Criteria for examination as a Staff candidate

The underlying principle governing the examination of students as staff candidates is that a research candidate should not be examined by academic colleagues in order to prevent conflicts of interest. Students to be examined as staff candidates, with two external examiners, are to include all members of staff, academic or otherwise. This group is also to include any student who is likely to apply for a post in AU or is to be appointed to a post at the time of the examination (including students on the Welsh Medium Postgraduate Scholarships Scheme whose Post-Doctoral year has been confirmed). This does not apply to postgraduate students who undertook hourly-paid teaching as Graduate Teaching Assistants. Any variation to the above is at the discretion of the Head of the Graduate School. Departments are advised to contact the Head of the Graduate School or the Academic Registry for guidance in marginal cases. Aber Doc Teach Studentship holders will be examined as staff candidates with two External Examiners.

Criteria for Examiners:

1. Nomination of External Examiners should be made in accordance with the Academic Quality Handbook .  They must be aware of the nature and purpose of the degree for which the candidate is being examined and must possess specialist knowledge and expertise in the subject of research. Other criteria for appointment are set out in the Academic Quality Handbook. In addition External Examiners should not be appointed where they have had extensive contact with the candidate. Where they have had significant contact, details of the nature of the contact should be made known to the Head of the Graduate School for consideration during the appointment process. Further information is contained in the notes of guidance for examining boards and Intention to Submit form.

2. Right to Work in the UK : Under the 2006 Immigration, Nationality and Asylum Act the University has a duty to prevent illegal working by carrying out document checks to confirm that a person has the right to work in the UK. Departments should confirm that their proposed examiners have the right to work in the UK before nominating an examiner. External Examiners NOT Eligible to work in the UK may not be appointed.

The internal examiner should normally:

• be a full-time member of staff from the student’s department(s) but may be drawn from a cognate department where appropriate or required. Part-time may also be appropriate if they are suitably experienced;
• hold a PhD;
• have experience of supervising at least one PhD student to successful completion.

Disclosure of contact with nominated examiner:

Students must disclose if a nominated external examiner has ever advised them on their research or commented specifically on the work that they are submitting towards this examination. If so, please give details of the nature of the contact. This does not apply to students resubmitting to the reconstituted original examination board.