Guide to PhD (Extended Period of Study)
1.
In specific cases, doctoral candidates may apply for an extended period of study at the point of admission onto a research degree. The extended time is intended for students whose research cannot be undertaken in full without the acquisition of new skills or knowledge that cannot be gained through a research preparation Masters course and, without which, the doctoral research would be incomplete. The duration of candidature for PhD (extended period of study) reflect the requirement to complete a Masters course prior to commencing fully on the supervised research stage of a doctoral degree.
2.
Students can only be enrolled on PhD (extended period of study) programmes which have been formally validated by the University.
3.
To be eligible for the entry onto the PhD (extended period of study), a student’s research must meet one or more of the following criteria:
- The research cannot be undertaken in full without the acquisition of specific language skills;
- The research cannot be undertaken in full without learning specific new, high-level methodological skills, for example, complex quantitative skills;
- The research cannot be undertaken in full without the development of very significant and demanding new discipline-specific skill, or where a high degree of collaboration with other disciplines necessitates a significant period of additional time to develop the requisite knowledge of other areas;
- The research cannot be undertaken in full without fieldwork being undertaken which presents significant challenges, for example, of a methodological or practical nature;
- The requirements of a student’s sponsor or studentship awarded requires the completion of a PhD (extended period of study) e.g. RCUK studentship.
4.
The acquisition of such skills or knowledge must be integral to the doctoral study as a whole. An extended period of study will not be considered appropriate where the acquisition of relevant skills or knowledge could reasonably have been provided through training as part of a Master’s course, or could be provided as part of a standard three-year full-time or seven-year part-time doctoral programme.
5.
A PhD (extended period of study) should be applied for at initial application. Retrospective applications will not be considered.