General

1

These regulations are made subject to the General Academic Regulations of the School and the Conditions of Registration. The School will have an advisory Code of Good Practice for Research Students and Their Supervisors. The Regulations and the Code apply to every student taking a programme of study leading to the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the School.

2

For students registered on an MRes/PhD programme, the Regulations for Taught Masters Degrees will apply for the MRes stage of the programme. Local regulations will also apply for each programme of study leading to a research degree in respect of arrangements for student progression, monitoring, upgrade to PhD and termination of registration: the Code of Good Practice for Research Students and Their Supervisors will set out the responsibilities on departments in setting local regulations. If a conflict occurs between local and School regulations, the latter will normally take precedence.

Admission

3

The normal entrance requirement for registration is a postgraduate taught degree of merit level of a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard; the minimum entrance requirement is an upper second-class honours degree or overseas equivalent. The School may require and/or accept alternative or additional qualifications. All potential MPhil/PhD students will normally be interviewed, unless there are exceptional circumstances which prevent this or make it unnecessary.

Registration

4

Except where the School has given permission for initial registration for the PhD degree alone, each student will register initially for an MPhil programme. Such a programme will not result in examination for a PhD unless the student has been upgraded in accordance with regulation 13. Alternatively, some research programmes may require initial registration onto an MRes programme. Such a programme will not result in examination for a PhD unless the student has been upgraded in accordance with local regulations for upgrade to PhD from an MRes programme (as required by regulation 2).

5

At the discretion of the teaching department and the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair students may register for the MPhil or PhD degree with exemption from part of the programme if they have already begun a programme for that (or an equivalent) degree at another university. This can include exemption from taught course(s) requirement(s) but will not normally include exemption from the School's upgrade requirements.

6

Part-time registration is available in some departments to students who need to spread their studies over a longer period because of outside commitments. Students will be eligible to register on a part-time basis if they are in one or more of the following categories and can provide documentary evidence:

Employed or self-employed at the time of applying for registration;

Registered as unemployed and over 25 years old;

Retired;

With significant caring responsibilities such as caring for children under school age or the main carer for an elderly or disabled person.
Evening or weekend work is not sufficient to allow part-time registration. Part-time study is reckoned at half of the value of full-time.

7

Except by special permission of the Research Degrees Subcommittee the minimum length of the programme will be two calendar years of full-time study at the School or the equivalent in part-time study. A student exempted from part of a programme under regulation 5 must follow the programme at the School for not less than one calendar year or its equivalent in part-time study. Unless the regulations for a programme state otherwise, the maximum length of registration will be four years¹ for full-time and eight years for part-time students. Where a student follows periods of both full- and part-time study the maximum length will be adjusted according to the length of registration spent in each mode. Exceptionally, the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair may permit a student to continue in registration beyond the maximum length on the basis of criteria laid down in the Code of Practice. Students will normally be granted one extension of registration beyond the maximum period. They should normally submit requests for extension of registration by the end of the penultimate year of registration.

8

A programme must be followed continuously except by permission of the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair. Students who want to interrupt their studies must apply in advance for permission to do so and provide the appropriate documentary evidence. Retrospective interruptions will not normally be approved. Where the School has permitted a student to interrupt his or her studies, no fee will be payable for the period of interruption and any such period will not count towards the period of study required or allowed by regulation 7. Interruption will not normally be allowed for more than a total of two years overall and will not normally be permitted within the first year of study.

9

The Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair may allow students to be absent from the School for fieldwork or study elsewhere and will set the conditions which will apply. These conditions will include regular contact with their supervisor(s). Absence from the School will not normally be allowed in the first year of registration. A fee will be payable for the period of absence, and any such period will count towards the minimum and maximum number of years of study required by regulation 7. Where necessary, students undertaking fieldwork or study elsewhere must carry out a risk assessment in collaboration with their supervisor before starting the period of absence.

