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Research Degrees in the Department for Continuing Education

  • [Students are advised to look at the most recent edition of the Examination Regulations for information on current requirements.]

  • 1. Governance

Research degrees under the Continuing Education Strategic Management Board shall be under the supervision of the Graduate Studies Committee of the Department for Continuing Education. 

  • 2. Admission

    Students will normally be admitted as Probationer Research students. Students may be admitted to one of the subjects listed in the Schedule for D.Phil. below or, exceptionally, under Council Regulations 15 of 2002 (see 7. below).  Students are admitted to study on a part-time basis only.

    3. Attendance Requirements

    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 unless individually dispensed by the Board.

    4. Transfer to D.Phil. Status

    • (a) Candidates are required to undergo a transfer process before they are admitted to D.Phil. status. The purpose and process are laid out in the General Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, section 3.

      (b) Applications for transfer must be accompanied by such material as is detailed in the conventions for each programme.

      (c) The Board may give leave to the assessors to request additional evidence.

  • 5.  Confirmation of Status

    • (a)  Candidates are required to undergo a confirmation of status process to demonstrate that work on their thesis is progressing satisfactorily and that the proposed timetable leading to submission is achievable. The process is laid out in the General Regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, section 4.

      (b)  Applications for confirmation must be accompanied by such material as is detailed in the conventions for each programme.

      (c) The Board may give leave to the assessors to request additional evidence.

  • 6. The Continuing Education Strategic Management Board may approve a transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Science by Research or of Master of Letters, as appropriate, to those candidates who:

    • (a) Have been unsuccessful in their application to transfer or confirm status or;

    • (b) Request to transfer status from PRS to D.Phil., or;

    • (c) Fail to satisfy the examiners in the examination for a D.Phil., but satisfy the examiners in the requirements for the lesser award.

  • 7. Thesis

    Maximum thesis lengths for D.Phil. and MLitt/MSc(Res) are detailed in the Schedule below. Any thesis exceeding the word count as defined in the conventions for the subject is liable to be rejected on that ground. In exceptional cases the Board may give leave to exceed the limit by a stated amount.

  • 8. Integrated thesis route for the D.Phil. in Archaeology

A thesis for the DPhil in Archaeology may be accepted for examination if it consists of a minimum of three papers of publishable quality, framed by an introduction, a literature survey, and a conclusion. Such a body of work shall be deemed acceptable provided it represents a coherent and focused body of work. 

Candidates intending to submit an integrated thesis should indicate this when applying for Transfer of Status. Candidates should normally submit a formal case between applying for Transfer and Confirmation of Status. The case must be supported by their supervisor and the programme director, and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (Research). If a candidate subsequently wishes to revert to a standard thesis format, they should apply with support of their supervisor and the programme director, to the Director of Graduate Studies (Research).   

The thesis may include co-authored papers where the greater part of the work should be directly attributable to the candidate, and their supervisor and co-author(s) so certify. Statements outlining the student’s contribution to each paper should be submitted with the applications for Confirmation of Status. This statement must be supported with a contributors’ agreement for each publication or letters from co-authors. 

The standard word limit regulations apply for the integrated thesis route. 

Further guidance can be found in the DPhil student handbook. 

  • 9. Candidates admitted exceptionally under Council Regulations 15 of 2002 shall be subject to the provisions of (1.) - (6.) above. Material required will be as for the D.Phil. in Sustainable Urban Development unless otherwise notified by the Continuing Education Strategic Management Board on admission.

Schedule

D.Phil.

The Continuing Education Strategic Management Board may admit students to read for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the following subjects

Archaeology (thesis up to 80,000 words)

Architectural History (thesis up to 100,000 words)

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (thesis up to 50,000 words)

English Local History (thesis up to 100,000 words)

Evidence-Based Health Care (thesis up to 50,000 words)

Literature and Arts (thesis up to 100,000 words)

Sustainable Urban Development (thesis up to 100,000 words)

MLitt

The Continuing Education Strategic Management Board may award the degree of Master of Letters in the following subjects

Archaeology (thesis up to 40,000 words)

Architectural History (thesis up to 50,000 words)

English Local History (thesis up to 50,000 words)

Literature and Arts (thesis up to 50,000 words)

Sustainable Urban Development (thesis up to 50,000 words)

MSc(Res)

The Continuing Education Strategic Management Board may award the degree of Master of Science by Research in the following subjects

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (thesis up to 30,000 words)

Evidence-Based Health Care (thesis up to 30,000 words)