Faculty of Social Sciences & Law

Postgraduate
Student Handbook
for Taught &
Research Students

-2012/2013-

This Handbook relates to the session 2012/13 and

does not commit the University in respect of
subsequent sessions. You are advised to keep this
handbook during your postgraduate studies for
your information.
Please also consult the Faculty Web
pages (www.bristol.ac.uk/fssl/)
and the University Regulations and Code
of Practice for Taught Programmes:
www.bris.ac.uk/esu/assessment/codeonline.html
or Research Degree Programmes:
www.bris.ac.uk/esu/pg/cop-research-degrees.html

UNIVERSITY TERM DATES

AUTUMN TERM

Monday 1 October 2012

Friday 14 December 2012

SPRING TERM

Friday 11 January 2013

Friday 22 March 2013

SUMMER TERM

Monday 22 April 2013

Friday 21 June 2013

CONTENTS
PAGE
WELCOME FROM THE GRADUATE DEAN

Introduction
The Faculty and its Schools
The Faculty Education Team
South West Doctoral Training Centre
Regulations and Code of Practice
And Finally

FACULTY STAFF AND ORGANISATION

Faculty Staff
Faculty Organisation
Faculty Committees
Student Representatives
PRACTICALITIES

11

Annual Registration
Change in Personal Details
Fee Obligations
Writing Up Status
Extension of Study
Suspension of Study
Withdrawal From Study / Transfer to Another University
Students Who Are Deemed Withdrawn
Council Tax Exemption Criteria
PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING

15

Unauthorised Materials
Plagiarism
Collusion
Procedures (Taught Units/Programmes)
Procedures (Research Thesis)
GRIEVANCES AND APPEALS

18

SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR TAUGHT POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

PAGE
UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS

21

University Exam Regulations

POSTGRADUATE PROGRAMMES AND SUPPORT

22

Programmes and Units

Credit Points
Programme Directors and Supervisors
School Office
Support
STUDENT PROGRESS AND MONITORING

24

Minimum and Maximum Periods of Study

Attendance and Progress Monitoring
ASSESSMENT AND EXAMINATION PROCEDURES

26

Assessment in the Faculty

School and Faculty Examinations Boards
STUDENT PROGRESSION IN TAUGHT MODULAR PROGRAMMES
Taught Component
Dissertation

27

SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR RESEARCH POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS

PAGE
UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS

30

Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes

University Examination Regulations
RESEARCH ADVICE AND SUPERVISION

32

Your Supervisor(s)
Change of Supervisor
Research Student Responsibilities
Research Student Facilities
Research Training
Postgraduate Diploma in Research Methods
Exemptions
Advanced Research Training
School Provision
South West Doctoral Training Centre
RESEARCH STUDENT PROGRESS AND MONITORING

37

Progress and Monitoring

Faculty Annual Progress Monitoring Reports
Attendance Monitoring
Upgrading from MPhil to PhD
Procedure for Dealing with Unsatisfactory Progress
Minimum and Maximum Periods of Study
SWDTC AND ESRC STUDENTSHIP HOLDERS

42

Information and Guidance

Thesis Submission Rates and Satisfactory Academic Progress
Changes to Studentships Which Impact on Funding
Payment of Awards
Overseas Fieldwork and Overseas Institutional Visits

Welcome from the Graduate Dean

Introduction
This Handbook provides basic information relevant to your postgraduate studies in the
Faculty. There is a great deal of other important material for you to refer to and this is
available on the student section of the Faculty web pages at: www.bristol.ac.uk/fssl/.
You will undoubtedly refer to these web pages at different points throughout your study
and they will be key reference area of any questions you have on procedures and
regulations.
There is also a website for research students as part of the South West Doctoral Training
Centre (SWDTC) at www.swdtc.ac.uk. This website provides information about training
opportunities, research events, contact lists and procedures for research students across
the SWDTC.
You will also receive school and/or programme handbooks at School induction, which
contain more specific information on your programme, assessment methods and other
general information. Schools will have information on their websites, and you can
access these from the Faculty website at: www.bristol.ac.uk/fssl/schools.
The University Library and the Computer Centre provide guides to their services. I would
strongly urge you to attend a library tour, if this has not already been organised by your
School, and to read the Computing Services Information that you were given at Faculty
registration.
The Faculty and its Schools
The Faculty of Social Sciences and Law is the second largest Faculty in the University
with over 2,500 full-time and part-time postgraduate students. The academic staff of
the Faculty are attached to one of six Schools:

Graduate School of Education;

School of Geographical Sciences;
University of Bristol Law School
School for Policy Studies;
School of Economics, Finance & Management;
School of Sociology, Politics and International Studies.

Links to School websites and the precinct map can be found

www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/schools/ and www.bristol.ac.uk/maps/google/index.html

at:

The Faculty Education Team

The Faculty Education Team, located on the first floor of Senate House, is a central point
of information for the Faculty and deals with student progress administration, education
processes and education committees. Please refer to the website for a list of Faculty
Education Team services.
As Graduate Dean, I am responsible for all postgraduate student matters and, if you are
experiencing difficulties that your School is unable to deal with or are too confidential to
take to the School, you can contact me. In general, it is best to email me in the first
instance at Sally.Barnes@bristol.ac.uk.
South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC)
The UK Governments Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) awarded the
Universities of Bristol, Bath and Exeter a Doctoral Training Centre in 2010. The SWDTC
brings together masters and doctoral students, in Social Sciences and Law, from all 3
institutions. This is a very innovative and challenging new way for us to deliver doctoral
education.
Regulations and Code of Practice
Your programme of study is guided by the Universitys Regulations and Code of Practice.
These are available online at:
Taught Programmes - www.bris.ac.uk/esu/assessment/codeonline.html
Research Programmes - www.bristol.ac.uk/esu/pg/cop-research-degrees.html.
The Regulations are updated annually. I urge you to read and use these documents
when you have questions or problems and are unsure of the way forward.
And Finally
At Bristol, you will be a member of one of the most talented social sciences and law
student bodies in the country, reflected in our SWDTC accredited by the ESRC. You will
also be studying in one of Englands most beautiful and culturally vibrant cities. You will
be advised by scholars with national and international reputations in their specialist
research fields. The programmes in the Faculty have been carefully designed to provide
a stimulating experience. You will find that your study is intellectually challenging, but
hopefully that it is rewarding and often exciting.
I wish you an enjoyable and successful time here and I hope you are able to take up as
many of these opportunities as you can. I look forward to your graduation in the future.
Dr Sally Barnes
Graduate Dean
Faculty of Social Sciences and Law
October 2012
7

Faculty Staff and Organisation

Faculty Staff
Faculty Officers

Email Address

Telephone

The Dean

Prof. Judith Squires

dean-fssl@bristol.ac.uk

92 88969

Senior Executive Assistant

(& PA to the Dean)
Graduate Dean (& Joint
Education Director)
Undergraduate Dean (&
Joint Education Director)

Miss Catriona
Maclean-Eltham

pa-fssl@bristol.ac.uk

92 87797

Dr Sally Barnes

sally.barnes@bristol.ac.uk

33 14339

Dr Alvin Birdi

fssl-ugadmin@bristol.ac.uk

92 89953

Research Director

Prof. Wendy Larner

w.larner@bristol.ac.uk

92 88306

Faculty Manager

Mr Dominic Freda

dominic.freda@bristol.ac.uk

33 17723

Miss Lisa LHomme

lisa.lhomme@bristol.ac.uk

n/a

Ms Hannah Quinn

hannah.quinn@bristol.ac.uk

92 88899

Ms Sarah Hallworth

timetables-ssl@bristol.ac.uk

92 89008

Miss Genette Ellis

fssl-pgadmin@bristol.ac.uk

92 89952

Miss Julie Selman

fssl-pgadmin@bristol.ac.uk

33 17261

Mrs Kes ODonnell

fssl-ugadmin@bristol.ac.uk

92 89953

Miss Lauren Needs

fssl-ugadmin@bristol.ac.uk

92 89953

Facilities Manager

Mr Luke Calder

luke.calder@bristol.ac.uk

33 17533

Zonal Team Leader,

IT Services

Mr Peter Burton

peter.burton@bristol.ac.uk

33 10523

South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC)