10

In exceptional circumstances, students may be granted permission to reside outside the UK during their period of registration at the School. Permission is required from the department and the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair who will set any conditions that will apply. Non-resident registration status will not normally be permitted in the first year or in any subsequent years where a student is required to attend classes at the School.

11

The Research Degrees Subcommittee may prescribe, where applicable, the arrangements for any work undertaken in collaboration with external organisations such as Research Councils and industrial or commercial organisations.

12

The department will formally review the progress of each student within twelve months of registration for full-time and twenty-four months for part-time students and thereafter as it prescribes. These reviews must be conducted in line with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice. The review may result in continued registration, with or without conditions, or termination of registration. The Research Degrees Manager will, if applicable, inform the student in writing of the outcome with the reasons for imposing conditions or terminating registration.

13

The department will make a decision whether to upgrade a student from the MPhil to the PhD programme at the first formal review or within one year of it. Upgrades must be conducted in line with the requirements set out in the Code of Practice. If a student is not upgraded he/she is entitled to resubmit work and be re-examined under the same principles governing the first attempt within a further six months for a final decision. Where a final upgrade attempt is unsuccessful the student will normally be permitted to continue in registration and submit for the degree of MPhil if he/she so wishes. The Research Degrees Manager will inform the student in writing of a final decision, and the reasons for it, not to upgrade to PhD status.

14

Upgrading to PhD will be backdated to the start of the student's initial registration on the MPhil/PhD programme.

15

Where a student receives an outcome from the final viva examination that requires a period of revision (under regulations 44 and 45) and wishes to be registered for this period, he/she will need to request re-registration from the Research Degrees Unit.

Appeals against decisions on continued registration and on upgrading to PhD

For the School's Complaints Procedures see:
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/intranet/staff/schoolRegulations/principlesAndProceduresForTheConsiderationOfStudentComplaints.aspx

16

A student may appeal against a department's decision not to allow re-registration or a final decision not to upgrade to PhD status, within four weeks of the date of the notification

16.1

(a)

that there were procedural irregularities in the conduct of the upgrading or review which might cause reasonable doubt as to whether the result would have been the same had they not occurred;

and/or

(b)

that there was prejudice, bias or inadequate assessment on the part of one or more of the members of the upgrading or review panel such that the result should not be allowed to stand;

and/or

(c)

that there is new information about mitigating circumstances affecting performance in examinations connected to progress and/or upgrade decisions.

16.2

The student must make a submission under this procedure in writing with supporting evidence, including medical certification where necessary, to the Research Degrees Manager.

16.3

The appropriate Pro-Director may dismiss an appeal on the basis of the student's submission alone, without a hearing being held and without seeking further information, if the application does not, in his or her opinion, fall within the remit of this procedure or does not put forward appropriate grounds. The Pro-Director will take such a decision within four weeks of an appeal being submitted. The Research Degrees Manager will notify the student in writing if this regulation is invoked and the reasons for it.

16.4

Unless regulation 16.3 is applied, the Research Degrees Manager will ask the Head of the Department concerned whether the department's decision should be adjusted in the light of the evidence provided by the student. The Head of Department will inform the Research Degrees Manager within two weeks of receipt of the request whether the decision has been revised. The Research Degrees Manager will inform the student in writing.

16.5

If the Head of Department decides that the decision against which the student has appealed should stand, the student may, within fourteen days of the date of the letter sent under regulation 16.4, ask the Research Degrees Manager to proceed with the appeal.

16.6

The Research Degrees Manager will then convene an Appeal Panel comprising:
Chair or Deputy Chair of the Research Degrees Subcommittee
Two further members who will be members of that Subcommittee or members of the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Committee
Sabbatical officer of the Students' Union
No one who belongs to the same department as the student may serve on the Panel. No member of the School's staff who has been involved in taking either a de-registration or upgrade decision concerning the student may serve on the Panel.

16.7

The student has the right to appear before the Appeal Panel and may be accompanied at the hearing or represented by a person of his or her choice. A student who will be accompanied or represented must submit to the Panel Secretary at least seven days before the date of the hearing the name, address and a description of the person and must state whether that person is a member of the School. Where the student indicates that he/she is to be represented, the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair may recruit a representative to assist the School at the hearing.

