Departmental guidelines for submitting

your MA/MRes dissertation.

If you have a suggestion for a question, please email cgentry (non Essex users add @essex.ac.uk). Please remember to
back up your work regularly.

When is the dissertation deadline?

Unless a deadline has been agreed between the student and then University/Department the
deadline is Monday 15th September 2014.

What sized line spacing/margins should I use?

Line spacing should be set at 1.5 and the margins at 2.5cm.

Which font should I use?

Times New Roman, font size 12 is usually the preferred choice.

How many copies of my dissertation do I need to submit?

You need to upload an electronic copy of your dissertation onto FASer by 12 noon on the day of the
deadline. Once watermarked you need to print and submit two bound hard copies (with a third if
you wish to donate a copy to The Spicer Library) to the departmental administration office (4.305) by
4pm on the day of the deadline. Our office hours will be 11-12.30 and 2pm to 3pm Monday to Friday
during the vacation except the day of the dissertation deadline when we will be open from 9.45am12.30 and 2-4pm.
Remember to bring your registration card.
Please do not bind in the green Dissertation cover sheet, as it will need to be removed for internal
use later on. You can get coversheets from outside the departmental office (next to the
postgraduate notice board) or from just inside the departmental office.

How do I Submit my dissertation to FASer?

It is the same process as when you did your assignments for the Autumn and Spring terms.
Visit the Feedback Assessment Submission electronic repository (FASer) help page for more
information.

How to upload a file

FASer FAQ's

Watermarking usually happens very quickly, but during busy times it can take slightly longer. Always
leave yourself enough time to get your file watermarked and printed off; otherwise you might miss
your deadline.

What if FASer has disrupted my formatting?

If the FASer has disrupted your formatting (i.e. page numbering, symbols etc) try uploading it as a
PDF document if that doesn't work then simply provide one Word version of your dissertation along
with one watermarked copy.
If you do have to submit a plain un-watermarked copy please indicate on the front what one is the
non-watermarked version.

Can I upload my dissertation more than once?

Yes - if it is not your final version however mark it as a "draft".
If you do have to upload more than one version of your dissertation to FASer be sure to give them
alternative titles so you can differentiate between them. The last dissertation you upload will be the
one we accept as the final version of your dissertation.

What if I have forgotten to modify something?

If you have submitted a hard copy of your dissertation already to the departmental office and wish
to add further documentation at a later date (before the deadline) then you can submit more than
one version on FASer. We accept the last uploaded copy on FASer as your final version - however
you will have to name your replacement document differently so it is not confused with earlier
versions. You will need to reprint / watermark the document with the amendments and notify the
staff member who assists you on the helpdesk that you are replacing your original copy with the
modified version.

What is included in the word count?

The title page, abstract, acknowledgements, index, footnotes, appendices and bibliographies/ list of
references are not included in your word count - just the main body of text.

What if my watermarked copy is not ready to print by the deadline?

If you have given yourself sufficient time to upload/watermark and print your dissertation this
should not be an issue. However, if you have uploaded your dissertation before 12pm and the
watermarked copy is not ready by the deadline of 4pm then you will need to see a member of
departmental office staff to discuss the situation further. As stated above, if there is an influx of
students using the FASer at the same time it can cause delays of up to an hour and sometimes there
are technical issues beyond our control.

How do I bind my dissertation?

The Copy Centre (on Square 4) comb-bind and heat-bind dissertations.
A Colchester campus map to show its location is available here.

Can I submit from my home country?

Yes you can submit your dissertation from your home country.
1. Take at least two dissertation cover sheets from the departmental office before you return
home.
2. Follow the instructions for uploading and watermarking your dissertation on FASer (above).
3. Send the documents Recorded Delivery from your home country. To avoid any penalties
please obtain Proof of Postage when sending your package and ensure that you post your
dissertation on [or prior to] the date and time of the deadline as we take the postmark as
proof of submission.
The address for postage is as follows:
Catherine Gentry
Graduate Administrator
Department of Language & Linguistics
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
Essex, CO4 3SQ.

Ive forgotten to take some coversheets home with me what should I do?
Please email your administrator who will arrange an electronic version of the form for you.

I am not going to submit on time, what should I do?

Speak to your supervisor and read the following extract from the PGT Handbook.
Dissertations: Submission date and late submission
The departmental deadline for submission of Masters Dissertations is 12 noon on Monday 15th
September 2014 via FASER, two hard copies to the departmental office by 4pm the same day. Failure
to submit the dissertation by the dissertation deadline will result in a mark of zero. If students are
unable to meet the deadline, for example due to health problems, they must contact their
department before the submission deadline to discuss the possibility of getting a short extension. The
department can grant an extension of up to one month depending on the circumstances presented
by the student; you should speak with your supervisor and have a supporting statement from them
and medical documentation if applicable (if you have extenuating circumstances as well you may
want to speak to the Graduate Administrator). Dissertation Extensions need to be submitted to the
department before the 9th September 2014 so the department can consider all cases on the 10th
September 2014. Extensions beyond a month must go to the Dean for approval of a formal extension
of their candidature (Please come and discuss this with the Graduate Administrator in the
Departmental Administration Office, 4.305, an electronic form would need to be completed via ESF),
but you should be aware that if extensions beyond a month apply, students may become liable for
additional fees and would not have their degree confirmed at the Exam Board in November. This is
because if you submit later than October you will need to obtain a partial registration via the
Registry.

When will I find out my final results?

The final exam board is provisionally scheduled for Wednesday 19th November 2014. Results will
normally be published two working days after the Examination Board has met, although there can
sometimes be delays owing to the volume of results being processed or if the Board of Examiners
has met on a Friday. You will be notified by the university by email when you can access your results
online.

I need an interim transcript or a document confirming I am still a student;

please can you provide me with one?
To obtain an official interim transcript or a letter confirming you are still a student, you will need to
order these documents via the Student Documentation Ordering System https://www.essex.ac.uk/studentdocs/ this will have the official University of Essex stamp on.