Graduate School Network

Preparing for upgrade

This page contains links that will support you as you approach upgrade. This is a stage that all PhD students will go through; Professional Doctorate students will follow a series of assessments and successful completion of these replaces Upgrade. Upgrade is also covered in the Welcome Back sessions that happen each September.

Upgrade

Upon admission to the research degree programme, regardless of the qualification aim, all students are registered for the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil). Student registration at this stage is probationary. Continued registration beyond year 1 for full-time students and beyond year 2 for part-time students intending to read for a PhD is dependent on the student passing upgrade. 

This requires the student to be assessed and a recommendation made about continuing registration and specific degree registration to Progress Board. Students who do not pass upgrade will not be eligible for continued registration. 

Upgrade is a precursor to progression to PhD registration. Students are responsible for carrying out their upgrade assessments within the appropriate time frames with the support and guidance of their supervisors.  

The criteria for the upgrade assessment and confirmation of continued registration are outlined in detail in Research Degree Regulations in section 15 for MPhil/PhD students (and section 14 for MPhil/PhD by distance learning). 

Ethical reviews

Any ethical reviews or approval required for the research study should be completed prior to upgrade. The Human Research Ethics Committee Chair at the OU provides advice and support on ethics aspects of individual research projects. 

All research degree students planning any research involving human participants, data gathered from human participants or human tissue, must carry out a thorough assessment of any ethics implications associated with their research, in discussion with their supervisors. As an integral part of this process students should request a human research ethics review.

The HREC IT system allows you to easily submit applications for human research ethics review using an online form.  Web links to the system and applicant guidance are available through the Human Research | Research at The Open University. 

Student tip: “Start your ethics approval early as it can take time.”

Deadlines

The deadline for the completion of the upgrade process is as follows:

  • full-time students – 12 months from the initial date of registration
  • part-time students – 24 months from the initial date of registration.

It is imperative that upgrade reporting on PGR Manager reaches the Graduate School in time for the process to be completed (i.e. by the 11th month for full-time students and by the 23rd month for part-time students). The Research Degrees Team does not have the authority to accept late submissions and any extension can only be granted in exceptional circumstances, and requires prior approval, by Progress Board. 

Outcomes

Based on the evidence obtained during the upgrade assessment the outcome will be one of the following:

  • registration for the degree of Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
  • registration for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
  • the student is asked to make revisions to their upgrade report which will be reviewed; further registration will depend on it having been completed to the satisfaction of the assessors and confirmed by Progress Board
  • registration should be terminated due to failure to make satisfactory academic progress and a failure to meet the upgrade criteria. 

Forms and Guidance

Note: if any of these links are broken try searching on the main Forms and Guidance page.

Training resources

Other helpful resources

What differs between Faculties?

Each Faculty may have its own policy and procedure around stages and actions including:

  • how you can spend any funds related to your training, e.g., Research Training Support Grant (RTSG or Research Student Support Fund/RESSF)
  • health and safety, including work stations and risk assessments for fieldwork
  • arranging travel for conferences and fieldwork
  • equipment and specialist software
  • Third Party Monitor allocation and any subject-specific buddying/mentoring.

We recommend you start by talking with your Faculty Administrator about what happens in your Faculty (mailbox address on Contact us.