Key milestones for DPhil students - Transfer and confirmation

Purpose of Transfering from PRS to DPhil status

The purpose of the transfer process is to ensure that you have a convincing research proposal, that you are making satisfactory progress in its development, and to satisfy the assessors that the work is potentially of DPhil quality. The General Regulations for admission to DPhil status are set out in the Examination Regulations, along with information on Special Regulations for particular subjects. Course Handbooks also provide information on the process.

Timing of transfer to 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. The timings for students on the MPLS and Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre programmes and on the 4-year BHF programme in Medical Sciences are slightly different. Please contact your Programme Director/Administrator for further information.

Application for transfer to DPhil status

To apply for transfer to DPhil status you must submit a completed GSO2 form or for Medical Sciences a GSO2 MSD form, and this will include:

• (i) a statement from your supervisor that he or she approves the proposed subject for a thesis and considers you well-fitted to undertake advanced research;
• (ii) a statement of support for the application from your college or hall;

You must also submit:

• (iii) a statement of the subject of the proposed thesis and details of the manner in which you propose to treat it.
• (iv) written work – your faculty, department or division will determine the precise manner of this written work.

Students of Archaeology, Economics, Law, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Sociology and Social Policy & Social Work should also submit subject specific forms with their GSO2 form.

The Examination Regulations and/or your course handbook also provide information on the process.

Assessment for transfer to DPhil status

Your faculty or department will inform you of the particular criteria that you will have to meet for a successful transfer to DPhil status. Your transfer application will be considered by two assessors, neither of whom will normally be your supervisor. The transfer process normally includes an interview, and it will always do so if the assessors are unable to certify that they are satisfied without interviewing you that they can recommend transfer to DPhil status. Once they have assessed your work, the assessors will make a recommendation as to whether you should be transfered to DPhil status. The assessors will make a reasoned written report to the relevant board in your faculty/department or division in support of their recommendation. See Examination Regulations.

Unsuccessful transfer applications

If your first application for transfer to DPhil status is not approved you are permitted to make one further application and will be granted an extension of time for one term if this is necessary for the purposes of making the application. Assessors may recommend that you should transfer to a lower level of research degree course, such as the MLitt or the MSc by Research, as appropriate. 

Exceptionally, if you are transferred to the MLitt or MSc by Research rather than to DPhil, you may be permitted one further opportunity to apply to transfer to DPhil status, provided that:

• a sufficient period of time has elapsed (normally at least six months) from your last transfer attempt to allow you the possibility of significant development; 
• you have made significant progress in your research; and
• your supervisor supports a further application and considers that the quality of work that you have completed as a student towards the degree aim of MLitt or MSc by Research is genuinely of such a high quality that there is agreement that it would be a possible injustice not to permit you to have one further attempt at transfer to DPhil. 

In addition to the support of your supervisor as described, a further attempt will only be permitted with the endorsement of your Director of Graduate Studies and your college. 

Appeals

If you wish to contest the outcome of the transfer assessment, either on procedural or academic grounds, you should first discuss the matter with your Director of Graduate Studies. Where a concern is not satisfactorily settled by that means, then you, your supervisor, or your college authority may put your appeal directly to the Proctors. The Proctors can only consider whether the procedure for reaching an academic decision were properly followed, and cannot challenge the academic judgement of the assessors. View the University complaints and appeals processes.

Loss of Probationer Research Student status

If you began your research degree course on or after 1 October 2011, you will lose your Probationer Research Student (PRS) status if you have not transferred status (DPhil, MLitt or MSc by Research)  before the end of your fourth term. If you began your research degree course before October 2011, you will lose your Probationer Research Student status if you have not transferred status before the end of your before the end of your sixth term.

This is extended if you have been granted one term’s extension following an unsuccessful transfer application. If you began your course on or after 1 October 2011, this will also be extended if you have been granted a deferral of Transfer of Status for one or two terms by the appropriate board. The board concerned may also deprive you of such status, after consultation with your college/hall and supervisor.

