Academic Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees By Research & Thesis

6. Assessment Procedures

Annual Progress Reports (PGR2)
- Evaluation of each Annual Progress Report form (PGR2) will be carried out at School level.
- It is the responsibility of each supervisor to ensure that a PGR2 is completed and reviewed for each postgraduate research student. A copy of this report should be submitted to the Registry by 31st July each year.
- Each Supervisor and/or Head of School will be required to recommend approval for continued progression/registration for a higher degree of each student and will submit a summarised report to the Registry on the findings of each PGR2 by 31st July each year.
- Where, after due warnings, progress is deemed to be unsatisfactory or inadequate to the extent that the student is unlikely to achieve the degree for which he/she is registered, the Supervisor will be required to advise the Registry that such students will not be permitted to continue as registered postgraduate students.
- A student has the right to appeal any recommendations made by his/her supervisor to Academic Council if the issue is not resolved at this level. If deemed appropriate, an Appeals Board for Research Degrees shall be constituted. The membership of the Appeals Board shall consist of the Registrar and the Deans of Faculties. All decisions of the Appeals Board, including those decisions which may involve obtaining a recommendation from an additional examiner (or examiners), are final and binding.
- A copy of the completed PGR2 should be given to each postgraduate research student.
All requests for an extension of the period of registration must be recommended by the supervisor and endorsed by the Head of School.
Continued registration for a higher degree is dependent on the submission of satisfactory annual progress reports. For transfer from the Master's register to the PhD register, see paragraph 2.6. Applications for such transfer are to be submitted on the appropriate form (Form PGR3).
Through their Supervisor, candidates must provide three months' notice to the Registry of their intention to submit for examination. The Supervisor and Head of School must recommend the name of an appropriate External Examiner for appointment by Academic Council. A special form (Form PGR4) is provided for this notification of intent to submit and for the nomination of the Examiners.
Candidates for a higher degree by research will be assessed on the basis of a written thesis and an oral examination conducted by examiners appointed by Academic Council. In the case of Master's candidates, the requirement for an oral examination may be waived on the advice of the External Examiner.
Each candidate for a higher degree by research will be examined by at least one Internal Examiner and at least one External Examiner. If the candidate is a member of staff of the University, at any time during the period of completion of the research, the Examination will normally be conducted by two External Examiners. Two examiners are appointed in this case to add an additional layer of independent assurance to the process. Where the candidate holds, or has within a period of five years prior to the notification of intention to submit held, a part-time or short-term contract with the University, the Head of School (or Executive Dean of Faculty where the Head of School is the supervisor) will be requested to determine whether or not he/she falls into the category of candidate for whom two external examiners are required.
The oral examination shall be held at Dublin City University unless prior approval has been obtained from the Registry to hold it elsewhere. Where necessary, consideration may be given to using the University's videoconferencing facilities for the oral examination. If this is the case, the Guidelines on the use of videoconferencing at viva voce examinations for research students should be followed. The proceedings of the oral examination shall be supervised by an Independent Chairperson nominated jointly by the Supervisor and the Head of School.
A candidate for the degree of PhD will be required to show ability to engage in original investigation or scholarship, to test ideas whether his/her own or of others, and to understand the background and fundamental basis of the work undertaken.
A candidate for a Master's degree will be required to demonstrate competence in the investigation or critical study of the chosen topic and lucidity in the presentation of the results.
Each Internal and External Examiner shall furnish the Registry with an individual written report, on the appropriate form (Form PGR6) on the outcome of the candidate's examination for the higher degree for which he/she is registered.
The Registry will make the necessary arrangements to convene a meeting of the relevant Faculty Awards Board for Research degrees to consider the Examination Reports of postgraduate students who have been duly examined.
Each Faculty Awards Board for Research degrees will subsequently submit to Academic Council, for its approval, a composite listing of candidates recommended for awards together with comments and observations, if any, arising from issues relevant to the examination process as a whole and proposals, where appropriate, in respect of negative reports from an Examiner.
All examinations results and recommendations are subject to final approval and confirmation by Academic Council.
All candidates for higher degrees shall be informed in writing by the Registry of their official position following the meeting of Academic Council; however, the University does not accept responsibility for the receipt of the communication of results through the post.
Re-submission by an unsuccessful or by a referred candidate may only take place with the approval of Academic Council on the recommendation of the Examiners concerned and with the concurrence of and under the condition proposed by the Faculty Awards Board for Research Degrees. In such cases, the period for revision of the thesis and/or presentation for re-examination shall be normally not more than one year.
Regulations governing the format of the thesis to be submitted for the award of a higher degree are detailed in Section 7. All theses submitted must conform strictly with these regulations and requirements.