16.8

The Panel Secretary will set a date for the hearing and will inform the student in writing of the date on which the hearing is to take place at least 10 working days beforehand.

16.9

The Panel will be provided with any other documentation either the student or the Department wishes to submit that relate to the grounds claimed under regulation 16.1.

16.10

The Panel will normally conduct its proceedings in the presence of all parties until it retires to consider its findings. The student will address the Panel first. The Department will be invited to make any observations. Any questions by the student or the Head of Department will be put through the Chair. The student may make concluding remarks. The members of the Panel may put questions to any of those present at any time during the proceedings.
The Chair has the discretion to vary the procedure in any case where he or she considers it just to do so.

16.11

The decision of the Panel will be final. The Research Degrees Manager will inform the student and the department of it in writing within seven days of the hearing.

16.12

If an appeal against a decision not to re-register is unsuccessful, the student will not be allowed to re-register at any time for the same or a closely-related MPhil/PhD project. Registration for a new topic will be subject to the normal admissions procedures. If an appeal against a decision not to upgrade is unsuccessful the student may submit his or her thesis only for the MPhil degree.

16.13

When a student has exhausted the means of appeal allowed by these regulations, the Research Degrees Manager will issue a completion of procedures letter which will enable him/her to appeal to the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, Third Floor, Kings Reach, 38 - 50 Kings Road, Reading, RG1 3AA, www.oiahe.org.uk

Plagiarism

17

Students must make themselves familiar with the School's Regulations on Assessment Offences (of which there are separate versions on plagiarism and other offences). These regulations will be used to deal with any allegation that any part of a thesis has been plagiarised or any infringement of the declaration in regulation 30 below.

18

The School reserves the right to submit any part of a thesis to any software designed to identify plagiarism or to take any other steps it considers appropriate to identify possible plagiarism.

Research ethics 

19

All students must make themselves familiar with the School's Research Ethics Policy and confirm that their research conforms with it as required by the Ethics Policy. 

Requirements applicable to theses submitted for the degrees of MPhil and PhD

20

Most of the work submitted in a thesis must have been done after the initial registration for a research degree, except that in the case of a student accepted under regulation 5 there will be allowance for the fact that his or her registration began at another institution. 

21

Except where the School has agreed to a collaborative arrangement with another institution, a candidate will not be allowed to submit a thesis which has been submitted for a degree or comparable award of any institution. He or she may however incorporate in the thesis any work that is the result of previous study, provided that the work which has been incorporated is indicated on the examination entry form and on the thesis.

22

In addition to the special requirements set out in regulations 24 to 27 for both the PhD and the MPhil, the thesis will:

22.1

consist of the candidate's own account of his or her investigations;

22.2

be an integrated whole and present a coherent argument. Work already published, either by the candidate or jointly with others, may be included only if it forms an integral part of the thesis and so makes a relevant contribution to its main theme and is in the same format as the rest of the thesis. The part played by the candidate in any work done jointly with the supervisor(s) and/or fellow researchers must be clearly stated by the student and certified by the supervisor.
Alternatively, a series of papers, with an introduction, critical discussion and conclusion, may be submitted instead of a conventional thesis provided that such a format is permitted by the guidelines issued by the student's department and that the thesis conforms to those guidelines. A thesis that contains only joint papers is not acceptable. Also, the linking material must be solely the work of the candidate. The part played by the candidate in any work done jointly with the supervisor(s) and/or fellow researchers must be clearly stated by the student and certified by the supervisor. Work already published may be included provided that most of the work is done after registration on the research degree (see regulation 20);

22.3

be written in English (except where the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair has given permission for it to be written in another language) and the presentation must be in line with School guidance;

22.4

include a full bibliography and references.

23

For the examination, the candidate will be required to provide the Research Degrees Unit with enough copies of his or her thesis, submitted in accordance with the School's instructions.

