part-time research courses

Board of Graduate Studies

Guidance Notes for Faculties, Departments and Institutes on Part-Time Research Courses Edition 2: January 2007

4 Mill Lane Cambridge

CB2 1RZ

Tel: 01223 766302 Fax: 01223 338398

email: [email protected](Linda Whitebread) [email protected]

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/

mailto:[email protected]


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Guidance Notes for Faculties, Departments and Institutes

PART-TIME RESEARCH COURSES

Contents Page

INTRODUCTION 4

1 FRAMEWORK 5 1.1 The Qualification 5 1.2 The minimum research requirement 5 1.3 Residence requirements 5 1.4 College 5 1.5 Fees 5 1.6 Relationship to full-time provision 6

2 ARRANGEMENTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT 7 2.1 Local arrangements 7 2.2 How to register for the scheme 7 2.3 Resources 7 2.4 Local Co-ordinator for Part-time Research Courses 7 2.5 Supervisors and Advisors 8 2.6 Numbers of part-time students 9 2.7 Health and safety and pastoral care 9 2.8 Integration 9 2.9 Concurrent courses 9

3 ADMISSION 10 3.1 Candidates 10 3.2 Application procedure 10 3.3 Interview 11 3.4 Arrangements with employers 12 3.5 Intellectual Property Rights 12 3.6 Financial arrangements 12 3.7 Students who are University of Cambridge employees 14 3.8 Departmental recommendation 14

4 WORKING WITH PART-TIME STUDENTS 15 4.1 Attendance requirements / Supervision 15 4.2 Induction 15 4.3 Training and other attendance requirements 15 4.4 Handbook 16 4.5 Progress Log 16 4.6 CamGRAD 16 4.7 Progression from year to year 16 4.8 Examination 17 4.9 Student support 17 4.10 Support at the Board of Graduate Studies 17

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5 TIMETABLE FOR REGISTRATION AND OTHER LANDMARKS 18 5.1 The formal Registration exercise 19 5.2 Early submission 19 5.3 Deferral of submission 20 5.4 Leave to work away 20 5.5 Intermission 21 5.6 Transfers between part-time mode and full-time mode 21

APPENDIX: NOTES FOR STUDENTS ON CHANGE OF MODE 22


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INTRODUCTION

This document sets out the characteristics of part-time research courses and the Board of Graduate Studies’ minimum expectations for the facilities available and the procedures applying to students on these courses. As with full-time students, the University provides a basic framework of regulations. Please refer to the Board’s Code of Practice for Graduate Research Degrees, the provisions of which apply equally to part-time research students (all students and departments have a copy of the Code, which is also available on-line at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/). You are asked to formulate your own local arrangements for part-time students within this framework, appropriate to the subject and the specific requirements of the mode of study. For example, Degree Committees may establish more demanding requirements if they wish and, if this is the case, participating institutions within that Degree Committee's remit must themselves agree to meet those higher standards. The following notes refer to the part-time PhD Degree. Provision has also been made for a part-time route to the MSc and MLitt Degrees and to the Certificate of Postgraduate Study. Arrangements for these qualifications are as for the PhD with variants as set out in the timetable and the amended regulations. Note that the term 'part-time student' below refers to part-time PhD students. Please note that there is no part-time route to the EngD degree and, currently, NO PART-TIME ROUTE TO THE MPHIL DEGREE.



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1 FRAMEWORK

1.1 The Qualification The qualification obtained is the same, whether by part-time or full-time study.

1.2 The minimum research requirement For the PhD, this is fifteen terms ie five years. For other degrees and the CPGS, see the Table in section 5, below. Given the long time scale of the part-time PhD degree, the Board commends to institutions the practice of registering candidates for the shorter research degrees, ie the MSc or MLitt Degree, in the first instance, with the possibility of later upgrading to PhD candidature. See Section 5.1, below

1.3 Residence requirements There are no residence requirements for part-time research courses but there are minimum attendance requirements which will include formal supervisions and training (see 4.3 and 4.4, below). Please emphasise to potential candidates that this is a part-time rather than a distance learning course; it is expected that students will live close enough to Cambridge to play a full part in the academic and social life of the Faculty or Department and the College.

1.4 College Every part-time graduate student must be a member of a College and pay College fees. He or she will be assigned to a Graduate Tutor who will be available to advise on welfare or pastoral matters in the same way as for full-time students.

1.5 Fees The total University Composition Fee for the course is the same, whether taken by the full-time or the part-time route. In practice, this normally means that 60% of the full-time fee is charged for each term of Registration as a part-time student. College fees are charged on the same basis. Unlike applicants for full-time courses, part-time applicants are not expected to show the availability of funding for maintenance. However, they should be aware that there may be additional costs, for example travel, short-term accommodation.


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1.6 Relationship to full-time provision Part-time students are intended to be additional to, and not a replacement for, full-time students. You should only offer the part-time route where it is unlikely to distort full-time provision and if the necessary resources can be made available.


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2 ARRANGEMENTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT

2.1 Local arrangements The University has basic requirements, but there is freedom locally to decide details of the rules and what is acceptable at Departmental or subject level.

2.2 How to register for the scheme

Any Faculty, Department or Institute wanting to admit part-time students must check that its Degree Committee has opted in or intends to do so. Applications must be synchronised where possible and any local rules for managing part-time students established. Although you may not opt in unless your Degree Committee is also registering, agreement by a Degree Committee to participate does not oblige all institutions within its remit to do so. You will need to consider several issues in advance of completing the form. See, for example, sections 4.1 Attendance Requirements and 4.3 Training and Other Attendance Requirements, below. Forms for Departments and Degree Committees to register for the scheme are available from the Board of Graduate Studies (contact [email protected]), to whom completed forms must be submitted for approval. 2.3 Resources Research facilities 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. If you wish to admit part-time research students you must confirm that you have enough laboratory, library and seminar room accommodation for the additional students, and sufficient administrative and clerical capacity to manage them. 2.4 Local Co-ordinator for Part-time Research Courses You must appoint a named member of staff to act as a Local Co-ordinator for Part-time Research Courses (henceforth referred to as the Local Co-ordinator) and to be available to offer advice to students specifically related to their part-time status. This person can be either an administrative or a teaching officer of the university, and may or may not be in the Degree Committee office. The Local Co-ordinator may refer students to other people within the department, the BGS or to their College Tutor, depending on the type of problem.



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Duties of Local Co-ordinator

• to be available to advise part-time students on administrative aspects of the scheme, for example, registration procedures, changing mode procedures

• to advise on access to research and training provision; and to ensure that facilities are available at appropriate times

• to be the first point of contact for the Board, and be involved in any discussions with the Board regarding policy or procedures, both generally and as applied to individual students;

• to ensure that potential supervisors are made fully aware of the implications of taking on part-time students, and that they understand the University and Departmental requirements regarding attendance, training, interviews etc;

• to brief the Head of Department and the Degree Committee as necessary;

• to sign a copy of the admission or change of mode interview report, certifying that procedures have been properly completed;

• to sign the Progress Log at the end of each year, certifying that attendance requirements have been met;

• to be responsible for confirming that a student has been granted permission to continue from one year to the next.

2.5 Supervisors and Advisors Supervisors are appointed by the Degree Committee in the same way as full-time students. New supervisors are required to attend an induction event and are encouraged to attend the Staff Development sessions run by BGS staff for postgraduate supervisors (see www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/personnel/staffdev/). Established staff who wish to keep up with developments in graduate education and are willing to share their experience with others are also warmly invited to attend. Supervisors should be made aware before taking on a part-time student that

• the commitment is a long term one, and can last for up to ten years • the student may have other commitments (domestic responsibilities,

paid employment); the Supervisor is asked to keep the balance between these elements under review

• it may be difficult for the student to attend induction, training etc at the same time as other students; the supervisor should liaise with the local part-time co-ordinator to ensure that suitable arrangements are made

• a termly open report on the student must be submitted through CamGRAD (as for full-time students)

• a Progress Log must be completed throughout the length of the course (see Section 4.5).

A second person should also be appointed to act in a less formal capacity as an additional Advisor (see the Code of Practice for details).


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2.6 Numbers of part-time students There is no University quota, but numbers are 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. 2.7 Health and safety and pastoral care (see also 4.8 Student Support) Part-time students may need to work outside regular hours. You should ensure that health and safety arrangements are adequate to cover this if necessary. Part-time students must have access to pastoral and advisory facilities. In practice much of this will be provided through the College. 2.8 Integration It is the University’s intention that the part-time research course should be as much like a full-time course, and as little like a distance learning course, as possible. Please make every effort to involve part-timers in the academic and social life of the department. You should make arrangements for part-time students to be immersed in an active research environment including formal training in research; attendance at relevant seminars and conferences; participation in transferable skills training; and interaction with researchers in the same and cognate disciplines. For example, you might consider retimetabling, where appropriate, so that part-timers can be integrated with full-timers; twilight sessions and weekend conferences could be considered; and part-timers might be encouraged to supervise undergraduates, if appropriate. 2.9 Concurrent courses Students who are studying, or intending to study, part-time in Cambridge are not normally expected to pursue a course at another institution simultaneously, but exceptions may be made providing the Degree Committee is satisfied that the arrangements will not hinder the candidate in pursuit of the Cambridge degree.


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3 ADMISSION 3.1 Candidates A typical candidate might be employed in the University or in the Cambridge region with an employer who views a programme of part-time research as representing valuable staff development; or might be someone who works part-time or is home based for whatever reason, and wants to develop his/her research skills. Overseas Students: As a general rule, overseas students who require a visa to study in the UK will not be able to obtain a visa for a part-time Degree. However, you may receive applications from an overseas candidate who is employed in the UK with a work permit, or who is an accompanying dependant of such a person. You will need to check that they have permission to remain in the UK for a sufficient time to complete the minimum research requirement before considering such applicants. The Board will advise you on the fee band applicable to any given applicant. Admission standards must be comparable to those for full-time students, but with extra requirements suitable to part-time status (see 3.2 to 3.6, below). The University standard minimum entry requirement is a IIi Honours Degree, but the Board recognises that some part-time students may have quite different educational histories from most full-timers and may agree to accept candidates with different but equivalent qualifications or experience. Degree Committees will need to make a case for ‘non-standard’ applicants in the usual way. Departments and Degree Committees must decide in advance if they have higher requirements than the minimum. These can be set out in the graduate prospectus. You will also need to agree your attendance requirements (see 4.1 to 4.3, below). Please bear in mind that there is no obligation on any supervisor or Department to admit any candidate to part-time study if they judge that part-time study in a particular set of circumstances, or for a particular project, is inappropriate. Each case should be considered on its own merits. 3.2 Application procedure Candidates use the same application form as full-time students. There is a check box where applicants can indicate that they wish to study part-time, and they are asked to provide a statement saying why they need to study part-time.


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Instructions for referees include a request for a statement about the ability of the candidate to handle different responsibilities simultaneously. (Please note that references from a current line manager are not acceptable if the relationship does not include knowledge of academic ability.) Candidates are informed that difficulty in getting funding for a full-time course may not be regarded as sufficient reason for being accepted to study part-time. In particular the University discourages students who seek to transfer to part-time mode part way through their study for financial reasons. 3.3 Interview You must interview all candidates for part-time research degrees and a report of the interview should accompany the recommendation of admission by the Department. A pro forma for this purpose is available on the BGS website at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ptstudents/, but as long as you retain the existing content you may adapt it as you wish to fit in with departmental styles/requirements. Please note that the purpose of the interview is not so much to determine the academic suitability of the candidate (although that of course can be covered), but to discuss the feasibility of the part-time route. Will the candidate live near or conveniently enough to fulfil the attendance requirements, not just to the minimum but sufficiently to play a significant part in the academic life of the department? Are the supervision arrangements workable? etc In general, a candidate who intends to live outside the UK and the more accessible parts of the EU will NOT be suitable for admission and the Board reserves the right not to make an offer if it considers the arrangements for regular attendance unworkable. Please also note that overseas candidates cannot normally obtain a visa to study in the UK for a part-time degree. Points that might be covered at interview include: • Suitability of project to a part-time approach • Relevance of subject in five years’ time • Availability of suitable supervisor willing to take on a part-time student • Ability of candidate to sustain a part-time approach. Part-time students are

not restricted in the hours they can engage in paid employment, but the admission interview should explore the extent to which they will be able to manage their work and study and the Supervisor is asked to keep the balance between these elements under review

• Attendance requirements (formal supervisions, training, seminars etc). Bear in mind the university minimum requirement of two formal supervisions per term: attendance for one block of time in the summer is not sufficient. The Board reserves the right to reject applications where insufficient evidence has been given of a candidate’s willingness/ability to engage as fully as possible with the academic life of the Faculty, Department and College.


