Submission of Your Thesis
The deadline for submitting your two bound thesis copies is noon on the second Friday in September in Trinity Term. 
However, you should aim to submit the application forms for viva to the Faculty at least 3-6 weeks before the submission. The only proper recipient is the Research Degree Office at the Examination Schools (not the Manor Road or the St Cross Buildings).
The thesis must state the number of words to the nearest hundred, and the number so stated must be within the prescribed word limit. There must be an abstract of the thesis, of about 300 words. At the end of the process, successful DPhil theses must be submitted to the Bodleian Library and a digital copy should be deposited in the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA). Students for the MPhil are not required to submit copies to the Bodleian, but if they wish to do so they should contact the Research Degree Office for further information about how to proceed.
There is a summary of key regulations applicable to all examinations.
Details of the Faculty’s Format for Theses can be found on p42 of the Graduate Research Students Handbook. Please note that some requirements related to the formatting, such as referencing style and attachments that are developed for students in legal studies are not mandatory for CSLS students. You can choose to comply with the Social Science style and presentation requirements.
Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) and Digital Publication of Theses
The University of Oxford is committed to the widest dissemination of research theses produced by its graduate students. The Oxford University Research Archive (ORA) is an online archive of research output including theses created in fulfilment of Oxford awards, produced by graduate students at the University of Oxford.
DPhil, MLitt and MPhil by Research
All students following the DPhil, MLitt or MPhil by Research who registered from 1 October 2007 onwards are required to deposit a hardbound and a digital copy of their thesis with the Bodleian Libraries. Please be aware that this is a condition for award of the degree and it is enforced. The digital copy should be deposited into ORA after Leave to Supplicate (LTS) has been granted. Students who commenced these degrees before October 2007 must deposit a hardbound copy but may also optionally submit a digital copy.
ORA provides maximum visibility and digital preservation for Oxford digital theses. Students should read the important information about the deposit of, and access to, digital theses, which includes:
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Legal requirements (including funder mandates) and author responsibilities
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When to deposit the digital copy of your thesis
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How to deposit the digital copy of your thesis.
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Options for open and embargoed access.Theses, or parts of theses, can be embargoed for reasons such as sensitive content, material that would affect commercial interests, pre-publication or legal reasons
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Information about file formats, fonts and file sizes
Copyright of the thesis usually rests with the author: this does not change when depositing your thesis in ORA. The author does not give away any rights to the Oxford University Research Archive or to the Bodleian Libraries. However, students should read the information on third party copyright.
Students are strongly encouraged to ascertain and arrange permissions for inclusion and distribution of material via the Internet where copyright is held by a third party at the point that the items are gathered. This is similar to the process used when writing a journal article or monograph. A ‘Record of Permissions’ template has been created to assist with this process.
Further information or queries about depositing digital theses should be addressed to ORA@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.
MPhil in Socio-Legal Research
Students following the MPhil in Law or in Socio-Legal Research are invited to deposit a digital copy of their thesis voluntarily, in addition to the deposit of a hardbound copy. The digital copy should be deposited in the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA).