University Calendar 2015/16
Section V : Higher Degree Regulations
Regulations for members of staff in candidature for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy



PREFACE
CONTENTS
SEMESTERS
SECTION I
SECTION II
SECTION III
SECTION IV
SECTION V
SECTION VI
SECTION VII
SECTION VIII
SECTION IX
SECTION X
SECTION XI
SECTION XII
SECTION XIII
SECTION XIV
 
ARCHIVE 2009/10
1. With the approval of the Faculty Programmes Committee a member of staff may be admitted to staff candidature for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Staff candidature requires either submission by published works as set out in paragraphs 2 to 7 below, or submission by thesis as set out in paragraph 8 below.
   
Submission by Published Work
 
2. A member of staff wishing to submit by published work should have an established expertise in his or her academic discipline. A curriculum vitae, setting out evidence of such expertise, should be submitted to the Faculty Programmes Committee for approval. Once approved, paragraphs 3 to 7 below shall apply.
3. A staff candidate may submit published work provided that:
  1. the published work is broadly comparable to a PhD thesis (that is, it is evidently the result of sustained work normally in a single field to which it makes an original contribution); the work demonstrates that it meets the criteria for the award of a PhD as set out in paragraph 5 of the University's Code of Practice for Research Candidature and Supervision and that a substantial and important part of the work submitted has been carried out by the candidate since he or she joined the staff of the University;

  2. if the candidate incorporates material which has been produced in collaboration with others, a written statement is included indicating the share the candidate personally took in the work;

  3. the published material is bound together with an abstract and a statement of the candidate's aims and of the nature of the research indicating the contributions to it of the works submitted. Where published papers from different sources are included, the candidate must provide a separate introduction which links the material, places it in the context of other work in the field, and demonstrates the nature and extent of his or her original contribution. A separate conclusion should also be provided that summarises the main results and conclusions and that may also discuss possible future directions for continuing research in the area. If the published work is already in book form, the abstract and supporting statement must be bound.
4. Each candidate will not be allocated a supervisor but will be allocated an academic mentor who will provide informal guidance during the preparation of the candidate's published work for submission.
5. By the time of submission, a staff candidate must have:
  1. been registered as a part-time candidate for at least three months, and
  2. served as a member of staff for a period of not less than 36 months.
6. Two external examiners and one internal examiner shall be appointed for a staff candidate submitting by published work. A viva voce (oral) examination will also take place. The examiners may recommend the award of a PhD or, if they conclude that the criteria set out in paragraph 5 of the University's Code of Practice for Research Candidature and Supervision have not been met, they may recommend the award of an MPhil. The criteria for an MPhil are set out in paragraph 7 of the University's Code of Practice for Research Candidature and Supervision.
7. A staff candidate submitting for a PhD by published works is not liable for supervision fees but shall pay an examination fee at the time of submission as provided in the Fees Regulations.
   
Submission by Thesis
   
8. A member of staff wishing to submit a thesis in candidature for MPhil or PhD by means of the 'standard' MPhil/PhD route must apply to the Faculty Graduate School directorate for candidature under the MPhil/PhD regulations. Standard regulations for higher degree candidature will apply in such cases. This will normally include a requirement to register initially for MPhil and complete relevant procedures for upgrading to PhD candidature. Members of staff registered under these regulations will be liable for standard UK supervision fees at the part-time rate. Faculty approval for staff candidature via the ‘standard’ MPhil/PhD route must take into account the staff member’s existing workload.
   
   

Revision History
No revisions for 2005/06
Minor revisions for 2006/07
No revisions for 2007/08
No revisions for 2008/9
No revisions for 2009/10
Revisions approved by UPC in July 2011
Reviewed in July 2012; no changes made
Amendments approved by UPC in May 2013 and by Senate in June 2013
Reviewed and revised in 2013/14 – amendments approved by AQSC 19 February 2014 and Senate 18 June 2014
Reviewed in July 2015; no changes made




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Last reviewed: 11-Aug-2015
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