Research Degrees in Politics and International Relations
Differences from 2018/19 to 2023/24
(See also the general notice at the commencement of these regulations. The current edition of the relevant Student Handbook contains an elaborated version of these regulations.)
Candidates1. withGovernance
The ProbationerDPhils Researchin StudentPolitics status,and unlessthe orDPhil untilin theyInternational haveRelations enteredshall uponbe anotherunder status,the or have been otherwise dispensed from some or allsupervision of the following requirements by the relevant Graduate Studies Committee, of the Department of Politics and International Relations.
2. Attendance requirements
The DPhil programmes shall be offered on a full-time and part-time basis. Full-time students are required to undertakemeet the workresidence requirements set out belowin during§6 of the firstGeneral Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Part-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 Graduate Studies Committee.
3. Transfer to MLitt or DPhil status
1Students will normally be admitted as Probationer Research Students.AStudentsfirstwill normally be expected to achieve Transfer of Status in their third or fourth term after admission (or in their sixth to eighth term after admission for part-yeartimestudentstudents).shall
Applications should be submitted to the Graduate Studies Administrator and will comprise the following:-
(i)
satisfactorilyPolitics-
(a)
completea completed transfer of status form;Either two copies of:
(b) a proposed schedule of work;
(c) a paragraph statement describing the project;
(d) a research design of between 4,000 to 6,000 words maximum;
(e) written work relevant to the thesis of between 5,000 to 7,000 words maximum.Or for students following the three paper route:
(b) a submissions of a research design for one paper;
(c) a document setting out the article-isation of the project and previewing the whole thesis;
(d) an introduction to all of the proposed papers and explanation of their academic relationship;
(e) a literature review;
(f) a timetable for completion.
(ii) International Relations
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(a) a completed transfer of status form;
Either two copies of:
(b) a short outline of the thesis topic including the title and chapter headings;
(c) a proposed schedule of work;
(c) a draft introduction of between 4,000 to 6,000 words maximum;
(d) a draft chapter of the thesis of between 5,000 to 7,000 words maximum.Or for students following the three paper route:
(b) a submissions of a research design for one paper;
(c) a document setting out the article-isation of the project and previewing the whole thesis;
(d) an introduction to all of the proposed papers and explanation of their academic relationship;
(e) a literature review;
(f) a timetable for completion.All students must also provide evidence of the satisfactory completion of a course of lectures, seminars, and classes, as
determinedset out in therelevantInternational Relations Student Handbook and supplemented by his or her supervisor; (ii), and satisfactorily complete a course of research methods training, asdeterminedset out in therelevantInternational Relations Student Handbook and supplemented by his or her supervisor and/or by therelevantInternational Relations Director of Research Training.
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2.FullApplicationsdetails of the timings fortransfersubmissionsfromandProbationerrequirementsResearchforStudentthestatusTransfertoofD.Phil.StatusorapplicationM.Litt. status mustcan besubmitted in accordance with the requirementsfound in the relevant Student Handbook.Applicants in their fourth and final term of Probationer Status must submit their completed application including all written work not later than 5 p.m. on the Friday of sixth week of that term, except in Trinity Term when the accompanying written work must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on 15 September. Students unable to meet these deadlines may apply for up to two terms of deferral of transfer of status. In addition to satisfying the above requirements (i) and (ii), the transfer of status application must include two copies of an outline of the proposed research topic and two copies of the written work-all as specified in the relevant Student Handbook.
TherelevantGraduate Studies Committee will appoint two assessors.Uponwhoreceivingwill read thereportwork,ofinterview theassessors,student and submit a recommendation to theGCScommittee in a written report. The Graduate Studies Committee will then decide whethertoTransferapproveof Status will be approved.- A student whose first application for Transfer of Status is not approved (including where the
transfer.outcomeInistheacase of applicationsrecommendation to transfer toDPhil status wherethecommitteeMLitt)doesisnotpermittedsotoapprove,makeitonemayfurtherauthoriseapplication and will be granted an extension of one termin(ororderup toallowtwo terms for part-time students) to Probationer Research Student status if necessary. If after a second attempt, thecandidateGraduate Studies Committee can neither approve transfer toresubmitthe DPhil or to the MLitt, the student will be removed from the Register of Graduate Students.
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34. Applications for confirmationConfirmation of D.Phil.Status
Students statuswill mustnormally be submittedexpected into accordanceachieve withConfirmation theof requirementsStatus inby theno relevantlater Student handbook. Applicants inthan their ninth term mustafter submitadmission (or in their eighteenth term after admission for part-time students). Students admitted directly to DPhil status having completed applicationthe includingfull-time allMPhil writtenin workPolitics notor laterInternational thanRelations 5must p.m.achieve Confirmation of Status by the end of their tenth term (fourteenth term for part-time students) as a graduate student, inclusive of the time spent on the Fridayfull-time ofMPhil sixthdegree.
