Reporter 15/5/02: Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on the introduction of a part-time route to certain research degrees and certificates

REPORTS

Joint Report of the Council and the General Board on the introduction of a part-time route to certain research degrees and certificates

The COUNCIL and the GENERAL BOARD beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. A Joint Report of the Council and General Board on the introduction of a part-time route to a doctoral degree was published on 2 February 2000 (Reporter, 1999-2000, p. 398). The Report was the subject of a Discussion on 15 February 2000 (Reporter, 1999-2000, p. 470).

2. The Joint Report proposed the introduction of part-time research degrees subject to a further Report proposing the necessary changes to the Statutes and Ordinances. The recommendations set out were the product of an extensive consultative exercise by a Working Party, which took account of fifty-eight written responses to the consultation paper appended to the Report from Degree Committees, Faculty Boards, Departments, Colleges, the Board of Continuing Education, the Library Syndicate, the Senior Tutors' Committee, the Bursars' Committee, and the Graduate Union. A number of respondents indicated that they wished to reserve their judgement until a firm set of proposals was available.

3. The main features of part-time research degrees, as set out in the 2000 Report were as follows:

recommendation number
1	College membership should be compulsory.	(v)
2	The title of the doctoral degree obtainable on a part-time basis should be the Ph.D.	(viii)
3	The M.Sc. and M.Litt. Degrees should also be available on a part-time basis.	(ix)
4	Normal academic admissions criteria should be applied, but additional University-wide admission criteria should also be implemented.	(xi)
5	There should be provision for transfer from part- to full-time registration, but not in the other direction.	(xii)
6	The University Composition Fee should be 50% of the fee for which a full-time Graduate Student is liable in the academical year in question. Fee liability should apply in respect of at least each term required to meet the minimum requirements of the degree sought.	(xv)
7	Students should not be subject to a formal residential requirement but they should be subject to an attendance requirement in the University for the purpose of formal instruction and other approved or prescribed academic activity.	(xvi)
8	There should be no formal limit on the permissible distance between a student's normal place of residence and the University, but the University and Faculty attendance requirements may indirectly impose such a limit.	(xvii)
9	Candidates studying part-time for the Ph.D. Degree must complete a minimum of 18 terms of research. Candidates for the M.Sc. and M.Litt. Degrees must complete a minimum of 12 terms of research.	(xviii)
10	Provision should exist for exempting students registered for the Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree from up to 6 terms of research, on the same criteria as apply to full-time students registered for those degrees. Students who have previously successfully completed the M.Phil. Degree (one-year course), the Certificate of Postgraduate Study, or one of the Diplomas for which registration as a Graduate Student is required may seek to have those counted as equivalent to 6 terms of part-time candidature for a research degree.	(xix)
11	Candidates registered for the Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree should be required to submit their dissertations by not later than the end of the vacation following the term after the term in which the minimum requirements for the Degree are completed, unless permission to defer submission has been granted; they should normally be expected to submit by no later than 21 terms from the term from which registration took effect.	(xx) and (xxi)
12	Attendance at prescribed training programmes should be monitored and certified. Satisfactory performance in such programmes should be one criterion for formal registration for a research degree.	(xxiv)
13	Part-time students should be integrated into institutions' formal and informal programmes for full-time Graduate Students and their participation in such programmes formally recorded.	(xxv)
14	There should be a minimum number of formal supervisions per term in Cambridge, as determined by the Board of Graduate Studies.
15	Decisions on formal registration for a research degree should normally be made by the end of the student's sixth term.	(xxix)
16	Once a student is formally registered for a research degree, his or her progress should be subject to annual, formal review.	(xxx)
17	The practice of registration for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree in the first instance, with later upgrading, subject to satisfactory progress, to Ph.D. candidature, should be actively encouraged.	(xxxi)

4. The Board of Graduate Studies was charged with the task of discussing further the points left unresolved in the first Report, taking into account matters raised in the Discussion, and bringing forward proposals for implementation of the scheme and the necessary changes to the Statutes and Ordinances. The Board was further charged with developing a framework setting out University-wide expectations and requirements, which may be supplemented by particular requirements determined by individual Faculties, Departments, or Colleges.

