UCC College Calendar 2011/2012: Degree of Doctor

2011/2012

PhD

Last updated on 17 October 2011

ADMISSION

To be eligible for consideration for entry to a programme of study and research for the Degree of PhD, a candidate must have obtained a standard of at least Second Class Honours, Grade I, in an approved primary degree, or presented such other evidence as will satisfy the College/Faculty of his/her fitness. Any additional specific Department/School requirements are outlined in points 10 - 15 below. In addition, applicants for a named structured PhD programme may be subject to entry and application requirements as specified in the University Calendar entry for that programme.

All applications for admission to a PhD programme shall be considered by the relevant College/Faculty, following recommendation of the Head of Department/School in which the programme is to be pursued.

In certain circumstances, applications recommended for approval by a College/Faculty may be subject to final approval by the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee.

If a student's application is approved, s/he must register as a PhD candidate for the years prescribed, as a minimum. Students will complete a minimum of 3 years, full-time, or 6 years, part-time, unless a shorter period of registration is approved at application stage by the Department/School on the basis of advanced academic standing.

Certain Schools/Departments/Academic Units may have specific additional considerations for entry or approval in their subject areas as outlined in Appendix 1 below.

In the case of students submitting a thesis in a language discipline, or in the case of students undertaking a joint PhD, if the thesis is to be submitted in a language other than English, this must be stated and approved when the student is approved for the programme.

If a student wishes to change his/her subject area, the change must be approved by the Department and by College/Faculty.

GENERAL

All PhD students must register and pay fees each year for all years until submission of their thesis.

Students may be permitted, under certain circumstances, to take a Leave of Absence for a specific period, subject to the approval of the supervisor, Department/School and relevant College. Students are not required to pay fees and will not have a student card during this period or have access to the university facilities.

Students who do not formally request a Leave of Absence and fail to register or maintain contact with their supervisor will not be permitted to re-register and will be formally withdrawn by the Graduate Studies Office.

Unless permission is given to the candidate by the Supervisor(s) and Head of Department/School to work elsewhere under the general direction of the Supervisor(s), the research for the Degree will be carried out in the Department/School mainly responsible for the subject area concerned but, where the research is inter-disciplinary in nature, there will be due co-operation between the Department(s)/School(s) involved.

A candidate for a PhD Degree will normally submit his/her thesis at the earliest opportunity following the end of the prescribed period of study. Candidates are allowed a maximum of six years in which to complete the Degree from their approved start date. If candidates do not complete the Degree within six years from the date of acceptance they must re-apply to the Department/School, presenting justification for an extension.

STRUCTURE OF PhD PROGRAMME

Candidates will pursue a course of research, study and personal and professional development as prescribed by their Supervisor(s). PhD candidates undertake an equivalent student workload of 90 ECTS credits for each calendar year of full-time research, or proportional equivalent for part-time students. Students will complete a minimum of 270 credits (3 years, full-time) and a maximum of 360 credits, for consideration for the award of PhD.

Research leading to the PhD dissertation must comprise at least 240 credits within the overall programme.

A number of generic and disciplinary training modules are available to PhD candidates to provide them with research and transferable skills. Students may take such modules or academic coursework up to a maximum of 90 credits as part of 4 years of PhD study as advised by their Supervisor(s). The maximum level of coursework and training which can be taken in a 3-year PhD programme is 30 credits. Details of these modules are described under the heading Modules for Postgraduate Training.

Students registered in particular Departments/Schools as detailed in Appendix 2 below, or in named structured PhD programmes, will follow the corresponding requirements regarding coursework as outlined in the College Calendar.

PhD students may be required to take modules on the advice of their Supervisor(s) if this requirement is specified at approval stage.

If points 17 and 18 do not apply to an individual PhD student, completion of modules is not a compulsory requirement for that student.
SUPERVISION

The Head of Department/School will nominate a member of staff to supervise the candidate's research, following consultation with the Departmental/School Graduate Studies Committee and on the recommendation of the College/Faculty. The name of the Supervisor(s) should be forwarded when the candidate's name is submitted to College/Faculty for approval.

In the case of a structured programme where the supervisor is not identified at the start of the programme, it is the responsibility of the Programme Director to ensure that a member of staff is nominated to supervise each student once the research area has been identified. This should be forwarded to College/Faculty for approval.

In the case of an Interdisciplinary Programme, the Chair of the Board of Studies may assume the role of a Head of Department/School and the Board of Studies may assume the role of the Departmental/School Graduate Studies Committee, where appropriate and where approved by College/Faculty.

Team supervision of a thesis, by more than one member of academic or research staff, is permitted, as outlined in the Policy on Models of Team Supervision at UCC. Team supervision should normally apply in the following cases: where a proposed supervisor has not previously supervised a PhD student to graduation; where the proposed supervisor is not a permanent member of staff; where the proposed supervisor does not have a doctoral degree; where a student is undertaking inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary research.

