2023-24

Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

RESOLUTION

The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy is governed by Resolution No. 507 of the University Court. The provisions of the Resolution are as follows:

1.   The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) may be awarded by the Senate of the University of Glasgow in each of the Colleges thereof.

2.   The Senate shall have power to make such regulations governing the award of the Degree as may be approved by the University Court, and these shall be as stated in Schedules A to D.[1]

3.   A candidate for the Degree may either undertake study or research in accordance with the provisions of Schedule A or, in the case of The Glasgow School of Art, Schedule C, or shall present either a published thesis or a published memoir or work or other material in accordance with the provisions of Schedule B or, in the case of The Glasgow School of Art, Schedule D.

4.   The Degree of Doctor of Philosophy whether by research or by published work shall in no case be conferred on persons who have not satisfied the conditions set out below, and shall not be conferred as an Honorary Degree.

Schedule A:  Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Research

The following regulations are supplemented by a series of Guidance Notes for students which were previously available within the online University Regulations and have now been incorporated into the PGR Code of Practice.

1.   A research student who has pursued in the University of Glasgow,[2] or in an institution recognised and approved for the purpose, a course of special study or research, may offer themself for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy under the following conditions:

a)   that they have obtained a degree in any Scottish university, or in another university or college specially recognised for the purpose of this Section by the University Court on the recommendation of the Senate (provided always that a diploma or certificate recognised in like manner as equivalent to a degree may be accepted in place of a degree);

b)   that they have produced to the Senate evidence of satisfactory progress in the special study or research undertaken by them;

c)   that they will have been registered for such study on a full-time basis for a period of not less than three academic years, or on a part-time basis for a period of either not less than five years of part-time study or not less than four years, comprising three years of part-time study and one year of full-time study, provided always that the Senate shall have power, in exceptional cases, to reduce the period by one academic year;

d)   that they must be available for supervision in the University throughout the period of study except when given permission to pursue research elsewhere;

e)   that they have pursued such formal research training and any other attendance requirements as set down by the College concerned.

2.   The normal standard of admission for a research student will be that of a Degree with First or Upper Second Class Honours in a relevant discipline but another quali­fication, being a qualification approved by the University Court as provided in Section 1, may be accepted by the relevant College as being suitable for the programme of study which it is proposed that the applicant should follow.

3.1   Each candidate for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall present for the approval of the Senate a thesis which shall embody the results of the candidate’s special study or research, and which shall be accompanied by a declaration signed by the candidate that the thesis has been composed by themself.

a)   In the College of Arts & Humanities and the College of Social Sciences the thesis shall be a minimum of 70,000 and a maximum of 100,000 words including references, bibliography and appendices in each case.

b)   In the College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences and the College of Science & Engineering the thesis shall be a maximum of 80,000 words excluding references, bibliography and appendices in each case.

A candidate who wishes to submit a thesis of greater or lesser length or submit documentary appendices must seek prior permission of the appropriate College Higher Degrees Committee or equivalent.

3.2   A thesis for the degree of PhD shall normally be presented for examination within four years from the date when a candidate first registered for full-time study or eight years from the date when a candidate first registered for part-time study. Where the candidate has registered for a combination of full-time and part-time study, or where the College has approved suspension[3] of study for a period of time, the maximum period of study permitted shall be equivalent to the duration for full and part-time study plus the approved period of suspension adjusted proportionately.

3.3   Where the candidate has fulfilled the prescribed period of full-time or part-time study required by the regulations, and has not submitted the thesis for examination, the candidate shall be registered with a ‘thesis pending’ status. If further research project work is required, the College may require the candidate to register as a full-time or part-time student. Failure to meet College requirements for progress without good cause may result in exclusion from further study.

3.4   The thesis shall be examined by one or more examiners appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies on behalf of Senate from among the experienced academic staff of the University, and by one or more External Examiners appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies on behalf of the University Court and Senate. No person who has been involved in the direct supervision of the candidate may be appointed as an examiner. The internal examiner shall not undertake any duties which have been allocated to the Convener (see §3.6) and shall act as an examiner in the normal way. In the case of a submission by a member of staff or a former member of staff two of the examiners must be external.[4] A thesis may be examined by two external examiners without the appointment of an Internal Examiner, with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

3.5   A candidate for the Degree of PhD must present themself for oral examination by the Committee of Examiners on the subject matter of the thesis and its context. The requirement for an oral examination shall be observed at the first submission of the thesis. In undertaking an oral or other examination the candidate must follow any requirements for the assessment as stated by the Graduate School.

