Subject: Amendments to Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research (RHDR)
Origin: Dr B P Vale, Assistant Registrar, Research Student Office
On the recommendation of Research Committee, Ordinances and
Regulations invited to consider and, where appropriate, to recommend to Senate
amendments to the Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research.
All amendments are presented as Annex A.
Paragraphs 3 and 4, Research Students – Qualifications
These paragraphs still refer to the practice of enrolment
which was abandoned by the University many years ago. They also refer to qualifications and awarding bodies which are
now defunct such as ALUT, GCE ‘O’ Level and CNAA. Whilst these qualifications would still be acceptable for
admission purposes their formal appearance in the regulations is outdated. It is proposed that they be deleted or
replaced with the more current alternative.
This paragraph also refers to the CNAA and should be
amended.
In order to distinguish more clearly between the research
degree submission route available to members of staff and the more conventional
research degree submission route, Research Committee has recommended that staff
should become eligible for submission in accordance with paragraph 6 of the
Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research after five years service.
Research Committee has further recommended that the
appointment of Examiners for staff candidates and the award of their research
degrees be delegated by Senate to Faculty Boards so that all processes are
consistent.
Regulation 12.2
Unsuccessful Candidates
Research Committee has recommended that the Regulations
should confirm explicitly that a candidate’s research degree submission may be
referred on one occasion only, except where the examination has been made void
following an Appeal or exceptionally where new matters have come to the
Examiners’ attention which they were previously not aware of eg in cases of
Academic Misconduct. This reflects
existing custom and practice.
This paragraph should be deleted following the introduction
of the new Ordinance on Intellectual Property which applies to all students.
This paragraph should be deleted following the
introduction of the new Regulation on tuition fees and other charges. All subsequent paragraphs should be
re-numbered.
3.
Research Students - Qualifications
|
3.1 |
To be registered as a Research Student a
candidate must possess one of the following qualifications: |
|
|
·
a degree of a university in the United
Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland; ·
a degree awarded by the former
C.N.A.A.;
·
a Diploma in Technology awarded by the
former N.C.T.A.; ·
a Diploma with Honours of the former
Loughborough College of Technology; ·
the academic requirements for corporate
membership of a British Chartered professional institution previously
approved for this purpose by Senate on the recommendation of a Faculty Board;
·
any other qualification approved by a
Faculty Board. |
|
3.2 |
Candidates whose first language is not
English, and whose degree studies have not been conducted and examined in English,
must possess G.C.S.E. English language |
4.
Research Students - Registration
|
4.1 |
Every registration shall be made on the
recommendation of the Head of the appropriate Department or their nominee. A
student will be registered for the degree of Master of Philosophy in the
first instance, except that a student may be permitted to register for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy if he/she already holds a postgraduate degree
of a university in the United Kingdom, or the Republic of Ireland or the former
C.N.A.A. or such other degree awarding body it recognises as equivalent for
the purpose. The Department shall appoint a Director of Research and
Supervisor or Supervisors on the recommendation of the Head of the
appropriate Department or their nominee. A member of staff may not act as
both Director of Research and Supervisor for the same student. |
|
6. |
Academic and Equivalent Staff |
|
|
Any member of the University staff of at least
five years' standing, subject to the provisions of paragraph 3.1 of
the Regulations for Higher Degrees by Research, may subject to the agreement
of their Head of Department register for a higher degree of the University by
research thesis, published work or other academic output which must all
relate to a common field. Candidates registering in accordance with the
provisions of this paragraph shall not be subject to the standard periods of
registration prescribed in the regulations, except that they shall be
registered for a minimum period of twelve months, whether submitting for a
higher degree by research or publication or other academic output. All
candidates shall have a Supervisor and a Director of Research.
Candidates submitting for an award by publications shall pay an examination
fee at a level determined by Council. All other candidates shall pay a
tuition fee. |
|
8.2 |
When a person under paragraph 6 or paragraph 7
has been given permission to submit for a degree of Master of Philosophy or
the degree of Doctor of Philosophy the Faculty Board |
|
11.2 |
The decision of the Examiners shall be
reported and their report made available to the Faculty Board, |
|
12.3 |
The Examiners may refer a candidate’s research
degree submission on one occasion only, except where the examination has been
made void following an Appeal or exceptionally where new matters have come to
the Examiners’ attention which they were previously unaware of. |
|
|
Existing paragraph
12.3 to be renumbered as 12.4 |
14.
Submitted Work
|
14.2 |
The candidate must certify that neither the
submission nor the original work contained therein has been submitted for an
award of this or any other university or the former C.N.A.A. |