5. The following changes to the original proposals have been proposed by the Board of Graduate Studies:

paragraph above		recommendation number in first Report
3	The Certificate of Postgraduate Study should also be available by the part-time route. The Certificate is undertaken in several Faculties as the initial research training course, and may be counted towards the minimum research requirement for the full-time Ph.D.; the same provision should be made for part-time students as for full-time students.	(ix)
5	There should be provision for transfer from part- to full-time registration, and also in the other direction, but once only in either direction. Such transfers would be at the discretion of the Board of Graduate Studies, on the recommendation of the Degree Committee concerned and subject to the consent of the candidate's supervisor, College, and sponsor.	(xii)
7	A candidate for the part-time Ph.D. Degree will be subject to a minimum attendance requirement in the University, and will carry out research in the University or in such other place as the Board and the Degree Committee concerned shall determine. The Board recognizes that, for some candidates, their normal workplace might be an appropriate place for the pursuit of their research; in such cases, the employers' co-operation would need to be sought, and any arrangements regarding for example intellectual property rights and access to the workplace for the supervisor, must be made prior to admission.	(xvi)
9	Candidates for the part-time Ph.D. Degree must complete a minimum of 15 terms of research; for the M.Sc. and M.Litt. Degrees a minimum of 10 terms of research; and for the Certificate of Postgraduate Studies, a minimum of 5 terms of research. The Arts and Humanities Research Board (AHRB) and those Research Councils supporting part-time research degrees currently do so for a maximum of five years. A five-year degree would also fit within the normal span of a research grant and the term of appointment of certain supervisors who may themselves be supported by such grants. Five years is also the minimum research requirement for the part-time doctoral degree of many other universities in the UK. Where a candidate transfers between full- and part-time modes of study, the terms of research completed would be counted with respect to each mode (five part-time terms are the equivalent of three full-time terms) and the minimum research requirement and submission deadlines calculated accordingly.	(xviii)
10	Provision should exist for exempting students registered part-time for the Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree from up to 5 terms of research, on the same criteria as apply to full-time students registered for those degrees. The provision for exemption of up to 5 part-time terms, rather than 6, follows from the above.	(xix)
10	Students who have previously successfully completed the M.St. Degree or the M.Ed. Degree may also seek to have those counted as equivalent to 5 terms of part-time candidature for a research degree. The Board accepts the argument that these two-year, part-time degrees should be equivalent to the full-time, one-year M.Phil. Degree, Certificate of Postgraduate Study, and certain Diplomas for the purposes of providing appropriate research training for the Ph.D., M.Sc., and M.Litt. Degrees.	(xix)
11	Candidates registered for the part-time Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree should be required to submit their dissertations not earlier than the first day of the term in which the minimum requirements for the Degree are expected to be completed and not later than the last day of the vacation following the 15th term after the term in which registration took effect, unless permission to defer has been granted; they should normally be expected to submit by not later than 21 terms from the term from which registration took effect. Candidates undertaking the Ph.D. Degree by the part-time route would be expected to submit their thesis not earlier than the first day of their 15th term and candidates for the part-time M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree would be expected to submit their thesis not earlier than the first day of their 10th term. The deadline for the Ph.D., M.Sc., and M.Litt. Degrees taken by the full-time route is the same in each case, namely the last day of the vacation following the ninth term after the term in which registration took effect; candidates for these degrees taken by the part-time route would therefore be expected to submit their thesis not later than the end of the vacation following the term after their 15th term. If an extension is granted, they must submit not later than the last day of the vacation following their 21st term, this being the deadline after which sanctions may be imposed with respect to AHRB and Research Council-funded candidates. Candidates for the part-time Certificate of Postgraduate Studies would be expected to submit their dissertation no later than the end of their 5th term.	(xx and xxi)
14	There should be a minimum of two formal supervisions per term in Cambridge. This University-wide requirement should form the basis for an informal contract between a student and supervisor that sets out their mutual expectations. Additional provision may be prescribed in some Faculties.	(xxvi)
15	Decisions on formal registration for a research degree should normally be made by the end of the student's fifth term. This follows from the minimum research requirement being 15 terms for the part-time Ph.D.	(xxix)
6	The University Composition Fee should be 60% of the fee for which a full-time Graduate Student is liable in the academical year in question. Fee liability should apply in respect of at least each term required to meet the minimum requirements of the degree sought. This also follows from the minimum research requirement for the course, given that the total University Composition Fee should be the same for the degree in question, whether taken by the full- or the part-time route.	(xv)

6. A framework of precepts providing details of the arrangements for the implementation of this scheme is set out in the Annex to this Report.

