Regulations for Examinations

Award of a lower degree for certain doctoral degrees

With effect from 1 January 2025

The General Board, on the recommendation of the Postgraduate Committee in consultation with the relevant Degree Committees, has approved the amendment of the regulations for certain doctoral degrees to streamline the process and timeline for awarding a lower degree. The following regulations are amended with effect from 1 January 2025:

(a) Doctor of Business (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 451): By amending Regulation 13 to read as follows:

13. If, after considering the reports of the Examiners, the Degree Committee considers that a student’s work is not of the standard requisite for the Bus.D. Degree, but that it is of the standard requisite for the M.Sc. Degree, its recommendation shall be communicated to the General Board, together with the reports of the Examiners. If after receiving such communication the Board decides that the candidate could properly be approved for the award of the lower degree, the Registrary shall communicate this decision to the candidate and approve the candidate for the award of that degree. The Registrary shall publish a notice of such approval unless the candidate has requested the removal of their name from the published list in accordance with a procedure approved from time to time by the General Board.

(b) Doctor of Education (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 461): By amending Regulation 13 to read as follows:

13. If, after considering the reports of the Examiners, the Degree Committee considers that a student’s work is not of the standard requisite for the Ed.D. Degree, but that it is of the standard requisite for the M.Litt. Degree, its recommendation shall be communicated to the General Board, together with the reports of the Examiners. If after receiving such communication the Board decides that the candidate could properly be approved for the award of the lower degree, the Registrary shall communicate this decision to the candidate and approve the candidate for the award of that degree. The Registrary shall publish a notice of such approval unless the candidate has requested the removal of their name from the published list in accordance with a procedure approved from time to time by the General Board.

(c) Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Science, Master of Letters, and Master of Philosophy by Thesis (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 497): By amending Regulation 16 to read as follows:

16. If, after considering the reports of the Examiners, the Degree Committee considers that a student’s work is not of the standard requisite for the Ph.D. Degree, but that it is of the standard requisite for the M.Sc. or M.Litt. Degree, its recommendation shall be communicated to the General Board, together with the reports of the Examiners. If after receiving such communication the Board decides that the candidate could properly be approved for the award of the lower degree, the Registrary shall communicate this decision to the candidate and approve the candidate for the award of that degree. The Registrary shall publish a notice of such approval unless the candidate has requested the removal of their name from the published list in accordance with a procedure approved from time to time by the General Board.

(d) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 575): By amending Regulation 13 to read as follows:

13. If, after considering the reports of the Examiners, the Degree Committee considers that a student’s work is not of the standard requisite for the Vet.M.D. Degree, but that it is of the standard requisite for the M.Sc. Degree, its recommendation shall be communicated to the General Board, together with the reports of the Examiners. If after receiving such communication the Board decides that the candidate could properly be approved for the award of the lower degree, the Registrary shall communicate this decision to the candidate and approve the candidate for the award of that degree. The Registrary shall publish a notice of such approval unless the candidate has requested the removal of their name from the published list in accordance with a procedure approved from time to time by the General Board.

Doctor of Medicine

(Statutes and Ordinances, p. 478)

With effect from 1 January 2025

The General Board, on the recommendation of Postgraduate Committee and the Degree Committee for the Faculties of Clinical Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, has approved amendments to the regulations for the degree of Doctor of Medicine to allow approval of the M.Sc. Degree in lieu of the M.D. Degree, for consistency with examination outcomes for the Bus.D., Ed.D., Eng.D., Ph.D. and Vet.M.D. Degrees, as follows:

Regulations 14 to 19.

By replacing existing Regulations 14 to 17 with the following new or revised regulations:

14. The Degree Committee shall be the deciding authority on all decisions that candidates be approved for the award of the degree or that they be allowed to submit revised theses. The General Board shall be the deciding authority not to award the degree or to award a lower degree.

15. If, after considering the reports of the Examiners on a candidate’s thesis and performance in the oral examination, the Degree Committee is satisfied that the candidate’s work is of the requisite standard for the degree, showing evidence of significant original contribution to the advancement of the science, art, or history of medicine, its decision shall be communicated to the Student Registry, together with the reports of the Examiners. The Student Registry shall publish a notice of the candidate’s approval for the award of the degree unless the candidate has requested the removal of their name from the published list in accordance with a procedure approved from time to time by the General Board.

16. If, after considering the reports of the Examiners of a thesis, the Degree Committee is of the opinion that a candidate’s thesis is not of the requisite standard for the degree, the Degree Committee may permit the student to submit a revised thesis. The decision of the Degree Committee shall be communicated to the Student Registry, together with the reports of the Examiners. A student shall not be allowed to submit a revised thesis on more than one occasion.

17. If, after considering the reports of the Examiners, the Degree Committee is of the opinion that a candidate’s work thesis is not of the requisite standard for the M.D. Degree, but that it is of the standard requisite for the M.Sc. Degree, its recommendation shall be communicated to the General Board, together with the reports of the Examiners. If after receiving such communication the Board decides that the candidate could properly be approved for the award of the lower degree, the Registrary shall communicate this decision to the candidate and approve the candidate for award of the M.Sc. Degree. The Registrary shall publish a notice of such approval unless the candidate has requested the removal of their name from the published list in accordance with a procedure approved from time to time by the General Board.

18. If after considering the reports of the Examiners the Degree Committee resolves that a candidate’s work is not of the requisite standard for the degree, and if the Committee does not recommend that the candidate be allowed to submit a revised thesis, its recommendation shall be communicated to the General Board, together with the reports of the Examiners. If after receiving such communication the Board decides that the candidate could not properly be approved for the award of the degree, the Registrary shall communicate this decision to the candidate.

19. A candidate who is not approved for the M.D. Degree under Regulation 18 may apply to be a candidate for the M.D. degree by the Special Regulations, providing the candidate meets the eligibility requirements; such application may be made on not more than one occasion, after a period of not less than five years from the date of the applicant’s original examination for the Degree.

And by renumbering existing Regulations 18 and 19 as Regulations 20 and 21.