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During your research journey, there are a number of key milestones which you will be expected to achieve within specific timeframes. This table provides you of an overview of what is expected of you.

Key milestones
Process When (full time) When (part time)
Re-enrolment Around mid-September, annually Electronically, every summer
Initial Assessment Within four months of first registration Within ten months of first registration
Annual report First week in May, annually First week in May, annually
Confirmation Assessment Between eight and twelve months of first registration Between twelve and twenty-four months of first registration
Final Assessment Within thirty months of first registration Within sixty months (PhD) or thirty-six months (MPhil) of first registration
Intention to Submit Three months before proposed submission date Three months before proposed submission date
Submission of
thesis 		Within thirty-six months (PhD) or twenty-four months (MPhil) of first registration Within seventy-two months (PhD) or forty-eight months (MPhil) of first registration

Key milestones

  • Registration and re-enrolment

    Following your initial enrolment and registration, you will be required to re-enrol annually in mid-September on your home campus. If you are a part time researcher, you will be required to re-enrol electronically. The Doctoral College will advise you in advance each year, of how and when you are expected to re-enrol.

  • Induction

    The Doctoral College will contact all new PhD researchers to invite them to attend Induction. The Doctoral College Induction sessions will normally take place at your home campus, in late September or early October, shortly after initial registration.

    The Doctoral College Induction is complemented by a ‘Local Induction’, which is arranged at the Faculty and subject level. PhD researchers are required to attend these Induction sessions as important information relating to research study will be discussed. Induction also provides an opportunity to meet academic and administrative staff involved in research as well as other PhD researchers, both within your subject area and Faculty and also campus-wide.

    Doctoral College Induction topics will include both research specific and practical advice, such as Introduction to the Doctoral College, Expectations and Milestones in Doctoral Research, Overview of the Researcher Development Framework, Research Governance as well as Introduction to the Library, Student Support and ICT services.

    Faculty and subject area inductions may vary in content but are aimed at providing important information and meeting other PhD researchers and staff.

  • Initial Assessment

    All PhD and MPhil researchers will undergo a formal assessment of progress, arranged by your Unit of Assessment (UoA), known as the initial assessment, usually within four months of initial registration for full time researchers or within ten months for part time researchers.  You can initiate this process on PhD Manager.

    Your UoA will be able to advise on the exact nature of the assessment but it will usually include a written submission along with a presentation.  As part of this process, you are asked to consider whether ethical approval is necessary for the project and to make arrangements to apply for such approval, where appropriate.

    Your supervisory team, in consultation with you, is required to review progress to date, identify any issues to be addressed and ensure that ongoing training needs are identified prior to this assessment taking place.

    As part of this process, you will be required to submit a Turnitin Originality Report along with your submission into PhD Manager.

  • Annual Reports Process

    The Doctoral College will initiate the online reporting procedure for all PhD Researchers in April each year. Both you and your supervisory team will be asked to complete an annual report on PhD Manager detailing a summary of your progress to date. You should be aware that the report you submit will not be shared with your supervisors.

    Your supervisors will also be asked to provide a recommendation, via PhD Manager, on whether or not you should progress to the next academic year.  If reports are not submitted they will be pursued by your Unit of Assessment and Doctoral College and progress to the next academic year may be delayed.

    The Research Director will receive and consider all reports at the Annual Progress Board.  If the Research Director is also a member of your supervisory team, then your report will be considered by the Associate Dean of the Faculty.  The annual re-registration process will not normally be permitted until you have submitted your Annual Report.

    If you prefer to provide feedback that will not be shared with your Research Director, please email the Doctoral College directly at pgr@ulster.ac.uk .  Please note that it will be shared with the Associate Dean of the Faculty so it can be addressed and resolved.

  • Confirmation Assessment

    All PhD and MPhil researchers will undergo a formal assessment of progress, known as the Confirmation Assessment, usually towards the end of your first year for full time researchers or before the end of the second year for part time researchers. You can initiate this process on PhD Manager.

    Your Unit of Assessment administrators will be able to advise on the exact nature of the assessment but it will include a written submission along with a presentation. You will not normally be permitted to re-enrol into your second year (for full time, funded researchers) until the Doctoral College has received notification from the Unit of Assessment of successful completion of your Confirmation Assessment, so you should take this into account as it may impact progression and payment of your stipend.

    As part of this process, you will be required to submit a Turnitin Originality Report along with your submission into PhD Manager.

  • Final Assessment

    To help prepare for your final submission and examination, your Unit of Assessment (UoA) administrators will make arrangements for a final assessment of progress within thirty months (full-time) and sixty months (part-time) of initial registration. The format of this assessment is at the discretion of your UoA and may include presentation at a seminar or conference.

  • Initial Submission of thesis

    Following advice from your supervisory team, and prompts from PhD Manager, you should notify the Doctoral College of your intention to submit your thesis at least three months prior to your expected thesis submission date. This enables the Doctoral College to begin making examination arrangements.  This does not tie you to the submission date, it simply allows preparations for your submission and viva to begin.

    Comprehensive guidance on the presentation of your thesis is available and should be consulted prior to submission.  Extensive guidance on submitting your thesis is also available.

  • Oral Examination

    Appointment of Examiners

    One External Examiner (two for researchers who have been full-time members of staff for two or more years, or equivalent for part-time staff members) who should have previously examined at an appropriate level, one Internal Examiner and a Chair are required.

    Oral Examination

    An oral examination (Viva Voce Examination, commonly shortened to viva) is required to be held no less than four weeks from the date on which the Board of Examiners receives your thesis, and normally within three months of receipt of the submission.  The examination will usually be held at your home campus. Where the examination is to be held on another campus, your written consent must be provided prior to arranging the examination

    PhD Manager will detail the date, time and venue of the oral examination once a date has been arranged by the Chair of the supervisory team.

    Following the viva, you will be informed of the recommended outcome via PhD Manager and email.   Details of the possible examination outcomes can be found under the regulations for each degree programme.

  • Final submission of thesis and Graduation

    Full guidelines are available on the submission of the final thesis post examination.

    Graduation

    On submission of final thesis and all relevant forms, you will be eligible for Graduation, provided you are not recorded on the University’s system as a ‘debtor’. You will be contacted by Registry regarding attendance at graduation and ticket allocation electronically via your University email account and it is therefore imperative that, following submission, you continue to check this account.