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• Distance of candidate’s home from Cambridge, and whether/how this will be managed.

• Fees and funding arrangements • Intellectual property ownership (see 3.5, below) 3.4 Arrangements with employers Employed candidates are asked to provide a letter from their employer stating that they will be allowed time off, if necessary, to attend the University as required for the whole duration of their course. The letter should also state whether or not the employer will wish to discuss intellectual property rights in connection with the research (see next section). If research for the Degree is to be conducted in the workplace, candidates must agree this with their employer and with you; you should check that the supervisor will be granted reasonable access to the workplace on request. 3.5 Intellectual Property Rights For employed candidates, arrangements for Intellectual Property Rights must be agreed in advance. It is best to discuss this at the interview if not before. If the employer is not asserting any rights in the intellectual property created in the course of the research, a statement to this effect must be included in the letter at 3.4 above. We would generally expect this to be the case where the employer is neither paying for the time of study nor contributing to fees. In the absence of any claim on the IP by the employer, the position on IP is identical to that of a full-time PhD student. More information on Intellectual Property Rights is available on the Board of Graduate Studies website at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/submitting/phd/requirements.html#section5 If the employer wishes to claim rights in the IP, the Research Services Division (http://www.rsd.cam.ac.uk/) must be contacted in advance of the studies to negotiate an agreement which sets out the position on IP and, among other things, confirms the level of any sponsorship by the employer. While the employer may wish to retain ownership in any IP created by the student, the University will also want to ensure that regard is given to the IP rights in any contributions from the supervisor or other members of the Department, as well as its obligations to other external sponsors. The University will also wish to make sure that the employer cannot restrict the use or exploitation of the student’s share in any collaborative project in which s/he takes part, nor prevent the submission of the thesis on grounds of confidentiality. 3.6 Financial arrangements Candidates must produce a signed financial undertaking that they can cover the fees and other charges. Living (maintenance) costs can be covered from various sources, including income from the student's employment or from a partner. The Board does not usually entertain requests for assistance with maintenance in case of hardship.


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Sources of funding: Research Councils: AHRC: funds part-time students BBSRC: may consider a part-time arrangement if the supervisor and Head of Department are in support. ESRC: funds part-time students EPSRC: makes awards to candidates combining their research training with domestic responsibilities but not to those in part-time employment MRC: no restriction on those in part-time employment being awarded a part-time research studentship if the institution is of the opinion that their other responsibilities will not hinder them from completing their PhD in time NERC: makes awards to candidates combining their research training with domestic responsibilities but not to those in part-time employment PPARC: normally expects students to be full-time. However, please note that part-time awards provide only 50% of full-time rate tuition fees plus a small annual research contribution. This may cause difficulties since the University part-time fee is at 60% of the full-time rate. Domestic Research Studentship Scheme Applicants for doctoral awards are also entitled to apply to the University Committee on Grants’ Domestic Research Studentship Scheme. In addition to offering full fees awards, the DRS may offer ‘top-up awards’ which may well be a solution to the problem of a shortfall in part-time fees funding offered by Research Councils. The ORS Awards, Dorothy Hodgkin Award Scheme, and Cambridge Trusts awards do not apply to part-time students; neither does the DfES Fee Waiver scheme.


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3.7 Students who are University of Cambridge employees Candidates for a part-time course who have or expect to have an employment contract with the University of Cambridge may be eligible for a reduced University Composition fee. In order to qualify, they must:

i. have a contract of at least 40 per cent full-time employment with the University of Cambridge (not including Non-University Institutions).

ii. obtain a written statement of their Head of Department agreeing that they may undertake a research degree while continuing with their duties as an employee;

iii. be able to demonstrate that their research will contribute directly to their paid employment

iv. sign an undertaking that they understand and agree that if the employment contract comes to an end, then so will the staff rate and that they will be assessed for the remaining fees in the usual way.

