Research Degrees in the Blavatnik School of Government

1. AdmissionsGovernance

ApplicantsThe DPhil in Public Policy shall be required to satisfyunder the Graduatesupervision Studiesof the DPhil Committee of the Blavatnik School of Government that they have:

• (a) a good 2.1 (or equivalent) undergraduate degree;

• (b) a relevant Master’s degree or other advanced degree, and normally passed with a mark of at least 70 per cent or an equivalent level of distinction both for the thesis and the overall degree;

• (c) for students whose first language is not English, have met the higher level of the University’s English language requirements; and that they are:

• (d) well-suited to undertake research at doctoral level.

2. TransferAttendance requirements

The DPhil in Public Policy shall be offered on a full-time and part-time basis. Full-time students are required to D.Philmeet the residence requirements set out in §6 of the General Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. statusPart-time research students are required to attend for a minimum of thirty days of university-based work each year, to be arranged with the agreement of their supervisor, for the period that their names remain on the Register of Graduate Students unless individually dispensed by the DPhil Committee.

3. Transfer of Status

Students will normally be admitted as Probationer Research Students. Applications for Transfer of Status should be submitted to the Graduate StudiesDPhil Committee of the Blavatnik School of Government nonot later than the end of Trinityweek full8 of their third term after(or their sixth term in the Michaelmascase Termof inpart-time which they were admittedstudents). An extension of one term (i.e.two toterms thefor endpart-time of the Michaelmas full term in the year after the student was admittedstudents) may be granted in exceptional circumstances. Should students be admitted in other terms, submission should take place by the endDPhil of the third term after admission, with the possibility of an extension for a further one termCommittee in exceptional circumstances.

The student will be required to show that the research already accomplished shows promise of the ability to produce a satisfactory D.Phil. For this purpose, applicationsApplications will comprise the following:

• (a) a completed transfer of status form. If a student intends to submit an article-based thesis, signed by the candidatestudent’s supervisor andshould anindicate appropriatesupport officerfor ofthis on the candidate’sapplication collegeform;

• (b) confirmation from the candidatestudent’s supervisor that such courses as the candidatestudent has been required to undertake have been satisfactorily completed;

• (c) two typewritten or word-processed copies in typescript of:

  • i. a brief, single paragraph summary of the project, including information on methodological and theoretical approach.;

  • (d)ii. two copies in typescript of a research proposal of no more than 4,000 – 6,000 words. This should consist of:

    • i. a short description of the project, including the research question and a provisional list of chapter headings;

    • ii. a brief account of the relevant literature, and an account of how the research question and data analysis fit into it;

    • iii. an account of the proposed research methods including (a) data sources (for theoretical theses this should be a list of books and articles), (b) proposals for data handling, (c) proposals for data analysis, and (d) an account of how the proposed research and analysis are envisaged to bear on the question posed;

    • iv. a tentative timetable for the research;

  • (eeither) two copies in typescript of a draft chapter (for example the literature review) of between 5,000 and 7,000 words; 

  • or, if submitting an article-based thesis, a draft of the introduction, of between 5,000 and 7,000 words.

Full details of requirements can be found in the course handbook.

The applicationDPhil Committee will be considered byappoint two assessors appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Blavatnik School of Government. The panelwho will read the work, interview the candidatestudent and makesubmit a recommendation to the committee in a written report.

 The committeeDPhil Committee will then decide inwhether the lightTransfer of theStatus assessors’will reportbe whetherapproved.

A tostudent grantwhose thefirst application. Infor casesTransfer of Status is not approved (including where the committeeoutcome is nota satisfiedrecommendation that theto transfer to D.Phil.the statusMLitt) shouldis permitted to make one further application and will be allowed, it may either (a) approve admission to M.Litt. status or (b) approvegranted an extension of one term (or two terms for part-time in orderstudents) to allowProbationer Research Student status if necessary. If after a second attempt, the candidateDPhil Committee can neither approve transfer to carrythe outDPhil further research and make revisionsor to his/her proposal and to resubmit it at a later date (but before the PRS status period expires). The committee may request additional written work (such as a revised research proposal or revised literature review) or other evidenceMLitt, and/or appoint an additional assessor, and/or state that the student shouldwill be re-examinedremoved from the Register of Graduate Students.

