Academic Regulations

Supplement For Research Postgraduates

5.
  1. A research postgraduate student is permitted to proceed with his or her approved course of study only if he or she maintains acceptable progress as evidenced by satisfactory progress in relation to the programme of work and the timetable agreed by the supervisor including the submission of written drafts within agreed periods of time.
  2. A research postgraduate student whose academic progress is unsatisfactory may be:
    1. prevented from proceeding from the probationary period;
    2. not allowed to proceed to the next year of research;
    3. not permitted to upgrade from a Research Master's to a Doctorate.

  3. The Deans, on the recommendation of the Department/Examining Board/Faculty Research Monitoring Committee/Research Degrees Board, shall have the power to require a student whose academic performance is inadequate to:

    1. be prevented from proceeding from the probationary period;
    2. be not allowed to proceed to the next year of research;
    3. be not permitted to upgrade from a Research Master's to a Doctorate;
    4. be downgraded from Doctorate to Research Master's.

    Such requirements may be either absolute or conditional on the student in question failing to comply with a requirement relating to his or her studies which has been imposed by the Faculty Research Monitoring Committee/Research Degrees Board.

    The student shall be informed by letter of this decision.

Faculty Research Monitoring Committees/Research Degrees Board

6.
  1. The Research Degrees Board shall decide on the progress of postgraduate research students taking into account reports by departmental monitoring committees and Faculty Research Monitoring Committees.
  2. A student has one month from the date of the letter (5.3 above) in which to submit a written appeal against a decision by a Faculty Research Monitoring Committee/the Research Degrees Board.
  3. Any such appeal must be based upon:

    either: 1. exceptional personal circumstances not known to the Committee when it made its decision
    or 2. difficulties with research facilities or supervising arrangements not previously notified to the department or Committee.

    NB In both cases an appeal will only be considered if the student can provide good reasons why the grounds for appeal had not previously been notified to the department or Committee.

Appeals Against the Decision of Faculty Research Monitoring Committees/Research Degrees Board

7.
  1. For the purpose of hearing appeals under this section of the Academic Regulation, the Academic Progress Committee (see paragraph 2 above) shall include amongst its members the Director of Postgraduate Studies.