Theses predating 2010 might only be held in the Library collection as a hard copy. They can be scanned by our Digitisation Service to produce an electronic version on request. This service is free of charge and details on how to request are below.
From 2010, the University of Birmingham accepted electronic deposit of theses to the UBIRA eTheses repository alongside a physical hard copy thesis. From 2024, theses have been deposited in electronic form only.
University of Birmingham alumni: requesting digitisation of your own thesis
University of Birmingham alumni may request digitisation of their own thesis held in hard copy by the Library for any reason.
If the Library holds a hard copy of your thesis and you wish to have a digital copy created, please locate your thesis on the FindIt@Bham online catalogue. Use the information from the catalogue to fill in our form for alumni.
As part of the request process, we will ask you for your permission to add your full thesis text to the UBIRA eTheses repository. We strongly encourage adding your thesis to the repository in order to:
- increase the visibility of your thesis and research.
- contribute to the creation of knowledge and promotion of research transparency.
- expand the online research archive.
All University of Birmingham theses are protected by copyright and making your thesis available through the repository does not affect your rights as the author.
If you agree to add your thesis to the repository
- We will create a record for your thesis with a permanent URI and the full text of your thesis available for download.
- We will also supply you with a copy of the scanned thesis text.
If you decline to make the full text of your thesis available from the repository
- We will create a record for your thesis with a permanent URI but only make the bibliographic metadata for your thesis available.
- We will supply a copy of the scanned thesis text directly to you only.
- A copy of the scanned thesis text will be retained by Library Services for preservation purposes, but will not be added to the repository record.
All users: requesting digitisation of someone else's thesis
Any library user, including members of the public, may request digitisation of a University of Birmingham thesis held by the Library in hardcopy only, for their individual use, for the purposes of non-commercial research or private study.
If the Library holds a hard copy of the thesis you want to access and you wish to have a digital copy created, please locate the thesis on the FindIt@Bham online catalogue. Use the information from the catalogue record to fill in our form.
- Please note that restrictions apply to theses digitised for individual use: please read the copyright declaration on the form carefully and ensure that you will comply with the conditions before making the request for digitisation.
Theses requested through this route must be requested by the individual user and cannot be supplied to an intermediary or third party, including Inter Library Loan services.
Other queries
Current students
If you are a current student looking to deposit your thesis to the UBIRA eTheses repository or are enquiring about your electronic thesis, please see Thesis guidance.
Accessing existing electronic theses
If you are enquiring about an existing electronic thesis, please see the UBIRA eTheses repository or email the Scholarly Communications Services team for assistance.
Consulting a hard copy thesis
If you wish to consult a hard copy thesis held by Library Services in person on site at the University’s Main Library, please see:
Theses held at other institutions
Please see:
Contact us
Further queries, please contact Scholarly Communications Services at ubira@lists.bham.ac.uk.