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Diagram showing the structure of the part-time NDPH DPhil course

Part-time study

Part-time study is expected to take place at 50% of the intensity of full-time study.

Part-time Milestones

All students begin their studies as Probationer Research Students. During a research student’s career, they will undergo two milestone assessments before their final examination. These are designed to evaluate the student’s progress at two key points in their studies.

1. Transfer of Status takes place by the end of the eighth term of study. It consists of the submission of a written report and a verbal interview with two assessors. This provides a detailed check on a student’s progress, and their understanding of their DPhil research, and is an opportunity for students to receive independent feedback.

2. Confirmation of Status usually takes place in the sixteenth, seventeenth or eighteenth term after admission. It consists of the submission of a thesis contents list and a timeline for completion of the thesis, and a verbal interview with two assessors. It offers a further opportunity for students to receive independent feedback as they begin or continue the process of writing up their findings and drawing conclusions for their thesis.

Examination

After a successful Confirmation of Status, students are expected to submit their thesis by the end of the eighteenth term. Theses within the Medical Sciences Division are normally a maximum of 50,000 words in length.

Following thesis submission, a viva (oral examination) will be conducted by two examiners, one internal to the University and one external.  This typically takes place within three months of the examiners being sent the completed thesis.