Resubmitting a PhD dissertation means revising and re-submitting your thesis for a second examination after the examiners decided it could not pass in its original form but is capable of reaching doctoral standard with substantial further work. In the UK this is a formal viva-voce outcome (usually called “referral” or “resubmission”), it is normally a one-time opportunity, you are typically given 12 months to make the changes, and a re-examination — sometimes with a second viva — follows. It is a recoverable position, not a failure.
This guide covers exactly what the resubmission outcome means, how many attempts your university allows and why limits vary, the step-by-step resubmission process, the timeline and fees involved, the difference between minor corrections and a full resubmission, a worked example of a resubmission plan, and the mistakes that sink a second attempt — all written for UK doctoral candidates.
What “resubmitting a PhD dissertation” actually means
When you defend your thesis at the viva voce, your examiners recommend one of a fixed set of outcomes to the university. “Resubmission” — often recorded as referral or resubmit for the degree of PhD — sits between “major corrections” and “outright fail”. The examiners have judged that the work is not yet of doctoral standard, but that it could reach that standard if you carry out substantial revisions and submit the dissertation again for a fresh examination.
This is fundamentally different from corrections. Corrections (minor or major) mean you have already passed; you are simply tidying the thesis before the award is confirmed. A resubmission means the result is genuinely undecided — you are being given a second, formal attempt to demonstrate that your work merits the degree. A doctorate is the highest taught qualification a UK university awards, so understanding where it sits in the wider landscape of postgraduate study helps; our explainer on what is a PhD sets out the doctoral standard your examiners are holding the dissertation to.
“Referral or resubmission is one of the most common viva outcomes after ‘minor corrections’ — and the overwhelming majority of candidates who resubmit go on to be awarded the degree.” — UK Council for Graduate Education guidance on research degree examination.
Typical UK viva outcomes (where resubmission fits)
Most UK universities use a similar ladder of viva outcomes. The exact wording differs between institutions, but the structure is consistent. The table below shows where resubmission sits and what each result requires.
| Outcome | Degree passed? | Typical time allowed | Second viva? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass with no corrections | Yes | None | No |
| Minor corrections | Yes | 1–3 months | No |
| Major corrections | Yes | 6 months | No (usually) |
| Resubmission / referral | Not yet — undecided | 12 months (often up to 18) | Possible, examiners decide |
| Award of MPhil instead | Lower degree only | Varies | No |
| Outright fail | No | None | No |
Resubmission is the only outcome on this ladder where the doctorate is still in the balance and you are given a long runway to fix it. That combination is why it feels daunting — but it is also why it is so often successful: you have time, written feedback, and a clear target.
How many times can you resubmit a PhD dissertation?
The number of times you can resubmit your dissertation depends on several factors and reasons.
In practice, almost every UK university allows exactly one resubmission for the PhD. If the resubmitted dissertation still does not meet the doctoral standard, the examiners will normally recommend either the award of a lower degree (commonly an MPhil) or an outright fail. A second full resubmission for the same PhD is rare and, where it exists at all, requires special approval from a research degrees committee on documented grounds.
Factors that affect resubmission limits
The number of permissible resubmissions varies considerably across different universities and programmes. Several factors contribute to this variability, including:
University policies
Each university establishes its own regulations regarding PhD dissertations, including the resubmission process. These policies usually outline the number of allowable attempts and the timeframes associated with each resubmission. Consulting your university’s official research degree regulations is crucial for understanding your specific limitations — the binding document is normally the “research degree examination regulations” held by your doctoral college or graduate school, not the general student handbook.
Programme and department regulations
Individual programmes and departments within a university might further refine the university-wide policies. They may set stricter limits on resubmissions or establish additional requirements for students seeking a second submission. Reviewing your programme’s handbook or directly contacting your programme coordinator is essential to ascertain specific programme-level regulations. Knowing your candidature deadlines matters here too; our guide on when a dissertation is due during your PhD programme explains how submission windows and maximum registration periods interact with a resubmission clock.
The nature of the revisions required
The examiner’s feedback plays a significant role in determining the possibility of resubmission. If the required revisions are minor and can be addressed readily, then a resubmission is likely to be permitted. However, if the feedback reveals fundamental flaws or necessitates substantial rewriting, additional resubmissions might not be an option, and the examiners may instead recommend a lower award.
Why a dissertation is referred for resubmission
Examiners do not refer a thesis lightly — it creates work for them too, since they must re-read and often re-examine. Referral usually reflects one or more substantive gaps rather than presentation problems. The most common reasons include:
- The original contribution to knowledge is not clearly articulated or not convincingly evidenced.
- Methodological weaknesses that undermine the validity of the findings — sampling, analysis, or design flaws the examiners cannot overlook.
- An underdeveloped or out-of-date literature review that fails to situate the work in the field.
- Analysis that describes results without interpreting them or linking them back to the research questions.
- Conclusions that overreach the data, or that do not draw the chapters together into a coherent argument.
- Significant structural problems that make the doctoral argument hard to follow across chapters.