7. A document setting out these arrangements has been circulated to Schools, Faculties, Colleges, and other interested institutions, including the Institute of Continuing Education and the University Library, for further comment. Faculties wishing to participate in the scheme have been asked to confirm that they subscribe to the precepts set out in the document and to demonstrate that the resources are available to do so. Departments and Faculties wishing to admit part-time research students should be able to do so only if the Degree Committee responsible has agreed to participate.

8. Arrangements for College membership, including the level of the College fee for which part-time research students would be liable, are currently under discussion by a working party of the Senior Tutors', Graduate Tutors', and Bursars' Committees.

9. The Council and the General Board recommend:

I. That, subject to the approval of Her Majesty in Council, the Statutes of the University be amended as set out below, and that the proposed amendments be submitted under the Common Seal of the University to Her Majesty in Council for approval.

Statute B

Chapter III

DEGREES

Section 5.

By amending subsection (a) so as to read:

(a) no one shall be admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Medicine or Surgery, or Master of Law, or Business Administration having followed a one-year or two-year integrated course of study prescribed by Ordinance, or to the degrees of Master of Letters or Science, or Doctor of Philosophy having followed a full-time course, unless he or she has kept three terms at least by residence;

II. That if Recommendation I is approved, certain regulations be amended, with effect from the date on which the amendment of the Statutes contained in that recommendation take effect:

(A) THE GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR ADMISSION AS A GRADUATE STUDENT

(Statutes and Ordinances, p. 412):

Regulation 4.

By amending sub-paragraph (a) of the second paragraph so as to read:

(a) the Board are satisfied that the course of research or of study proposed by the applicant can conveniently be pursued within the University or such other place as the Board and the Degree Committee concerned shall determine; and

Regulation 5.

By amending sub-paragraphs (c) and (e), by relettering sub-paragraphs (f) and (g) as (g) and (h), amending cross-references accordingly, and by inserting a new sub-paragraph (f) as follows:

(c) to register as a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree, or for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, a candidate previously registered for the M.Phil. Degree (two-year course) who has not taken the examination for that degree, and to allow such a student to count towards his or her course of research as a candidate for such other degree not more than three terms of the period during which he or she was a candidate for the M.Phil. Degree (two-year course) or up to five terms where the candidate registers for the part-time Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree;

(e) to register as a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree, or for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, a Graduate Student who has been approved for the M.Phil. Degree (one-year course), and who may have proceeded to that degree, and to allow such a student to count towards his or her course of research as a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree, or for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, not more than three terms of the period during which he or she was a candidate for the M.Phil. Degree (one-year course) or up to five terms where the candidate registers for the part-time Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree;

(f) to register as a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree, or for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, a Graduate Student who has been approved for the M.St. Degree or M.Ed. Degree, and who may have proceeded to that degree, and to allow such a student to count towards his or her course of research as a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree, or for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, not more than three terms of the period during which he or she was a candidate for the M.St. Degree or M.Ed. Degree or up to five terms where the candidate registers for the part-time Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree;

Regulation 9.

By amending the first paragraph so as to read:

The Degree Committee concerned shall have power to require a Graduate Student to take a progress examination approved by them. Any such examination shall be held not later than the end of the vacation following the second term after the term of the student's admission as a Graduate Student or at a time to be determined by the Board. For Graduate Students registered for the part-time Ph.D., M.Litt., or M.Sc. Degrees the progress examination shall be not later than the fourth term after the term of the student's admission. The Board, after considering a recommendation by the Degree Committee, shall determine how many, if any, of the terms previous to an examination under this regulation shall be counted for the purpose of Regulation 1 of the regulations for the Ph.D., M.Sc., and M.Litt. Degrees, and Regulation 3 of the regulations for the M.Phil. Degree (two-year course).

Regulation 10.

By amending sub-paragraph (d) so as to read:

(d) if, after completing three terms (if registered for a full-time course) or five terms (if registered for a part-time course) he or she is not registered as a candidate for any degree, provided that in such a case the Board shall have obtained the concurrence of the Degree Committee in the deprivation;

Regulation 11.