The staff composition fee is currently set at one third the relevant Home composition fee regardless of the candidate’s subject or other fee status. Please note the college fee does not currently attract the same reduction. 3.8 Departmental recommendation When recommending admission, you must attach to the application an employer’s letter (see 3.4, above), a report of the interview, (see a recommended pro forma at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ptstudents/ and a part-time cover sheet (supplied by us) which will confirm that: • there is a suitable supervisor willing to take this student on a part-time

basis • substitute arrangements will be made available should that person not be

able to supervise for the entire duration of the course • the topic of research can be completed on a part-time basis within 5 years • the topic 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 • the normal Departmental attendance requirements (as agreed when opting

in to the arrangements) will apply to this student, with a special case made if this is not to be so. If the student is to live some distance from Cambridge, please explain how the attendance requirements are to be met.

It is possible, and may be preferable, to register for an MSc or MLitt to begin with, changing registration at a later date if all is going well (see para 5.1, below). Please note that there is no part-time route to the MPhil or EngD degree.



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4 WORKING WITH PART-TIME STUDENTS 4.1 Attendance requirements / Supervision Part-time students should have minimum attendance requirements specified at the point of offer; progression will be conditional on these requirements having been met. The Board of Graduate Studies has set a University-wide requirement for a minimum level of two formal supervisions (as distinguished from 'contact' with the supervisor) per term (six per calendar year). You may set a higher minimum if you think this appropriate. Please note that attendance in one block, say during the summer months, is not sufficient; students must attend for at least two supervisions a term plus training. The Board also considers a maximum requirement desirable and recommends a maximum of four formal supervisions per term (12 in a calendar year). Fulfilment of the attendance requirements will be monitored by the Board of Graduate Studies via the Local Co-ordinator, who will check the Progress Log annually. 4.2 Induction Where possible, part-time students should attend the same induction events as full-time students; however, if this is not possible alternative arrangements should be made. 4.3 Training and other attendance requirements You will need to specify your expectations regarding attendance at research training and safety seminars, weekly institutional/group seminars, etc when applying to register for the scheme. Training may be ‘front-loaded’ or may be spread more evenly over the first two years. Please note that transferable skills training should be made available, pro rata, to part-time students. This will normally mean that from their sixth and subsequent terms part-time students should complete six days’ transferable skills training per (calendar) year. You should specify at what times training sessions are available. We do not necessarily expect you to duplicate the provision for full-time students. You may specify that part-time students must attend day time training sessions; alternatively you may opt to reschedule existing sessions to evenings weekends or vacations so that part -timers are able to attend. You should set out all attendance requirements in your Handbook, and subsequently monitor attendance by means of the Progress Log.


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4.4 Handbook You should issue part-time students with a Departmental Handbook on arrival (see Code of Practice for Research Students). The information for part-time students may be contained within the general Departmental Handbook, or you may produce a separate handbook. It should contain information specifying the attendance and other requirements to be met and reasonable mutual expectations for the student and supervisor. While we recognise 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. The Handbook should also contain a timetable of progress and submission landmarks. The Board of Graduate Studies has produced information for part-time students which may be downloaded from the BGS website and can be adapted for use in your Handbook if you wish. 4.5 Progress Log A Progress Log must be completed by the student and supervisor over the period of study (ie, not just in the first year: this is a major difference from full-time PhDs) to show that all requirements have been met. Kept by the student, for the benefit of both student and supervisor, the Progress Log should record attendance at formal supervisions, skills training etc, and also be a vehicle for reflecting on progress. The Log will routinely be seen by the student and supervisor, and, at the end of each twelve months, by the Local Co-ordinator who will check that attendance requirements have been met. You do not need to send a copy of the Log to BGS. A pro forma Progress Log can be downloaded from the BGS website at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ptstudents/; you may wish to tailor this to your local needs. 4.6 CamGRAD Supervisors should prepare a termly report on their part-time students on CamGRAD. For more information, go to http://www.camgrad.cam.ac.uk/ 4.7 Progression from year to year (for Registration see section 5.1) The Registration of part-time research students who begin their course not at first registered for any qualification will proceed exactly as for full-time students, but will not take place until the end of the 5th term (see Section 5). However, a part-time student should not automatically be permitted to progress from one year to the next. At the end of each twelve months (both before and after Registration) the student should meet the supervisor to consider a brief but formal progress paper. They should make joint report of progress in the Progress Log; this can also be the basis of the supervisor’s annual report to the Board of Graduate Studies. The supervisor’s statement should confirm that the student is on target to complete within five years and



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that the topic remains viable as a contribution to learning. The Progress Log should be seen by the Local Co-ordinator. The Local Co-ordinator’s signature on the annual report to the Board will act as confirmation that all attendance requirements have been met. 4.8 Examination The examination process is 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. 4.9 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, the Local Co-ordinator is available to offer administrative 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. 4.10 Support at the Board of Graduate Studies A specific contact is available at the Board to deal with your queries related to part-time research degrees. This is currently Linda Whitebread, tel 764855, email [email protected] ..



