Mphil/Phd the Enclosed Offer of Admission Is for a Research Degree Programme, and Successful

INFORMATION FOR OFFER HOLDERS STARTING IN THE 2012/13 ACADEMIC YEAR

MPhil/PhD

The enclosed offer of admission is for a research degree programme, and successful completion of your period of study at the School with submission of an acceptable thesis can lead to the qualification of either MPhil or PhD.

Under the University of London regulations research students are registered initially for the MPhil degree in their chosen field. After you have completed a period of study at the School (normally at the end of the first year) your Supervisory Committee will meet to assess your progress and to decide whether you should study for an MPhil or a PhD. If transfer to PhD is agreed this will be back-dated to the date of your MPhil registration at SOAS.

An MPhil degree normally requires two years of full-time study and a PhD normally requires three years of full-time study. Part-time MPhil and PhD students would normally require four or six years of study respectively. Students are normally required to live within reach of the School and to centre their academic activities on the School, except where a period of overseas fieldwork is agreed. Students are normally permitted a maximum of a year (three terms) of full-time overseas fieldwork, subject to meeting eligibility requirements and their supervisor’s approval.

Evidence of Offer

For most purposes the enclosed letter should be sufficient evidence of your formal offer of admission to a research degree programme at SOAS. If you require a visa to study at SOAS you will need to meet any conditions of the offer before we can issue you with a CAS number for your visa application to the UK Border Agency (UKBA). If you require a visa and have an unconditional offer letter, please complete the CAS application form and return it to [email protected] Please note however that CAS numbers can only be requested six months prior to the start date of your course. You will be able to use the CAS number three months prior to the start date of your course.

Please note that the offer is valid only for the start date and the mode of study specified. Offers are not automatically transferable to a subsequent session or to a later start date. If you wish to be considered for a deferral or to change your mode of study, please write to the Postgraduate Research Section or email [email protected]. When requesting a deferral, please state the reasons why you wish to defer your entry. You should note, however, that a deferral, if agreed, will be granted for the following academic year only.

Conditional Offers

If your offer is conditional (i.e. if there are any pre-enrolment conditions stated in the enclosed offer letter) please forward official evidence that you have satisfied these conditions as soon as it is available. You must satisfy all the conditions and forward the relevant evidence to reach the Postgraduate Research Section no later than 31 August 2012. Your results notification slip or a letter from the Registry of your college will be acceptable at this stage. Please do not send original certificates and diplomas, since certified photocopies will suffice prior to enrolment. Certification can be obtained from the Registrar, Examinations Officer or appropriate officer in the central administration of the awarding body for your institution.

If your certificate is not in English you are required to provide the Postgraduate Research Section with a certified copy of the original transcript and/or certificate and a copy of the same that has been

Postgraduate Research Section Visiting address: Postgraduate Research Section: Registry, SOAS, Vernon Square, Penton Rise, London WC1X 9EW School of Oriental and African Studies Postal address: Postgraduate Research Section: University of London Registry, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG www.soas.ac.uk/registry/pgresearch translated into English and certified by a legal translator. The School reserves the right to verify qualifications at a later date.

Results of English language tests should be forwarded to the Postgraduate Research Section if requested. Applicants to SOAS programmes whose mother tongue is not English must take an English language proficiency test before admission to the School. For further information please refer to: www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/international/englishrequirements/

Acceptance of an Offer

If you decide to accept an offer of a place you will not necessarily hear from us immediately, but further information will be sent to you in due course.

Enrolment

Enrolment will take place from 24 September 2012. Details about the enrolment procedures, and the exact date and time you are required to attend for enrolment, will be sent to you during late summer 2012.

Only students who have an unconditional offer can enrol, so please make sure that you have sent evidence that you have met any conditions set to the Postgraduate Research Section before 31 August 2012.

Fees

All fees must be paid in full either prior to or at the enrolment session. No student will be permitted to enrol, attend classes or receive supervision until the tuition fee for the whole academic year has been paid in full or the School has received a letter of guarantee of payment from a sponsoring agency acceptable to the School.

Your fee status is notified on your offer letter. This has been assessed in accordance with the Education (Fees and Awards) Regulations. If you believe that the decision is incorrect you should write to Postgraduate Research Section detailing the reasons why you believe this to be incorrect along with a Fee Status Questionnaire which the Postgraduate Research Section can provide upon request. Please email [email protected] if this is the case.

Funding

An offer of a place does not imply that any funding is available or automatically allocated and you must, therefore, arrange your own funding. The Postgraduate Prospectus gives details of some scholarships and bursaries for which students may apply. If you wish to be considered for a scholarship or bursary, you must submit the relevant application form for that particular award – this is a separate application from your application for a place at the School. You should note also that many of the scholarships and bursaries have early deadlines. Scholarship applications received after the deadline will be automatically disqualified.

Competition for awards is extremely fierce. Therefore you should make alternative arrangements for funding yourself in case your applications for scholarships and bursaries prove unsuccessful.

Postgraduate Research Section Visiting address: Postgraduate Research Section: Registry, SOAS, Vernon Square, Penton Rise, London WC1X 9EW School of Oriental and African Studies Postal address: Postgraduate Research Section: University of London Registry, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG www.soas.ac.uk/registry/pgresearch Further information about scholarships can be found at: www.soas.ac.uk/registry/scholarships/

Part-Time Study

Students from overseas who have restrictions upon their right of stay in the UK should confirm with the UKBA and that they would be permitted to study in the UK on a part-time basis.

Dates of Research Terms for 2011-2012

Term 1 24 September 2012 – 6 January 2013 Term 2 7 January 2013 – 14 April 2013 Term 3 15 April 2012 – 22 September 2013

Students from Overseas

 An excellent command of English is required for a research degree programme. If there are any English language conditions in your offer you must ensure that you deal with these in good time so that you are in a position to attend any pre-sessional classes at SOAS which may be required.  It is essential to ensure that you have sufficient funds to cover your living costs in addition to your tuition fees. At 2010-11 prices a single postgraduate student would require tuition fees plus a minimum of £7,200 per year for maintenance and inevitably costs for the 2012-2013 session will be higher.  The demands of full-time postgraduate study are such that you are unlikely to be able to afford the time to augment your funds by working whilst undertaking your degree. Furthermore, Government regulations restrict the number of hours per week which non-EU students (or their spouses) are permitted to spend in employment in the UK.  Do not underestimate the amount of time needed to obtain permission for the necessary exchange of currency. Many students have missed travel arrangements because of delays in completing formalities with their own governments. If necessary, you should also allow time for the issue of an exit permit or visa. All enquiries about visa requirements should be directed to the British Embassy or Consulate in your home country.

If you have any other queries, please email the Postgraduate Research Section at [email protected] or you can write to us at the address below.