Special requirements for a thesis

Thesis for the PhD degree

24

The scope of the thesis will be what might reasonably be expected after three or at most four years of full-time study.

25

The thesis will:

25.1

form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality by the discovery of new facts and/or by the exercise of independent critical power;

25.2

give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings, and include a discussion on those findings, and indicate in what respects they appear to the candidate to advance the study of the subject; and so demonstrate a deep and synoptic understanding of the field of study;

25.3

demonstrate research skills;

25.4

be of a standard to merit publication in whole or in part or in a revised form (for example, as a monograph or as a number of articles in learned journals); and

25.5

not exceed 100,000 words (including footnotes but excluding bibliography and appendices). In appropriate circumstances the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair may grant permission for a thesis to exceed the normal length.

Thesis for the MPhil degree

26

The scope of the thesis will be what might reasonably be expected after two or at most three years of full-time study.

27

The thesis will:

27.1

be either a record of original work or of an ordered and critical exposition of existing knowledge and will provide evidence that the field has been surveyed thoroughly;

27.2

give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings, and include a discussion on those findings;

27.3

not exceed 60,000 words (including footnotes but excluding bibliography and appendices). In appropriate circumstances the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair may grant permission for a thesis to exceed the normal length.

Submission of thesis and examination

28

Students will be examined in accordance with regulations 28 to 51 as in force at the time of their application to enter the examination. Students must apply in the form prescribed in the Guidelines for the conduct of MPhil and PhD oral examinations to the Research Degrees Unit who will then initiate the procedure for the appointment of examiners.

29

Students may submit a thesis for examination only after the minimum registration period has passed. They must be registered students at the time of submission. The decision to submit a thesis rests with the candidate alone. Only candidates who have been successfully upgraded in accordance with the School's regulations can submit a thesis for the PhD award.

30

When entering the examination candidates will be required to sign the following declaration:

30.1

I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it).

30.2

I consider the work submitted to be a complete thesis fit for examination.

30.3

I authorise that, if a degree is awarded, a paper and/or electronic copy of my thesis will be deposited in the British Library of Political and Economic Science and that, except as provided for in regulation 32 it will be made available for public reference and inter-library loan. I authorise that by submitting my thesis to the Library, the Library is permitted to digitise it to assist in the long-term preservation and accessibility of my thesis.

30.4

I authorise the School to supply a copy of the abstract of my thesis for inclusion in any published list of theses offered for higher degrees in British universities or in any supplement thereto, or for consultation in any central file of abstracts of such theses.

30.5

I will include the following statement at the beginning of my thesis:

(a)

The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without my prior written consent.

(b)

I warrant that this authorisation does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party.

31

If the candidate has not submitted his or her thesis for examination within twelve months of submitting the examination entry form, the examination will be cancelled unless the Research Degrees Manager decides otherwise.

32

A candidate may apply to the Research Degree Subcommittee for restriction of access to his or her thesis and/or the abstract for a period of up to two years on the grounds, for example, of commercial exploitation or patenting or for the protection of individuals. In all other circumstances, a thesis will be placed in the public domain immediately after the award of the degree.

Conduct of examinations

33

The Research Degrees Subcommittee will appoint the examiners, having paid particular attention to their independence, expertise and relevant experience. Two, or exceptionally three, examiners will be appointed for each candidate. The examiners are required to be experts in the field of the thesis and to be able to make an independent assessment of the student and the thesis. There will be an examiner appointed from one of the colleges of the University of London (including LSE) and a second examiner appointed from outside the University. With the permission of the Chair of the Research Degrees Subcommittee both examiners may be appointed from within the University, or both may be appointed from outside the University. Only one examiner may be appointed from within LSE. The candidate's supervisors or advisers may not be examiners.

34

Assessment will be by submission of a thesis (as defined above) and an oral examination, which will be conducted in English (unless the Research Degrees Subcommittee has given permission for it to be conducted in another language). In highly exceptional circumstances connected with the candidate and with the permission of the appropriate Pro-Director, the School may suspend the requirement for an oral examination

35

Candidates must attend for examination at a place and time the School determines. They must bring with them an additional copy of the thesis paginated in the same way as that submitted for examination.

