tic Research Degrees Committee The PhD Transfer Process Explained Keith A' Osman

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tic Research Degrees Committee The PhD Transfer
Process ExplainedKeith A. Osman
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Research Student Life-Cycle
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Contents

• What is the Transfer Process for?
• The Transfer Report
• The Transfer Viva
• Completing the UCE9T form
• PhD Proposal UCE9R
• TIC and UCE Approvals Processes
• Questions

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• What is the Transfer Process for?
• The Transfer Report
• The Transfer Viva
• Completing the UCE9T form
• PhD Proposal UCE9R
• TIC and UCE Approvals Processes
• Questions

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What is the Transfer Process for?

• Direct registration for PhD is possible only for
  those holding a RELEVANT Masters level
  qualification
• Otherwise initial registration is for MPhil then
  candidate can Transfer Registration to PhD
• All MPhil students are eligible for TRANSFER but
  
• Candidates must be able to demonstrate sufficient
  capability and progress with the MPhil Research
• The MPhil project must be capable of being
  extended to provide the novelty or
  contribution to knowledge required for PhD
• Occurs typ. 12-15 months into F/T MPhil, 18-24
  months P/T
• The Transfer Process is the sequence of steps
  which Candidates must follow before Transfer is
  approved by UCE Research degrees Committee

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The Transfer Process

• Candidate produces a Transfer Report
• Transfer Viva held at the tic
• UCE9T transfer form completed by tic
• Candidate completes new UCE9R Registration Form
  for the PhD programme
• TIC-RDC approves PhD proposal UCE9R
• UCE-RDC approves UCE9R at next meeting
• Transfer is in effect starting a new PhD
  programme with the MPhil research to date as
  background

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Regulation G7.1.1
7.1.1 A candidate registered initially for MPhil
who wishes to transfer to PhD shall be permitted
to apply to the RDC, on the appropriate form, for
approval of his/her application to transfer when
the Faculty is satisfied that he/she has made
sufficient progress on the work to provide
evidence of the development to PhD (normally
after about 9-15 months of full-time study or the
part-time equivalent). No application for
transfer shall be considered by the RDC until the
candidate has successfully completed an oral
examination.
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• What is the Transfer Process for?
• The Transfer Report
• The Transfer Viva
• Completing the UCE9T form
• PhD Proposal UCE9R
• TIC and UCE Approvals Processes
• Questions

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The Transfer Report

• Progress of MPhil research against the approved
  programme refer to MPhil UCE9R
• 6000 words maximum, diagrams, time-plans, etc
• Partly a historical review
• 70 Progress against MPhil objectives (refer to
  UCE9R)
• Include key results, publications, etc
• Partly forward looking
• 30 Proposed extension / expansion to PhD
• Clear identification of from where the required
  novelty will come
• Transfer Report should NOT outline the PhD
  programme is detail - new UCE9R form required

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The Transfer Report G 7.1.2
7.1.2 In support of the application, the
candidate shall prepare for the RDC a full
progress report on the work undertaken. The
progress report should be 3,000 to 6,000 words in
length and include (a) a brief review and
discussion of the work already undertaken
and (b) a statement of the intended further
work, including details of the original
contribution to knowledge which is likely to
emerge (c) references and (d) an abstract,
which should be identical to that required for
form 9T and should demonstrate clearly how the
original aims of the programme of work have been
met or exceeded (if they have not been met, an
explanation should be given).
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• What is the Transfer Process for?
• The Transfer Report
• The Transfer Viva
• Completing the UCE9T form
• PhD Proposal UCE9R
• TIC and UCE Approvals Processes
• Questions

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The Transfer Viva

• The Candidates opportunity to explain progress to
  date and justify transfer to PhD
• Panel of tic-RDC members plus invited technical
  specialists (if required) and Director of Studies
  
• Transfer report previously circulated to all
  Panel members and will have been scrutinised
• Typically 20-30 mins. presentation on progress
  30-mins questions from Panel
• Approval of Transfer Report and Recommendation to
  URDC that Transfer be approved
• Form UCE9T is completed by Panel members

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The Transfer Viva G7.1.3
7.1.3 A candidate shall be examined orally on
the progress of work to date, including progress
on any agreed programmes of related studies and
on the content of the transfer report. The
examiners shall be the candidates Director of
Studies of Supervisor and the Faculty Research
Degrees Co-ordinator or his/her nominee.
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• What is the Transfer Process for?
• The Transfer Report
• The Transfer Viva
• Completing the UCE9T form
• PhD Proposal UCE9R
• TIC and UCE Approvals Processes
• Questions

