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General Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy: Part 4 Confirmation of Status
- 1. A candidate who has been admitted to the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy must, not later than the ninth term or normally earlier than the sixth term after that in which they were initially admitted to the status of a Probationer Research Student or to the status of a student for another higher degree of the University, or the eighteenth and twelfth terms respectively in the case of a part-time student, complete the assessment process prescribed by the relevant board for confirmation of their status as a D.Phil. Student. A board or committee may, for good reason, and with the support of the student's college, permit a candidate to defer for a maximum of three terms their application for confirmation of status. A student who has been admitted to the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy after successfully completing the requirements for the Degree of Master (or Bachelor) of Philosophy, or having held the status of Student for the M.Litt. or M.Sc. by Research, may be exempted by the board or committee concerned from the requirement for confirmation of status. With the exception of students who have been exempted under this provision, all Students for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy must have their status confirmed before making an application for the appointment of examiners.
- 2. Candidates applying for confirmation of their status shall submit their application to the board concerned, through the Registrar; and such applications shall be accompanied by:
- (i) a statement from the supervisor containing their view of the candidate's progress towards confirmation of status. A supervisor may delay an early application in the interests of the student, but must enable students to apply for their assessment within the prescribed time limits;
- (ii) a statement of support for the application from the candidate's society;
- (iii) a statement confirming that the student has successfully completed any required research integrity training.
- 3. Each faculty board shall, subject to the approval of the Education Committee, determine by regulation any other conditions which a student must fulfil before their status may be confirmed. The process of assessment must always include an interview with the candidate.
- 4. A candidate whose first application for confirmation of their status is not approved shall be permitted to make one further application following the procedures laid down in this section normally within one term of the original application, and shall be granted an extension of time for one term if this is necessary for the purposes of making the application.
- 5. A Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall cease to hold such status unless it has been confirmed within nine terms of their admission to that status (or within a maximum of twelve terms where deferral has been approved in accordance with cl. 1 above) in the case of a full-time student, or eighteen terms (or a maximum of twenty-four terms where deferral has been approved in accordance with cl. 1 above) in the case of a part-time student, in accordance with the provisions of this section.
- 6. If, after considering a candidate's second application for confirmation of status, a board concludes that the student's progress does not warrant this, the board may approve the candidate’s transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Science by Research or of Master of Letters, as appropriate.
- 7. The interview required under cl.3 of this section shall be held in Oxford in a suitable university or college building, unless in exceptional circumstances the board concerned gives special permission for it to be held at some other place. Such permission shall only be granted where the candidate and the assessors have agreed in writing to the proposed arrangements.
- 8. In exceptional circumstances, application may be made to the relevant board for special permission to hold the interview required under cl.3 of this section using audiovisual electronic communication. Special permission may be granted for any or all of the candidate and assessors to take part in the interview using audiovisual electronic communication. The board concerned may approve the application where:
- (i) it accepts that no alternative and timely arrangements may reasonably be put in place;
- (ii) the proposed arrangements are acceptable to the assessors and to the candidate, all of whom have agreed to them in writing;
- (iii) it is content to bear the additional cost of the necessary arrangements;
- (iv) the interview takes place according to the protocol approved by the Education Committee;
- (v) in the event of any technical or other problems, the validity of the process used to conduct the interview and to determine the outcome will be decided by the Proctors.