SWDTC Manager
Faculty Education Team Staff
Faculty Education
Manager
Faculty Timetabling &
Education Officer
Postgraduate Senior
Education Administrator
Senior Education
Administrator
Senior Education
Administrator
Senior Education
Administrator
Other Faculty Staff

Faculty Organisation
The Dean
The Dean is the highest academic authority in the Faculty. She oversees the Faculty
budget, strategic planning in research and teaching development within the Faculty and
chairs the Faculty Board of Social Sciences & Law, and represents the Faculty on all high
level university committees, such as University Planning and Resources Committee
(UPARC), Senate and Council.
The Graduate Dean
The Graduate Dean is responsible for all postgraduate matters in the Faculty, including:
overseeing student progress, final examination results, approving suspensions and
extensions and advising the Dean on graduate education strategy. The Graduate Dean
chairs the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee, Faculty Examination Board
(Postgraduate) and represents the Faculty at relevant University Committees the
Research Degrees Examinations Board and University Graduate Studies Committee.
The Undergraduate Dean
The Undergraduate Dean is responsible for overseeing all undergraduate matters in the
Faculty, such as advising undergraduates when necessary, monitoring student progress
and advising the Dean on undergraduate strategy. The Undergraduate Dean chairs the
Faculty Undergraduate Studies Committee, Faculty Progress Committee and Faculty
Examination Board (Undergraduate) and represents the Faculty at relevant University
Committees.
The Research Director
The Research Director works with the Dean to deliver the Universitys vision for
research within the Faculty and chairs the Faculty Research Strategy Committee.
The Faculty Manager
The Faculty Manager works with the Dean to deliver the Facultys vision and
budget.
The SWDTC Manager
The SWDTC Manager is employed at Bristol but works across the universities of Bristol,
Bath and Exeter to oversee the management and delivery of the doctoral training
programme.
The Faculty Education Manager
The Faculty Education Manager is responsible for managing the Faculty Education Team
and its student and education processes. At postgraduate level, this includes
registration, timetabling, progress and student record administration, SWDTC support
and the provision of postgraduate advice and information on postgraduate education
procedures.
The Faculty Education Team
The Faculty Education Team is located on the first floor of Senate House. Faculty

Education Team services and Frequently Asked Questions are outlined on the Faculty
website at www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/current-students/facultyofficeservices.html. The Faculty
Education Team Office is open from 10.00am until 4.00pm (including lunchtime) Monday
to Friday. Times may vary during Christmas, Easter and Summer Vacation.
Faculty Committees
There are a number of decision-making Committees within the Faculty, which mirror
University Committees.
The Faculty Assembly is the highest decision-making body within the Faculty and is
responsible for overseeing all major Faculty academic decisions and priorities. It ratifies
reports and recommendations of policy from individual Faculty committees and
discusses policy and items referred by Senate.
The Faculty Graduate Studies Committee considers academic policy within a quality
assurance context and it oversees new and revised programme and unit proposals. It is
also responsible for high quality postgraduate teaching provision in the Faculty. It
advises the Faculty Board on all aspects of postgraduate teaching and graduate policy.
The Faculty Examination Board (Postgraduate) formally approves all final examination
results for taught programmes and ensures there is consistent treatment of extenuating
circumstances and plagiarism/cheating penalties for students within the Faculty. It also
monitors student progress including the number of students upgrading from MPhil to
PhD, students on suspension and extension of study and withdrawals.
The Universitys Research Degrees Examinations Board oversees the award of research
degrees. It meets twice each term. Graduate Deans from each Faculty attend each
meeting of the Board and oversee awards and examination procedures. It is chaired by
the Pro Vice Chancellor for Education.
Other important Faculty Committees are Faculty Board which prioritises strategic
initiatives for the Faculty, Faculty Undergraduate Studies Committee, which is
responsible for all aspects of undergraduate policy and provision in the Faculty and
Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee which agrees education strategy. There is also
the Faculty Quality Enhancement Team (FQET) which overseas the quality of teaching
provision across the Faculty.
Student Representatives
We encourage students to take an active role within the Faculty by becoming a student
representative. Representatives will attend some School committees, and often have
staff/student liaison meetings to discuss academic and pastoral matters that affect
them. Representatives also attend the Faculty Assembly, to find out about research and
teaching activities across the Faculty and, to present the postgraduate student point of
view.

10

Practicalities
Annual Registration
All postgraduate students MUST register at the beginning of each academic year
(normally in September) throughout their studies, via an online system
(www.bris.ac.uk/studentinfo). Registration is an important requirement for all
continuing postgraduates including students funded by an external sponsor e.g. ESRC.
Failure to register may mean that students are no longer able to access the library,
computing or other facilities.
Change in Personal Details
It is essential that we have your correct contact and personal details on our central
student record system (SiTS) throughout your studies. SiTS is the definitive source of
student data and is used by the Faculty, your School, the Library and Computing
Services to contact students and monitor progress and awards. Any letters sent to you
will be sent to the address that is on the student record system, so it is in your best
interests to ensure that we have your most up-to-date address.
You can check and update your personal details online at www.bris.ac.uk/studentinfo/
throughout the year.
Fee Obligations
Postgraduate students must pay tuition fees (either programme or module fees)
during their studies by either paying online at: www.bristol.ac.uk/online-payments/ or
by contacting the Income Office in Senate House to arrange payment by installments or
in full. Postgraduates who are in debt to the University will need to resolve their debt
with the Income Office or they may no longer be able to access the library, computing
or other facilities during their studies. Student debtors will be subject to the
Universitys Student Fees Policy:
www.bristol.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/studentfees.html
Writing up Status
Writing up taught postgraduate students are not charged tuition fees while they
are finishing writing up their Masters dissertation.
At the present time, Writing up research students are not charged tuition fees while
they are finishing writing up their thesis or dissertation during the normal maximum
period of study. However, a fee is payable where students exceed their normal
submission deadline, see www.bristol.ac.uk/academicregistry/fees/ for details. A
summary of the research student facilities available to writing up students is outlined in
the table in the Research Advice and Supervision section of this handbook.

11

Extension of Study
An extension of study may be granted to students who require additional time to
complete their programme. This is only in exceptional circumstances i . e . illness. Any
request for an extension should be accompanied by supporting evidence, e.g. a
medical certificate.
If you believe that you may need an extension, you should discuss this well in advance
with your Programme Director and/or Personal Tutor and apply for an extension in
good time. Extensions will not be granted retrospectively and must be approved by
the Graduate Dean. You will need to complete an extension form on the Faculty web
pages at www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/current-students/forms/index.html and submit it to your
School, outlining specific reasons why an extension is requested.
All Tier 4 visa-holding students should ensure that they seek advice from the
International Advice and Support team, no later than 8 weeks before their visa expires.
Suspension of Study
A suspension is an approved interruption of a student's study period. It may be granted
for family, health, financial, employment or research reasons. A period of suspension
effectively stops the clock on the maximum study period for a set period. A
suspension of studies will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
If you are considering suspending your study for any reason you should first discuss the
situation with your Programme Director. The appropriate form is available from your
School upon request (research students should download the form from the Faculty
website). The form will need to be signed by your Programme Director or Head of
School and submitted to the Graduate Dean for approval.
The Graduate Dean will normally approve suspensions for good reason up to a
maximum period of 12 months, where fully supported by the school. Any suspensions
of more than 12 months must be approved by the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education.
Suspensions can only be backdated by up to one month. Retrospective suspensions of
study will not normally be permitted so you will need to keep your supervisor
informed of any interruptions to your study.
If you are sponsored by another body, you may also need to seek their permission to
suspend or extend your studies.
Once a students suspension of study has been approved, the Faculty Education Team
will confirm this in writing to include the dates of suspension, expected return date and
whether there are any conditions of return (e.g. being medically fit). This letter will be
copied to your School for the student file. Students are expected to confirm their return
to study before the end of the suspension period.

