Prospective candidates for the Ph.D., M.Sc. or M.Litt. degrees are normally admitted for a probationary period in the first instance, either not registered for any qualification at all or registered for an appropriate one-year M.Phil., Diploma or Certificate course. Towards the end of that probationary year the question of your registration as a research degree candidate is considered. The Board of Graduate Studies expect your work up to that point and your intended future programme of research to be rigorously assessed within the Department or Faculty. This assessment may include a formal M.Phil., Diploma or Certificate examination or a formal assessment of progress by the Department or Faculty. One purpose is ensure that your planned research can be completed within the lime available. The outcome of this assessment, and your Supervisor’s report and recommendation on your first year of work, are taken into account by the Degree Committee when considering the question of registration. Supervisors are thereafter required to report annually on your progress.
After the period of probation the Board may register you retrospectively as a candidate for a research degree from the beginning of your course as a Graduate Student or from the beginning of any subsequent term if it would be inappropriate for all or part of your first year to count towards the requirements of the research degree. If all the first year of study is not to be counted towards the research degree you will need to consider carefully the financial resources available to you to cover the rest of your work.
Tags:Cambridge, education, m.sc, Ph.d., university