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HDE/PhD/2/80 UNIVERSITY OF LONDON GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPOINTMENT OF EXAMINERS AND FOR CONDUCT OF EXAMINATIONS FOR PH.D. FOR INTERNAL STUDENTS 1. Appointment of Examiners 1.1 General 1.1.1. At least one of the examiners for each candidate shall, whenever practicable, have had experience in examining for the Ph.D. Degree of the University. 1.1.2 If the examiners appointed do not include the Supervisor (or either of two Joint Supervisors) under whom the research has been carried out, then: (a) The Supervisor (or one of two Joint Supervisors) shall be invited to attend the oral examination of his Ph.D. candidate as an observer without the right to question the candidate or participate in any way (see also 3.5. below) (b) The examiners may, at their discretion, consult the Supervisor before completing their Report, particularly if they have doubts relating to the appropriate recommendation to make. (c) The Supervisor or Joint Supervisor(s) shall be entitled to receive a copy of the examiners' Report on request for his own information only. Any Report so given is issued in the strictest confidence to the Supervisor or Joint Supervisor(s) concerned and may not be passed to any third party. 1.1.3. Examiners are advised that all matters relating to the examination must be treated as confidential. Examiners are not permitted to divulge the content of previously unpublished material contained in a candidate's thesis until such time as any restrictions on access to the thesis, which may have been granted by the Academic Council, have been removed. 1.2 For Candidates working at a School of the University or at an Institution having Recognised Teachers 1.2.1 For each candidate Boards of Studies shall normally appoint two persons to act as Examiners, but the Board of Studies may if they consider it desirable, appoint three persons to act as examiners jointly. At least one of the examiners shall be a visiting examiner (i.e. external to the University or from a School where the candidate was not registered). If two of the examiners appointed are external to the University, a special request for the additional fees payable has to be made to the Finance of University Examinations Sub-Committee. The Academic Council will therefore require from Boards of Studies submitting any such proposal a statement of the reasons for it. 1.2.2 If three examiners are appointed to act in the first instance of whom two are the candidate's teachers, these two shall be considered as one examiner for the purpose of decision. 1.2.3 When two examiners are appointed in the first instance Boards of Studies shall also appoint, either at the same time or when required, an additional examiner to act only if called upon by the Principal at the request of the examiners. The original examiners shall so request before they report formally that they are unable to arrive at an agreement and may do so at any time, if they consider it desirable. Wherever possible the additional examiner shall be of professorial status and shall have considerable experience of examining for the Ph.D. Degree of this University. This provision shall also apply when two of three examiners appointed in the first instance are the candidate's teachers and count as one for the purpose of decision under paragraph 1.2.2. 1.3 For Candidates registered under the Scheme for Public Research Institutions and Industrial Research Laboratories 1.3.1. For each candidate Boards of Studies shall normally appoint three persons to act as examiners jointly who must include: (i) An expert in the field of the candidate's research who is not the External Supervisor nor a member of the academic staff of the School at which the candidate is registered. (ii) An Appointed Teacher in the general field of study who is not a member of the academic staff of the School at which the candidate is registered. (iii) A third examiner who may, if the Board so wishes, be either the University or the External Supervisor. If two of the examiners (other than the External Supervisor) are external to the University, a special request for the additional fees payable has to be made to the Finance of University Examinations Sub-Committee. The Academic Council will therefore require from Boards of Studies submitting any such proposal a statement of the reasons for it. Only in exceptional circumstances with the permission of the Academic Council may both the University and External Supervisors be appointed as Examiners. 1.3.2. The University Supervisor and/or the External Supervisor if not appointed as Examiner(s) shall be invited to attend the oral as observer(s) in accordance with the conditions set out in paragraph 1.1.2. 2. Thesis 2.1 The thesis must form a distinct contribution to the knowledge of the subject and afford evidence of originality, shown either by the discovery of new facts or by the exercise of independent critical power. 2.2 The thesis must be written in English and the literary presentation must be satisfactory and, if not already published in an approved form, must be suitable for publication, either as submitted or in an abridged form or modified form. 2.3 The candidate must indicate how far the thesis embodies the result of his own research or observation, and in what respects his investigations appear to him to advance the study of his subject. 2.4 The Degree of Ph.D. will not be conferred upon a candidate unless the Examiners certify that the thesis is worthy of publication as a `Work approved for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of London'. 2.5 A candidate will not be permitted to submit as his thesis one which has been submitted for a degree or comparable award in this or any other university or institution, but a candidate shall not be precluded from incorporating work which he has already submitted for a degree in this or in any other 2 university or institution in a thesis covering a wider field, provided thatt he shall indicate on his entry form and also on his thesis any work which has been so incorporated. 2.6 Copies of all successful theses, whether published or not, will be deposited for reference in the University Library. 3. Conduct of Examination 3.1 Each report of the Examiners shall state (a) the subject of the thesis submitted by the candidate; (b) a list of his other original contributions (if any) to the advancement of bis subject; (c) a concise statement of the grounds upon which the Examiners base their recommendation. 3.2 After the Examiners have read the thesis, they may, if they think fit, and without further test, determine that the candidate has not satisfied them in the examination. Such a candidate will not be permitted to re-enter for the examination. 3.3 Except as provided in paragraphs 3.2 and 3.10 the Examiners after reading the thesis shall examine the candidate orally and at their discretion by written papers or practical examinations or by both methods on the subject of the thesis, and, if they see fit, on subjects relevant thereto. If an addi- tional examiner is called upon to act (see paragraph 1.2.3 above) after an oral examination has been held, the examiners acting jointly and after considering all relevant circumstances shall determine whether to hold a further oral examination and whether that examination (if any) shall be conducted by the additional examiner alone or in concert with one or more of the original examiners. 3.4 In addition to the provision in para 3.3 above for the Examiners to examine any candidate orally on subjects relevant to his thesis it is required that a candidate registered under the Public Research Institution or Industrial Research Laboratories Schemes shall be examined on the background he has acquired as a result of his course work. At the time of entry to the examination the University Supervisor is required to submit a short statement on the course-work prescribed. 3.5 Oral examinations shall be held in private. 3.6 If the thesis is adequate and the candidate satisfies the Examiners in all other parts of the examination, the Examiners will report that the candidate has satisfied them. 3.7 If the thesis is otherwise adequate but requires minor amendments and if the candidate satisfies the examiners in all other parts of the examination, the examiners may require the candidate to make within one month amendments specified by them. The amended thesis will be submitted to the examiners or to one of their number nominated by them for confirmation that the amendments are satisfactory. 3.8 If the thesis is adequate but the candidate fails to satisfy the Examiners at the practical or written examination held in connection therewith, the Examiners may determine that the candidate be exempted on re-entry from presentation of the thesis and permitted to submit to a further practical or written examination within a period specified by them and not exceeding 18 months. 3.9 If the thesis is adequate but the candidate fails to satisfy the Examiners at the oral examination, the Examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re-present the same thesis and submit to a further oral examination within a period not exceeding 18 months specified by them. 3.10 If the thesis, though inadequate, shall seem of sufficient merit to justify such action, the Examiners may determine that the candidate be permitted to re .present his thesis in a revised form within 18 months.