3.6   A Convener shall be appointed by the Convener of the Higher Degrees Committee or its equivalent committee to convene the oral examination and to report on the agreed recommendations of the Committee of Examiners to the appropriate College Committee.

The Convener will be responsible for the following:

a)   making the arrangements for an oral examination and ensuring that this is normally held no later than three months after the submission of the thesis;

b)   attending the whole examination and ensuring that it is conducted in a fair manner and is of a reasonable duration;

c)   assisting the examiners to reach a consensus, noting that, subject to the authority of Senate, the view of the External Examiner shall normally prevail;

d)   arranging for the report stating the recommendation of the Committee of Examiners to be signed at the conclusion of the examination;

e)   after the oral, co-ordinating the completion of a joint report detailing the requirements for revision or resubmission and providing this to the candidate.

3.7   The supervisor shall not normally be present at the oral examination but shall be available to the Committee of Examiners for consultation. If the candidate makes a request in writing to the Convener for the supervisor to be present at the oral examination, this should normally be permitted. The request should be made no later than one week before the date of the oral.

3.8   Where a candidate has been permitted to resubmit a thesis for examination, an oral shall also be held other than in exceptional circumstances, where the Convener, on the recommendation of the Committee of Examiners, may seek the agreement of the Dean of Graduate Studies to set aside the requirement for an oral examination after resubmission. In such circumstances the agreement of the candidate must be obtained, otherwise the candidate shall have the right to insist on an oral being held.

3.9   Where a candidate has been permitted to resubmit the thesis, it shall normally be on one occasion only. The resubmitted thesis shall be examined by the Committee of Examiners appointed for the first submission or by the Committee of Examiners appointed for the second submission.

If the Committee of Examiners considers that the thesis has not achieved the standard required for the Degree of PhD but is of sufficient merit to be worthy of an award, it may recommend that the candidate revise the thesis and submit it for consideration for a Masters degree.

4.   Particular conditions relating to study or research in the Colleges are set out below. A candidate must also comply with detailed requirements for research degrees published by the relevant Graduate School.

Arts & Humanities

The thesis must normally be written and defended in English. Exceptionally, however, at the time of application the College Graduate School Board (or equivalent) may approve arrangements whereby the thesis may be written and defended in a language other than English, such as Gaelic. Approval will normally be given only where the use of a language other than English is deemed appropriate by the relevant School and the Graduate School Board and where the School and the Graduate School Board are satisfied that appropriate arrangements can be made for supervision and examination. In addition to the requirement for satisfactory completion of a thesis, the candidate will be required to attend training courses as specified by the Graduate School and also, where appropriate, by their supervisors. Candidates may be exempted in full or part from this requirement, normally by virtue of training undertaken and recognised by the Graduate School as meeting training requirements.

Where a School determines it to be appropriate, candidates may present a thesis or portfolio accompanied by a related piece of work, for example, a play, an exhibition, a theatrical performance, a translation, computer software or work presented in digital media forms (to be defined as content presented through digital tools). In cases where a performance, exhibition or digital media element is involved in a thesis or dissertation, candidates must provide a permanent record of the creative or digital media aspect of the overall submission to be deposited with the thesis in the University Library. In such cases, the Graduate School Board shall, in consultation with the supervising School, advise candidates on the minimum length of the thesis component. The Board of Examiners is normally required to attend a performance or exhibition of the creative work.

In English Literature, candidates may present themselves for a PhD in a specific Creative Writing genre. Before being considered for admission to study for the award, candidates must normally satisfy the requirements of §1, and present sufficient evidence of potential in creative writing, through submission of a portfolio of creative and critical work. Registered candidates must satisfactorily complete, in the first two years, prescribed studies which shall include attendance at writing seminars and/or workshops. Each candidate’s progress in the prescribed studies shall be assessed by means of set projects and/or a journal of studies maintained by the candidate. During the third year, under the supervision of a person appointed for the purpose by the College, candidates shall prepare and present for the approval of the Senate, a thesis or portfolio of written work which shall make significant contribution to literature in the generic route chosen, normally containing material worthy of publication. The thesis shall be deemed to constitute a ‘thesis which shall embody the results of the candidate’s special study or research’ as required under §3.1. Following successful completion of the first two years of study, candidates will be eligible for the award of Master of Philosophy if they elect to end their studies at this stage.