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5 TIMETABLE FOR REGISTRATION AND OTHER LANDMARKS For part-time PhD students, all registration and submission dates are based on the minimum research requirements of the PhD being 3 years of full-time research, or 5 years of part-time research. The part-time equivalent of the Research Councils’ submission deadline of 4 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. Qualification Full-time Part-time

PhD 9 15 MSc/MLitt 6 10

minimum number of terms (earliest date for submission is first day of Term shown) CPGS 3 5 minimum number of terms in Cambridge or other approved place1,2

PhD and MSc/MLitt

3 5

Submission of thesis deadline should be by the last day of the vacation following the Term shown

PhD and MSc/MLitt (see Reg. 7 for these

Degrees)

10th term

16th term

Final submission deadline should be the last day of the vacation following the Term shown

PhD 12th term 21st term

Submission of CPGS dissertation should be last day of the Term shown

CPGS 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 (6 part-time terms)3

PhD/ MSc/MLitt 3 5

1 leave to work away may be sought for the remainder 2 ‘other approved place’ refers to approved Non-University Institutions as listed in the Graduate Studies Prospectus 3 exemption of terms may be sought only if and when the PhD/MSc/MLitt thesis is ready for submission earlier than the first day of the last of the minimum number of terms required for the Degree.


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5.1 The formal Registration exercise Registration for a part-time PhD 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 logbook together with consideration of a substantial piece of work and an interview. Two academic members of your institution should carry this out, neither of whom is the Supervisor (the Advisor or other members of the supervisory team may, however act as assessors) The Supervisor will be consulted and, in the light of the assessors’ verdict, a firm recommendation to the Board should be made indicating whether the project is likely to be viable and productive within the specified timescale; and whether the student is likely to submit a thesis in that time. The Local Co-ordinator will confirm whether the student has met the attendance requirements and, if so, sign the report. Given the long time scale of the part-time PhD Degree, the Board commends to institutions the practice of registering candidates for the shorter research degrees, ie the MSc or MLitt Degree, in the first instance, with the possibility of later upgrading to PhD candidature. Make clear to any student you might register in this way that this does not necessarily represent a judgement about his or her ability, but offers a possible exit route on a shorter time scale, should this seem appropriate. An upgrade would be subject to satisfactory progress, a further registration exercise, and provision of proof of means to cover the cost of the additional five terms. 5.2 Early submission Submission before the first day of the last term of the minimum research requirement is possible under the same system of allowances and exemptions pertaining for full-time students. In addition to the Cambridge MPhil and certain Diplomas and Certificates, the MSt and MEd Degrees are recognised routes into the PhD (whether full- or part-time) for which exemption from terms of research (and usually, in practice, from fees) can be made. Where a part-time degree is incorporated, fees are payable at MSt / MEd rates for the initial degree and at PhD rates for the remaining terms for which fees are payable. Where exemption is sought for a previous qualification, the maximum number of terms for which exemption can be allowed is 3 terms (full-time) and 5 terms (part-time), at the recommendation of the Degree Committee. Exemptions may currently be applied for at any time, but, starting with candidates admitted in 2007, the arrangement will be that exemption can be applied for only if and when a candidate is ready to submit the thesis before the end of the usual minimum research period. Early submission from part-time students who have no grounds for an exemption but who have been able to devote more time to their research than expected under the scheme is permitted providing the full fee for the five-year minimum research period has been paid.


