Year 1

By the end of the 9th month (pro-rata for part-time students) every research student is expected to have:

1. Submitted a report of their research (the exact nature of this report is determined by the Discipline/School).
2. Provided an account of their engagement with discipline specific and generic skills courses, including evidence of completion of any assessments associated with attendance at formal taught courses.

Students should download and complete Part 1 of the First Year Research Student Assessment Form and should include this with their submission to the relevant Discipline/School authority.

By the end of the 10th month each student will have had an interview/viva or be required to provide a presentation based on their submission. This is conducted and/or assessed by a panel consisting of at least two members of academic staff, one of whom may be external to the University (normally the supervisor would be excluded but would have the opportunity to submit a report to the panel on the student's submission and progress.) The panel use Part 2 of the First Year Research Student Assessment Form to document the process; Part 3 is used to summarise outcomes and recommendations. Copies of the completed form are made available to both the supervisor and the student.

The panel will seek to confirm from their submission that the student:

1. understands the research problem, or has achieved sufficient background knowledge to proceed with research;
2. is familiar with and understands the associated literature, and can describe work already underway and indicate its significance;
3. has demonstrated capability to conduct the research, and can appraise problems critically;
4. has a realistic research plan and schedule aiming towards completion within the period of supervised study, and
5. has successfully completed appropriate discipline specific and generic training (consideration will be shown to students who do not start in October and may therefore encounter difficulties in terms of completion of training courses by the end of month 10).

This first stage is seen as a way of considering students for transfer from MSc to PhD. In the event that the panel have concerns regarding the standard that the student has reached at this stage, they may suggest attendance at specific courses or request further written work to be submitted for consideration. If progress was deemed to be unsatisfactory, a meeting of the panel members, Head of School and research supervisor will be held to discuss options. In the event that the student is deemed to have the potential to submit for an MSc degree by research, the student may continue their registration with the intention of submitting an MSc thesis, otherwise they may be advised to withdraw from study.

The University's Policy on "Non-Progression, Discontinuation of Attendance on Courses and on Termination of Studies or Candidature for an Award" is set out in Appendix 5.17a of the Academic Quality Handbook.