PhD Programme Handbook For: All Doctoral Candidates (MPhil) and Doctoral Researchers (PhD), Supervisors and Directors of Doctoral Studies Last updated: January 2020 1 Advisory This handbook is provided to clarify roles, timescales and Regulations from first enrolment to the award of the MPhil/PhD. The information given here has been collated and summarised from the Code of Practice for Research Degrees, Academic Regulations and Doctoral School online guides. If at any stage either you or your supervisor are uncertain about what to do, please contact the Doctoral School: [email protected] 2 Contents PhD Programme Handbook ................................................................................................................... 1 1. Welcome ......................................................................................................................................... 5 2. Registration, Term Dates and Attendance .................................................................................... 6 2.1 Registration ............................................................................................................................ 6 2.2 Term Dates.............................................................................................................................. 6 2.3 Annual (Re-)Enrolment .......................................................................................................... 6 2.4 Types of Enrolment ................................................................................................................ 7 2.5 Attendance and Absence ....................................................................................................... 8 2.6 Distance Learning .......................................................................................................... 8 2.7 Direct entry to PhD programmes .......................................................................................... 8 2.8 Changes to the mode of study ............................................................................................... 8 3. Doctoral School – Mission Statement ............................................................................................ 9 4. Essential Dates and Deadlines ..................................................................................................... 11 5. What Does the Doctoral School Do? ............................................................................................ 14 5.1 Roles and Responsibilities .................................................................................................... 14 5.2 Doctoral Researcher Training ............................................................................................... 14 6. Doctoral Researcher Development .............................................................................................. 18 6.1 Training Needs Analysis ....................................................................................................... 18 6.2 PhD Manager ........................................................................................................................ 18 6.3 Training courses .................................................................................................................... 18 6.4 Conference Funding ............................................................................................................. 19 6.5 Language training ................................................................................................................. 19 6.6 Student-led initiatives .......................................................................................................... 20 6.7 Fieldwork Awards ....................................................................................................... 21 6.8 SOAS Research Online .......................................................................................................... 21 6.9 Website profiles ................................................................................................................... 22 7. Careers .......................................................................................................................................... 23 8. Library ........................................................................................................................................... 24 9. Research Students’ Association ................................................................................................... 25 10. Pathways of a PhD Programme .................................................................................................... 26 10.1 Research Programme Structure ........................................................................................... 26 10. 2 Progression ........................................................................................................................... 28 10.3 Interruption .......................................................................................................................... 29 10.4 Maternity / Paternity Policy ................................................................................................ 30 10.5 Disability ............................................................................................................................... 30 3 11. The PhD Thesis .............................................................................................................................. 31 11.1 What should a PhD thesis include ....................................................................................... 31 11.2 Use of data / Research integrity .......................................................................................... 31 11.3 Use of Personal Data in Research ........................................................................................ 32 11.4 Open Access .......................................................................................................................... 32 11.5 Embargo requests ................................................................................................................. 32 12. Fieldwork ..................................................................................................................................... 34 12.1 Insurance .............................................................................................................................. 35 13. Submission Deadlines ................................................................................................................... 36 13.1 Direct entry to PhD programmes ......................................................................................... 36 13.2 Changes to the mode of study ............................................................................................. 36 13.3 Procedure for deferring submission .................................................................................... 36 13.4 Disability ............................................................................................................................... 37 13.5 Mitigating Circumstances ..................................................................................................... 37 13.6 Extension to Submission Deadline ....................................................................................... 37 13.7 Late submission .................................................................................................................... 38 13.8 Non-submission .................................................................................................................... 38 14. Support Services ........................................................................................................................... 39 14.1 Welfare and international student advice .......................................................................... 39 14.2 Counselling ........................................................................................................................... 39 14.3 Health and wellbeing ........................................................................................................... 39 14.4 Employee Assistance Programme ................................................................................ 39 14.5 Learning advice ..................................................................................................................... 40 14.6 Disability advice.................................................................................................................... 40 14.7 Study Inclusion Plan ............................................................................................................. 40 15. If things go wrong ......................................................................................................................... 41 15.1 Complaints about Training or Supervision .......................................................................... 41 15.2 Appeals ................................................................................................................................. 41 16. Courtesy ........................................................................................................................................ 42 17. Contacts ........................................................................................................................................ 43 4