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5.3 Deferral of submission Requests to defer submission beyond the normal date are subject to stringent consideration by the Degree Committee and the Board. Deferral can be permitted for five terms (eg, for a PhD 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 for a PhD; scrutiny of such applications will be increasingly stringent with time. After this time part-time students are likely to be removed from the Register of Graduate Students and may not be permitted to submit a thesis; this will be at the discretion of the Degree Committee. 5.4 Leave to work away Applications to go on extended fieldwork must be made and considered in the same way as for full-time students. No more than the equivalent of 10 part-time terms of leave to work away within the 15-term PhD research period may be permitted. Please note that Leave to Work away is not to be used simply as a means of allowing a part-time student to work at home: there must be genuine fieldwork reasons for the application. It is possible that work away may, by its nature, be full-time research. The Degree Committee must decide whether a stint of work away will count as full-time or part-time, depending on the circumstances. In these cases the terms away will be counted as the equivalent of the following number of part-time research terms: Time away from Cambridge = this number of p/t termsWhole year 5 1 term 2 2 consecutive terms 3 So a candidate who completes 5 part-time terms then goes on fieldwork for a year of full-time research must complete a further 5 part-time terms to fulfil the research requirements for a PhD. Degree Committees may agree to allow more than one change of mode in either direction (see 5.6, below) in these situations.


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5.5 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. The supervisor is not expected to provide academic support to a student during a period of intermission. Unlike terms of leave to work away, for part-time research students terms lost through intermission always count as part-time terms. So a candidate who intermits for 3 university terms must continue for 3 part-time terms beyond the normal end-date of their part-time degree. The Board can permit up to three terms of intermission at any one time and not normally more than six terms in total throughout the whole PhD. 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. 5.6 Transfers between part-time and full-time mode Transfer of registration mode is permitted once only in either direction (except as noted under 5.4 above) providing the student is still within the minimum research requirement. Transfers are not normally permitted after the end of the period for which the student is paying fees, nor as a means of avoiding either the original submission deadline or the payment of full-time fees. The following time conversion chart shows how to calculate terms for students considering a change of mode of study. Transfers can normally be made only at the end of a full twelve months (counting from the date of start of study): • 12 months full-time (3 full-time terms) = 5 part-time terms • 12 months part-time (3 part-time terms) = 2 full-time terms (rounding to

nearest whole number)

For procedural information, see Appendix 1


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Appendix 1: Notes for students on Change of Mode

Board of Graduate Studies

Notes for guidance of candidates for Research Degrees

Change of mode from part-time to full-time and vice versa Change of mode should not be undertaken routinely. It is expected that an individual student would not change more than once in each direction. The main reasons for doing so, and the procedures applicable in each case, are listed below. Please consult your Degree Committee and/or the Board if other circumstances apply. If you wish to change mode, your supervisor, Department/Faculty and College, as well as the Board of Graduate Studies, have to be satisfied that the change makes good sense in the context of your progress towards the degree, that you and your supervisor will be able to manage the changed work load and pattern and that your funding is secure for the whole course. It is also important that you complete the minimum number of terms of research required for your degree (9 full-time or 15 part-time for the PhD; 6 full-time or 10 part-time for the MSc or MLitt). If you change mode the Board will need to make adjustments to your research record in order to make sure the minimum research requirements are met. Please be aware that this necessarily restricts to some extent the possibilities for changing mode. Forms for continuation as a graduate student are available through the BGS ‘Current Students’ section of our website at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/continuing/, and for admission through the ‘Graduate Admissions’ section at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ Please also see the ‘Information for Prospective Students on Part-time Research Degrees’ at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/admissions/pt/


http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/continuing/


http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/admissions/pt/

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A PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME a) If you wish to count your part-time MSt or MEd towards your full-

time PhD.

Please note that this arrangement will no longer apply after this academical year; applicants entering in October 2007 onwards will not be able to apply at the outset to count a masters degree towards the PhD. An exemption of terms on the strength of a masters degree will then be possible only if you are ready to submit the PhD thesis before the end of the 9 terms of full-time research required, in which case, you may apply for exemption of up to 3 full-time terms when submitting the thesis for examination. • Apply in the normal way using the Graduate Application and Scholarship Form (GRADSAF), which for MEd graduates can be found on the web at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/admissions/forms/ and for MSt graduates at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/continuing/. Your MSt or MEd will, if the Degree Committee agrees, exempt you from up to three full-time research terms; this means you will need to complete 6 more full-time terms for the PhD, or 3 more full-time terms for the MSc or MLitt. NB Masters Degrees from other Universities cannot normally be counted towards Cambridge research degrees.