By inserting a new sub-paragraph (b) and by relettering the remaining sub-paragraphs, amending cross-references accordingly:

(b) A Graduate Student shall pay the same total fee whether registered for a part-time course or for a full-time course leading to the same qualification.¹

By amending sub-paragraph (c) (previously (b)) by inserting after the words 'clause (a)' the words 'or (b)'.

Regulation 13.

By replacing in line 5 the words 'such a certificate' by the words 'a course record statement'.

(B) THE GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY (ONE-YEAR COURSE)

(Statutes and Ordinances, p. 459):

Regulation 1.

By amending the final sentence so as to read:

The Board of Graduate Studies shall satisfy themselves that candidates for the degree who may wish to become candidates for the M.Sc., M.Litt., or Ph.D. Degree will receive sufficient training in research to justify the granting of leave to count the whole or some part of the period of candidature for the degree, not exceeding three terms, towards a full-time course of research or five terms towards a part-time course of research for one of the aforementioned degrees.

(Statutes and Ordinances, p. 488):

Regulation 20.

By amending sub-paragraph (a) and (b) so as to read:

(a) such a student shall not submit a dissertation in candidature for the Ph.D. Degree until he or she has completed at least five terms of full-time research or nine terms of part-time research under supervision after being approved for the M.Phil. Degree;

(b) such a student shall spend at least three of the five terms or five of the nine terms, whichever is appropriate, pursuing research in the University, or at a particular establishment as provided under Regulation 4 of the regulations for the Ph.D., M.Sc., and M.Litt. Degrees; and

(D) THE GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY, MASTER OF SCIENCE, AND MASTER OF LETTERS

(Statutes and Ordinances, p. 491):

Regulation 1.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

1. Subject to clauses (a)-(e) below, a Graduate Student shall pursue in the University, or such other place as the Board and the Degree Committee concerned shall determine, under supervision a course of research

(i) if the student seeks the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree by full-time study, for not less than six terms;

(ii) if the student seeks the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree by part-time study, for not less than ten terms;

(iii) if the student seeks the Ph.D. Degree by full-time study, for not less than nine terms;

(iv) if the student seeks the Ph.D. Degree by part-time study, for not less than fifteen terms.

The number of terms referred to shall begin with the term from which the student is registered for a course of research as a candidate for the particular degree and shall be consecutive except in so far as the student may have been allowed to intermit his or her course under clause (c) below, or except in so far as the Board may have determined that he or she shall not be allowed to count any particular term towards the requirements for a degree.

(a) The Board, after considering a recommendation by the Degree Committee concerned, may exempt from up to three terms of his or her full-time course or from up to five terms of his or her part-time course a Graduate Student who is registered as a candidate for the Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt. Degree, provided that before admission as a Graduate Student he or she had been engaged

1 For a Graduate Student who completes the part-time course leading to a Ph.D. Degree in five years or an M.Litt. or M.Sc. Degree in ten terms the fee will be 60% of the full-time fee each term.

either (i) in full-time or part-time research

or (ii) in other work done after graduation deemed by the Degree Committee and the Board to have provided satisfactory training for the course of research in question.

(b) The Board, after considering a recommendation by the Degree Committee concerned, may allow a Graduate Student to spend all but three terms of his or her full-time course of research or five terms of a part-time course of research as a candidate for a degree, or any lesser number of terms, working under supervision outside the University under conditions approved by the Degree Committee and the Board.

(c) On account of illness or other sufficient cause, the Board, after considering a recommendation by the Degree Committee concerned, may allow a Graduate Student to intermit his or her course of research for one or more terms. Such terms shall not count for any purpose of these regulations except as provided in Regulation 7 of the general regulations for admission as a Graduate Student.

(d) If the Council have granted a student registered for a full-time course an allowance of terms of residence under Regulation 2 in respect of work done by the student in the University before matriculation, the Board, after considering a recommendation by the Degree Committee concerned, may grant the student an allowance in respect of such work towards the period during which he or she is required to pursue a course of research in the University under this regulation, provided that the number of terms so allowed shall not exceed the number of terms allowed by the Council in respect of such work. For every term so allowed the student shall pay the appropriate fee as prescribed in Regulation 11 of the general regulations for admission as a Graduate Student.