12

All Tier 4 visa-holding students that are considering suspending studies, or making
some other change to their registration status at the University, must seek the advice
of the International Advice and Support team, before making a final decision as it is
likely that this change will affect their visa status.
Withdrawal from Study / Transfer to Another University
The University collects and holds student withdrawal data for academic, administrative
and statutory reasons. All student data is collected, processed and disclosed in
accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and will be treated as confidential.
Monitoring reasons for withdrawal also helps the University to improve its services to
current and prospective students.
All students must complete a withdrawal form if they wish to withdraw from the
University or transfer to another institution. The appropriate form is available from
your School upon request (research students should download the form from the
Faculty website).
Students who are Deemed Withdrawn
The Faculty operates a deemed withdrawn process, whereby if a student is not
attending the University and fails to make contact, given two written notices by the
School, the Faculty Office will change the students status to withdrawn if no reply is
given by the final date in the second letter. The Faculty Office will then issue a letter of
confirmation and update the Universitys student record (SITS) accordingly.
The University is legally obliged to report to the UK Border Agency (UKBA) any Tier 4
visa- holding student who transfers, withdraws or who is deemed withdrawn from the
University.
Council Tax Exemption Criteria
Postgraduate students may claim Council Tax exemption if their programme of
study/research meets the definition of "full-time" for the purposes of Council Tax: It
lasts for at least one academic or calendar year, all students registered on the
programme are required to undertake studies (whether at the University or elsewhere)
for at least 24 weeks in each year of the programme, and the average weekly study
commitment during the prescribed period each year amounts to at least 21 hours of
study, tuition or work experience. The Local Government Finance Act 1992 sets out the
eligibility criteria for Council Tax Exemption.
Part-time, visiting or occasional students are not eligible for council tax exemption.
The University provides Bristol City Council with listings of all full-time students
(undergraduate and postgraduate) twice a year, in November and May, and so it is not
necessary for most students to prove their student status by providing the Council with
a Certificate of Full-Time Study.
13

Eligible students may apply for Council Tax exemption unless they live in Halls of
Residence or University-owned student houses, which are automatically exempt.
Certificates of Full-Time Study for Council Tax exemption purposes are available from
the Faculty Education Team. Postgraduate students will not be eligible for any
exemption once they have submitted their dissertation.

14

Plagiarism and Cheating

Passages quoted or closely paraphrased from other authors, or from your own previous
work, must be identified in quotations or paraphrases, and the sources of the quoted or
paraphrased material must be acknowledged by the student. Use of unacknowledged
sources may be construed as plagiarism. More information about plagiarism can
be found at: www.bristol.ac.uk/esu/studentlearning/plagiarism/.
The University Examination Regulations outline the procedures to be followed in cases of
student plagiarism and cheating.
Each year, a small number of students commit examination offences such as plagiarism or
cheating in examinations. The University takes these cases very seriously, and the
consequences can be grave indeed. Some students found by a serious plagiarism panel to
have plagiarised other peoples work or to have cheated in an exam, have been awarded a
mark of zero for their unit so they are not permitted to progress to an MSc and have to exit
with a different qualification such as a Postgraduate Diploma or Certificate. Others are
unable to enter their chosen professions on account of their record of dishonesty. It is
therefore essential that you are familiar with the main types of examination offence and
avoid them at all costs.
The University, like most UK universities, uses Turnitin, a plagiarism detection system. This
system is excellent at detecting plagiarism from internet sources, other students work and
books and journal articles. Most assignments are routinely run through Turnitin software.
Assignments which are found to be plagiarised are not normally marked by unit tutors. All
Schools in the Faculty run sessions on good academic practice and avoidance of plagiarism.
You are strongly advised to attend these sessions to ensure you follow correct
referencing procedures.
The three most common types of offence are: having unauthorised materials in an
examination, plagiarism and collusion.
Unauthorised Materials
Many examinations permit no materials at all to be taken into the examination room.
Some examinations permit certain printed material or certain dictionaries; very few,
if any, are open book, allowing you to take your notes in. Each unit will make it very
clear what you are and are not allowed, and this will also appear on the rubric on top
of the examination paper.
You should note that it is an offence simply to have unauthorised material with
you. Whether it is unintentional, careless or deliberate only affects the penalty imposed.
It is therefore (at best) extremely foolish to engage in activity which results in
possession of unauthorised material, such as writing on your hand in the examination.

15

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else's work as though it were your
own. However, it takes several forms, including:

Obtaining an essay, e.g. from the Internet or another provider, and submitting it as
your own work either in part or in full. This is completely unacceptable and will
be treated with the utmost severity.

Stealing/borrowing another students work and submitting it as your own work

either in part or in full. Again, this will be treated very seriously.

Self-Plagiarism, i.e. reusing your own material which you have already submitted
elsewhere without referencing it.

Copying, or electronically cutting and pasting, sections (i.e. a whole sentence or

more) of someone work, without using quotation marks to clearly mark what is not
yours. This includes material from the Internet. This is still plagiarism, even if
you change a few words or leave out some of the sentences in a passage.
Putting quotation marks round odd sentences and giving the full citation for those
will not prevent any material outside the quotation marks from being assessed as
plagiarism. When students are identified as doing this, they often say that they
had made notes, or cut and pasted bits of sources into a notes file, and then forgot
that these were verbatim rather than their own paraphrase or re-wording of the
original. This is not an acceptable excuse. It is your responsibility to make sure
that you keep track of your notes and material. You should always keep a record
of where notes come from, including page numbers where relevant. This is part of
the study skills we expect you to develop as a postgraduate at Bristol, and so you
can expect us to treat such plagiarism more severely as you progress through your
studies. Ultimately, if you do this in work submitted as part of your final
assessment, you are very likely to receive a mark of zero for that unit, something
that could affect your final degree award. If you are in any doubt about this,
please talk to your personal tutor and/or individual unit tutors and get advice
on good practice in note taking and the use of quotations.

Borrowing the structure of an argument from another writer and following this
too closely, presenting it as your own, without acknowledgement. You may not
actually copy verbatim sections from the original, but you are still presenting
someone elses ideas and work as your own. Depending on the extent to which
you do this, it may make it difficult to assess the work as your own, and result
in a mark of zero for the unit. Again, please ask for help and support if you are in
any doubt about this.

