DPhil Student - Confirmation of DPhil Status

Confirmation of status is conditional on the preparation of a satisfactory research progress report and involvement in graduate activities such as attendance at seminars, publications, and presenting papers at conferences. Evaluation of applications for confirmation of status takes the form of an oral examination with two assessors, based on your written progress report. The departmental policy is that your supervisor(s) cannot be assessors, and one of your assessors must have successful experience of supervising doctoral students to completion. The progress report does not have to be long. Its most important ingredients are:

(a) a table of contents of your proposed DPhil dissertation,
(b) a clear plan for any research investigations that remain to be done,
(c) draft chapters of your thesis or papers you have written,
(d) and a timetable for completing the writing.

Both Computer Science students and those who have transferred from the DTC are expected to confirm your DPhil status by the end of your ninth term from admission as a Probationer Research Student. The Department therefore recommends that you apply for confirmation no later than the beginning of your ninth term. In order to allow enough time for your application to be assessed, your application, accompanied by the progress report, should reach the Graduate Studies Administrator by the end of 0th week of your ninth term.

Forms and notes relating to confirmation. You are required to complete the GSO14. If you are unable to confirm by the deadline you need to complete GSO14b - "application to defer". Both application forms can be found in the My Student Record tab in Student Self Service.

If, for good reason, you are unable to apply to confirm status by the end of your ninth term you may apply to defer confirmation for a maximum of three terms with the support of your supervisor. This application has to be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

If you have not applied to confirm or defer your confirmation by the end of your ninth term your student status will lapse.

Students who defer their confirmation of status but who have still not applied by the end of their twelfth term will be subject to a formal review before any applications for extension of time are considered.

More information on confirming your status can be found in the Graduate Handbook.