At the appropriate time The Postgraduate Research Office (PGR Office) will send students and supervisors notification that it is time to complete progress report forms.

Within the first three weeks of registration, all students are required to meet with their supervisory team to establish the working relationship. An ‘initial’ report form must be submitted to The PGR Office within two weeks of that meeting. This form will provide the basis for following progress meetings.

Each School has its own procedure (see links below for further information) for the management of progress of a student, but each process must include core elements as follows: 

• the process will involve a dialogue between the supervisory team and student and the report should be discussed between them before submission. The notes of action agreed between the supervisory team and student should be available to the student and team to inform the annual review;
• the dialogue between the student and supervisory team will focus upon specific as well as general questions to be answered in relation to the year’s activity in an effort to pinpoint weaknesses and deal with potential problems before they become intractable;
• the process will include the student preparing a written submission. This student submission will take the form of a self-evaluation of work undertaken, training undertaken, the development of intellectual skills, progress towards meeting research goals and the success of the supervisory arrangements during the previous year;
• the supervisory team will, having considered the student submission, address the same matters in its own written submission. The supervisory team submission will not be the sole responsibility of the primary supervisor;
• the progress report is to include, in addition to the two written submissions, a schedule for completion of the thesis agreed by the student and supervisory team, and if appropriate the timing of the upgrade panel meeting;
• students should be informed of their right to discuss their progress with the School or Institute designated responsible academic (such as a PGR School Director of Learning and Teaching) in a private meeting.

The completed progress report becomes part of the students' record in the files held in The PGR Office. It is intended to identify at an early stage any problems that may occur when it is still possible to devise solutions and to ensure that students review their work at least once a year.

Students in their 'Registration Only’ year must also complete a progress report summarising progress to date and include a timetable for submission.

Transfers from MPhil to PhD

Transferring from MPhil to Phd is an independent procress from any other meeting between the supervisory team and student.

Assuring the Quality of Research Degree A Code of Practice states that:

‘Where students register for an MPhil but wish to transfer to a PhD, approval will be given only after the candidate has provided evidence of satisfactory progress of being able to perform at the higher level and of being able to complete the PhD within the required period. The procedure to approve the transfer will involve an assessment of the candidate by a specially constituted transfer panel, appointed by the School Board or Institute GSC. The procedure may include the consideration by the transfer panel of a written submission provided by the supervisory team. Transfer from MPhil to PhD must take place no later than six months prior to the end of the period of study for the MPhil

The transfer panel will have a membership of at least two teachers in the University.  No more than one member of the student's supervisory team may be a member of the transfer panel, with the primary supervisor usually being expected to be the member of the panel. No member of the transfer panel should later act as the students’ internal examiner, either for an MPhil or for a PhD thesis.

The transfer panel will make a recommendation (via the Transfer Report Form) to the School Board or Institute GSC regarding the transfer of the candidate. If a transfer panel cannot agree a recommendation, or for any other reason the School Board or Institute GSC requires a further opinion, the School Board may approve the appointment of additional members to a transfer panel.

If the recommendation of a first transfer panel is not to transfer the candidate the School Board or Institute GSC, on the advice of the supervisory team, may permit a second attempt to transfer. In exceptional cases, more than two attempts to transfer, or an attempt to transfer a student during their registration-only period, may be permitted only with the prior approval of the Director of Research Degree Programmes via the Postgraduate Research Office.  Ordinarily, it is the University’s expectation that the first attempt at transfer will be made, irrespective of standing, no later than six months prior to the end of the MPhil period of study.  Any likely ‘exceptions’ to that rule should be communicated to the Director of Reserach Degree Programmes in the form of a concession request to delay the transfer procedure and, possibly, to extend the MPhil period of study.  Similar concessions requests should be made in the event that a second attempt to transfer would fall beyond the end of the MPhil period of study.

If no meeting of a transfer panel occurs during the MPhil period of study, the student will be deemed to have failed to reach the standard justifying transfer, will be expected to complete the requirements for the MPhil degree and will move into the registration-only period.

Once the School Board or Institute has advised the student regarding the outcome of the assessment for transfer, the supervisory team and student should meet as soon as possible to review the schedule for completion of the MPhil thesis or the PhD thesis.

Schools should ensure that the information provided for students at registration includes the typical schedule for upgrade panels operated by the School for students initially registering for the degree of MPhil.

Decisions or judgements of Schools or Institutes regarding transfer from MPhil to PhD are subject to appeal under the Academic Appeals Procedure.

Details of the procedures for progress reporting within SCI, together with School specific requirements for providing evidence of research progress, can be found here.