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Preliminary Examination

Setup & Submission

Submitting your thesis for examination is a coordinated, synchronized process between you, your Graduate Program, and SGPS. All preliminary graduate thesis examination workflows at Western are managed electronically through the Veritas thesis examination platform.

Important to know

Initiating the Process

To officially kick off your examination timeline, two synchronized actions must take place within Veritas, Western’s thesis examination platform:

Your Graduate Program must submit a Thesis Examination Request to SGPS via the GradNet Administrator Portal.
You (the Candidate) must submit your thesis manuscript and any supplemental materials via the Graduate Student Web Services Portal.

Required Timelines & Deadlines

To kick off your examination, both your program's request form and your preliminary thesis manuscript must be submitted within strict SGPS policy windows:

Master’s Programs

At least 4 working weeks prior to your scheduled examination date

Doctoral Programs

At least 6 working weeks prior to your scheduled examination date

Important: Do not wait until the deadline date to begin. Discuss your proposed examination date with your supervisor and Graduate Program Assistant (GPA) well in advance to ensure all paperwork is ready.

Candidate Step-by-Step Submission Guide

Follow these steps in the Veritas portal to submit your manuscript for preliminary evaluation:

Step 1: Access Veritas	Log in to the Graduate Student Web Services Portal and select Veritas from the Main Menu
Step 2: Initialize your Submission	If your program has already submitted the Exam Request, proceed directly to uploading your files. If your program has not yet submitted the Exam Request, select "Begin Submission" to start setting up your thesis details ahead of time.
Step 3: Enter Details & Upload Files	Select your Thesis Format and provide your Thesis Title. Upload your primary manuscript file (.pdf, .doc or .rtf) and any supplemental files that are necessary for review of your thesis. File limit: Individual files must not exceed 100MB.
Step 4: Final Review & Confirmation	Carefully review all uploaded files to confirm formatting and completeness. Ensure all signatures, phone numbers, and email addresses are removed or redacted. Approve the statement and select "Submit My Thesis for Preliminary Examination".

What Happens Next?

Once submitted, your manuscript enters preliminary examination:

Tracking Your Status: You can return to the Veritas Thesis Examination Portal at any time to monitor the real-time progress of your examination.
Examiner Deadlines: Your examiners are required to independently submit their confidential preliminary evaluation reports to SGPS at least five working days before your scheduled exam date, voting on whether the thesis is structurally ready to move to an oral defense.
Managing Minor Delays: If the five-day window passes without an update, do not panic. Faculty members occasionally submit late reports due to scheduling conflicts; administrative delays are normal and are never an indication of a poor evaluation.
Approval & Dashboard Unlock: Once all evaluations are logged and a majority of your board deems the thesis acceptable, you will receive an automated confirmation email from SGPS, and Veritas will fully unlock your official defense dashboard (showing your confirmed time, date, and format).