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General Regulations Governing Research Degrees: Part 7 Examination of Graduate Research Students

1. Regulations governing the content and length of theses

  • (i) Material for transfer or submission

  • Material submitted for transfer to, or for the award of, the degrees of M.Litt., M.Sc. by Research, and D.Phil., shall be wholly or substantially the result of work undertaken while the student holds the status of Probationer Research Student or the status of a student for the degree concerned, except that a candidate may make application for a dispensation from this requirement to the Education Committee.

  • (ii) Prior publication

  • Prior publication of material arising from research undertaken while holding the status of Probationer Research Student or the status of a student for the M.Litt., M.Sc. by Research, or D.Phil., is fully acceptable, but the inclusion of published papers within a thesis may be subject to special regulation by the board concerned. Candidates should note that the acceptance of such material for publication does not of itself constitute proof that the work is of sufficient quality or significance to merit the award of the degree concerned. This remains a judgement of the relevant board on the recommendation of its examiners.

  • (iii) Thesis length

  • If a thesis exceeds the permitted length, the board concerned may decline to appoint examiners or to forward the thesis to examiners already appointed, and may return it to the candidate for revision. If the examiners find that a thesis which has been forwarded to them exceeds the permitted length, they should report the fact to the relevant board and await further instructions before proceeding with the examination.

2. Preparation and submission of theses for the Degrees of M.Litt., M.Sc. by Research, and D.Phil.

  • (i) Text and footnotes 

    Candidates should note that the purpose of these regulations is not only to ease the task of the examiners (which is obviously in the candidates' interests), but also to ensure that the copy finally deposited in the Bodleian or other university library is of a standard of legibility which will allow it (subject to applicable copyright rules) to be photocopied or microfilmed if required in future years.

    The thesis must be word-processed with a margin of 3 to 3.5 cm on the left-hand edge of each page. The main text should be double-spaced with quotations and footnotes in single spacing. Double spacing should be taken to mean a distance of about 0.33 inch or 8 mm between successive lines of text.  Text should be typed using an easily readable font, with a minimum font size of 11 pt. Footnotes should be font size 10 pt. 

    Footnotes should normally be placed at the bottom of each page. Where they are given at the end of each chapter or at the end of the thesis, a separate pdf of footnotes should be uploaded to the Research Digital Thesis Submissions (RDTS) application under “Additional Materials”, for the convenience of the examiners.

    Candidates should carefully note the regulations concerning word limits which individual boards have made. In such cases, candidates should state the approximate number of words in their thesis.

    Theses must be submitted in English unless for exceptional reasons a board otherwise determines in the term in which the candidate is first admitted as a research student.

    The thesis must have an abstract included (see vii below), and the pages of the thesis must be numbered.

    (ii) Proof-reading

    Work submitted for examination must be solely the work of the candidate, except where otherwise clearly indicated.  It is not permitted for a student to ask or allow someone else to make material changes to their work, for example, by rewriting passages of text or rewriting formulae or code.  Failure to adhere to these regulations could constitute a breach of academic integrity and contravene the Proctors' Disciplinary Regulations for Candidates in Examination.

    Candidates are responsible for the proof-reading of their work.  Proof-reading by a third party is acceptable provided it constitutes no more than advice on the following: spelling and punctuation, formatting, grammar and syntax.  A third party may not be used to change the text of the thesis so as to clarify, develop or change the ideas and arguments, reduce the length of the thesis, provide help with referencing, correct information within the thesis, or translate the thesis into English.

    (iii) Examiners' copies 

    At the time of their examination, candidates must submit a digital pdf copy of their thesis via RTDS. Additional materials (footnotes, appendices, image files, etc.) should be saved within a single zip file and uploaded at the same time. The thesis may be subject to scanning by text-matching software.

