Regulation 2D: Research Degrees

Contents

1. Definitions

2. Admission

3. Registration

4. Programmes for Higher Degrees by Research

5. Responsibilities of Supervisors

6. Doctoral Progression

7. Time-Limit

8. Satisfactory Work During Each Academic Year

9. Student Health

10. Examinations for Research Degrees

11. Award

12. Intellectual Property Rights



1. Definitions

This Regulation should be read and interpreted in conjunction with the Code of Practice on Postgraduate Research Degrees, with which all research students are required to comply.

Oral Examination: An examination attended by the student and the examiners the purpose of which shall be as defined by Senate from time to time.

Programme of Study: A programme of research, supported by research training, the topic of which has been confirmed at the time of registration with the University, pursued by a student either individually or as part of a group or team, and which is designed to lead to the submission of a thesis or other work in accordance with the provisions of these regulations.

Any reference in these regulations to Senate shall be deemed to include a reference to any committee of Senate designated by Senate for the purpose.

Any reference in these regulations to the Director of Planning and Academic Administration, Head of School, Research Institue Director or other named officer of the University shall be deemed to include a reference to any person designated by that officer for the purpose.

2. Admission

2.1 Any student admitted to research degree study under these regulations shall be required as a minimum to: either

       a) be a graduate of this or any other University approved for this purpose with First or Second Class Honours; or

       b) For Doctorate in Medicine (DM) programme only: be holders of the M.B.Ch.B, or M.B.B.S. degrees awarded by a British University or equivalent; or

       c) be any other person whose qualifications and/or experience are deemed by the Senate to be acceptable. Persons accepted under this subclause may be required to take a qualifying examination; or

       d) have successfully completed Part 1 of a Professional/Taught Doctorate at Keele or any other University approved for the purpose by Senate.

3. Registration

3.1 Students are required to register with the University within one week of commencing study. Students must re-register in each session by a date to be determined by the Director of Planning and Academic Administration.

3.2 Students who withdraw or allow registration to lapse before completion of the programme of study shall not be allowed to re-register except by permission of the Senate and under such conditions as Senate may specify.

4. Programmes for Higher Degrees by Research

4.1 Students are required to pursue an approved programme of research study under the supervision of a supervisory team which shall include a Lead Supervisor and at least one other team member, for the following minimum periods:

M.S., M.Phil. 12 calendar months;

M.D., Ph.D. 24 calendar months.

Masters level (FHEQ Level 7) 12 months full-time, 24 months part-time

Doctoral level (FHEQ Level 8) 24 months full-time, 48 months part-time

4.2 In exceptional circumstances, the Senate may approve the submission of a thesis at a time earlier than the above minimum.

4.3 Students undertaking higher degrees by research shall be required to undertake a programme of formal research training, in the form of accredited modules of approved research training. Students will be required to pass a minimum number of credits prior to submission of their thesis and, in the case of doctoral students, a proportion of these must have been passed prior to doctoral progression. A proportion of such credits shall be generic training and a proportion subject-specific training. The Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise may approve exemptions from this requirement where appropriate, on the recommendation of the Head of School or Research Institute Director.

4.4 The credit value for any module shall be determined by reference to a common currency whereby one unit of credit represents the typical outcome of 10 hours of study. All research training modules shall have a credit value which is a multiple of 5, with a minimum credit value of 5 credits.

4.5 All modules which are proposed as research training modules shall require approval by the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise and the Graduate School Board. All such modules will be available to any research student who wishes to take it as part of their research training programme. No module so approved shall be amended or withdrawn without the permission of the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Enterprise. Students may where appropriate take modules not designated as research training modules in fulfilment of their subject-specific training requirements

5. Responsibilities of Supervisors

5.1 The responsibilities and duties of supervisors shall be as prescribed by Senate from time to time and as set out in the Code of Practice on Postgraduate Research Degrees.

It should also be noted that there is an increasing requirement to ensure that supervisors comply with any relevant external codes of practice in relation to research governance. Different codes and practices apply in different circumstances, so it is not possible to specify a code with which all supervisors should comply. However, it is important that where appropriate Keele supervisors are compliant. It is therefore recommended that the Code of Practice incorporate the requirement that supervisors make themselves aware of any external codes of practice or guidance in relation to research governance applicable to their fields of research supervision, and ensure that they comply with such codes as appropriate.

