THE DIRECT ANSWER
What the university requires before your defence.
For the GSNS process, register and get approval for the title page at least 2½ months before defence. Enter library and communications information six weeks before, then submit printed copies plus the final PDF and cover three weeks before.
PUBLISHED DEADLINES
Work backwards from the first binding deadline.
Important: the timed steps on this page are specific to Utrecht’s Graduate School of Natural Sciences. Other Utrecht graduate schools can use different workflows or requirements.
120 days before
Obtain supervisor approval
A practical Utrecht guide advises beginning formal approval at least four months before the intended defence.
Read the official source ↗ UU: Beginning to end112 days before
Request a provisional defence date
After supervisor approval, ask the Beadle’s Office to assign a provisional defence date.
Read the official source ↗ UU: Beginning to end75 days before
Register and approve the title page
The GSNS checklist says to register the title page and reverse in MyPhD at least 2½ months before defence and obtain Beadle approval using the prescribed model.
Read the official source ↗ UU: Your PhD from start to finish42 days before
Submit Library and communications information
The GSNS checklist asks candidates to record University Library and Communications & Marketing information in MyPhD at least six weeks before defence.
Read the official source ↗ UU: Your PhD from start to finish21 days before
Give copies and final PDF to recipients
The GSNS checklist calls for printed copies to the Beadle and Examination Committee and the final PDF and cover—as sent to the printer—to MyPhD for the University Library.
Read the official source ↗ UU: Your PhD from start to finish28 days before
Check ceremony requirements
Review your graduate school’s MyPhD process, thesis requirements and ceremony protocol.
Read the official source ↗ UU: Your PhD from start to finishTHESIS PRINTING
At Utrecht GSNS, print after assessment and title-page approval.
The GSNS guide says to send the thesis to print when the Assessment Committee has approved the manuscript and the title page is approved. The final PDF and cover uploaded to MyPhD should be the same version you sent to the printer.
Use the printed-copy deadline as the deadline for delivery—not as the date to send an unapproved PDF to a printer. Leave time for a proof, corrections and delivery.
Read the thesis printing guide →FILES AND APPROVALS
Prepare these before the final weeks.
This is a practical completion list from the linked university guidance. Keep each approved item alongside its final print and digital versions.
Supervisor approval
Start the formal approval sequence at least four months before the intended defence, per graduate-school guidance.
MyPhD tasks
Treat the MyPhD workflow as your personalised administrative source of truth.
Required components
Check your CV, committee composition, summaries and title translations with your graduate school.
Beadle-approved title page
Register the title page and reverse in MyPhD against the current model before sending anything to print.
Library and communications data
Enter the requested Library and Communications & Marketing information in MyPhD at least six weeks before the defence, where the GSNS process applies.
Final library PDF and cover
Upload the final PDF and cover—the same version sent to the printer—to MyPhD three weeks before the defence, where the GSNS process applies.
Ceremony protocol
Read the current instructions before organising attire, guests and the defence-day schedule.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Answers from the published process.
Where do I manage administrative steps?
Utrecht states that thesis-submission administration runs through MyPhD under the Doctoral Degree Regulations.
What belongs in an English thesis?
The Graduate School of Natural Sciences guidance highlights a CV, committee composition, and a Dutch summary and title translation for theses written in English.
Is the ceremony highly formal?
Yes. Utrecht’s guidance notes prescribed clothing, speech and action sequences; check your graduate school’s current ceremony protocol.
When does the title page need Beadle approval?
The Graduate School of Natural Sciences checklist says to register the title page and reverse in MyPhD at least 2½ months before the defence, using the models shown there, and obtain Beadle approval.
When may I send the thesis to the printer?
The GSNS guide says this happens once the manuscript has been approved by the Assessment Committee and the title page is also approved.
What happens three weeks before the defence?
The GSNS checklist calls for printed copies to the Beadle and Examination Committee, the final PDF and cover in MyPhD for the Library, and an introductory meeting with the committee chair.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Check the current university instructions.
Last checked: 22 September 2026. Administration runs through MyPhD; consult your graduate school for the exact process. The source pages below are the authority if this guide and a local instruction differ.
UU: Beginning to end ↗UU: Your PhD from start to finish ↗View the complete PhDHelp university guide →