General Regulations Governing Research Degrees: Part 4 Residence and other Requirements of Probationer Research Students

1. A full-time Probationer Research Student who has been admitted under the provisions of the preceding sub-section shall normally keep statutory residence and pursue their course of study at Oxford during the period in which they hold the status of Probationer Research Student. Time spent outside Oxford during term as part of an academic programme approved by Council shall count towards residence for the purpose of this clause.

2. A board may, on application from a candidate, and with the support of their college and supervisor, grant dispensation from such residence in exceptional circumstances, on the grounds that it is necessary to the student's work that they should be allowed to study at some other place than Oxford.

3. Part-time students holding the status of Probationer Research Student shall in each case be required to pursue their course of study for a minimum of four terms, and a maximum of eight terms, prior to an application for transfer of status, save that students who have completed the requirements for the Degrees of Master of Studies or Master of Science (by Coursework) by part-time study may, with the permission of the board or other relevant body, apply for transfer of status after three terms. Part-time students shall not be required to keep statutory residence, but must attend for such instruction as the board or other relevant body shall require, subject to the approval of the Education Committee. No student may apply to the relevant faculty board or other body for the appointment of examiners unless their supervisor has certified that the student has fulfilled the requirements for part-time students laid down by the board or other relevant body.

4. Any student may, with the permission of the board, alter the subject of research approved by the board, provided that the conditions of suitability set out in Part 2, cl. 1 of this section continue to be met. In such cases the date of the student's admission for all the purposes of this section shall remain unchanged, unless the board shall determine otherwise.

6. A candidate whose first application for transfer to D.Phil. status is not approved shall be permitted to make one further application, following the procedures laid down in clauses 1-4 above, and shall be granted an extension of time for one term if this is necessary for the purposes of making the application.

7. Subject to the approval of the student's college and the responsible divisional board or the CE Board as appropriate, and for good cause, a full-time student may be permitted to hold the status of PRS (prior to the first application for transfer of status) for a further one or two terms, and a part-time student for a further one to four terms. A first application for transfer of status must have been submitted and assessed within the six term limit of PRS status. Any application outside those limits (other than in clause 6 above) must be approved by or on behalf of Education Committee.

8. A Probationer Research Student (other than a student to whom cl. 9 and 10 in this section apply) shall cease to hold such status if:

• (i)

  • (a) they shall not have gained admission to another status within four terms of admission as a full-time student to the status of Probationer Research Student, or within eight terms for a part-time student, and

  • (b) they have not been given approval under clause 6 above to hold Probationer Research Student status for a further one or two terms as a full-time student or one to four terms as a part-time student;

• (ii) they have failed to gain admission to either doctoral status or to the status of the applicable lower degree after the two transfer applications allowed under clause 7 above;

• (iii) the board concerned shall in accordance with provisions set down in Part 5 clause 2 of this section, and after consultation with the student’s college and supervisor, have deprived the student of such status.

9. For a full-time Probationer Research Student registered on a doctoral training programme listed in the special regulations for the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences and the Medical Sciences Division. Found in the ‘Research Degrees in the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division’ and ‘Research Degrees in the Medical Sciences Division’ sections, the maximum number of terms for which they may hold that status is specified in the special regulations.

10. A Probationer Research Student registered on a Doctoral Training Centre Programme or the Doctoral Training Partnership Programme shall cease to hold such status if:

• (i)

  • (a) they shall not have gained admission to another status within the number of terms specified in the special regulations for that programme and

  • (b) they have not been given approval as specified in the special regulations or under clause 7 above to hold Probationer Research Student status for a further one or two terms as a full-time student or one to four terms as a part-time student;

• (ii) they have failed to gain admission to either doctoral status or to the status of the applicable lower degree after the two transfer applications allowed under clause 7 above;

• (iii) the board concerned shall in accordance with provisions set down in and after consultation with the student’s college and supervisor, have deprived the student of such status.