Existing students and supervisors

The latest version of the Graduate Timetables are below:

• Michaelmas Term 2011
• Hilary Term 2012 - this will be updated
• Trinity Term 2012 - this will be updated
• Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) Graduate Lecture Slides

University policies and procedures are described in the Notes of Guidance for Research Degrees from the EPSC.

STFC policies and procedures are described in the STFC handbook 'Postgraduate Studentships', which is available from
http://www.scitech.ac.uk/Grants/Studs/PostTrain/trnews.aspx

Illness:
Students should inform their supervisor if they are absent through illness. Supervisors of STFC-funded students must inform STFC and the Graduate Secretary immediately if a student is absent through illness for any significant time. If this is done promptly, it is possible (but certainly not guaranteed) that STFC-funded students can get an extension to allow time for completion if their work is delayed by serious illness but this will not include an extension of subsistence payments

Divisional Code of Practice on the Supervision of Graduate Research Students

Divisional Template of Provision for Graduate Research Students

Funding assistance:
Students who find themselves in financial difficulty, including 4th year students, may be eligible for assistance from "hardship funds". Information should be available from your college, as well as from http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/shw/hardship.shtml.

Graduate lecture synopses:
The lecture synopses for the graduate lecture course for the academic year are available on the web. These are updated at the start of each academic year and at the beginning of each term.

End of first year report and interview:
Interviews take place at the end of Trinity Term in June (usually Tuesday of 9th week). Details of what is expected in the report (i.e. content and layout) and the interview timetable are sent out to 1st year students by the Graduate Secretary in 0th week of Trinity Term.

General training:
Graduate students funded by STFC and in their second or third year are eligible for STFC funding to attend one of the joint Research Councils' Graduate Schools, which are 5-day sessions for developing personal and communication skills and providing information on career opportunities outside of particle physics.

Theses:
The University Decrees and Regulations (otherwise known as the 'grey book', copy in the library reference section) lay out set guidelines for presentation of theses. It is very important to adhere to these - the Graduate Secretary will circulate details at the beginning of Hilary Term of your third year but you can access these notes.

1. Once you have two copies of your thesis printed, get them soft-back bound at the Oxford Print Centre on Hollywell Street. Cost: £4.95 per thesis.
2. Obtain two padded envelopes from the DWB stores.
3. On the bottom left-hand corner of each envelope write in capitals:

• [Name]
• D.PHIL THESIS AND ABSTRACT
• [College]

4. In each envelope, place:

• A copy of your thesis!
• A separate copy of your abstract
• A slip giving your correspondence address

5. From what I understand the forms GSO.3A and GSO.26 are to be submitted with the final copy of your thesis.

Information regarding Digital Copies of your thesis

E-Theses - Raising Awareness of Electronic submission
As you are aware students who began their studies from October 2007 onwards are now required to submit an electronic copy of their theses via ORA. Students are required to submit this, along with their hard bound copy, before they can attend a graduation ceremony. The examinations schools have recently had several cases of students wishing to graduate that appear not to be aware of the requirement to submit an electronic thesis. Information about the electronic submission is sent to the student when they are granted leave to supplicate, and we also send them information about this when we send out submission reminder letters. We have incorporated the information in to the MPLS Graduate Handbook and in to any relevant divisional training courses to try and raise awareness amongst students. However, please could I also ask you to send a reminder to all your research supervisors and students to remind them of this requirement.

Demonstrating and Tutoring:
Graduate students can gain teaching experience and earn some extra money by teaching in our undergraduate practical course or tutoring undergraduates at various colleges within the University: information about teaching opportunities.

Career Paths:
A Study of the Career Paths of STFC PhD Students was commissioned by STFC and carried out by an outside agency in 2003. It surveyed students 6-8 years after their PhD's.