6. Doctoral Progression

6.1 Research Institutes shall have in place procedures for reviewing a doctoral student’s suitability for doctoral study, such review normally to take place no later than 10 months full-time study (or equivalent for part-time). Prior to doctoral progression students must have passed at least 40 credits of approved research training, including both generic and subject-specific training

6.2 Departments may recommend to Research Degrees Committee that:

       • The student is suitable for doctoral study and may progress

       • The student is not suitable for doctoral study, but is suitable for masters level (FHEQ Level 7) study and should now be required to prepare a thesis for submission for a research masters degree

       • The student is not yet suitable for progression and, following review, has been given a programme of work to complete over a period not exceeding 2 months, after which period the RI will confirm the appropriate final outcome

       • The student is unlikely to successfully complete a research degree and should be required to withdraw

6.3 Students dissatisfied with the decision of Research Degrees Committee may appeal in accordance with the provisions of section 12 below.

7. Time-Limit

7.1 A thesis for a higher degree by research must normally be submitted no later than the following periods after initial registration:

Masters level (FHEQ Level 7): 24 months full-time, 48 months part-time

Doctoral level (FHEQ Level 8): 48 months full-time, 96 months part-time

This represents 1 year (PT 2 years) for masters plus 1 year (PT 2 years) continuation.

This represents 3 years (PT 6 years) for doctoral plus 1 year (PT 2 years) continuation.

7.2 In case of illness or other special circumstance, the Senate may at its discretion, on receipt of an application from the Department’s Postgraduate Research Student Committee justifying the request, extend the period within which a thesis must be submitted. In considering any such case the Senate may take account of any conditions of sponsorship with which the student is required to comply. Any extension will not normally exceed one calendar year.

It should be noted that a return to restricted timescales will require a return to the policy where if a student has a period of approved leave of absence, this will automatically extend the final date for submission by an equivalent period.

8. Satisfactory Work During Each Academic Year

8.1 Any student who persistently fails to maintain a satisfactory standard of work may be required by the Senate to withdraw from the University at any stage in the research programme.

8.2 Persistent failure to maintain a satisfactory standard of work shall include the following situations:

i) failure to maintain a satisfactory standard of work for at least four calendar weeks from the date of despatch of a warning to a student;

ii) dangerous and/or unsatisfactory professional performance;

iii) failure to pass or be deemed to have fulfilled the requirements for any assessment which the student is required to undertake as part of the programme of study;

iv) failure to maintain and demonstrate active study;

Formal procedures relating to warnings and recommendations for withdrawal are set out in the Code of Practice on Postgraduate Research Degrees.

9. Student Health

9.1 Students must be in an adequate state of physical and mental health to enable them to continue with their studies. If there is sufficient evidence that ill health will prevent a student from satisfactorily completing his/her studies, the University may at any time require the student to undertake a full medical examination by a qualified medical practitioner of the University’s choice, and, if appropriate, and on the recommendation of the medical practitioner, require a student to suspend or curtail his/her studies. Such a suspended student shall be permitted to resume his/her studies at a time deemed appropriate by the University Medical Officer, and only on a recommendation by a qualified medical practitioner, that he/she is fit to continue with his/her studies.

10. Examinations for Research Degrees

10.1 Masters Degrees

       10.1.1 The final examination shall be on the basis of a thesis. However, it is a pre-requisite for submission of the thesis that the student has already passed at least 20 credits of approved research training of which 10 credits shall be generic training and 10 credits subject-specific training.

            10.1.1.1 A student shall be required to submit a thesis:

                  a) the length of which shall be no more than 60,000 words or the equivalent and which in the case of the MS shall be an account of research in a clinical area; or

                  b) in the case of a student who has successfully completed Part 1 of a Professional Doctorate the length of which shall be no more than 20,000 words or the equivalent.

       10.1.2 Alternatively:

            10.1.2.1 In musical composition a student is required to submit a folio of original compositions, in the form of scores or in the case of electronic music, recordings (or equivalent) on appropriate media, as approved by the Head of Department at the start of the programme of study. In both cases a written introduction is also required.

            10.1.2.2 In visual arts, a student may, as approved by the Head of Department at the start of the programme of study, submit all three of the following:

                  a) a body of creative work which has been documented and recorded by means appropriate for the purposes of examination and eventual deposit in the University Library;

                  b) an accompanying thesis of no more than 30,000 words showing clear evidence of academic competence and awareness of the current critical context in which the creative work has been produced;

                  c) a selection of work, referred to under (a), suitable for exhibition.