Notice that these are problems of substance and argument, not typos. If your feedback is dominated by structural and argumentative issues, it is worth revisiting how a doctoral thesis is built from the ground up; our walkthrough on how to write a PhD thesis covers chapter logic and the through-line examiners look for, while our general guide to how to write a dissertation is a useful refresher on structuring an extended argument.
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The resubmission process, step by step
Here’s a general overview of the typical resubmission process:
Receiving feedback
After the viva, the examiners produce a joint report and a list of required changes. This feedback usually highlights strengths and weaknesses, outlining the specific areas that must be improved for the dissertation to reach doctoral standard. Read it carefully and, crucially, in full — the formal requirements are the things you are graded against on resubmission, not your own interpretation of the viva conversation.
Determining next steps
Based on the examiners’ report, the university confirms whether a resubmission is allowed and on what terms — including the deadline, the fee, and whether a second viva will be required. This decision is ratified by the research degrees committee, so the formal outcome letter is the document that governs your next 12 months, not the verbal feedback at the end of the viva.
Addressing the feedback
If allowed, the student meticulously addresses the examiners’ concerns, incorporating necessary changes and revisions into the dissertation. This often involves working closely with their supervisor to ensure the revised dissertation meets the required standards. Your supervisor cannot examine the work, but they can advise on whether your revisions genuinely answer the examiners’ points — which is why an open, structured working relationship with them matters enormously at this stage.
Resubmitting the dissertation
Once revisions are complete, the student resubmits the dissertation within the stipulated timeframe. This resubmission may involve additional fees or administrative procedures, and almost always requires a separate document — a “response to examiners” — that maps each change to the corresponding point in their report.
Re-evaluation
The examiners re-evaluate the revised dissertation to assess if the required changes have been adequately addressed and if the dissertation meets the required quality standards for doctoral candidacy. Depending on what your outcome letter specified, this may be a desk-based review of the new manuscript or a second viva voce focused on the revised material.
The resubmission response document
The single most important artefact you produce on resubmission is the response-to-examiners document. Examiners are re-reading a thesis they already know; what they want is a clear map showing where and how you have addressed every point. A strong response table lists each examiner requirement, what you changed, and where to find it. The format below is the standard that re-examiners expect.
| Examiner requirement | Action taken | Location in revised thesis |
|---|---|---|
| Clarify the original contribution | Added an explicit contributions section and re-framed the abstract and introduction | Ch. 1, §1.4 (pp. 8–11); Abstract |
| Address sampling bias in the methodology | Acknowledged limitation, added sensitivity analysis, re-ran results on the restricted sample | Ch. 3, §3.6; Ch. 5, §5.2 |
| Update the literature review (2022–24 sources) | Integrated 18 recent studies and revised the synthesis | Ch. 2, §2.3–2.5 |
| Strengthen interpretation of findings | Rewrote discussion to link each finding to the research questions | Ch. 6 (rewritten) |
Resubmission vs corrections: don’t confuse them
Candidates frequently conflate a resubmission with major corrections because both involve substantial work. The distinction is decisive, because it changes whether your degree is already secure. The list below sets out the practical differences — this is a comparison to be clear-eyed about, not a checklist of things to tick off.
- Status of the degree: after corrections you have already passed; on resubmission the result is still open.
- Re-examination: corrections are signed off by the internal examiner or chair; a resubmission is formally re-examined, sometimes with a second viva.
- Time allowed: corrections run weeks to six months; resubmission typically gives 12 months.
- Fees: corrections are usually free; resubmission normally carries a re-examination fee.
- Scope: corrections fix specific points in a passing thesis; resubmission may require new analysis, restructuring, or fresh argument.
How the resubmission timeline works
A typical UK resubmission unfolds across roughly a year, and it pays to plan it backwards from the deadline. The figure below maps the standard path from viva outcome to re-award.
Fees, funding and registration during resubmission
A resubmission has financial and administrative consequences that catch candidates out. Most universities charge a re-examination fee — commonly in the region of £150–£300 — separate from any tuition. If you are in your “writing-up” or continuation period you may pay a reduced continuation fee while you revise. Funded students should check with their funder promptly: many stipends will already have ended by the viva, and a resubmission period is rarely covered, so you should budget for an unfunded year of part-time revision alongside other commitments. International students must also confirm the visa implications of remaining registered, as a resubmission can extend your required registration.
How to give yourself the best chance second time
The candidates who pass on resubmission treat the examiners’ report as a specification, not a suggestion. The practices below consistently separate successful resubmissions from failed ones:
- Translate the report into a numbered list of discrete, checkable requirements before you write anything.
- Address every point explicitly, even the ones you disagree with — where you disagree, argue the case in the response document rather than ignoring it.
- Build the response-to-examiners table early and keep it updated as you revise, so nothing is missed.
- Have your supervisor read the revised thesis against the original report, not on its own merits.
- Don’t quietly introduce new claims or data the examiners didn’t ask for unless they directly serve a required change.
- Proofread the final manuscript as rigorously as the first — a clean resubmission signals you took the process seriously.
Above all, do not let the morale hit stall your momentum. A referral is the examiners saying the doctorate is within reach — they would have recommended an MPhil or a fail otherwise. With a structured plan, honest engagement with the feedback, and good supervisory support, the overwhelming majority of resubmitted theses are awarded the PhD.
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