In Film & Television Studies, candidates may present themselves for a practice-based PhD. The candidate shall typically complete a thesis of 30,000-40,000 words in length (including references, bibliography and appendices) and a practical component of significant originality and sophistication (examples might include, but are not limited to, an artistic or experimental video work, documentary, video-essay, a collection of shorts, an exhibition or installation, festival, and so on). In exceptional circumstances a shorter or longer thesis might be agreed, to provide an appropriate balance with the practical component, thereby enabling either the completion of a larger and appropriately sophisticated or complex practical component, or, conversely, to weigh in favour of a longer thesis in relation to a more discrete focus on the practical component. The thesis and practical component taken together shall be deemed to constitute a ‘thesis which shall embody the results of the candidate’s special study or research’ as required under §3.1.

In Music, PhD candidates may present themselves for examination by thesis or by portfolio. Normally a thesis will be of 70,000–100,000 words (including references, bibliography and appendices). For examination by thesis, the candidate may include a range of practical components in support of their underlying argument, but this is not a requirement. The precise relationship between practical work and written commentary, and their relative weightings, will be agreed between the candidate, their supervisors, and the Music postgraduate convener, through Annual Progress Review as part of the development of the project. For examination by portfolio, candidates may submit work in a range of disciplines, including composition, sonic art, performance or other forms of creative practice. Extended critical and methodologically informed documentation of the research project will accompany the creative inquiry. The written component is expected to complement and reflect in a rigorous manner upon the practical component. Normally the portfolio will comprise creative work of approximately two hours’ duration or work of equivalent depth or complexity and the written component will be 10,000–20,000 words (including references, bibliography and appendices). The precise relationship between practical work and written commentary, and their relative weightings, will be agreed between the candidate, their supervisors, and the Music postgraduate convener, through Annual Progress Review as part of the development of the project. 

In Theatre Studies, candidates may present themselves for a practice-based PhD. The balance between academic writing and research-driven practice will vary depending on the needs of the research project and will be agreed with the supervisory team. The candidate shall typically complete a significant piece of practice, or portfolio of practice, such as playtexts, installations or performances, accompanied by a written thesis of 30,000-60,000 words in length (including references, bibliography and appendices). The written and practical component taken together shall be deemed to constitute a ‘thesis which shall embody the results of the candidate’s special study or research’ as required under §3.1.

In Theology & Religious Studies candidates may present themselves for a practice-based PhD. The candidate shall present both a practical component and a written component for examination. The practical component may explore: religious/spiritual insights through a variety of creative media; demonstrate creative practice in areas such as liturgy, ritual and homiletics; or consist of Arts-based research into issues of theological/religious significance. The written component shall consist of an academically rigorous reflection upon the research process and its critical significance within theology/religious studies. The length of the written component shall be agreed between the supervisors and the candidate and confirmed through the Annual Progress Review process. Typically it shall be 30,000–40,000 words (including references, bibliography and appendices). The written component and practical component taken together shall be deemed to constitute a ‘thesis which shall embody the results of the candidate’s special study or research’ as required under §3.1 of the Resolution.

Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences

A candidate holding an appointment as a member of the teaching or research staff of the University of Glasgow, paid through the Finance Office or directly by a grant awarding body approved by the University Court, may register part-time whilst being subject to the same provisions regarding minimum periods of full-time study if they devote the major part of the day, typically 75-80% of their time, to research studies.

In addition to the requirement for satisfactory completion of a thesis, a candidate will normally be required to attend training courses as specified by the College Graduate School.

Science & Engineering

To qualify for the award of a PhD, a candidate must have demonstrated to a Committee of Examiners by the presentation of a thesis and by performance in an oral examination that they are capable of:

a)   pursuing original research in their specific field of study; and

b)   relating their results to the general body of knowledge in the field; and

c)   presenting their results in a critical and scholarly manner.

In addition to the requirement for satisfactory completion of a thesis, the candidate will normally be required to attend training courses as specified by the College Graduate School.

Social Sciences

The thesis must normally be written and defended in English. Exceptionally, however, at the time of application the College Higher Degrees Committee may approve arrangements whereby the thesis may be written and defended in a language other than English. Approval will normally be given only where the use of a language other than English is deemed appropriate by the relevant School and the Higher Degrees Committee and where the School and the Higher Degrees Committee are satisfied that appropriate arrangements can be made for supervision and examination.