16

Collusion
Collusion is unauthorised collaboration with another student to produce work together.
While we expect you to work co-operatively in some of your seminars and classes, and
we are always pleased when students enjoy discussing their work with each other,
what you submit for assessment must be your own. As a rule of thumb, you should
never share any electronic or other written material relating to an assessment task
with another student. The risk is too great. In very particular circumstances, which
will be clearly identified, you may be asked to submit group work, but even then you
will be asked to identify your contribution. If we cannot distinguish your work from
that of someone else, we cannot assess it and it is very likely to receive a mark of zero.
Because of the gravity with which we regard plagiarism, we have developed ways of
detecting it, including the electronic scrutiny of work through the JISC Turnitin UK
Plagiarism Detection Software. Your School may, therefore, require you to submit some
or all of your assessments in electronic form. You should also note that we check any
permitted materials in examinations to see if they contain unauthorised material.
Procedures (Taught Units / Programmes)
The University has a set of procedures for dealing with allegations or suspicions that an
examination offence has occurred. Small irregularities which amount only to bad
academic practice can be dealt with as a matter of marking and the student later
notified. Cases involving the suspicion of plagiarism or other offence will be categorised
as minor or major. Small volumes of plagiarised material are likely to be treated as
minor, substantial amounts of plagiarised material; unauthorised materials in
examinations and collusion are typically major. Minor cases are dealt with by a School
committee; major cases by a Faculty committee chaired by members of the Faculty
Graduate Studies Committee.
The student will be interviewed. If the committee is satisfied that there is no
evidence of dishonesty, i.e. no deliberate attempt to gain an unfair advantage, or no
need to treat the matter as requiring disciplinary action by the University, a
recommendation as to the appropriate penalty will be made to the Board of
Examiners. If, however, the committee thinks there is evidence of dishonesty, the
matter may be dealt with under University Disciplinary Regulations.
The University Regulations and the procedures relating to examinations offences can be
found at: www.bris.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/examregs.html.
Procedures (Research Thesis)
Annex 5 of the above Examination Regulations set out the Procedures for cases of
plagiarism in a thesis submitted for a research degree.

17

Grievances and Appeals

In the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law we try very hard to make decisions which are
fair and which take proper account of the personal circumstances of each individual student
concerned. Inevitably, however, sometimes things go wrong and sometimes you will simply
disagree with a decision that affects you. For this reason, the University has a system for
dealing with student grievances and appeals.
Before starting any formal process of appeal, it is important that all informal means
available within the Faculty are exhausted. This means that you should try to seek a
resolution within your School before involving the Graduate Dean. Disputes can often be
resolved in this way, which saves everyone concerned much time and effort. If you are
thinking about making a formal complaint or appeal it is important to see the Graduate
Dean, who can advise you on your chances of success and also try to resolve the matter
informally. If for any reason the Graduate Dean is not an appropriate person to talk to, you
may see the Dean.
Many of the decisions which students typically want to appeal are formally ratified by the
Faculty in a process which will already have given the student a chance to make
representations. But regardless of whether this has happened or not, you should discuss a
potential formal complaint or appeal with the Graduate Dean.
Many appeals arise out of the examination process, in which case you should familiarise
yourself
with
section
11
of
the
Examination
Regulations:
www.bris.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/examregs.html
However, some general principles apply which you may find useful:
-

Any relevant medical or other extenuating circumstances should be presented

in advance of any decision at which they are to be considered. Your School will have
made the relevant deadlines clear. Any material submitted after these deadlines may
be considered as a concession, but need not be, and failure to take account of
late material is not a ground for appeal.

The University appeals process does not seek to question the academic judgment
of examiners, but, broadly speaking, checks that the processes and decisions were
fairly made on the basis of proper information. Disagreement about the quality of
your work is not a ground for appeal.

Formal appeals against the decision of a Board of Examiners should be made within
15 working days of notification of the decision of the Faculty Examination Board
which ratifies them.

Students who are in the process of a formal appeal against their final degree result
will not graduate until the outcome of the appeal is known. Students in this

18

situation should therefore withdraw formally from the graduation ceremony until
the outcome of their appeal is known.
The University's process of formal appeal seeks to use mediation to achieve a
resolution before proceeding to an appeal to Council. The process is started by sending
a letter of complaint to the Student Complaints Officer. If you are considering a
formal complaint or appeal, you should familiarise yourself with the procedure
available on the web at: www.bris.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/examregs.html.

19

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Specific Information
for Taught
Postgraduate
Students
(i.e. MSc, MEd, MRes, Diploma)

20

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

University Regulations
Students must adhere to all relevant regulations relating to their programme. Taught
postgraduate students should become familiar with the Regulations and Code of Practice for
Taught Programmes, the University Examination Regulations and Rules and Regulations for
Students. These Regulations should be read in conjunction with school/subject-specific
guidance.
The Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes can be accessed at:
www.bris.ac.uk/esu/assessment/codeonline.html
The Regulations and Code of Practice contains key information on the assessment and
progression rules for taught postgraduate students, for example:

General regulations for taught postgraduate programmes (section 5)

Forms and conduct of assessment
The Marking Process
Assessment Outcomes
Roles and responsibilities
Annexes

University Examination Regulations

The Universitys Examination Regulations specify the examination rules and the
procedures for dealing with examination offences such as plagiarism and cheating and
student appeals. They can be found at:
www.bristol.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/examregs.html
In addition, University Rules and Regulations for Students can be found at:
www.bristol.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/
The regulations cover a number of important areas such as the Student Agreement
and regulations for the use of library and computing facilities.
These regulations are supplemented by School and Programme Handbooks.

21

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Postgraduate Programmes and Support

Programmes and Units
Students can find useful information on their programmes and programme
structures in individual school handbooks and programme specifications. Taught
Masters students will normally write a dissertation following successful completion of
mandatory and optional units. Students who are studying for a postgraduate diploma
or postgraduate certificate will normally take mandatory and optional units. Students
on a professional postgraduate programme may also take part in learning or
assessment scenarios designed to enhance their professional practice and allow for
the evaluation of specific skills. Each programme has a programme director, with
overall responsibility for its design and delivery. If you are in any doubt about the
requirements for your degree programme, you should consult the programme
director in your school.
Credit Points
Credit points are awarded for successful completion of the units that make up your
postgraduate degree programme. You will be informed about the precise unit
requirements of each unit you study when you register with your school. Please note
that some units may make a certain level of attendance as well as the
completion of assignments or examinations compulsory for the award of credit
points. Each school provides a handbook, which gives details of different units and
their assessment and reassessment requirements. Students need to satisfactorily
complete a specified number of units and credit points in order to gain a postgraduate
award. Please refer to the table in the Student Progress and Monitoring section
of this Handbook and to programme handbooks for more details
The University guidelines state that one credit point is broadly equivalent to 10
hours of total student input.
This includes teaching, private study, revision and
assessments. Therefore a 20 credit point unit will normally require 200 hours of student
input.
Programme Directors and Supervisors
Each programme of study has a Programme Director, whom you can approach if you
are experiencing particular problems with your academic studies. Once you start your
dissertation, you will also be allocated a supervisor who you should keep updated with
your progress. You should keep a note of your Programme Director or Supervisor's
telephone number and email address. Please keep your Programme Director and/or
Personal Tutor informed of any circumstances that impact on your studies and
keep in regular contact with School staff.

22

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

School Office
Each School will have a School Office(s) where you might submit coursework, collect
teaching materials or can speak to someone regarding any administrative matters.
Some School Offices have particular opening hours and students should read their
School handbook for more information.
Support
The University has a wide range of support facilities for students which are outlined in
School and Programme handbooks and on a University website, Student Help:
www.bristol.ac.uk/studenthelp/.
Details of the support available for disabled students is available from the Disability
Services website at: www.bristol.ac.uk/disability-services/.