(e) On the recommendation of the Degree Committee concerned, the Board may allow a Graduate Student to count towards his or her course of research as a candidate for a degree a period during which he or she was a candidate for another qualification as set out in Regulation 5(c), 5(e), or 5(f) of the general regulations for admission as a Graduate Students or for the following Diplomas or Certificates:

(i) a student who is qualified to receive, or who has received, the Diploma in Economics, in International Law, or in Legal Studies, as the case may be, may be allowed to count not more than three terms of the period during which he or she was a candidate for the Diploma concerned towards a full-time course or not more than five terms towards a part-time course;

(ii) a student who is qualified to receive, but who has not received, a Certificate of Postgraduate Study may be allowed to count not more than three terms of the period during which he or she was a candidate for the Certificate concerned towards a full-time course or not more than five terms towards a part-time course.

Every application for dispensation under clauses (a)-(e) shall be made in writing to the Secretary of the Board, and shall be accompanied by a written opinion from the applicant's Supervisor.

Regulation 2.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

2. On the recommendation of the Board, the Council may grant to a Graduate Student in respect of work done in the University before matriculation, if the student's matriculation was delayed for sufficient cause, an allowance of terms, not exceeding three in number, towards the minimum of three terms required to be kept under Statute B, III, 5(a) for full-time study leading to the M.Sc., M.Litt., or Ph.D. Degree.

Regulation 3.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

3. The Board may grant to a Graduate Student, after considering an application supported by the student's Tutor, the following allowance of terms of research towards satisfying the requirements of Regulation 1, on account of illness or other grave cause:

(a) one or two terms of research to a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree who would otherwise be required to complete nine terms of research;

(b) up to three terms of research to a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree who would otherwise be required to complete fifteen terms of research;

(d) one or two terms of research to a candidate for a degree who would otherwise be required to complete ten terms of research.

For every term so allowed the student shall pay the appropriate fee as prescribed in Regulation 11 of the general regulations for admission as a Graduate Student.

Regulation 4.

By deleting from lines 2 and 3 the words 'in exceptional circumstances and'.

Regulation 5.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

5. A Graduate Student who, having pursued a course of research registered as a candidate for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, has been approved for the award of one of those degrees, may be registered as a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree. The Board shall determine the conditions of candidature for a student so registered, after considering recommendations by the Degree Committee, provided that:

(a) a student shall not submit a dissertation in candidature for the Ph.D. Degree until he or she has completed at least five terms of full-time research or nine terms of part-time research under supervision subsequent to the term or vacation in which he or she submitted a dissertation for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree;

(b) a student shall spend at least three of the five terms pursuing full-time research or five of the nine terms pursuing part-time research in the University, or at a particular institution as provided under Regulation 4; and

(c) if a student has proceeded to the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, the Examiners conducting the examination for the Ph.D. Degree shall not take account of any work that was included in the dissertation submitted by the student in candidature for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree.

A student who has been approved for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree under Regulation 14 shall not be registered as a candidate for the Ph.D. Degree.

Regulation 7.

By amending the first sentence so as to read:

A candidate may submit his or her dissertation not earlier than the first day of the term during which he or she expects to complete the requirements of Regulation 1 and not later than the last day of the vacation following the ninth term after that in which the student was registered as a full-time candidate for the degree or the last day of the vacation following the fifteenth term after that in which the student was registered as a part-time candidate for the degree, provided that, with the permission of the Board, a dissertation may be submitted later than that day.

(E) THE GENERAL REGULATIONS FOR CERTIFICATES OF POSTGRADUATE STUDY

(Statutes and Ordinances, p. 531):

Regulation 1.

By amending the final two lines so as to read:

the granting of leave to count the whole or some part of the period of candidature for the Certificate, not exceeding three terms, towards a full-time course of research or five terms towards a part-time course of research for one of those degrees.

Regulation 2.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

2. The full-time course of instruction for the Certificate shall extend over three consecutive terms and the part-time course of instruction shall extend over five consecutive terms. The Board of Graduate Studies, on the recommendation of the Degree Committee concerned, may however permit a candidate in exceptional circumstances to spend up to two years from the date of commencement of candidature in study for the Certificate.

Regulation 4.

By inserting in line 1 after the words 'in Cambridge' the words ', or such other place as the Board and the Degree Committee concerned shall determine,'.

