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Your PhD Journey

Registration and enrolment

Whether you begin your PhD programme with our main cohort in September or at a later point in the academic year, you will re-enrol online every September.

Initial registration will involve checking your documentation, enrolling online and obtaining your student ID card.

Induction

There are induction sessions arranged in September and again in January for our incoming PhD Researchers.   The Doctoral College Induction sessions will normally take place at your home campus shortly after initial registration.

The Doctoral College Induction is complemented by a ‘Local Induction’, which is arranged at the subject level. PhD researchers are required to attend these Induction sessions as important information relating to research study will be discussed. Induction also provides an opportunity to meet academic and administrative staff involved in research as well as other PhD researchers, both within your subject area and Faculty and also campus-wide.

Initial Assessment

All PhD and MPhil researchers will undergo a formal assessment of progress, arranged by your Unit of Assessment (UoA), known as the initial assessment, usually within four months of initial registration for full time researchers or within ten months for part time researchers.  You can initiate this process on PhD Manager.

Your subject handbooks will advise on the exact nature of the assessment and the requirements for your subject area.

As part of this process, you will be required to submit a Turnitin Originality Report along with your submission into PhD Manager.

Annual Report (May each year)

The Doctoral College will initiate the online reporting procedure for all PhD Researchers in April each year. Both you and your supervisory team will be asked to complete an annual report on PhD Manager detailing a summary of your progress to date. You should be aware that the report you submit will not be shared with your supervisors.

Your supervisors will also be asked to provide a recommendation, via PhD Manager, on whether or not you should progress to the next academic year.  If reports are not submitted they will be pursued by your Unit of Assessment and Doctoral College and progress to the next academic year may be delayed.

The Research Director will receive and consider all reports at the Annual Progress Board.  If the Research Director is also a member of your supervisory team, then your report will be considered by the Associate Dean of the Faculty.  The annual re-registration process will not normally be permitted until you have submitted your Annual Report.

Confirmation Assessment

All PhD and MPhil researchers will undergo a formal assessment of progress, known as the Confirmation Assessment, usually between 9 and 18 months for full time researchers or between 18 and 36 months for part time researchers. You can initiate this process on PhD Manager.

Your subject handbooks will advise on the exact nature of the assessment and the requirements for your subject area.

As part of this process, you will be required to submit a Turnitin Originality Report along with your submission into PhD Manager.

Final Assessment

To help prepare for your final submission and examination, you will undertake a final assessment of progress within thirty months (full-time) and sixty months (part-time) of initial registration. The format of this assessment will be detailed in the subject handbooks.

Notification of Intention to Submit

Within three months of your planned submission date, you should initiate the 'intention to submit' process in PhD Manager.  This allows your supervisors to nominate your Examination Panel in advance of your thesis submission.

Comprehensive guidance on the presentation of your thesis is available and should be consulted prior to submission.  Extensive guidance on submitting your thesis is also available.

Submission of Thesis

You should submit your thesis for examination before the end of your registration period.  This will normally be within three years for full time or six years for part time researchers.  Extensions of time are permitted and should be applied for in advance of your deadline if required.

Oral Examination (viva voce)

An oral examination is required to be held no less than four weeks from the date on which the Board of Examiners receives your thesis, and normally within three months of receipt of the submission.  The examination will usually be held at your home campus. Where the examination is to be held on another campus, your written consent must be provided prior to arranging the examination

PhD Manager will detail the date, time and venue of the oral examination once a date has been arranged by the Chair of the supervisory team.

Following the viva, you will be informed of the recommended outcome via PhD Manager and email.   Details of the possible examination outcomes can be found under the regulations for each degree programme.

Final Submission of Thesis and Graduation

Full guidelines are available on the submission of the final thesis post examination.  Theses are submitted online via PhD Manager.

On submission of final thesis and all relevant forms, you will be eligible for Graduation, provided you are not recorded on the University’s system as a ‘debtor’. You will be contacted by Registry regarding attendance at graduation and ticket allocation electronically via your University email account and it is therefore imperative that, following submission, you continue to check this account.