Applications week of that term, except in Trinity when the accompanying written work mustshould be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on 15 September. Students unable to meetthe theseGraduate deadlinesStudies mayAdministrator applyand forwill upcomprise tothe threefollowing:
-
(i)
termsPolitics-
(a)
ofadeferral of confirmation of D.Phil. status. Thecompleted confirmation of statusapplication must include twoform;Two copies of:
(b) a statement of the
writtenthesisworktitle and chapter headings;
(c) a draft introduction;
(d) two additional chapters (or two draft papers for students following the three paper route) intended to form part of the final thesis.The combined introduction and the two chapters should not exceed 30,000 words.
(ii) International Relations
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(a) a completed confirmation of status form;
Two copies of:
(b) a statement of the thesis title and chapter headings;
(c) a draft introduction;
(d) two additional chapters (or two draft papers for students following the three paper route) intended to form part of the final thesis;The combined introduction and the two chapters should not exceed 30,000 words.
(e) a self-assessment
allreportasofspecifiedprogress of no more than 300 words.Full details of the timings for submissions and requirements for Confirmation of Status application can be found in the relevant Student Handbook.
The
relevantGraduate Studies Committee will appoint two assessors.Uponwhoreceivingwill read thereportwork,ofinterview theassessors,student and submit a recommendation to theGSCcommittee in a written report. The Graduate Studies Committee will then decide whetherto approve confirmationConfirmation ofDStatus will be approved.Phil.A
status.studentInwhose first application for Confirmation of Status is not approved is permitted to make one further application, normally within one term (two terms for part-time students) of thecaseoriginalof applications to confirm D.Phil. status where the committee does not so approveapplication,itandmaywillauthorisegranted an extension of one termin order to allow the candidate to resubmit. 4.Students admitted directly to D.Phil. status having completed an Oxford M.Phil. and whose M.Phil. thesis was in the same broad field as the D.Phil. research proposal must confirm D.Phil. status within ten terms as a graduate student, inclusive of time spent on the M.Phil. Applications for confirmation of D.Phil. status must be submitted in accordance with the requirements of the relevant Student Handbook. Applicants in their tenth term must submit the completed application including all written work not later than 5 p.m. on the Friday of the sixth week of that term, except in Trinity Term when the accompanying written work must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. on 15 September. Students unable to meet these deadlines may apply for(up to two termsoffordeferralpart-time students) if necessary. If after the second attempt the DPhil Committee can neither approve the application nor approve transfer to the MLitt, the student will be removed from the Register ofconfirmationGraduate Students.
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5. Theses
Theses for the Degree of D.Phil.DPhil status.which Theexceed confirmation100,000 words and theses for the Degree of statusMLitt applicationwhich mustexceed include50,000 twowords, copiesexcluding the bibliography, are liable to be rejected unless students have, with the support of thetheir writtensupervisors, workbeen - allgranted aspermission specifiedto inexceed the relevantword Studentlimit Handbook.by The relevantthe Graduate Studies Committee will appoint two assessors. UponThese receivingfigures theare reportmaxima ofand thestudents assessors,are theadvised GSCthat willmany thensuccessful decidetheses whetherhave tobeen approve significantly confirmation of D.Phil. status. In the case of applications to confirm D.Phil. status where the committee does not approve, it may authorise an extension of time in order to allow the candidate to resubmitshorter.
5. Though not in itself sufficient qualification for students wishing to advance to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status, the successful completion of the M.Sc. in Politics Research or the M.Sc. in Political Theory Research may serve in place of 1. (i) and (ii) above, and material submitted as part of the requirements for the M.Sc. may also be used in the transfer application.
6. Three paper route
A D.Phil. thesis may be accepted for examination if it consists of a minimum of three academic papers of publishable quality, framed by an introduction, a survey of literature and a conclusion. Such a body of work shall be deemed acceptable provided it represents a coherent and focused body of research, addressing one overarching research question. Current overall word limits and conditions are detailed in the D.Phil. Student Handbook. Candidates wishing to proceed in this manner must be approved at the time of TransferConfirmation of statusStatus.
If, after a petition is accepted, a candidate wishes to revert to a standard D.Phil. thesis format, the candidate must lodge a petition with his or her supervisor to be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies, showing good cause for the change.