Regulation 7.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

7. Each candidate shall propose, on the advice of his or her Supervisor, a title for a dissertation, and shall submit the proposal, not later than the end of the second term of candidature for full-time students or the third term of candidature for a part-time student, to the Board of Graduate Studies, in accordance with detailed arrangements specified by the Board, for approval by the Board on the recommendation of the Degree Committee concerned.

Regulation 8.

By amending line 4 so as to read:

which shall be not later than the last day of the student's third term of full-time candidature (fifth term of part-time candidature) unless the Board, on the

Regulation 11.

By amending the final sentence so as to read:

No candidate shall be entitled to receive the Certificate unless he or she has attended the prescribed course of instruction.

(F) THE SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING CERTIFICATES OF POSTGRADUATE STUDY

(Statutes and Ordinances, pp. 532-7):

Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Archaeology
English
History
Legal Studies
Theology and Religious Studies

By amending in Regulation 2 in each case sub-paragraph (c) so as to read:

13 May 2002	ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor	DONALD LAMING	Z. NORGATE
	A. J. BADGER	IAN LESLIE	G. A. REID
	JOHN BOYD	A. M. LONSDALE	JEREMY SANDERS
	PETER GODDARD	D. W. B. MACDONALD	M. SCHOFIELD
	D. A. GOOD	M. D. MACLEOD	LIBA TAUB
	MATT HOOD	JAMES MATHESON	R. E. THORNTON
	GORDON JOHNSON

24 April 2002	ALEC N. BROERS, Vice-Chancellor	ANDREW CLIFF	A. C. MINSON
	TONY BADGER	MALCOLM GRANT	KATE PRETTY
	P. J. BAYLEY	J. C. GRAY	M. SCHOFIELD
	N. BULLOCK	PETER LIPTON	S. J. YOUNG
	H. A. CHASE

Annex

PART-TIME RESEARCH DEGREES

Introduction

This document sets out the characteristics of the part-time route to research degrees and the Board of Graduate Studies' minimum expectations for the facilities available to and the procedures applying to students on these courses. It is open to Degree Committees to establish more demanding requirements and, if this is the case, institutions within that Degree Committee's remit must themselves agree to meet those higher standards if they are to opt in.

Any Faculty, Department, or Institute intending to opt in will need to liaise closely with its Degree Committee to ensure that the Degree Committee intends to opt in and the applications are synchronized and to establish any local rules for managing part-time students. No Faculty, Department, or Institute will be able to opt in unless its Degree Committee agrees to do so; however, agreement by a Degree Committee to participate does not oblige all institutions within its remit to do so.

The following notes refer to the part-time Ph.D. Degree. There will also be provision for a part-time route to the M.Sc. and M.Litt. Degrees and to the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (C.P.G.S.); arrangements for these qualifications will be as for the Ph.D. Degree with variants as set out in the timetable and the amended regulations. Note that the term 'part-time student' below refers to part-time Ph.D. students.

Framework

1. The degree

The degree obtained is the same, whether by part-time or full-time study.

2. The minimum research requirement

For the Ph.D. Degree, this will be fifteen terms, i.e. five years. For other degrees and the C.P.G.S., see the table in section 17.

3. Residence requirements

There will be no residence requirements for part-time degrees but there will be minimum attendance requirements (see section 11 below).

4. College

Every graduate student must be a member of a College. The Board will establish which Colleges might be willing to offer membership to part-time research students.

5. Relationship to full-time provision

The part-time route will be offered only where it is unlikely to distort full-time provision and where the necessary resources can be made available.

Admission, registration, and examinations

Standards will be comparable to those for full-time students, but with extra requirements suitable to part-time status.

6. Arrangements for admission:

•	a separate application form will be available together with instructions for referees; references from a current line manager are not acceptable if that person has no knowledge of the candidate's academic ability. A statement from the candidate setting out why he or she wishes to take the degree on a part-time basis will be required;
•	all candidates for a part-time research degree should be interviewed and a report of the interview should accompany the recommendation of admission by the Department;
•	an offer of admission represents a commitment on the part of the accepting institution: accordingly, the institution should be prepared to make alternative arrangements should the original supervisor become unavailable during the candidate's course of study;
•	the Faculty, Department, or Institute should also indicate that the topic of research can be achieved on a part-time basis within five years and can be reasonably expected to yield results which will make a contribution at an appropriate level to the field of study in five years' time;
•	in the case of an employed candidate, the employer should confirm in writing that the candidate will be allowed to conduct research for the degree in the workplace and that the supervisor will be granted reasonable access on request;
•	a financial guarantee, or proof of means confirmed by a bank manager or other appropriate person, will be required of every candidate, to show a sufficient mixture of income and capital to cover the costs of fees. The Board will require a guarantee based on capital for the fees element, but maintenance costs could be covered from various sources, including income from the student's employment or from a partner. The Board would not entertain a request for assistance with maintenance in case of hardship.