23

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Student Progress and Monitoring

The Faculty expects taught postgraduate students to make excellent progress in their studies and
to complete assessment and professional competency requirements within the normal study period
for their award. Student progress is monitored to ensure that programme completion rates remain
high and to comply with statutory Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and UK Borders
Agency (UKBA) reporting.
Minimum and Maximum Periods of Study
The General Regulations for Taught Postgraduate Programmes specify normal (minimum)
and maximum study periods:
Title of Award

Student mode of
attendance

Normal study period

Maximum study period

Postgraduate
Certificate
60 credit points

Full-time

Not less than 15 weeks

6 months

Part-time

6 months

12 months

Part-time variable

Not applicable

Not more than two years study

Postgraduate
Diploma
120 credit points

Full-time

Not less than 31 weeks

12 months

Part-time

15 months

24 months

Part-time variable

Not applicable

Not more than three years study

Masters degree
180 credit points

Full-time

Not less than 50 weeks

18 months

Part-time

24 months

36 months

Part-time variable

Not applicable

Not more than five years study*

MA in Law
240 credit points

Full-time

24 months

Not more than three years study

MSc in Social
Work
300 credit points

Full-time

24 months

Not more than three years study

PGCE
(Postgraduate
Certificate in
Education)
60 credit points

Full-time

12 months

Not more than three years study

*Not more than eight years study for part-time variable students on the Master in Laws (LLM) by
Advanced Study.
Note: The 50 weeks study for a Masters degree includes a holiday period; the 31 weeks study for a
Diploma includes a registration week.
In the case of most full-time Masters programmes, you must submit your dissertation by
15 September. Please refer to your School handbook for further detailed information.

24

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Attendance and Progress Monitoring

All taught postgraduate students are monitored in terms of attendance and performance
on the programme.
Students are required to maintain a very good level of attendance and remain engaged
with
their
programme
of
study.
In
the
Student
Agreement
(www.bristol.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/agreement.html) you agreed to:

attend formal teaching and learning events (lectures, seminars, tutorials, lab
classes, etc.), associated with your programme of study, subject to absence for
medical or other agreed reasons;
complete and submit by the required deadlines any work to be assessed as part of
your programme of study, including any assignments or project work related to
individual units (unless extenuating circumstances for which you have provided
evidence are agreed by the relevant tutor(s));
not hinder the studies of others and pursue your studies diligently,
contributing effectively to the programme on which you are registered.

Students who fail to maintain good attendance may be referred by the school to the
Faculty. On the basis of the information received, the Faculty will contact the student to
check on their status and/or make changes to their student status as appropriate to the
circumstances (e.g. deem them withdrawn or suspended).
The University is required to report to the UK Border Agency on Tier 4 visa-holding
students who fail to make satisfactory progress and/or do not regularly attend lectures
and seminars or submit coursework on time.
Any changes to a Tier 4 visa-holding students full-time status, e.g. a suspension,
withdrawal or move to part-time study, must be reported to the Faculty Office
immediately.
In order to fulfil its statutory obligations, Schools will be required to monitor the
attendance of Tier 4 students via expected contact points between students and their
programme of study, and report on these once per term through an online monitoring
system. Expected contacts may include, but are not limited to, the following:

attendance at lectures, tutorials or seminars;

attendance at test, examinations or assessment board;
attendance at practicals, laboratory session or, clinical sessions;
submission of assessed or un-assessed coursework;
submission of dissertation/coursework/reports;
attendance at any meeting with a supervisor or personal tutor;
attendance at an appointment with a welfare advisor or an international student
advisor;
attendance on field trips.

25

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Assessment and Examination Procedures

The University Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes (Rules for
Assessment,
Progression
and
the
Award
of
the
Qualification):
www.bris.ac.uk/esu/assessment governs the way that assessment and progression is
conducted for taught programmes within the Faculty. In addition, the Universitys
Examination Regulations cover examinations and the procedure for dealing with student
cases of plagiarism and cheating as well as student appeals.
You will need to be familiar with the above Regulations, the Faculty guidance (below) and
School guidance during your studies.
Assessment in the Faculty
The Facultys taught postgraduate programmes are assessed and classified in line with
the Universitys Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes which is
available at: www.bris.ac.uk/esu/assessment/codeonline.html
School and Faculty Examination Boards
School and Programme Boards of Examiners meetings normally take place in the
Summer and Autumn terms and at dates specified in school handbooks. These Boards
moderate and agree student marks for examinations and assignments, award credit
points to students, recommend the award: Masters degrees with pass, merit or
distinction classifications and recommend Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate
awards. Decisions on whether or not students may progress to the dissertation stage
of a Masters programme are made in the light of all the marks achieved, programmespecific requirements and any other relevant data on student performance and
potential to complete a dissertation satisfactorily. Students who fail any assessments or
who are not awarded the full complement of credit points, are recorded and advised of
reassessment opportunities.
The Faculty Examination Board (Postgraduate) normally ratifies final taught
postgraduate awards for full-time students so that students can graduate in January.
The Faculty Examination Board also ratifies final awards for part-time taught
postgraduates and for those students exiting with a Postgraduate Certificate or Diploma,
throughout the year and considers penalty recommendations from serious plagiarism
panels to ensure consistency of treatment.

26

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Student Progression in Taught Modular Programmes

For the latest version of the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes
please go to: www.bristol.ac.uk/esu/assessment/codeonline.html.
The following information applies to newly registered students from the 2011/12 session.
Taught Component
Students must achieve the pass mark for the unit (normally a mark of 50% in Masters
programmes) and meet any additional criteria, such as completing a project or a
sufficient record of attendance, if applicable, to be awarded the credit points. Any
additional criteria can be found in the relevant programme specification.
Students normally need to achieve 120 credit points in the taught component to
progress to the dissertation stage, though students may be permitted to progress with
a fail mark in one unit (up to 30 credit points) so long as they achieve a pass overall in
the taught component and meet other specified criteria.
Students who do not achieve the pass mark for a taught unit or fulfil any additional
criteria are normally permitted a second attempt in the failed units to achieve a
satisfactory standard (i.e. a re-sit), so long as they achieve at least a third of the credit
points for the programme at the first attempt (i.e. 60 credit points or more). Students
who do not achieve this are normally required to withdraw from the programme with
an exit award, if appropriate.
A re-sit is normally set as soon as possible after the learning experience, while resubmission of essays and coursework should normally be within 4-6 weeks for full-time
students.
Students who fail to achieve the unit pass mark following a re-sit of the unit, are
normally required to withdraw from the programme with an exit award, though they
may be permitted to progress with a fail mark in one unit (up to 30 credit points) so
long as they achieve a pass overall in the taught component and meet other specified
criteria.
For any unit which is passed by re-assessment, the recorded mark is capped at the
minimum pass mark (normally a mark of 50%, depending upon the level of the unit),
even if the student achieves a higher mark in the re-assessment.
Dissertation
Students must also achieve the pass mark for the dissertation to be awarded the
credit points necessary to complete the programme.
The re-submission of the dissertation is permitted where a mark between 45 and 49%
has been achieved and, in addition, the examiners recommend that it is suitable for reassessment, otherwise the student may be awarded a postgraduate diploma. The
27

TAUGHT PROGRAMMES

2012/13

recorded mark for any re- submitted dissertation will be capped at the minimum pass
mark (50%) even if the student achieves a higher mark in the re-submission.
Re-submission of the dissertation must normally be made within 3 months of the
student being notified by the Faculty Board of Examiners of its decision (and within 6
months for part-time students and 12 months for part-time variable students).
In both the taught component and dissertation stages, the University will take into
account valid extenuating circumstances if a students performance at the time of the
assessment is likely to have been affected by extenuating circumstances i.e. illness or
close family bereavement.

28

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Specific Information
for Research
Postgraduate
Students
(i.e. MPhil, PhD, EdD, DSocSci, DEdPsy)

29

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS
Students must adhere to all relevant regulations relating to their programme. Research
students should familiarise themselves with the Regulations and Code of Practice for
Research Degree Programmes and section 5 of the University Examination Regulations
(links are below). These Regulations should be read in conjunction with school/subjectspecific guidance.
Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes
The Universitys Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes is based
on good practice in postgraduate research education identified within the University
and externally. It will also provide you with key information so that you know what to
expect from your research degree experience. The Code is for use by supervisors of
research students, research students, and other staff with responsibilities for research
programmes and students as well as examiners. It should be read in full at:
www.bris.ac.uk/esu/pg/cop-research-degrees.html
The current version of the Regulations and Code applies to all students irrespective of their
year of initial registration.
The Regulations and Code contains specific information on:

rules about the management of research degree programmes;

the mechanisms that exist to assure the academic standards of the research
qualifications;
details on the amount of academic and pastoral support provided for research degree
students and the ways in which support is provided.