In the case of sole supervision, the proposed PhD supervisor must be a permanent member of academic or research staff whose contract (or age in the case of retirement) must be such that they will be at UCC for at least 3 years from the start of the PhD.

Each PhD student should undergo, at a minimum, an annual review of their progress. This will be overseen by the Graduate Studies Committee of the academic unit, centre or programme in which the student is registered, as described in the policy document:
The Roles of Graduate Studies Committees and the Operation of Progress Reviews for Research Students

EXAMINATION

Note 1: Students registered for the PhD degree before 1 October, 2008 may choose between the regulations below and those applying previously by indicating their choice when they are notifying the University of their intention to submit their thesis. For regulations applying before 1 October, 2008 see here.
Note 1: For further detail on the conduct of the PhD examination, see Guidelines for Submission and Examination of Doctoral Degrees in University College Cork here.

The PhD thesis must be primarily based on research that has been carried out during the period of registration for the degree.

Work for which a degree of this University, or elsewhere, has already been obtained will not be accepted as the main work for a PhD degree. A confirmatory statement to this effect must be included in the thesis.

The use of external professional individuals or organisations for proof-reading or copy-editing of theses on a paid basis is not permitted, and students found to have engaged such assistance in preparing their thesis will be deemed to be in breach of examination regulations.

A PhD thesis may be based on, or include, writings already published by the candidate, if they derive from research carried out during the period of registration for the degree. If material is included that has been published under joint authorship, then the work of others must be duly acknowledged.

In the case of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, the length of a PhD Thesis should not exceed 80,000 words, unless there are exceptional circumstances and provided it has the support of the Departmental/School Graduate Studies Committee.

In the case of the Faculty of Law, the length of a PhD Thesis should not exceed 80,000 - 100,000 words inclusive of footnotes and exclusive of tables, appendices and bibliography, (unless there are exceptional circumstances and provided it has the support of the Faculty/Departmental Graduate Studies Committee).

The Examination Board for a PhD thesis will normally consist of one Internal Examiner and one External Examiner.

In the case of inter-disciplinary or inter-Departmental/School PhD theses, the total number of Examiners may be increased but should not normally exceed four.

The Internal Examiner is a member of UCC academic staff who has knowledge of the subject area of the thesis, while the External Examiner is a recognised expert in this area. The Supervisor(s) normally makes a recommendation on the Internal and External Examiners to the Head of School/Department/Discipline, who may request multiple nominations, from which to nominate the final Board. The Head of College is responsible for final approval of all Examiner appointments within the relevant College; the Head of College may, however, devolve this responsibility to the Head/Associate Dean of the relevant Graduate School or the Chair of the College Graduate Studies Committee, as appropriate.

The Head of Department/School must satisfy themselves as to the expertise of proposed Examiners in the subject of the thesis, and ensure that there are no conflicts of interest raised by the examiners nominated; thus, information on nominated External Examiners (e.g., short CV or biographical paragraph) should be supplied with nomination forms in order to ensure that examiners are approved in the light of all relevant information. The Head may also consult with the Professor of the relevant subject, where appropriate, regarding the choice of Internal and External Examiners. In addition, External Examiners will be asked to declare if they have a conflict of interest with the student, the supervisor involved in the examination or the subject matter of the thesis.

Where the PhD candidate is a member of UCC's staff, there will be an additional External Examiner for the thesis. The same rule will apply where a thesis is being presented by a part-time member of the University staff. However, for the purposes of this regulation, a candidate will not be classified as a part-time member of staff,

where they only carry out work for the Department/School pursuant to a student support scheme or

where they are paid on an hourly basis, and, in the opinion of the Head of Department/School, their level of involvement in the Department/School is not such as to justify the application of the rule requiring an additional Extern Examiner.

It is the responsibility of the PhD student to notify the Graduate Studies Office of his/her intention to submit at least three months prior to the proposed date of thesis submission. Once notified, the Graduate Studies Office will forward a form to the Head of Department/School requesting the names of the Intern and Extern Examiners. The Head of Department/School will submit the completed form to the relevant Head of College/Dean for approval. The Head of College/Dean will then forward the signed form to the Graduate Studies Office.

Permission to submit the thesis will be approved by the Supervisor and Head of Department/School. The Submission Form will contain all information required for processing the thesis, including the final thesis title and names of Examiners. The form must be signed by the candidate's Supervisor(s) and their Head of Department/School, indicating that the thesis can be submitted for Examination. Any student who believes that such a signature(s) has been unreasonably withheld may still submit their thesis, but must be notified that this is against the advice of the Department. In such cases, the Supervisor(s) is required to submit an independent report to the Examination Board outlining the reasons for their decision.