In addition to the requirement for satisfactory completion of a thesis, the candidate will be required to attend training courses as specified by the Graduate School and also, where appropriate, by their supervisors. Candidates may be exempted in full or part from this requirement, normally by virtue of training undertaken and recognised by the Graduate School as meeting training requirements.

5.   Teaching or Research Staff of the University or Recognised Institutions - Candidature for the Degree

A member of the teaching staff of the University, or a person who holds an appointment as Research Assistant or Research Fellow of the University of Glasgow and is paid through the Finance Office or directly by a grant-aiding body approved by the University Court, or a member of the teaching or research staff of any other institution recognised for the purpose of §1, may notwithstanding offer themself for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy if they have prosecuted a course of special study or research on a part-time basis for a period of not less than three years.

6.   Research in External Institutions

As permitted in §1, College Graduate Schools may allow the candidate’s study or research to be conducted in an institution external to the University of Glasgow. The period of study of research elsewhere shall not normally exceed 12 months except where that study or research is undertaken in an institution or location approved by the appropriate College Committee. The choice of an external institution will be determined ad hoc and only where there exists clear alignment of the candidate’s proposed study or research with the aims and objectives of the institution proposed, and where the institution can demonstrate ability to provide an appropriate level of supervision of the candidate. A full-time member of staff of a recognised Institution may be nomi­nated by the College Graduate School on behalf of Senate either as a supervisor or as an internal examiner although such an individual may not be nominated as an examiner if they have previously supervised the candidate's work. In cases where an employee of the institution acts as supervisor or internal examiner, a member of staff from an appropriate subject area in the University will also be appointed.

The list of institutions recognised for the purpose of this regulation is available from Research & Innovation Services.

7.   Submission of Thesis

In submitting a thesis a candidate must state, generally in the preface and specifically in the notes, the sources from which their information is derived, the extent to which they have availed themself of the work of others, and the portions of the thesis which they claim as original. The thesis must be in English.

Submission of the thesis should be completed electronically as directed by the Graduate School and must conform to University Library specifications published at https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/research/enlighten/theses/formattingyourthesis/.

In all cases the submission must include a summary of 250–1,000 words which must be an adequate and informative abstract of the work, suitable for publication by the Uni­versity.

In signing a submission form, the supervisor is confirming that the work was undertaken by the candidate. The wording of the form makes it clear that the supervisor's signature does not endorse that the work has been completed nor does it indicate that the thesis has achieved the required standard for the award of the degree. A candidate may submit a thesis against the advice of the supervisor but in such cases the supervisor is required to provide a short statement to the Convener of the Committee of Examiners.

If approved for the degree, an electronic copy of the thesis shall be deposited with the University Library and must conform to University Library specifications published at https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/research/enlighten/theses/formattingyourthesis/. It is the University's normal practice to permit computer download of the electronic copy through its repository service, Enlighten. Such access may, however, be restricted under provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 or the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004.

Schedule B: Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Published Work

1.   A person may be admitted as a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by published work who:

a)   i)   is a graduate of the University of Glasgow and whose date of submission of their thesis is at least five years from the date of their first graduation in the University; or

ii)   is a member of staff who has normally been employed for five years and is paid through the University Finance Office or directly by a grant aided body approved by the University Court; or

iii)  is a former member of staff who has completed a minimum of five years employment and was paid through the University Finance Office or directly by a grant aided body approved by the University Court, and who presents themself as a candidate for the degree within one calendar year of leaving the University’s employment.

b)   has not been enrolled as a Research Student in the University of Glasgow during the five years preceding the date of submission;

c)   does not hold any Doctoral Degree of the University of Glasgow or of any other University or College in the same subject area; and

d)   has been found by the appropriate College to possess prima facie a qualification for the Degree.

A College Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) shall have the discretion to reduce the qualifying period to three years in the case of full-time members of academic staff in the employment of the University.

2.   In order to establish whether a candidate possesses prima facie a qualification for the degree, candidates should submit to the appropriate Graduate School an initital application pack containing:

a)   a list of relevant publications along with abstracts to be considered in support of the application;

b)   a full curriculum vitae;

c)   a statement of up to 3,000 words which justifies the consideration of the application. Should the submission comprise diverse publications, the statement should explain the relationship, if any, between the works submitted, including any developments which have occurred between one piece and another.