The Code has the status of University Regulations and covers the following specific areas:

Institutional arrangements, including:

o Academic standards;
o Maintaining and improving the quality of research degree programmes;
o Regulations for research degrees;
o Monitoring of research degree programmes against indicators and targets.

Research environment;

Selection, admission and induction of students, including:

o Admissions requirements;
o Period of study;
o Selection and admissions procedures;
o Induction;
o Student entitlements and responsibilities;

30

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Supervision, including:
o The supervisory process;
o Supervisors knowledge, skills and workload.

Progress and review arrangements, including:

o Annual progress review;
o Suspension of study and extension of period of study.

Development of research and other skills;

Feedback mechanisms;

Assessment, including:
o Criteria for award of research degrees;
o Assessment regulations and procedures;
o Functions of examiners of research degrees.

Student grievances and complaints;

Annexes on: Regulations for generic and specific research degrees, job description of
Graduate Deans, terms of reference and membership for the University Graduate
Studies Committee, form for the appointment of research degree examiners, procedure
for dealing with unsatisfactory academic progress, academic appeal procedure for
postgraduate research students.

University Examination Regulations

The Universitys Examination Regulations specify the examination rules and the procedures
for dealing with examination offences such as plagiarism and cheating. Research students
should familiarise themselves with section 5 of the Examination Regulations; Procedures
for cases of plagiarism in a thesis submitted for a research degree. Any cases of plagiarism
in the taught research methods units will be dealt with in accordance with section 4 of the
Examination Regulations.

31

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Research Advice and Supervision

Your Supervisor(s)
The main task for your supervisor/s is to provide you with research guidance and advice
during your period of study. You and your supervisors will want to meet regularly and
you will want to discuss how often you will do this. The first meeting will normally take
place shortly after your arrival, and include discussion of how you want to work, what
kinds of notes you want of each meeting, the supervision arrangements including the
research training programme and which units are most appropriate for your topic area,
drawing up of a written research plan and clarification of the nature of your degree and
your anticipated completion date. The Code of Practice suggests that you might hold
these meetings at least three times each term and twice during the summer vacation.
You and your supervisor/s should allow at least one hour for such meetings.
You should keep a note of your supervisors internal telephone numbers as well as their
email addresses. It is important that you keep your supervisor/s informed if, for any
reason, you fall behind in your work or you are experiencing personal, health,
financial or other problems which mean that a suspension of study or extension to
study may be necessary. The sooner you inform your supervisor/s, the easier it is for
them to help you with any problem that affects your progress.
Change of Supervisor
If you wish to change your supervisor/s, you should have reasonable grounds. In many
cases, it may be sensible to discuss this informally with your current and future
supervisors. However, you must also discuss this change with your Research Programme
Director or Head of School. Once this change of supervisor has been agreed, the
appropriate form should be completed by your school, (available from the Faculty
website at www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/current-students/forms/index.html) signed by the Head
of School and reported to the Faculty so that your student record can be updated.
If you are experiencing a problem with your supervisor that you cannot easily resolve
yourself, you should talk to someone in your School such as your School
Teaching and Learning Director, Research Programme Director, Head of School or the
Faculty's Graduate Dean. Your case will be treated in complete confidence. Most
difficulties between students and supervisors can be satisfactorily resolved. However, if
a matter proves more difficult to resolve, you should contact the Student Complaints
Officer to arrange mediation as part of the Student Grievance Procedure. Further
information can be found at: www.bris.ac.uk/secretary/grievances/.
Research Student Responsibilities
The Universitys Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes sets
out the responsibilities of research students and is outlined in this Handbook. The

32

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Regulations and Code provides useful information on what to expect from your research
degree experience. In addition, each school provides students with a handbook, which
will give details of different facilities and research training courses available in the
School as well as its particular regulations and expectations. By accepting a place on
your research programme, you undertake to fulfil all these commitments including
compliance with progress and attendance requirements outlined in Section IV of this
Handbook.
Research Student Facilities
The table below outlines the minimum provision of facilities that a research student
within the Faculty can normally expect during their registration period.
Student Status
Full-time

Desk/PC
access
Yes
access to space
& machines
shared with
other research
students

Stationery
Headed
Paper;
Printer
paper

Part-time

Yes
access to space
and machines
shared with
other research
students

Headed
Paper;
Printer
paper

Writing-up

Yes but
may be in
communal
space used by a
variety of
students (i.e.
not necessarily
just shared with
other research
students)

Headed
paper;
Printer
paper

Interlibrary
loans
Entitled to
apply for free
interlibrary
loans

Telephone
Photocopier
access
Internet &
1000 copies
local only;
National /
international
calls through a
booking/prior
approval
system
Entitled to
Internet &
500 copies
apply for free local only;
interlibrary national
loans
/ international
calls through a
booking/prior
approval
system
Entitled to
apply for free
interlibrary
loans

Internet &
local only;
national /
international
calls through a
booking/prior
approval
system

1000 copies
if previously
full-time
500 copies if
previously
part-time

Conference travel funds may be available through a students own School, via a bidding
system.

33

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Research Training
All students, whatever their source of funding, participate in a broad programme of
training consisting of (1) research training programme (unless you have already
completed a masters in this or are otherwise formally exempted) and (2) training in
transferable skills. The Research Training Programme, is concentrated in the first fulltime year and is provided at School level, though some units will be available through
the Faculty. Completing this training (or formal exemption) is needed for upgrade to
PhD status. Transferable skills training is taken throughout your period of study. It is
designed to support your research but also to help you to develop wider skills that are
relevant to subsequent employment, whether academic or otherwise.
All your training will need to be agreed at registration both with your supervisor/s and
with the Research Programme Director in your School. And you are expected to
undertake a reflexive review of your training needs on an annual basis as part of the
assessment of your progress.
(1) Research Training Programme
Unless exempted in whole or part (see below), all research students will generally take
120 credits of training in their first year (if full-time) or over their first two years (if parttime). Full-time students may, with agreement, be able to take some of this training in
subsequent years. This training is subject-specific, but you may need to take
units outside of your school to meet requirements. Prior to upgrade, you will normally
be expected to have passed all the required units. The overall programme of training
may be adapted to the research needs of your particular project and course of
study. Your agreed training schedule will be formally noted following discussion with
your supervisor/s and also the School Research Programme Director.
Core units will include the following skills and methods:
Research Design: Epistemological traditions underlying social science
methodologies; implications for academic, policy and other impact; the research
process including researchable questions, practical strategies; participant and user
engagement; inclusive research; dissemination
Data Collection: Conceptual underpinnings. data choice, sampling and access: textual
sources (documentary, archival); interviews (individual, focus groups); ethnography;
experiments; randomised control trials; large-scale surveys; visual methods; primary
and secondary data; mixed methods; individual and group training in design and use
of a range of quantitative and qualitative research instruments
Data Analysis: Data management including coding and software packages for
quantitative and qualitative data; data protection and intellectual property protection;
textual and visual data representation; data deposit; presentation/communication for
different audiences.