b) If you have started a part-time research degree at Cambridge and

then need to do some field work, ie you need leave to work away (LWA)

• Fill in the LWA form from the BGS website and return it in the normal way; • please note that, in most circumstances, fieldwork is, by its very nature, full-time, so it is likely that your terms of LWA are counted as full-time; • if the LWA is not full-time, there is no need to change mode, but please make sure the BGS is aware of this fact when you fill in the LWA form.

c) If your personal circumstances change such that you now have time/money etc for full-time study

• Write to the Part-time Research Co-ordinator in your Department/Faculty stating why you want to change mode, and from what date; • You will be interviewed by the Department including at least one person not your supervisor;


http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/admissions/forms/


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• All parties must agree that full-time study is desirable for educational as well as personal reasons; the Department and Degree Committee will send their decision on the standard part-time Interview Form direct to the Board; • You will also need to seek approval from your College. If you hope that they will provide accommodation, you will need to give as much notice of your request as possible; you are responsible for asking the College to inform the Board whether they are willing to accept your change of mode; • As soon as we hear from the Department, Degree Committee and College, the Board of Graduate Studies will confirm whether a change of mode is possible. We will write to you setting out the number of terms required to complete the degree and seeking evidence that you have sufficient funding for both the fees and the maintenance required to complete the degree you are seeking.

1.6.1 B FULL-TIME TO PART-TIME a) If you have completed a full-time Masters Degree

• Check that the Department in which you want to study takes part-time research students and has a suitable supervisor. If so, follow the normal application procedure for a part-time research degree using the Graduate Application and Scholarship Form (GRADSAF), which can be found on the web at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/continuing/ • You will be interviewed by the Department to explore the reasons for your request to change mode and to check that it makes good academic sense in terms of the project, your circumstances and the wishes of your supervisor; • If the Department does not currently take part-time research students, it may be that they would consider doing so in the future: enquire at the Department’s Graduate Office or equivalent. A list of participating Departments is on the BGS web-site at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/admissions/pt/

b) If you wish to count your full-time MPhil towards your part-time PhD.

Please note that this arrangement will no longer apply after this academical year; applicants entering in October 2007 onwards will not be able to apply at the outset to count a masters degree towards the PhD. An exemption of terms on the strength of a masters degree will then be possible only if you are ready to submit the PhD thesis before the end of the 15 terms of full-time research required, in which case, you may apply for exemption of up to 5 part-time terms when submitting the thesis for examination.




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• Your MPhil will, if the Degree Committee agrees, exempt you from up to three full-time research terms; this means you will need to complete 6 more full-time terms for the PhD, or 3 more full-time terms for the MSc or MLitt. NB Masters Degrees from other Universities cannot normally be counted towards Cambridge research degrees.

c) If you wish to resume part-time on completion of fieldwork • We will assume that you are resuming your studies part-time and no action on your part is needed if this is the case.

d) If you wish to change to part-time at some point during your full-time research degree • Changing is at the discretion of your Degree Committee; • Write to the Part-time Research Co-ordinator for your Department stating why you want to change mode, and from what date; • You will be interviewed by the Department including at least one person not your supervisor; you must have sound educational reasons for wishing to change; lack of funding will not normally be considered sufficient reason; • If you wish to change because you are entering employment, you should ask your employer to write to the Department stating that you will be granted time off as necessary to fulfil the attendance requirements laid down by the Department for the remainder of your period of study; • All parties must agree that part-time study is desirable for educational as well as personal reasons; the Department and Degree Committee will send their decision on the Interview Report Form direct to the Board; • You will need to seek approval from your College. Please note that Colleges are under no obligation to provide accommodation for part-time students; • If your College does not currently take part time research students and is not interested in doing so then you will have to be accepted by a different College before you can proceed (there is a list of Colleges taking part-time students on the BGS website at http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/admissions/pt/; you are responsible for asking the College to inform the Board whether they are willing to accept your change of mode; • As soon as we hear from the Department, Degree Committee and College, the Board of Graduate Studies will confirm whether a change of mode is possible. We will write to you and set out the number of terms required to complete the degree and any other conditions pertaining.



part-time research courses

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