The candidate must submit one copy of the PhD thesis (gum- or spiral-bound) per examiner, together with a Submission Form, to the Graduate Studies Office. This is considered the final examinable version of the thesis and no further changes are permitted after official submission.

The Supervisor(s) is responsible for making arrangements for the viva voce Examination, and for communicating same to the Candidate and Examiners; in cases where the Supervisor will not be present at the Examination, this function will be carried out by the Internal Examiner.

The Supervisor(s) is normally expected to be present at the viva voce Examination and to contribute to discussions when invited to do so by the Internal and External Examiners, except in cases where the candidate has informed the Graduate Studies Office that they do not wish the Supervisor to be present.

The External Examiner normally leads the discussion of the candidate's thesis; the Internal Examiner also plays a full role in the examination of the student, and should convene the Examination, in terms of introducing the candidate to the External Examiner and co-ordinating completion of appropriate forms at the end of the Examination.

The Supervisor(s) may be asked by the Examination Board to clarify any issues relating to the student's work and answer any questions the Board may ask regarding the context and background to the student's work, or factors which may have influenced the work described in the thesis.

The Supervisor(s) will not normally be present while the Examination Board are considering their recommendations, unless where invited to do so for the purposes of clarification, etc.

A recommendation for the award of the degree of PhD will not be made unless the Examiners report that the work is worthy of publication, in whole or in part, as a work of serious scholarship.

Each Examiner will prepare notes on the thesis in advance of the viva voce. Where the Examiners are in agreement following the viva, they will submit a joint report, signed by all Examiners, to the Graduate Studies Office for consideration by the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee.

Where the Examiners are not in agreement, separate reports will be made. Copies of such reports will be submitted for consideration to the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee with a view to a recommendation to Academic Board on the award of the degree or otherwise. The Academic Board, on the recommendation of the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee, will then appoint an additional special External Examiner, if necessary.

Examiners' Reports must be received in the Graduate Studies Office at least 5 working days prior to a meeting of the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee.

If the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee recommends that the PhD Degree be awarded, the candidate must re-submit a hard bound copy of the PhD Thesis, embodying any changes prescribed by the Examiners, where recommended, along with a summary of the thesis, not exceeding 300 words in length, on CD or diskette. A recommendation by the Graduate Studies Committee to Academic Board, for the award of the degree will not be made until the revised thesis, incorporating the required changes, has been lodged with the Graduate Studies Office. In the case of Minor Revisions, the Internal Examiner will confirm that the changes have been made while, in the case of Major Revisions, all Examiners will confirm that this is the case.

A candidate's conferring is dependent on receipt of the Examiners' Reports and confirmation that any revision required by the Examiners has been completed. Conferring ceremonies are normally held in March/April, June, September and December.

The Degree of PhD will be awarded following the decision of Academic Board, based on the recommendation of the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee. The Academic Board may award a lower degree on the recommendation of the Academic Council Graduate Studies Committee.

The final hard-bound copy of the thesis submitted to the Graduate Studies Office will be lodged in the University Library. Should the candidate and/or supervisor wish that the thesis not be publicly available, an embargo can be requested stating the reasons why this should apply.

All copies of theses deposited in the University Library shall be the property of the University.

Appendix 1: Discipline-Specific Entry Criteria

In the case of the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, suitably qualified candidates (1H or 2H1 in a primary degree ) may, with the permission of the Head of Department/School and College/Faculty, register on a PhD track (i.e. provisional registration for a PhD) in the first instance. Students will be subject to a review within 12 to 18 months from the date of registration and will be required to demonstrate progress in the form of a minimum of 10,000 words of written work, as well as defending their work at interview. Students may then, on the recommendation of the Head of Department/School and the Supervisor(s) and with the approval of the College/Faculty, transfer to the PhD. Appropriate Master's graduates can also apply for direct entry to a PhD.

In the case of the Faculty of Commerce, suitably qualified candidates (1H or 2H1 in a primary degree) may, with the permission of the Head of Department and Faculty, register on a PhD track (i.e. provisional registration for a PhD) in the first instance. Students will be subject to a review normally within 12 months from the date of registration and will be required to demonstrate progress in the form of a minimum of 10,000 words of written work, as well as defending their work at interview. Students may then, on the recommendation of the Head of Department/School and the Supervisor(s) and with the approval of the Faculty, transfer to the PhD. Note: There are also specific requirements for the PhD (Business Information Systems) (see here).