34. Confirmation of status

ApplicationApplications for Confirmation of D.Phil.DPhil status should normally be madesubmitted notto the DPhil Committee no earlier than the sixth term and no later than the seventhninth term from admission as a researchProbationer student.Research NoStudent candidate(or mayno submitearlier a thesis forthan the doctoraltwelfth degreeterm withoutand havingno firstlater obtained confirmed doctoral status. Any student who does not confirm bythan the endeighteenth term in the case of theirpart-time ninth term will be required to apply for deferral of confirmation of status and, in exceptional circumstances, may be allowed up to three terms for this purposestudents).

The student will be required to show that the research already accomplished shows promise of the ability to produce a satisfactory D.Phil. Applications should be submitted to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Blavatnik School of Government and will comprise the following:

• (a) a completed confirmation of status application form. signedIf bya student intends to submit an article-based thesis, the candidatestudent’s supervisor andshould anindicate appropriatesupport officerfor ofthis on the candidate’sapplication collegeform;

• (b) two typewritten or word-processed copies in typescript of:

  • i. an abstract of the thesis (one side of A4 paper);

  • (c)ii. two copies in typescript of an outline structure of the thesis, consisting of chapter headings, and a brief statement of the intended content;

  • (d)iii. two copies in typescript of an outline timetable detailing what work has already been carried out and what activities are planned for the remaining stages;

  • (e)iv. two copies in typescript ofeither two completed draft chapters (other than the literature review) intended to form part of the final thesis;

    or, if submitting an article-based thesis, two of each of the following; a completed article, a second article in draft form, and the outline of a third article.

Full details of requirements can be found in the course handbook.

The applicationDPhil Committee will be considered by a specially constituted panel ofappoint two assessors appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Blavatnik School of Government. The panelwho will read the work, interview the candidatestudent and makesubmit a recommendation to the committee in a written report. The DPhil Committee will then decide whether Confirmation of Status will be approved.

IfA student whose first application for Confirmation of Status is not approved is permitted to make one further application, innormally thewithin lightone term (two terms for part-time students) of the assessors’original reportapplication, theand committeewill doesbe not consider that the candidate’s progress warrants confirmation of status, it may either (a) recommend resubmission of the application at a later date within the normal timetable (not later than six terms after admission to DPhil status) or (b) approvegranted an extension of D.Phil.one statusterm in(two order to allow timeterms for resubmissionpart-time ofstudents) if necessary. If after the second attempt the DPhil Committee can neither approve the application, or (c)nor approve transfer to M.Litt.the statusMLitt, or (d) reject the applicationstudent will be removed from the Register of Graduate Students.

45. ThesisTheses

TheDPhil D.Phil. thesistheses must not exceed 80100,000 words and MLitt theses must not exceed 50,000 thewords. The word limit tomust include the abstract, all notes and appendices but not the bibliography.

M.LittArticle-based thesis route

To submit an article-based thesis, the student must submit a case supported by their supervisor, to the DPhil Committee. thesesIf approved, the student’s supervisor should also indicate support on the Transfer of Status and Confirmation of Status application forms. Should a candidate subsequently wish to revert to the traditional-style thesis, they must submit a written application to the DPhil Committee, with the support of their supervisor, detailing the reasons for the change.

A DPhil thesis submitted under this rubric will consist of three articles of publishable quality, framed by an introduction, a literature review (which may be included as part of the introduction) and a conclusion. Such a body of work must address an overarching research question and represent a coherent and focused body of research. The article-based thesis may have only one co-authored article. In the case of a co-authored article, students must submit to the DPhil Committee a description of their contribution to the article and demonstrate that their work represents the majority contribution.

The article-based thesis must not exceed 50100,000 words, the limit to include the abstract, all notes and appendices but not the bibliographybibliographies. Further guidance can be found in the course handbook.