36

Normally no later than one week before the examination the examiners will prepare and exchange independent preliminary written reports on the thesis to assist in conducting the oral examination (or the preparation of the joint report in those cases where no oral examination is held).

37

The examiners have the right to reject a thesis which they consider to be incomplete or unacceptable without conducting an examination. This does not preclude the candidate from submitting the thesis for examination again later.

38

The oral examination will normally be held in London. The Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair may, however, exceptionally agree to different arrangements.

39

Unless the candidate indicates otherwise on the entry form, the supervisor(s) will be invited to attend the oral examination as an observer. The supervisor(s) do(es) not have the right to take part in the examination but may contribute if invited to do so by the examiners with the agreement of the candidate. Otherwise the oral examination will be held in private.

40

After any oral examination, the examiners will prepare a joint final report for submission to the School. It will indicate whether the thesis meets the requirements specified in these regulations and will include a statement of the examiners' reasons for their judgment of the candidate's performance against the criteria. The examiners may, at their discretion, consult the supervisor(s) before completing their report.

41

Copies of the reports will be sent to the Research Degrees Unit who will forward a copy of the final report to the candidate together with the preliminary reports unless the examiners have specified otherwise. All reports will be available to the candidate and to the members of an appeals committee in the case of an appeal against the result of the examination.

42

Examiners have the right to make comments in confidence to the appropriate Pro-Director in a separate report. Such comments should not normally be concerned with the performance of the candidate but may cover other matters that they wish to draw to the attention of the School.

43

If the examiners are unable to agree on the result of the examination, the Research Degrees Unit will refer their reports to the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair, who will determine the action to be taken.

Outcome of the PhD examination

44

 The options open to examiners in determining the result of the examination are as follows:

44.1

If the thesis meets the criteria set out in these regulations and the candidate satisfies the examiners in the oral examination, they will recommend that the candidate should be awarded the PhD degree. The thesis may contain minor errors deemed by the examiners to have no academic impact.

44.2

If the thesis otherwise meets the criteria but requires minor amendments, and the candidate satisfies the examiners in the oral examination, they may require him/her to make amendments they specify. The examiners shall indicate the length of time permitted to the candidate to make the required amendments, which shall not be longer than three months. The candidate must submit the amended thesis to both examiners or one of their number nominated by the examiners for confirmation that the amendments are satisfactory.

44.3

If the thesis, though inadequate, seems of sufficient merit to justify such action, the examiners may allow the candidate to re-present it in a revised form. In such circumstances, they will indicate the length of time they consider he/she will need to complete the revisions, which shall be between three and eighteen months. Examiners may not, however, make such a decision without having submitted the candidate to an oral examination. The examiners may at their discretion exempt the candidate from a further oral examination. On resubmission of a thesis under this regulation, examiners must reach a final decision according to regulations 44.1, 44.2, 44.5 or 44.6.

44.4

If the thesis meets the criteria but the candidate fails to satisfy the examiners at the oral examination, they may allow him/her to re-present the same thesis and take a further oral examination within a period specified by them not exceeding 18 months.

44.5

If, after completion of the oral examination or re-examination for the PhD, the examiners decide that a candidate has not reached the standard required under regulations 44.1-44.4, they will consider whether the thesis does, or might be able to, satisfy the criteria for the award of the MPhil degree. If they so decide, they will submit a report that shows either how the criteria for the MPhil degree are met or what action the student needs to take to meet them. Examiners will have discretion to waive the thesis length for the MPhil degree if appropriate. Thereafter the following conditions and procedures will apply:

(a)

The candidate will be told that he/she has been unsuccessful in the examination for the PhD degree, but has reached the standard required for the award of the MPhil, or with amendment to the thesis may be able to satisfy the criteria for the MPhil.

