results of an essay, dissertation or thesis (in French only)
This form from the Office of the Vice Rector, Research and Innovation must be used only in the case of confidentiality agreements concerning strategic and confidential information obtained within the framework of the research project, in the case of obtaining a patent or in other exceptional cases.
Important dates
You must be registered for the semester in which you make your initial submission:
- For an activity in your degree program
- For an ongoing research activity
- For a graduate program at Université Laval (e.g., a doctoral program subsequent to your master’s program)
Important: Professional skills development (DVP) courses do not meet this requirement.
The deadline for the initial submission of your Master's or Doctoral thesis is the semester end date on the university calendar.
During your initial submission, be sure to send a complete evaluation file to the FESP, i.e. your Master's or Doctoral thesis in a Word, ODT or LaTeX format, and a PDF version as well as all the required documents and forms. If your initial deposit is not complete and the deadline has passed, you will need to register for the next session and maintain your registration for the entire session.
If you make your initial submission after the end of the semester, you will be required to register for the following semester and remain registered throughout.
Semester | Make your initial submission by (11:59 p.m.): | If the initial submission is made on or after: | You must register for the following semester: |
Winter 2023 | April 30, postponed to May 31 | May 1st | Summer 2023 |
Summer 2023 | September 3 | September 4 | Fall 2023 |
Fall 2023 | January 14 | January 15 | Winter 2024 |
Winter 2024 | May 5 | May 6 | Summer 2024 |
Foreign students present on Canadian territory have the legal obligation to register full-time for all sessions of their study program, which includes the sessions of the initial deposit, the defense and the final deposit.
Exceptionally, during the last session of their program, foreign students can enroll part-time.
Foreign students registered full-time retain the advantages associated with this status:
- You remain in Canada and must maintain full-time student status in order to meet your legal obligations and retain the following benefits:
- Membership in the group health and hospitalization insurance plan for international students
- Dental insurance provided by AÉLIES
- Access to library services
- PEPS membership
- Student rate in campus residences
- Maintaining an employment contract at the University or a part-time job off campus
Registration is not required if:
- You leave Canada permanently and will not return to the country as part of his studies.
- You remain in Canada, but has changed status (permanent residence, work permit, etc.).
Foreign students who have left Canada and wish to return for graduation only do not need to register for credits or have a valid CAQ and study permit at this event.
For more information, please write to immigration@reg.ulaval.ca or see this page.