7. Research facilities (including library facilities)

These must be no less (in quantity, quality, and availability) for part-time students than for full-time students, whether provided in the University or in the students' own place of work.

8. Co-ordinator for part-time research degrees

Each institution opting in should nominate a named member of staff to act as a local co-ordinator.

9. Integration

Arrangements must be made for part-time students to be immersed in an active research environment including formal training in research; attendance at relevant seminars and conferences; the supervision of undergraduates (if appropriate); and interaction with researchers in the same and cognate disciplines.

10. Submission deadlines and completion rates

The equivalent of the Research Councils' submission deadline of four years for full-time students is the end of the seventh part-time year. Part-time students should work to the same expectations of strict submission deadlines; arrangements should encourage low wastage and high completion rates.

11. Attendance requirements

Part-time students will have minimum attendance requirements specified at the point of offer; progression will be conditional on these requirements having been met. This will be monitored by the Board of Graduate Studies.

12. Handbook/progress log

Part-time students should be issued on arrival with a Handbook which specifies the attendance and other requirements to be met. The log will be completed by the student and supervisor over the period of study to show these requirements have been met.

13. Supervision

The Board of Graduate Studies has agreed to set a University-wide requirement for a minimum level of two formal supervisions (as distinguished from 'contact' with the supervisor) per term (six per year). Institutions may set a higher minimum. The Board also considers a maximum entitlement desirable and recommends a maximum of four formal supervisions per term (12 in a year).

14. Other attendance requirements

Expectations regarding attendance at research training and safety seminars, weekly institutional/group seminars, etc., should be specified by institutions when seeking to participate in the scheme and subsequently monitored by them.

15. Expectations

The material supplied to a candidate on admission by a Faculty, Department, or Institute should set out the reasonable mutual expectations for a student and supervisor. While the Board recognizes that the student- supervisor relationship cannot be mapped onto a simple template, it is clearly important for both parties to enter the partnership with a shared expectation of what is reasonable.

16. Numbers of part-time students

There will be no University quota, but numbers will be monitored. Supervisors might reasonably take one new part-time student in any year. Supervisors should not be encouraged to have more than five part-time students at any one time, including those beyond their fifth year of study. The Board will monitor this and seeks the Degree Committees' co-operation when appointing supervisors.

17. Timetable for registration and other landmarks

For part-time Ph.D. students, all registration and submission dates are based on the minimum research requirements of the Ph.D., being three years of full-time research, or five years of part-time research.

	Qualification	Full-time	Part-time
Minimum number of terms of research (earliest date for submission is first day of term shown)	Ph.D. M.Sc./M.Litt. C.P.G.S.	9 6 3	15 10 5
Minimum number of terms of research in Cambridge or other approved place*	Ph.D. and M.Sc./M.Litt.	3	5
Submission of thesis deadline should be by the last day of the vacation following the term following the term shown	Ph.D. and M.Sc./M.Litt. (see Reg. 7 for these Degrees)	9th term	15th term
Final submission deadline should be the last day of the vacation following the term shown	Ph.D.	12th term	21st term
Submission of C.P.G.S. dissertation should be last day of the term shown	C.P.G.S.	3rd term	5th term
Exemptions/allowances maximum number of terms for which an exemption or allowance would be made following a full-time 1-year course or part-time 2-year course	Ph.D./ M.Sc./M.Litt.	3	5

* Leave to work away may be sought for the remainder.

18. Progression from year to year

A part-time student should not automatically be permitted to progress from one year to the next. At the end of each year, the student should meet with the supervisor to consider a brief but formal progress paper. A joint report of progress should be made in the log. The supervisor's statement should confirm that the student is on target to complete within five years and that the topic remains viable as a contribution to learning. The joint report will be checked by the local co-ordinator of part-time degrees, who should confirm whether or not all attendance requirements have been met. If progress is satisfactory, there is a recommendation to continue.

