Arrangements for persons employed by the University who wish to undertake research degrees: Notice by the Board of Graduate Studies

The Board of Graduate Studies have recommended to the Council and the General Board that, under certain circumstances, persons employed by the University who register for research degrees may be eligible to pay a reduced University Composition Fee (a Staff Fee). Subject to the approval of Grace 1 of 10 January (p. 318), the Board give notice of the requirements that must be satisfied for payment at the Staff Fee rate by persons employed by the University who have registered for either a full-time or a part-time research degree. The Board have taken the opportunity to clarify the arrangements under which such persons may register for full-time research degrees.

A reduced University Composition Fee shall apply to a person employed by a University institution at least 40% full-time who has been accepted for admission as a Graduate Student for the Ph.D., M.Litt., or M.Sc. Degree, or for an M.Phil. Degree examined by thesis and oral only, or for a Certificate of Postgraduate Study, for the duration of her or his employment by the University.¹ The Staff Fee shall be one-third of the Composition Fee for Home and EU postgraduate students (Band D, see Statutes and Ordinances, p. 159), regardless of the candidate's liability to pay fees at the overseas or UK/EU rate under the existing regulations.

For candidates who are seeking registration for a part-time qualification, the Staff Fee rate will apply only if the candidate's Head of Department or other institution has confirmed that there is a direct link between the subject of the candidate's research and her or his employment.

Registration for a full-time research degree will be accepted only if the employee is spending no more than six hours a week on work other than research required for the degree; the candidate's Head of Department or other institution will be asked to confirm this when recommending the admission as a Graduate Student.

Further information will be made available to all Heads of relevant University institutions and on the Board of Graduate Studies website (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/).

¹ A candidate must be in paid employment in a University institution (i.e. an institution that is under the supervision of the Council or the General Board) to be eligible for payment of a reduced fee. He or she will become liable to pay the full Composition Fee at the appropriate rate for the remainder of the course of research if he or she ceases to be employed by the University before qualifying for the degree for which he or she was registered as a candidate. The Staff Fee is not currently available to employees of the Colleges, the University Press, or Cambridge Assessment.