Thesis Examination and Outcomes

Once a notification of your intention to submit has been received, the Director of Graduate Studies nominates examiners and submits the recommendation to the SCA for approval. Your supervisor(s) will have been consulted on who will be suitable examiners and you should be asked to confirm that there are no known conflicts of interest with the selected examiners. There will be at least two, and not more than three, examiners, including at least one external examiner from another university.

Following the submission of your thesis for examination, MPhil, PhD and PhD by Distance Learning candidates (and Masters by Research candidates at the discretion of the examiners) will be required to sit an oral examination known as a viva. The purpose of this oral examination is to allow your examiners to explore your work and satisfy themselves that:

• the work is of appropriate quality;

• you are well acquainted with your subject matter;

• you have applied appropriate research methods;

• the work is your own, or if a collaborative piece, that your contribution is adequate.

The oral examination also allows you to respond to any shortcomings identified by the examiners. Your oral examination will take place within three months of submitting your thesis.

Oral examinations for all research degrees will be recorded. These recordings are used only in the event of an appeal based on the conduct of the examination, or when an additional examiner has been subsequently appointed to resolve a dispute. Recordings will be destroyed one year after the result of the examination has been confirmed, or one year after appeal proceedings have been concluded.

MPhil, PhD and PhD by Distance Learning postgraduate researchers: your department will contact you to arrange your viva.

Masters by Research candidates: you will be notified if the examiners request a viva and suitable arrangements will be made.

In the Philosophy department, we offer candidates the option of having a mock viva to help them prepare.

There are several possible outcomes for research degree examinations:

1. Pass

2. Pass subject to corrections

3. Revise and resubmit for re-examination

4. Opportunity to be awarded lower degree (if available) either with or without corrections being made

5. Fail

For details of how these outcomes are applied to a Masters by Research, MPhil and PhD, see the Policy on Research Degrees.

The outcome will be ratified by the SCA and you will be informed of the decision and advised on how to proceed. You have the right to appeal against the examiners' recommendations on the grounds of unfair or improper conduct of the examination, prejudice on the part of the examiners, or procedural irregularity.