19. The formal Registration exercise

Registration for the Degree should take place by the end of the fifth term if possible and certainly by the end of the seventh term. It may take the form of a formal scrutiny of the log together with consideration of a substantial piece of work and an interview. This should be carried out by two members of the institution, at least one of whom is not a supervisor of the student. The assessors will make a firm recommendation indicating whether the student has met the attendance requirements; the project is likely to be viable and productive in the timescale involved; and the student is likely to submit a thesis in a specified time scale.

Given the long time-scale of the part-time Ph.D. Degree, the Board commends to institutions the practice of registering candidates for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree in the first instance, with later upgrading, subject to satisfactory progress and a further registration exercise, to Ph.D. candidature.

20. Early submission

Submission before the first day of the last term of the minimum research requirement should be possible under the same system of allowances and exemptions pertaining for full-time students. The M.St. and M.Ed. Degrees will become a recognized route into the Ph.D. (whether full- or part-time) for which exemption can be made. Early submission from part-time students who have no grounds for allowance but who have been able to devote more time to their research than expected under the scheme will not be permitted unless the full fee for the five-year minimum research period has been paid.

21. Deferral of submission

Requests to defer submission beyond the normal date will be subject to stringent consideration by the Degree Committee and the Board. Deferral will be permitted for five terms (to the end of the 21st term or 7th year), in line with Research Council submission deadlines. Leave to do so must be requested in advance.

Further deferral may be allowed, on the provision of a substantial case, up to the end of the 24th term or 8th year; scrutiny of such applications will be increasingly stringent with time. After this time part-time students would automatically be removed from the Register of Graduate Students and may not be permitted to submit a thesis.

22. Examination

The examination process will be exactly the same for part-time students as for full-time students. The options available to the Examiners are the same as for full-time students. The Board expects the mode of study to have no bearing on the standard of the thesis nor on the consideration of the outcome of an examination by the Examiners or by the Degree Committee.

23. Leave to work away

Applications to go on extended fieldwork should be made and considered in the same way as for full-time students. A maximum of 10 terms' leave to work away within the 15-term research period may be permitted.

24. Intermission

Part-time students may apply to intermit in the normal way. Intermission should be sought for students in the writing-up phase who, for whatever reason, must temporarily suspend their work on their thesis. It is the Board's firm expectation that the supervisor is not obliged to provide academic support to a student during a period of intermission.

The Board will permit up to three terms (whether full- or part-time) of intermission at any one time and not normally more than six terms in total throughout the whole Ph.D. course. The maximum time a part-time student may be on the Register and still submit a thesis is therefore ten years. The Board is aware that the lives of many part-time students are more complex than those of full-time students and is prepared to permit intermission on the basis of a change of job or family circumstances.

25. Transfers between part-time status and full-time status

Transfer of registration status will be permitted once only in either direction providing the student is still within the minimum research requirement. Transfers will not normally be permitted after the end of the period for which the student is paying fees nor as a means of avoiding the original submission deadline.

The following time conversion chart shows how to calculate terms for students considering a change of mode of study. The Board may stipulate that transfers can be made only at the end of a year:

•	1 year full-time (3 full-time terms)	= 5 part-time terms
•	1 year part-time (3 part-time terms)	= 2 full-time terms (rounding to nearest whole number)

N.B. where exemption is sought for a previous qualification, the maximum number of terms for which exemption will be allowed is 3 terms (full-time) and 5 terms (part-time).

26. University Composition Fees

The total University Composition Fee for the Degree is the same, whether take by the full-time of the part-time route. In practice, this would normally mean that 60% of the full-time fee will be charged for each term of Registration as a part-time student.

27. Student support

Part-time students should have available the same Departmental and University pastoral and academic support structures as are available to full-time students. In addition, a local co-ordinator should be available to offer advice to the student. Depending on the nature of the difficulties, the student may be referred to a departmental advisor, their Graduate Tutor, or the Board of Graduate Studies.

28. Support at the Board of Graduate Studies

A specific contact will be set up at the Board to deal with part-time research students. As funds permit, the Board intends to offer an extended advisory role, ideally with availability in extended hours.

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