10.2 Doctoral Degrees

       10.2.1 The final examination shall be on the basis of a thesis. However, it is a pre-requisite for submission of the thesis that the student has already passed at least 60 credits of approved research training of which at least 20 credits shall be generic training and at least 20 credits subject-specific training.

            10.2.1.1 A student shall be required to submit a thesis the length of which shall be no more than 100,000 words or the equivalent and which, in the case of MD, shall be an account of research in a clinical area.

       10.2.2 Alternatively:

            10.2.2.1 in the case of musical composition, the student shall, as approved by the Head of Department at the start of the programme of study, submit a folio of compositions and/or pieces of electronic music recorded on appropriate media. In each case, an appropriate written introduction must be provided giving information about background and aesthetic and technical concerns. A folio may take one of two forms: either

                  a) several compositions of which at least three shall be considered substantial by the examiners by virtue of content and duration; or

                  b) a single large-scale work.

            10.2.2.2 in the case of visual arts a student may submit, as approved by the Head of Department at the start of the programme of study, all three of the following:

                  a) a substantial body of creative work which has been documented and recorded by means appropriate for the purposes of examination and eventual deposit in the University Library;

                  b) an accompanying thesis of no more than 50,000 words;

                  c) a selection of work, referred to under (a), suitable for exhibition

10.3 All levels of Award

       10.3.1 All students shall be required to attend an oral examination.

       10.3.2 The thesis must be written in English except that in language subjects it may, at the discretion of the supervisor, be in the language concerned.

       10.3.3 The thesis must be the students own account of his/her research and must be accompanied by such declaration to this effect as Senate may require. Any breach of this regulation may result in an allegation of academic misconduct under the terms of Regulation 8.

       10.3.4 Every copy of a thesis submitted must be accompanied by an abstract not exceeding 300words.

       10.3.5 The greater portion of the thesis must have been undertaken subsequent to the initial registration of the student. Any work undertaken earlier must be so acknowledged.

       10.3.6 Students shall submit these in such form and such manner as shall be determined by Senate from time to time.

       10.3.7 Any thesis previously submitted to Keele or any other university may not normally be re-submitted, except as part of re-examination. However, a student may incorporate in a thesis work which has already been part of a thesis submitted for a higher degree in this or any other university, provided that this is clearly indicated in the thesis and on the form of entry and in the thesis.

       10.3.8 Before the degree is awarded the candidate must lodge a copy of the thesis with the University Library, bound in a manner prescribed by the Library, which will be the property of the University. The candidate shall also, unless previously agreed, provide an electronic copy of the thesis to the Library in an approved format.

11. Award

11.1 The Senate shall appoint two or more examiners, at least one of whom shall be external, and an independent chair of viva for each candidate for a higher degree by research.

11.2 Where the candidate for the higher degree is also a member of Keele academic staff, there shall be two external examiners.

11.3 The examiners shall recommend to Senate either that:

       i) the student be awarded the degree for which he/she has made a submission; or

       ii) the student be awarded the degree for which he/she has made a submission once revisions have been made to the thesis to the satisfaction of the examiner(s); or

       iii) although the required standard for the award for which the student has submitted has not been met, the submission is of sufficient merit to justify the student being permitted to re-present the thesis and to submit to a further oral examination within two years from the date of the decision at the relevant meeting of Senate; or

       iv) the student should be approved for a Masters level (FHEQ Level 7) award, not a Doctoral level (FHEQ Level 8) award;

       v) the required standard for a doctoral level award has not been met, and the submission is of insufficient merit to justify the award of a doctoral degree. However, the student should be permitted to re-present the thesis for the award of a Masters degree, and to submit to a further oral examination, within two calendar years from the date of the decision at the relevant meeting of Senate; or

       vi) the student should be not awarded any degree nor be permitted to re-present the thesis, nor submit to any further examination.

       vii) the examiners are unable to come to a joint recommendation and an additional examiner or examiners should be appointed whose decision shall resolve the matter.

12. Intellectual Property Rights

12.1 Keele University owns any Intellectual Property arising from the student’s studies for a research degree at the University. Research students are required to comply with the arrangements for ownership and management of intellectual property rights as set out in the Code of Practice on Postgraduate Research Degrees.