    Fine Art candidates offering studio practice as part of their submission must submit, together with the written portion of their thesis, documentation in appropriate form of the exhibition or portfolio of works to be examined. Wherever possible, this documentation should be contained within the written portion of the thesis but can be uploaded as a separate file under “Additional Materials” if necessary. Where this is not possible, two copies of additional items should be submitted to the Research Degrees Team, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford OX1 4BG.

    Candidates are responsible for ensuring that their examiners have no difficulty in communicating with them. Any change in address or contact details since application for the appointment of examiners must be notified immediately to the Research Degrees Team (researchdegrees@admin.ox.ac.uk). 

    Examiners may request a soft-bound copy of the thesis from the Research Degrees Team. 

    (iv) Date of submission of examiners' copies 

    Candidates may submit the digital examination copy of their thesis, prepared as described above, at the same time as they apply for the appointment of their examiners. If they intend, however, to submit the examiners' copy at a later date, they will be required to state, at the time of their application for appointment of examiners, the date by which they will submit. This should be as soon as possible after the date of application and may in no case be later than the last day of the vacation immediately following the term in which application for the appointment of examiners has been made. In order for a thesis to be considered as having been submitted during a particular term, it must be submitted at the latest on the Saturday (in UK time) of the last week before the following Full Term. 

    (v) Library copies: binding and presentation 

    Once the board has granted a candidate leave to supplicate, they must submit an electronic version of their finalised thesis, as approved by the examiners, to the Oxford Research Archive. This should incorporate any corrections or amendments which the examiners may have requested of the candidate. The examiners must confirm in writing in their report to the board that any corrections required have been made. No corrections, changes or additions of any kind shall be made to the thesis after the board has granted a candidate leave to supplicate.

    Fine Art candidates offering studio practice as part of their submission must submit the written portion of their thesis electronically using the Oxford Research Archive together with documentation in appropriate form of their exhibition or portfolio of works. 

    Candidates should note that leave to supplicate is conditional upon receipt by the Oxford Research Archive of the electronic copy of this finalised thesis no later than by the end of the fifth day before the date of the degree ceremony booked by the candidate for conferral of their degree. Candidates may not proceed to take their degree until they have fulfilled this requirement.

  • Students who have been granted dispensation from consultation of their entire thesis (see (vi) below) should, in addition to the finalised copy of the thesis submitted to the Oxford Research Archive, submit a finalised hard copy of their thesis to the university by the means advertised on the University website for deposit in the relevant University library. 
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  • (vi) Dispensation from Consultation of Thesis (D.Phil, M.Litt. M.Sc. by Research)

    A candidate may apply to the relevant board for dispensation from consultation of thesis for all or part(s) of the hard copy and/or digital version of their thesis if a good reason is presented.  Applications should be submitted to the relevant board and should be supported by the student’s supervisor. If dispensation from consultation is granted, access to the hard copy and/or digital thesis will be restricted from the date of deposit, and will not be made available for consultation until the approved end date.

    In exceptional circumstances, a candidate’s supervisor may apply to the relevant board for dispensation from consultation of thesis, or an extension to an existing dispensation from consultation.  Every effort should first be made to consult the candidate on the proposed application. The board has the power to grant the supervisor’s request provided it is satisfied that the request is appropriate and relevant.

    (vii) Abstracts 

    The abstract of the thesis should concisely summarise its scope and principal arguments, in about 300 words. It should be placed within the thesis, generally immediately following the Table of Contents. When the examination is completed, the abstract should be included in the library copy of their thesis. 

    It should be noted that some boards have made regulations requiring the submission of more detailed abstracts in addition to the general requirement of an abstract not normally exceeding 300 words.

3. Conduct of Oral Examinations for the Degrees of M.Litt., M.Sc. by Research, and D.Phil.

  • (i) The oral examination 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 both the examiners have agreed in writing to the proposed arrangements. In the case of Fine Art candidates offering studio practice as part of their submission, where it does not take place in the presence of the exhibition or portfolio of works, the candidate's supervisor must arrange for the examiners to view this part of the submission prior to the commencement of the oral examination. It shall, except in special circumstances, begin not earlier than 9 a.m. nor later than 5 p.m. and may be held in term or vacation.

