DPhil Student - How to Guides
The following is a series of "How to" guides for Dphil students and their supervisors in computer science. Click on the question title to view more details.
You will have been given a form to complete with your bank details and to say whether you wish your stipend to be paid monthly or quarterly. Return this to the Graduate Studies Administrator, together with your starting certificate, and then your details will be forwarded to Finance who will process the payment. The first payment will take slightly longer.
All DPhil and MSc by Research students are initially registered as Probationer Research Students (PRS). Students should note the MPLS Division requirement that PRS students must transfer to DPhil status within four terms. It follows that PRS must apply for transfer by submitting their online application and an assessment pro-forma (detailing the marks of the three pieces of assessed work) by Friday of week 0 of your 4th term, and the literature review and the thesis proposal by Wednesday of week 5 of your 4th term.
A guide to the transfer of status requirements, and the work PRS are expected to do in order to meet the requirements can be found in the Graduate Handbook
Students who have transferred from the DTC must apply by Wednesday of 5th week of their 6th term with the written work following by 31st August (or approximately one month before the deadline if their 6th term is not Trinity Term).
Forms and notes relating to transfer You are required to complete form GSO2 MPLS and MAT1. If you are unable to transfer by the deadline you need to complete GSO2b - "application to defer"
All forms need to be completed by the student, supervisor and college before returning to the Graduate Studies Administrator for DGS approval.
Own your DPhil Workshop: Organised by CoGS, DPhil students who have been through transfer run a transfer workshop for first year students who will need to transfer in their fourth term. Amongst other things, the workshop provides an interactive forum for pre-transfer students to communicate their research ideas. You are strongly encouraged to attend this.
The workshop will be held in Trinity Term and will consist of a departmental overview of the transfer process from the Director of Graduate Studies followed by a presentation of MPLS-requested information and question panel with post-transfer DPhil students, and culminating with an opportunity for you to practice presenting your research question(s) to academics for feedback.
You will take turns presenting your research statement(s) in groups of 4-5 with a member of academic staff per group and will receive feedback. This isn't about the content of the research itself but rather your ability to form and communicate your ideas --- much as you might be expected to do at the onset of a Transfer Viva/Interview. The goal at the end is to have each of you going into transfer better equipped to offer your topic to your assessors.
Please see the Confirmation of DPhil Status page.
Please see the Submission of your thesis page.
Please see the university degree ceremonies page.
If you need to suspend status for health or other reasons then you need to complete form GSO.17 and get it signed by your supervisor and college and then return to the Graduate Studies Administrator for DGS approval.
If you are unable to submit by the end of your 12th term you will need to apply for an extension of time by completing the online GSO.15 form. Extensions can be applied for a term at a time and need a justification as to why you need more time. Students can have a maximum of six terms extension but most students would only be given approval for a maximum of three, after which time your status would lapse.
Please see Support for Student Parents for details on how to apply for maternity and paternity leave.
The Department of Computer Science is often able to assist with funding to attend scientific conferences or workshops. Priority is given to students who are attending a conference in order to present a peer-refereed paper. You can apply for funding by completing a form. You must get your supervisor's written support and you should apply well in advance. Students who have other sources of travel funding, notably students supported by research project funds, should normally seek support from those sources before applying to the Department. Similarly students funded by the DTC should check how much travel grant they have available before applying for departmental funding. Sometimes supervisors are also able to help fund travel costs. Colleges are often able to make a contribution to the cost of presenting papers at conferences and conference organisers also may have grants available to students. When you return you will need to submit an expense claim via the University's E-Expense system (SAP Concur) . You will need to keep track of all receipts as these will need submitted/uploaded when you complete the claim. Students are not eligible to claim from this fund upon submission of the thesis or beyond the maximum submission date for their thesis, whichever is the earliest.
The Academic Administrator will email students asking for volunteers. To be able to do any teaching or demonstrating you will need to have attended the practical demonstrating seminar and the class teaching seminar which is run in Michaelmas each year. You can see the courses offered here listed under each degree course.
The Department has a social committee which organises events for all members of the department such as the annual barbecue, children's Christmas party, Dragon Boat racing to name a few. If you would like to be involved on the committee please see the Graduate Studies Administrator. CoGs and the Women in Computer Science Society also organise events and would welcome your participation.
If you have a problem with your office, for example if the heating is not working, the lock is broken or you need a new battery for the clock then just email technicians and they will help. If the problem is to do with your computer then you need to email support
Any post that is delivered for you from outside the department will be put in your pigeon hole in the post room which is in the main reception area. You need your swipe card to get into the room. Student pigeon holes are actually files in the filing cabinets in the back of the room. If you have a large parcel delivered the receptionist will leave a card in your pigeon hole asking you to collect. If you are having parcels delivered you should inform the receptionist in advance.
Instructions on editing your personal web page are available here and then click on the "people page" link.