34

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Postgraduate Diploma in Research Methods

All students who take the full 120 credits of an approved, research methods programme
in their subject area, and who pass all taught units are eligible for the relevant
Postgraduate Diploma following a recommendation from the relevant Examination
Board. Students who are exempted from some of the units on such a programme will
not be eligible for the award. A small administration fee may be charged when the
award is issued at the time of graduation.
Exemptions
You may be exempted from all or some of this training if you have already undertaken a
Masters in Research Methods (or equivalent) or if you have proven relevant research
experience in previous employment. All such exemptions will need to be formally
agreed with the School Research Programme Director and recorded.
Research degrees in doctrinal and arts-based approaches to law (as distinct from sociolegal studies) fall within the remit of the AHRC and are subject to different subjectspecific research training guidelines but the same transferable skills training principles
as those outlined below. All students training must be agreed both with their
supervisor/s and the School Research Programme Director.
Advanced Research Training
Students will also take advantage of a wide variety of advanced research training
appropriate to their research pathway. A number of reading groups, workshops, master
classes, or courses are organised during the year to enable students across the Faculty
to focus on shared substantive or methodological issues. They are of particular
relevance to the ESRCs emphasis on the need for interdisciplinary solutions to its
strategic research priorities. They provide opportunities for researcher development
along with post- doctoral fellows and academic staff.
(2) Transferable Skills Training
All UK Research Councils including the ESRC are committed to the principle that doctoral
students should acquire training of a kind to ensure that they are well qualified in the
wider labour market. This entails a recognition that highly specialist research skills need
to be complemented with a programme of training in personal and career development.
You are advised to attend a number of workshops during your period of study. Relevant
training is provided by the Careers Service, Students Union and Staff Development, and
also through online sources (see the University Guide to Postgraduate Skills Training
www.bris.ac.uk/esu/groups/graddeans/skillsdevelopmentopps.html). The Faculty of
Social Sciences & Law is extremely diverse, covering disciplines in a great many areas. So
our programme combines faculty-wide support and provision at School level.
Transferable skills workshops are offered on a first come, first served basis, for which
advance booking is needed. A detailed schedule and further information on their

35

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

content can be found in the University Guide to Postgraduate Skills Training, or on the
Student Skills web pages. Research students can book online at:
www.bristol.ac.uk/studentskills/
The programme of advanced training opportunities, across the SWDTC, will be
advertised on the SWDTC website, as well as on School and Faculty websites.
School Provision
Each School provides support tailored to the broad needs of research students in their
discipline. It is likely to include workshops and/or conferences to present work in
progress or more formal papers. These entail experience in conference organisation,
event management and dissemination. The School may also run workshops on
managing the PhD process (including upgrade and viva preparation), with opportunities
to share experience with students at later stages of study. Other training may include
media skills, academic career development, specialist ethical, fieldwork or data analysis
skills, support for teaching, peer mentoring and other initiatives to develop skills in
literature review and writing for different audiences Students are also encouraged to
discuss training opportunities within their School.
South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC)
The SWDTC Centre for research students is located in 1 Priory Road. The Centre is a 24hour resource for all research students in the Faculty, but it is principally for
Interdisciplinary research students who may not have study space in their own School,
or those students who are in the writing up phase of their studies. It was also be
available to Interdisciplinary students from Bath and Exeter when they are visiting
Bristol. It offers 'state of the art' computer workstations in 2 rooms, secure lockers and
kitchen space. The SWDTC Centre provides a quiet and productive environment for
research students to work and study. For more comprehensive information about the
SWDTC Centre, please visit www.swdtc.ac.uk.
Research students will need to access the building via swipecard at the entrance to the
building. An access form is available at www.bristol.ac.uk/securityservices/accesscontrol/ucard-extend-access.doc. If you wish to be given access to the Centre, please fill
in your name on the form and bring it to the Faculty Office for authorisation. Once
authorised, the form must be taken to Card Services in Royal Fort Lodge (opposite
Senate House) for your Ucard to be encoded for entry to the Centre.

36

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Research Student Progress and Monitoring

Progress and Monitoring
The Faculty and its Schools monitor the progress of research students for the following
reasons:

To ensure that research students make good progress in their research studies and
receive adequate support;

To enable the Faculty to fulfil its obligations in reporting accurate student record
statistics to statutory bodies e.g. HESA, ESRC and the UKBA.

Annual Progress Report Forms and Annual Progress Reviews in addition to Annual
Registration are the main forms of monitoring progress that the Faculty operates.
Faculty Annual Progress Monitoring Reports
Annual completion of formal progress monitoring reports in September is a Faculty
requirement. These reports record training undertaken, conferences attended, work
completed, an assessment by the supervisors of the quality of work and the rate of
progress, a work plan for the next year, and comments by the student. These reports
are countersigned by students and read by the Research Programme Director before
being sent on to the Graduate Dean. This ensures that the Research Programme
Director is familiar with the progress made by each student, becomes aware of any
emerging problems, and takes action where appropriate.
Feedback from annual progress monitoring reports may make particular
recommendations relating to the students progress, which the student will be
expected to address as a condition of continuing registration. When student progress is
considered a matter of concern, reference may be made to the At Risk procedure
described in the University Regulations and Code of Practice.
Attendance Monitoring
All research students are expected to maintain a good level of attendance and to remain
engaged with their programme of study in accordance with the Student Agreement
www.bristol.ac.uk/secretary/studentrulesregs/agreement.html
you
signed
at
registration.
Students who fail to maintain appropriate attendance (or regular email contact with
their supervisor/s when on fieldwork) will be referred by the School to the Faculty. On
the basis of the information received, the Faculty may decide to issue a warning to the
student and/or to make changes to their student status (e.g. deem them withdrawn or
suspended).

37

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

The University is required to report to the UK Border Agency on Tier 4 visa-holding

students who fail to make satisfactory progress and/or do not regularly attend
lectures and seminars or submit coursework on time. Any changes to a Tier 4 visaholding students full-time status, e.g. a suspension, withdrawal, must be reported to
the Faculty Office immediately.
In order to fulfil its statutory obligations, Schools will be required to monitor the
attendance of Tier 4 students via expected contact points between students and their
programme of study, and report on these once per term through an online monitoring
system. For postgraduate research students, these expected contact points will
normally include attendance at meetings with supervisors, emails with supervisors
concerning research matters, attendance at postgraduate events/seminars and
submission of work including draft chapters, progress reports and thesis submission. It
should be noted that the Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree
Programmes recommends that PGR students should have a face-to-face meeting with
their supervisors at least once per term and that a written report of the meeting should
be placed on the students record
Upgrading from MPhil to PhD
Most students who wish to do a PhD in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Law register
initially for the MPhil. Exceptions are students with a previous research degree such as
an MPhil. Those students who wish to proceed to a doctorate will be required to go
through a procedure called upgrading that is necessary when moving from one type of
candidature to the other. Upgrading is not an entitlement and is not always appropriate.
a) The Timing of the Upgrade Procedure
The Faculty has a maximum period of 21 months after registration in which the
candidate can apply to upgrade (42 months for part-time students). Within this 21
month period there is no set time minimum at which upgrading must be considered, but
this may be around the time that all the research methods training units are completed
which is often at the end of one year for full-time students or two years for part-time
students.
b) Preparing the Upgrade Materials
The requirements of upgrading are that an upgrade report should be submitted to the
appropriate Research Programme Director within 21 months after registration (42 for
part-time students). The length of the report should be 10,000-15,000 words (excluding
references and appendices).
The upgrade report should normally include:

An outline description of the research problem, its background and its relationship to
existing scholarship/literature, with brief definitions and discussion of
38