You will lose your status as a PRS student if you have not achieved transfer after two applications. If you lose your status as a PRS and have not gained admission to another status, you are no longer registered as a student of the University. See Examination Regulations.

Confirmation of DPhil status

The purpose of confirmation is to confirm that you are continuing to work at the appropriate doctoral level and to provide assurance that if the work on the thesis continues to develop satisfactorily, then consideration of submission within the course of three further terms would appear to be reasonable.The General Regulations for confirmation of status are set out in the Examination Regulations, along with information on Special Regulations for particular subjects. Course handbooks also provide information on the process.

Timing of confirmation of status

You must apply for confirmation of status within nine terms of your admission as a PRS. Students in the Medical Sciences Division are advised to undertake confirmation of status in their eighth term. You should not seek to confirm status just before you are ready to submit. The timings for students on the MPLS and Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre programmes and on the 4-year BHF programme in Medical Sciences are slightly different. Please contact your Programme Director/Administrator for further information.

Deferral of confirmation

You may be permitted by the relevant board in your faculty/department or division to defer your application for confirmation of status for a maximum of three terms. View application forms for deferral of confirmation of status.

Application and assessment for confirmation of status

To apply for confirmation of DPhil status, you must submit a completed GSO14 form, and this will include:

• (i) certification from your supervisor that your progress has been such as to warrant confirmation of status;
• (ii) a statement of support for the application from your college or hall.

In addition, students in Medical Sciences must submit either a 500 word account of the status of their thesis or an abstract along with a timetable leading to submission.

Students of Archaeology, Law, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science, Sociology and Social Policy & Intervention should also submit subject specific forms with their GSO14 form.

Assessment processes vary by department/faculty. See your course handbook for details.

Unsuccessful confirmation applications

If your first application for confirmation of status is not approved, you are permitted to make one further application, and will be granted an extension of time for one term if this is necessary for the purposes of making the application. See Examination Regulations.

If the assessors do not consider that your progress warrants confirmation of status they may:

• (a) recommend resubmission of the application at a later date within the normal timetable (nine terms from admission as a graduate student)
• (b) exceptionally, recommend an extension of DPhil status by one term in order to allow time for resubmission of the application, or
• (c) recommend transfer to MLitt or MSc by Research status.

The process of assessment must always include an interview with the candidate if the assessors are unable to recommend confirmation of DPhil status. You will lose your student status if you have not achieved confirmation of status after two applications.

Appeals

If you wish to contest the outcome of the confirmation assessment, either on procedural or academic grounds, you should first discuss the matter with your Director of Graduate Studies. Where a concern is not satisfactorily settled by that means, then you, your supervisor, or your college authority may put your appeal directly to the Proctors. The Proctors can only consider whether the procedure for reaching an academic decision were properly followed, and cannot challenge the academic judgement of the assessors. View the University complaints and appeals processes.

Students moved to MLitt or MSc by Research status at transfer or confirmation

If you moved to MLitt or MSc by Research status at the transfer stage

You must submit within nine terms from the start of your research degree. There is no confirmation process. If you have not paid 6 terms of fees when you are transferred to MLitt or MSc by Research status you will continue paying fees up to a maximum of 6 terms. If you have already paid for 6 terms of fees by the time you have transferred from PRS status, you will no longer be liable for fees. If you applied for transfer to DPhil status in the 6th term, were unsuccessful, applied again for DPhil status in the 7th term, and were transferred to MLitt or MSc by Research status on the second attempt, you must pay for the 7th term as you were still working towards DPhil status during that 7th term. College continuation charges may be payable. 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. 

If you were admitted to DPhil status, and then moved to the status of MLitt or MSc by Research at the confirmation stage.

You must submit within nine terms from the start of your research degree. You will therefore need to apply for an extension of time. You will no longer be liable for University tuition fees, provided you have paid at least 6 terms of University tuition fees while registered for a DPhil. College continuation charges may be payable. The University will be applying a 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.