Year 2

By the end of the 21st month (pro-rata for part time students) every continuing research student is expected to have:

1. Given a research presentation to their discipline.
2. Provided further evidence of course/ seminar / conference attendance that satisfies the Roberts skills agenda; this includes evidence of attendance at any compulsory ASPIRE or other courses as required by the University.

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

By the end of the 22 month each student is required to have been interviewed by a panel (ideally with at least one of the members having sat on the panel which reviewed the student's work after 10 months). A report or research paper may also be requested by the panel. The presentation, along with the report or paper form the basis for discussion with the thesis panel. The panel use Part 2 of the Second 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.

If progress is deemed to be unsatisfactory at this second stage a meeting of the panel members, the Head of School and research supervisor is held to discuss options. In the event that the student is deemed to have the potential to submit an MPhil or MSc rather than continuing into the third and final year of supervised study the student may continue their registration with the intention of submitting an MSc or MPhil thesis otherwise they will 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.