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

central concepts.
A statement of the research aims, questions or hypotheses and an indication of the
kind of argument(s) that will be made and the kind of evidence that will be used to
reach any conclusions.
An outline of the proposed methods of data collection and analysis with any key
methodological issues (such as ethics or access) highlighted and with references on
methods.
A brief statement of the way in which the study will use or relate to theory and the
theoretical/conceptual framework(s) which will be used for the study.
An abstract of the thesis and chapter plan. This is to show where the pieces of work
submitted (see below) fit into the structure of the thesis as a whole.
A timetable of the thesis as a whole. This should show the students work plan for
the remaining period of study.
One or two pieces of work, which have already been written and which will form
substantive parts of key chapters in the final thesis.
A working bibliography to show the kind of sources being used.
A written transcript detailing the candidates research methods training.

c) The Upgrade Panel

Your supervisor(s), in consultation with the Research Programme Director, will set up
(with some weeks notice) an upgrading panel, whose members have an interest in your
field of study. This normally consists of at least two, members of staff and your
supervisors. They will read your submission and meet with you to discuss the completed
and proposed work. Copies of the materials will need to be made for each member of
the panel.
d) The Upgrade Meeting
The Upgrade meeting should normally occur no later than one month after the report
has been submitted, and at least two weeks notice should be given of this meeting. The
Upgrade meeting resembles a viva voce and will usually last for about one hour.
Supervisors attend the meeting mainly as observers. The staff member chairing the
panel will ensure orderly questioning and that you get the opportunity to show your
strengths as well as any weaknesses.
e) Upgrade Requirements
The Upgrade panel will consider the extent to which:

the student has a clearly defined research question which is located within and
contributes to identified existing bodies of work;
the data can be collected with the resources available to address the question
identified;
it is clear how the data will be analysed;
there is a coherent conceptual framework and it is clear whether theory is being used
39

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

to illuminate or theory is being tested/challenged;

the student has acquired the skills to undertake the research and has the ability to
write up the thesis to the standards required;
the student has completed and passed approved research methods units.

f) Upgrade Panel Recommendations

On the basis of the upgrade submission and meeting, the panel may make one of the
following recommendations:
At the first attempt:
1. that the candidate be upgraded to PhD registration;
2. that the candidate be upgraded to PhD registration, subject to minor modifications of
the upgrade materials;
3. that the candidate not be upgraded, but be allowed one resubmission of revised
upgrade materials to the same panel, within a three month period.
At the second attempt:
1. that the candidate be upgraded to PhD registration;
2. that the candidate be upgraded to PhD registration, subject to minor modifications of
the upgrade materials;
3. that the candidate not be upgraded, but be allowed to continue to work towards the
submission of an MPhil, or consider withdrawing from the University.
The decision of the upgrade panel should be communicated verbally to the student at
the earliest possible opportunity and a report in writing will also be supplied, providing a
clear and detailed statement of the reactions of those present to the work and
performance of the student.
The recommendation will be recorded formally on an official Faculty Form (available on
the Faculty website at: www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/current-students/forms/index.html and also
given to you and reported to the Graduate Dean. It is the responsibility of the upgrade
panel to write the upgrading report. Students who have been successfully upgraded to
PhD will receive a formal letter from the Faculty Office, informing them of this.
Procedure for Dealing with Unsatisfactory Progress
Research students whose progress is below the required standard will be advised at all
stages of the options available to them including satisfying an agreed work plan,
voluntary withdrawal and requests to change their registration to another degree. Full
details on the procedure and appeals procedure can be found in the Regulations
and
Code
of
Practice
for
Research
Degree
Programmes
at:
www.bristol.ac.uk/esu/pg/cop-research-degrees.html.

40

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Minimum and Maximum Periods of Study

Section 4.2 of the Regulations and Code of Practice for Research Degree Programmes
outlines the minimum and maximum study periods for research programmes.
The minimum period of study for a full-time PhD degree is 3 years (six years part-time).
The maximum study period for the full-time PhD degree is 4 years (seven years parttime).
Specialist doctoral programmes, DSocSci, EdD, DEdPsy have a minimum period of study
of 3 years full-time (six years part-time), and a maximum study period of 4 years fulltime (eight years part-time).

41

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

SWDTC AND ESRC STUDENTSHIP HOLDERS

Information and Guidance
SWDTC and ESRC studentship-holders who have questions or queries about their
awards, should first read the ESRCs guidance which is available on the postgraduate
section of the Faculty website:
www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/current-students/fssl-postgraduates/index.html
South West Doctoral Training Centre (SWDTC) studentship-holders (2011 onwards)
MUST read the following ESRC guidance:
Guidance for accredited Doctoral Training Centres
ESRC studentship-holders (prior to 2011) MUST read the following ESRC guidance:
Guidance for studentships commencing prior to October 2011
Both publications cover the ESRCs studentship rules and regulations.
SWDTC and ESRC studentship-holders whose questions are not covered by the above
guidance should contact one of the following:
SWDTC studentship queries SWDTC Manager
Lisa.LHomme@bristol.ac.uk
ESRC studentship queries
Faculty Education Manager Hannah.Quinn@bristol.ac.uk
Any academic or research queries should be discussed with supervisors. Please note
that the ESRC does not permit studentship-holders to contact them direct.
Thesis Submission Rates and Satisfactory Academic Progress
The ESRC annually monitors the number of funded research students who complete
their PhD within four years. The ESRC is keen to ensure that research student completion
rates remain higher than their minimum threshold of 70%. Sanctions apply to
universities or Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) that fall below this threshold. A
studentship termination will adversely impact on thesis submission rates.
The ESRC and the University expect SWDTC and ESRC studentship-holders to make
excellent progress in their 1 + 3 or + 3 programme.
The Universitys Annual Progress Monitoring and upgrade procedures are designed to
monitor the performance of research students. Please note that continuation on a
SWDTC or ESRC studentship is subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Any issues which interrupt a research students progress, such as suspension,
maternity leave, long-term illness or failure to make progress, MUST be reported to
42

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

the Faculty immediately, on the appropriate forms which are available on the
postgraduate section of the Faculty website.
Studentship-holders and Schools are jointly responsible for ensuring that progress
data is communicated to the relevant Faculty person (see above) using the standard
University forms.
Changes to Studentships Which Impact on Funding
Any change to a SWDTC or ESRC studentship, which impacts on funding, must be
approved by the SWDTC Manager or the Faculty Education Manager in advance.
Relevant contact details are given below:
SWDTC progress issues
SWDTC Manager
ESRC progress issues Faculty Education Manager

Lisa.LHomme@bristol.ac.uk
Hannah.Quinn@bristol.ac.uk

Examples where student approval must be sought in advance include:

Extensions of study
Suspensions of study
Maternity leave (and adoption leave)
Institutional transfers
Termination
Overseas fieldwork
Overseas institutional visits
Difficult language training
ESRC internship scheme

Payment of Awards
The Graduate Administration Manager (or School Administration Manager) or delegate
in each School will notify the Student Funding Office of individual studentship stipends
to be paid annually.
Sorrel Johnson in the Student Funding Office will issue cheques and BACS payments to
SWDTC and ESRC studentship-holders. Any payment queries should be addressed to the
Student Finance Assistant: Sorrel.Johnson@bristol.ac.uk
Each SWDTC and ESRC studentship-holder has a finance account against which is
recorded additional expenditure e.g. RTSG, overseas fieldwork expenses. Details can be
accessed from your School and the Faculty Finance Team:
www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/faculty-office-staff/

43

RESEARCH PROGRAMMES

2012/13

Overseas Fieldwork and Overseas Institutional Visits

Students going abroad for fieldwork must ensure that they check the relevant ESRC
guidance on the SWDTC website, submit the relevant form three months before
departure to the SWDTC Manager and attend for any inoculations at the Student Health
Service in good time. It is also advisable to check the advice on the British Foreign and
Commonwealth Office website to ensure that places and countries to be visited are safe:
www.fco.gov.uk/en/

44