3.   The College Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) will recommend an applicant to register for the degree where a review of the material provided in the application suggests that the applicant's work is likely to be of the same standard expected for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by supervised research. In making such a determination, the College Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) may consult with expert advisers outside the Committee.

4.   The Dean of Graduate Studies shall nominate a member of staff to give advice to the candidate with regard to the preparation of their final submission for the award.

5.   Candidates who have registered for the degree will prepare a final submission which will comprise:

a)   Subject to the provisions of §9 of Schedule B of this Resolution, candidates for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by published work shall present for the approval of Senate the published work to be examined. Candidates should contact their Graduate School in the event that electronic copies of any published works are not available. This shall be accompanied by a declaration signed by the candidate detailing the extent to which the research has been done and the work written by them. All copies of the works, if approved for the Degree, shall become property of the University.

b)   An explanatory essay of 10,000-12,000 words, including an adequate and informative abstract of the work, which justifies the intellectual significance of the submission.

Where possible, materials should be submitted electronically to the relevant Graduate School as directed by the Graduate School and must conform to University Library specifications published at https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/research/enlighten/theses/formattingyourthesis/.

Any relevant materials should be included in the electronic submission. Where electronic submission is not possible, students should contact their Graduate School for advice.

6.   The final submission will be comprised of published research outputs. It may contain both textual and non-textual research outputs so long as they meet the following definition:

A work is normally regarded as published only if it is traceable through ordinary catalogues, abstracts or citation notices as appropriate to the field, and copies are available to the general public. This will normally require the work to be publicly registered with an ISSN/ISBN number. Material which is unpublished or which has only a restricted circulation is not acceptable in whole or partial fulfilment of the requirements for this degree.

7.   All the  materials submitted must normally be in English. Exceptionally, the College Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) may approve the submission and defence of the work in a language other than English, such as Gaelic. Approval will normally be given only where the use of a language other than English is deemed appropriate by the relevant School and the Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent), and where the School and Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) are satisfied that appropriate examination arrangements can be made.

8.   Any work which is about to be included in a submission by the candidate for any other Higher Degree or Diploma either in the University of Glasgow or in any other institution, or which has already been included in a submission, whether successful or unsuccessful, for any other Higher Degree or Diploma in another institution is not admissible in whole or partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of PhD by published work.

9.   A candidate may submit work which has resulted from collaborative research and joint authored publications, provided the nature and extent of the candidate’s contribution is specified in the accompanying explanatory essay. The candidate must seek confirmation of this from the co-authors or researchers and provide written evidence of such confir­mation to the satisfaction of the Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent).

10.   A Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) may at its discretion disqualify any submission or part thereof. It is not a necessary requirement for this degree that the work submitted should be published within a defined period.

11.   The thesis shall be examined by one or more examiners appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies on behalf of Senate from among the experienced academic staff of the University, and by one or more External Examiners appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies on behalf of the University Court and Senate. No person who has been involved in the direct supervision of the candidate may be appointed as an examiner. The internal examiner shall not undertake any duties which have been allocated to the Convener and shall act as an examiner in the normal way. A thesis may be examined by two external examiners without the appointment of an Internal Examiner, with the approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies. In the case of a submission by a member of staff or a former member of staff two of the examiners must be external.[5]

The Board of Examiners shall normally require that the candidate present themself for oral or other examination on the subject matter of the work and other material submitted for examination.

12.   The reports of the examiners shall be submitted to the appropriate College Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) who shall if it thinks fit make a recommenda­tion thereon to the Senate. The candidate shall be approved for the Degree only if, in the opinion of the College and the examiners, the submitted work constitutes an examination of a field of study which makes a significant and original contribution to existing knowledge and is of an equivalent standard to a thesis which embodies the results of three years full-time supervised research (or equivalent) and for which a candidate was awarded the degree of PhD. The Committee of Examiners may require minor changes to the explanatory essay as a requirement for the award if there is otherwise agreement that the submitted work meets the criteria for the Degree.

13.   An unsuccessful final submission for the degree of PhD by published work will not become eligible for the award of a Masters Degree or Diploma, in lieu of the degree of PhD, and nor will the unsuccessful final submission become eligible for resubmission in its present form on a future occasion.

14.   No candidate may apply for re-examination for the degree of PhD by published work until the lapse of at least three years from the date of the intimation of the decision of the Higher Degrees Committee (or equivalent) regarding the previous submission. Such re-examination shall be regarded as a de novo application and not the resubmission of the initial application.