Timings and procedures for readmission, transfer and confirmation of status
There are two main pathways to a research degree:
I) The majority of students who intend to pursue doctoral studies are registered as a Probationer Research Student (PRS) and then apply for ‘transfer’ to the status of a DPhil student (‘DPhil status’). If you began your research degree course on or after 1 October 2011, you must transfer before the end of your fourth term. If you began your research degree course before October 2011, you must transfer before the end of your sixth term.
Alternatively, students may apply for transfer to MLitt or MSc by Research status, or might be admitted to this status as a result of the transfer process.
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II) If you are following a Master’s course in any of the subjects listed below at Oxford, you may be able to apply to progress from the Master’s course directly to DPhil status, without going through the PRS stage, providing:
- i) you reach a suitable level of attainment in your Master’s course; and
- ii) the research topic proposed for the DPhil is a development of the research contained in the MPhil thesis. The ‘transfer of status’ process is waived.
| View Key milestones table if you began your research degree: |
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Students following Oxford Master's degrees in the following subjects should check with their Supervisor or Graduate Studies Assistant to see if this applies to their situation:
- MPhils offered by the departments/faculties of Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics and Ancient History, Economics, Geography, International Development, Politics and IR, Linguistics & Phonetics, Social Policy and Social Work, Sociology, Medieval and Modern Languages, Theology
- BPhil in Philosophy
- MSt in Theology only
If you are following any other taught Master’s degree at Oxford (MSt, MSc, MPhil) or at another university and wish to move on to a DPhil course, you must initially be admitted as a Probationer Research Student (PRS). Your time on the Master’s course does not count as time as a PRS at Oxford. Admission to PRS status from a Master’s course is not automatic. You must be able to demonstrate that you are well-fitted and well-qualified to conduct work for a research degree.
The standard period of fee liability for a DPhil is 9 terms (12 terms for a DPhil through one of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Centres). If you have already been awarded an MPhil, a BPhil or an MSt in Legal Research from the University of Oxford and are following a doctoral course, you may have a reduced standard period of fee liability. College continuation charges may be payable beyond this period. The University will be applying a similar continuation charge for graduate students starting research study in 2011/12 or later who are beyond their period of fee liability. Further information is available via the fee liability page.