In the case of the Faculty of Law, candidates intending to pursue the PhD Degree shall be required to register in the first instance on a PhD track (i.e provisional registration for a PhD). Such students will be subject to a review within 12 to 18 months (or pro rata for part-time students) from the date of registration and will be required to demonstrate progress in the form of a minimum of 10,000 words of written work, as well as being required to make an oral presentation on their work and/or defend their work at interview. The student and the supervisor(s) will also have to complete the prescribed review form (available from the Law Department) detailing the nature of progress made. Students who have successfully passed this review may then, on the recommendation of the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee, and with the approval of the Faculty of Law, transfer to the PhD.

In the case of the PhD in Original Composition (Music), a candidate must normally hold an honours Master's Degree, or its equivalent, specialising in original composition or, in exceptional circumstances, an experienced composer with a substantial record of achievement may be admitted to the programme on the basis of a primary degree of an appropriate standard.

To be eligible to enter on a programme of study and research for the Degree of PhD in Spanish/Hispanic Studies, applicants should normally have an MA in Spanish/Hispanic Studies.

To be eligible to enter on a programme of study and research for the Degree of PhD in Greek and Roman Civilisation, applicants must have obtained at least 15 credits in either Greek or Latin by completing LT6001 or LT6101 in the case of Latin, or GK6001 or GK6101 in the case of Greek, or their equivalent.

Candidates for the PhD in Greek and Roman Civilisation who are admitted with a Joint Honours degree in Latin or Greek are required to register under the rubric of the degree language.

In the case of the PhD in Politics a candidate must normally hold at minimum a Second Class Honours Master's Degree in Politics or an approved cognate Master's Degree and/or present such other evidence as will satisfy the Politics Convenor (in consultation with the Politics Graduate Studies Committee), the prospective Supervisor and the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences of his/her fitness. This may include the submission of a sample essay (max. 5,000 words), which the applicant considers to be typical of their best undergraduate or Master's work. All candidates must submit a research proposal with the application following consultation with the prospective Supervisor and the Politics Convenor.

In the case of a PhD in Women's Studies, applicants should normally hold, or expect to hold, an Honours Master's Degree in Women's Studies, or in an appropriate subject.

In the case of Engineering, to be admitted to the PhD in Microelectronics, a candidate must have obtained a standard of at least First Class Honours in an approved primary degree. Candidates with equivalent academic qualifications may be accepted subject to examination or such other requirement approved by College/Faculty.

Appendix 2: Discipline-Specific Requirements

PhD students in the Department of Law must register for (unless granted a dispensation by the Department of Law Graduate Studies Committee) the 5 credit module LW6004 Research Methods in Law, described under the heading Modules for Postgraduate Training.

Students registered for a PhD in Organic and Pharmaceutical Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry/ABCRF must register for, and successfully complete, the 5 credit modules CM7001, CM7002 and CM7003 in years 1, 2 and 3, respectively.

In the case of the PhD in Drama and Theatre Studies, for traditional library-based PhD research, the general provisions for PhD in the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences will apply. In the case of practice-based PhD research, the PhD work for assessment will consist of a substantial portfolio of practice and an extensive critical commentary. While both the practical elements and the associated critical commentary will need to reach the appropriate standard, the degree will be awarded or withheld on the basis of the work as a totality.

In the case of the PhD in Original Composition (Music), candidates will pursue a course of research in the form of musical composition, study and personal and professional development as agreed with their Supervisor(s). The student is also expected to attend regular individual tutorials with their Supervisor(s) and group participation in seminars on original composition. The PhD work for assessment will consist of a portfolio of original composition and critical commentaries.

In the case of PhD in Microelectronics, during their programme of study students must take modules to the value of 30 credits, at least 15 of which must be taken from an approved list of modules in the field of Microelectronics (including UE6005). In selecting modules, a student is required to consult with his/her supervisor(s), whose approval is required for the modules selected. The primary determinant for the award of the PhD in Microelectronics is the submission of a satisfactory thesis. A candidate must have passed modules to the value of 30 credits and have achieved an aggregate mark of at least 65% across those taught modules which are not assessed on a simple pass/fail basis before a thesis can be submitted for examination.

In the case of the PhD in Philosophy, during their programme of study students will normally take course work to the value of 30 credits, at least 20 of which must be taken from an approved list of modules in the field of Philosophy. Generic skills modules (e.g. as offered by the CACSSS Graduate School) or other relevant modules may be taken to the value of the remaining credits depending on departmental approval.

In the case of the PhD in Philosophy and Sociology, during their programme of study students will normally take course work to the value of 30 credits, at least 20 of which must be taken from an approved list of modules in both Philosophy and Sociology. Generic skills modules (e.g. as offered by the CACSSS Graduate School) or other relevant modules may be taken to the value of the remaining credits depending on departmental approval.

Candidates for the PhD Degree in Greek and Roman Civilisation must complete 20 credits of Latin or Greek unless they have already taken either language at minor subject level or higher in their first degree.