General Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy: Part 2 Status

1. The following may be admitted to the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy:

(i) a member of the University who, having held the status of Probationer Research Student under the provisions of the appropriate regulation, or having held the status of student for another higher degree within the University, or having completed the requirements for another higher degree within the University, has successfully completed the relevant qualifying test for entry to D.Phil. status prescribed in Part 3 of this section;

(ii) a member of the University who has been given leave to supplicate for the Degree of Master or Bachelor of Philosophy, or of Master of Science by Research, or of Master of Letters, provided that the subject of the thesis offered by the candidate in the examination for that degree shall be in the broad field of research proposed for the D.Phil.

2. It shall be the duty of the Registrar to keep a Register of those admitted to the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

3. A board may grant a student suspension from the Register or deprive a student of their status; and in such cases it shall at all times follow procedures determined by the Education Committee by regulation.

4. It shall be open to a candidate whose name has been removed from the Register of Students to apply to the Board for reinstatement as a Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The application should have the support of their society and supervisor, and such reinstatement fee as may from time to time be prescribed by Council should be paid. Permission for reinstatement to the Register of Students may be granted by the Board provided that:

(i) no more than twenty-four months have passed since the student’s name was removed from the Register; and

(ii) the number of terms the candidate spent with the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy did not exceed eighteen terms in the case of a full-time student, or twenty-seven terms in the case of a part-time student. (This limit includes any time spent with the status of Probationer Research Student or other relevant status before admission to the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.)

5. Exceptionally, a candidate who is not able to apply for reinstatement within the provisions above may make an application to Council’s Education Committee for reinstatement to the Register of Students. Such candidates must meet the requirements for reinstatement by the Board and in addition provide a statement explaining why it is reasonable for Education Committee to permit their reinstatement and outlining the circumstances that have prevented earlier submission. For such applications, Education Committee will consider the length of time since the candidate’s name was on the Register of Students, the seriousness of the causes for the delay, and the views of the candidate’s department/faculty, supervisor and college.