(b)

A candidate considered for the award of the MPhil degree under this regulation will not be required to submit the thesis, as required under the regulations for the MPhil degree, or to undergo a further oral examination, but will be required to fulfil the requirements for the MPhil in all other respects.

(c)

A candidate offered an MPhil degree under these regulations must make any amendments the examiners require within a period they specify, but not exceeding twelve months. The candidate must submit the amended thesis to the examiners who will decide whether he/she has completed the amendments to their satisfaction.

44.6

The examiners may determine that the candidate has not satisfied them in the examination for either the MPhil or the PhD. They will not, however, save in very exceptional circumstances, make such a decision without having submitted the candidate to an oral examination.

Outcome of the MPhil examination

45

The options open to examiners in determining the result of the examination are as follows:

45.1

If the thesis meets the criteria set out in these regulations and the candidate satisfies the examiners in the examination, they will recommend that the candidate should be awarded the degree of MPhil. The thesis may contain minor errors deemed by the examiners to have no academic impact.

45.2

If the thesis otherwise meets the criteria but requires minor amendments and the candidate satisfies the examiners in the examination, they may require him/her to make amendments they specify. The examiners shall indicate the length of time permitted to the candidate to make the required amendments, which shall not be longer than three months. The candidate must submit the amended thesis to both examiners or one of their number nominated by the examiners for confirmation that the amendments are satisfactory.

45.3

If the thesis, though inadequate, seems of sufficient merit to justify such action, the examiners may allow the candidate to re-present it in a revised form. In such circumstances, they will indicate the length of time they consider he/she will need to complete the revisions, which shall be between three and twelve months. Examiners may not, however, make such a decision without having submitted the candidate to an oral examination. The examiners may at their discretion exempt the candidate from a further oral examination. On resubmission of a thesis under this regulation, examiners must reach a final decision according to regulations 45.1, 45.2, 45.4, or 45.5.

45.4

If the thesis meets the criteria but the candidate fails to satisfy the examiners at the oral examination, they may allow him/her to re-present the same thesis, and undergo a further oral examination within a period specified by them not exceeding 12 months.

45.5

The examiners may determine that the candidate has not satisfied them in the examination for the MPhil degree. They will not, however, save in very exceptional circumstances, make such a decision without having submitted the candidate to an oral examination.

46

A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners under regulations 44.6 or 45.5 will not be allowed to submit again any thesis on a similar topic.

47

Re-entry for re-presentation of a referred thesis is made on the normal examination entry form.

Notification of award of MPhil and PhD

48

After the examiners have confirmed their decision, the Research Degrees Unit will notify the candidate of the result. The degree will not be awarded until the candidate has delivered one copy of the successful thesis, in accordance with the School's instructions, to the Research Degrees Unit.

49

The Research Degrees Unit will send a certificate to each candidate who has been awarded a degree. It will bear the names of the candidate in the form in which they appear in the School's records at the date of issue.

50

Where the authorities of the School or of the University notify the Academic Registrar that the student has not settled or made acceptable arrangements to settle any account outstanding, the Academic Registrar will withhold certification until the same authority certifies that the student has made payment in full.

51

The Academic Registrar may withhold the result of the examination for any student who is the subject of investigation under the School's disciplinary or other procedures.

Appeals against the result of the examination

To make a complaint, see the School's Complaints Procedure at: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/intranet/staff/schoolRegulations/principlesAndProceduresForTheConsiderationOfStudentComplaints.aspx

52

A candidate may appeal against a decision of the examiners within four weeks of notification of the result.

52.1

A student's decision to submit a thesis for examination is entirely his or her own (see regulation 29) and this procedure, therefore, applies only to the conduct of the examination itself.

52.2

The procedure applies to students for the degrees of MPhil and PhD for whom the final result of the examination process was that the degree for which they were being examined was not awarded.