  • (ii) The examination may be attended by any member of the University in academic dress. No person who is not a member of the University may attend it except with the consent of both examiners. The relevant board may decide (either at its own discretion or at the request of the candidate or the supervisor or department) to forbid the attendance of any person or all persons (other than the examiners and the candidate) or to impose any condition on attendance if and to the extent that such action is in their view necessary to protect the interests of the University or the candidate or both, and the examiners shall be informed accordingly and shall include this information in the notice of examination.

  • (iii) The place and time of the examination shall be fixed by the examiners, who shall be responsible for informing the candidate of the arrangements made. It shall be the duty of candidates to ensure that any letter addressed to them at their college or any other address which they have given is forwarded to them if necessary. The examiners shall allow reasonable time for receiving an acknowledgement from the candidate of their summons.

  • (iv) Except as provided in clause (v) below, the day shall be fixed by the examiners to suit their convenience. So that candidates may know what arrangements for absence from Oxford they may safely make, the examiners shall inform candidates within a reasonable time of the date fixed.

  • (v) Candidates may apply to the board concerned for the oral examination to be held not later than a certain date, provided that this date shall not be earlier than four weeks after the date on which the thesis was uploaded to the RTDS or after the date on which the examiners have formally agreed to act, whichever is the later. If the board is satisfied that there are special circumstances justifying this application, it will ask the examiners to make arrangements to enable the oral examination to be held within the period specified. In such cases the examiners, when invited to act, will be informed that the candidate has asked that the oral examination should be held not later than a certain date, and acceptance of the invitation to examine will be on the understanding that they would seek to meet this request. If it is not practicable to meet the student's request, then the board shall decide how to proceed. 

  • If, for any reason, examiners wish to hold a viva within four weeks of receiving their copy of the thesis, a request should be sent to the relevant board which shall decide whether to grant it. The reasons for the request should be provided, along with an assurance that both examiners will have sufficient time to consider the thesis before the viva. The request shall only be granted where the candidate and both the examiners have agreed in writing to the proposed date of the viva. Requests for vivas to be held fewer than 14 days after receipt of the thesis by the examiners should only be granted in the most exceptional circumstances.

  • (vi) Notice of the examination shall be given in one of the following ways:

    • 1. It may be published in the University Gazette not later than the day before it is due to take place;

    • 2. Not later than two days before the examination the examiners may:

      • (a) inform the Submissions and Research Degrees Team in writing; and

      • (b) if the examination is to be held at a place other than the Examination Schools, post a notice at the place of the examination.

  • The notice shall state the name of the candidate, the subject of the thesis, the place, day, and hour of the examination, and the names of the examiners.

  • (vii) If, owing to illness or other urgent and unforeseen cause, an examiner is unable to attend the examination, it shall be postponed to a later date, provided that, if the Proctors are satisfied that postponement would be a serious hardship to the candidate, they may authorize another member of the board concerned to attend the examination as a substitute, but such substitute shall not be required to sign the report. The Proctors shall determine what payment, if any, the substitute examiner shall receive.

  • (viii) Candidates are strongly recommended to take a copy of their thesis to the examination. In the case of Fine Art candidates offering studio practice as part of their submission, where the oral examination is not taking place in the presence of the exhibition or portfolio of works, it is recommended they attend with the written portion of their thesis together with documentation of the work.

  • (ix) An oral examination shall normally be held in Oxford as prescribed in clause (i). In exceptional circumstances, application may be made to the relevant board for special permission to hold the examination using audiovisual electronic communication. Such circumstances will normally relate to the ability of the external examiner to take part in an Oxford-based oral examination, but in exceptional circumstances, special permission may be granted for any or all of the candidate and examiners to take part in the examination 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 both examiners 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 oral examination 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 oral examination and to determine the outcome will be decided by the Proctors.