Being a research student Research degrees Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
A research project in one or more disciplines with a thesis that makes an original contribution to knowledge.
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
A thesis that is usually a record of original work or an ordered and critical exposition of existing knowledge.
Masters by Research See page 9
Supervision Research is supported by one or more supervisors but the final outcome depends entirely on the individual student. The Code of Practice for Research Degree Students and Supervisors recognises that successful research depends on both the efforts of students and supervisors, the research environment in the department and research training. The Code covers the responsibilities of the student, supervisor and advisor and also outlines administrative and monitoring procedures. You’ll get regular progress reviews, an oral and written upgrade exam and a major annual review for which you’ll usually prepare a written submission. Our Researcher Development Programme (RDP) is a series of courses to help research students develop broader, transferable skills alongside their research, such as training in ethics and academic writing, and presentation and leadership skills.
Assessment Research students produce a thesis and undergo an accompanying oral viva voce examination with two expert examiners working in the relevant field of study.
Duration of study MPhil degrees normally require a minimum of two years’ full-time study and PhD degrees a minimum of three years. In most cases, PhD students are registered initially for an MPhil with transfer to PhD status after an upgrade examination at the end of year 1 or during year 2. With advice from your supervisors, you are responsible for deciding when you should submit your thesis, as long as it is 10
royalholloway.ac.uk/research-students
submitted within four years (eight years if you are part-time). Some funders have shorter timescales and you will be told if this applies to you.
Teaching opportunities Suitable teaching opportunities are advertised to research students. Some studentship funding includes a small amount of teaching or teaching support. If you are given teaching responsibilities you can also access training for this, and you will be required to take the training if you are teaching without an experienced teacher present. We run a teacher training programme called inSTIL for postgraduate researchers and completion of this leads to the widely-recognised Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). Once you have settled in to your research, you will have the opportunity to become a mentor to new research students, and obtain the AFHEA recognition. We also offer opportunities to do some work in schools (via the Brilliant Club scheme) after receiving training in school teaching.
The Doctoral School This is the key postgraduate research student hub that supports all our research students through the key milestones in their academic journey. It provides a range of dedicated administrative support together with specialist and bespoke services, including researcher development training, fees and funding information and support to enable you to make the most of your degree. Contact doctoralschool@royalholloway.ac.uk for more information.
Research & Innovation Our Research & Innovation team supports all researchers at Royal Holloway. You can access information and advice on a range of subjects including sources of research funding, costing of grant applications, intellectual property rights and starting new business ventures. If you have a Research Council studentship, our specialist staff can help you apply for additional opportunities like internships, and for extra funding for conferences and study trips. They’ll also help you make the most of development opportunities offered through the Research Council Doctoral Training Partnerships.