52.3

Students may appeal on one or more of the following grounds. Students who received an examination outcome under regulations 44.3 or 45.3 may only appeal under (b) and/or (c) below:

(a)

That their performance at the oral examination was affected by circumstances such as illness of which the examiners were not aware when they took their decision, and that this produced an unfair result;

(b)

That there was prejudice, bias or inadequate assessment on the part of one or more of the examiners such that the result of the examination should not be allowed to stand;

(c)

That there were procedural irregularities in the conduct of the examination which might cause reasonable doubt as to whether the result of the examination would have been the same if they had not occurred.

52.4

The student must make a submission under this procedure in writing with supporting evidence, including medical certificate where appropriate, to the Research Degrees Manager.

52.5

The appropriate Pro-Director may dismiss an appeal on the basis of the student's submission alone, without a hearing being held and without seeking further information, if the application does not, in his or her opinion, fall within the remit of this procedure or does not put forward appropriate grounds. The Pro-Director will take such a decision within four weeks of an appeal being submitted.

52.6

The Research Degrees Manager will notify the student in writing if regulation 52.5 is invoked and the reasons for it.

52.7

Unless regulation 52.5 is invoked, the Appeals Committee will be constituted as follows:

A current or former experienced Doctoral Programme Director,
Two academic staff with experience of PhD examining,
A member appointed from the senior academic staff of another college of the University of London or another university with experience of PhD examinations.
No member of staff from the same department as the student may serve on the Appeals Committee.
The Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair shall appoint a member of the Appeals Committee to act as Chair at the Appeal Hearing.

52.8

The student has the right to appear before the Appeals Committee and may be accompanied at the hearing by a friend or representative. A student who will be accompanied or represented must submit to the Research Degrees Manager at least seven days before the date of the hearing the name, address and a description of the person accompanying or representing him or her and must state whether that person is a member of the School. Where the student indicates that he/she is to be represented, the Research Degrees Subcommittee Chair may recruit a representative to assist the School at the hearing.

52.9

The examiners will be invited to attend the meeting of the Appeals Committee if appropriate.

52.10

The Committee Secretary will set a date for the hearing and will inform the student in writing of the date on which the hearing is to take place at least 10 working days beforehand.

52.11

The Committee will be provided with any other documentation either the student or the Department wishes to submit that relate to the grounds claimed under regulation 52.3.

52.12

The Committee will normally conduct its proceedings in the presence of the student, their companion or representative, and the examiners until it retires to consider its findings.

52.13

The student will address the Committee first.. The examiners will be invited to make any observations. Any questions by the student or the examiners will be put through the Chair. The student may make any concluding remarks. The members of the Committee may put questions to any of those present at any time during the proceedings.
The Chair has the discretion to vary the procedure in any case where he or she considers it just to do so.

52.14

The Appeals Committee will take one of the following decisions:

(a)

To reject the appeal, in which case the result of the original examination will stand;

(b)

To ask the examiners to reconsider their decision. The examiners will normally be expected to hold another oral examination before reaching a decision as to whether the result should be changed;

(c)

To determine that the original examination be cancelled and a new examination held. The new examination will be conducted by examiners who did not take part in the original one and were not involved in the appeal. It will be conducted in accordance with these Regulations and the Guidelines for the conduct of MPhil and PhD oral examinations in force at the time the appellant originally entered the examination. The examiners may make any of the decisions open to the original examiners. They will not be given any information about the previous examination or the appeal process.

52.15

The decision of the Appeals Committee will be final and will be given to the student in writing by the Research Degrees Manager within seven days of the hearing with the reasons for it.

52.16

When a student has exhausted the means of appeal allowed by these regulations, the Academic Registrar will issue a completion of procedures letter which will enable the student to appeal to the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education, Third Floor, Kings Reach, 38 - 50 Kings Road, Reading, RG1 3AA, www.oiahe.org.uk

52.17

If the appeal is unsuccessful, the student will not be allowed to re-register at any time for the same or a closely related MPhil/PhD project. Registration for a new topic will be subject to the normal admissions procedures.

Revocation of award

53

The Council or Director may revoke an award made under these regulations as permitted by the Bye-laws and Regulations of the School.

1

Six years for students registering before 2006-07.