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Completing UCE9T

• Completed by Candidate, Supervisors and signed by
  RDC Chair and includes 6 sections
• Section 1 Candidate Details
• Section 2 Transfer Report from Candidate
  included or attached
• Section 3 Recommendation of Supervisors
• Section 4 Oral Assessment Details
• Section 5 Comments by Assessors on Oral Exam
• Section 6 Faculty Recommendation

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Form UCE9T
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Regulation G 7.1.4
7.1.4 On the examiners being satisfied that the
candidate has met the requirements for transfer
to PhD, the candidate and supervisor shall
complete the appropriate form. The transfer
application form, which shall include a report
from the supervisors and examiners, shall provide
sufficiently detailed comments to enable the RDC
to satisfy itself that the candidate has made
sufficient progress and that the proposed
programme provides a suitable basis for work at
PhD standard which the candidate is capable of
pursuing to completion.
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• What is the Transfer Process for?
• The Transfer Report
• The Transfer Viva
• Completing the UCE9T form
• PhD Proposal UCE9R
• TIC and UCE Approvals Processes
• Questions

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Preparing the UCE9R

• UCE9R captures the essence of your research
  programme.
• For transfer, the UCE9R must be stand-alone.
• Is the proposed Research technically valid, is it
  do-able are the necessary facilities
  /supervision accessible (tic RDC)
• Is the research methodology soundly based and is
  the PhD Research comparable with the generic PhD
  requirements of other Institutions? (UCE RDC
  Gate-Keeper of Quality and Student Entitlements
• UCE9R is the form which is used to explain and
  justify your proposed Programme of Research to
  tic RDC and UCE RDC

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Further Details

• For further details of completing the UCE9R,
  refer to Seminar on 13-Jan-2004 entitled
• Completing the UCE9R Registration Form

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Your Supervisory Team

• MPhil Supervisory Team may need to be amended for
  PhD
• Often this is done by adding a third supervisor
• The Team must have the necessary Technical
  knowledge and be available and willing
• The Team must also have experience of supervising
  PhD programmes to successful completion
• All Supervisors will have been or must agree to
  undertake the UCE Research Degree Supervisor
  Training programmes

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UCE9R Duration, Mode and Approvals
PhD Approval date
P/T realistic maximum is 20 hrs / week
Additional 1-2 yrs F/T Additional 2 4 P/T
Cannot do gt 1 Research Degree concurrently
All Supervisors must sign the form
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• What is the Transfer Process for?
• The Transfer Report
• The Transfer Viva
• Completing the UCE9T form
• PhD Proposal UCE9R
• TIC and UCE Approvals Processes
• Questions

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Review by tic RDC

• The tic RDC reviews the UCE9R after Transfer
  Report and Viva have been approved and UCE9T is
  completed
• Often a draft UCE9R is available at the Transfer
  Viva and this is very useful for the Panel
• Is the proposed research technically sound?
• Is the proposed research ethical? (new)
• Is the methodology appropriate and do-able?
• Are the Supervisors experienced at PhD level?
• When approved, Transfer Report, UCE9T, UCE9R and
  CVs are sent to AQS for next URDC

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Review by URDC

• The signed UCE9R is passed to AQS to be added to
  URDC agenda for next scheduled meeting
• Director of Studies (not student) is required to
  defend the research proposal at the meeting of
  URDC
• URDC members will have copies of the UCE9R and
  UCE9T so they will know it is a Transfer but they
  DO NOT see the full Transfer Report (filed with
  AQS)
• Reviewed by URDC as a stand-alone PhD proposal,
  but duration will be shorter than PhD Direct

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Outcomes

• URDC writes to the candidate, Supervisors and
  Faculty Research Coordinator informing them of
  the decision
• If URDC could not approve the proposal, the
  reasons are explained and appropriate guidance
  is provided Minor changes or omissions can be
  rectified and approved by URDC Chairs Action
• More significant modifications require
  re-submission after the identified problems have
  been rectified.
• Most Common Reasons for Rejection
• Too wordy, wooly, unfocussed research proposal
• Poorly explained context / aims / objectives
• Poorly defined Research Methodology
• Lack of letters from collaborators
• Inappropriate Supervision Team or missing / poor
  CVs

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