University of Stirling

Literature and Languages

Current Postgraduates

 

Facilities and Procedures

This is a comprehensive listing of the facilities, procedures and structures relevant to postgraduate students in the Department.

 

Finance and Facilities
Study Procedures
Framework of Study
Governance

 

Finance and Facilities

Facilities for Research Students

Research students have access to a number of facilities in the Department itself, including mail trays and photocopying cards which are managed by the Postgraduate Secretary, Alison Scott. The core space for research students in the department is B22/24 in the Pathfoot Building which is fitted out to provide 10 workstations, each with desks with lockable drawers and privacy screens; the room is networked for e-mailing and access to the Library, and shelving is provided. Applications for use should be made to Alison Scott. In addition taught postgraduates have access to B26, and research students working as Teaching Assistants to B36. All these rooms have networked computers for word-processing, printing, accessing e-mail and the internet.

Financial Assistance

(see also Postgraduate Funding)

The University is able to offer only limited assistance in the financing of research students through a small number of postgraduate scholarships. However, it is worth knowing that the Student Information and Support Service (Geddes Court) possesses a user-friendly database of Grants and Trusts which is updated regularly and which enables prospective applicants to establish their eligibility for help quickly and efficiently. The Department is keen to encourage your attendance at conferences and will where possible assist with the expenses involved. Assistance is available only to those who are presenting papers.

Teaching Assistantships

The Department is keen to offer experience in tutorial teaching within a helpfully controlled environment. Your teaching and marking/assessment will be monitored by a senior colleague, and as valued members of staff teaching assistants will be involved in course team meetings for planning and assessment of the courses on which they teach. This work forms an invaluable contribution to the life of the Department and clearly also assists you in building up a CV in relation to your own career development.

These opportunities are not usually available until the second year of study in order to allow you to settle into your research unencumbered by other responsibilities. Applications for such teaching should be made to the Head of Department, although the DPO may be approached in the first instance.

You will be paid for this work at rates which are generous compared with those of other institutions.

 

Study Procedures

 

Supervision

You will be allocated to a recognised expert in your field as your supervisor as well as a nominated second supervisor. In some circumstances a joint supervisor may be appointed if, for example, the range of your topic is very wide. You are also encouraged to seek out other members of staff for advice and discussion, including those from other departments, who may be able to help you in your work. Where necessary arrangements will be made to deal with your supervisor's absence from the University if, for example, they are themselves on research leave.

Formal Practices

The commitment of English Studies to excellence in its work with research students is indicated by a number of formal practices as explained below. The Departmental Postgraduate Officer (DPO; see 'Governance', below) is charged with the general welfare and progress of postgraduate students, while the Postgraduate Training Officer (PTO) is responsible for more specific aspects of the research training programme.

The most common route to a PhD is via one of the one-year taught M.Litt degrees, or via the M.Res in the Humanities shared with the School of Languages, Cultures and Religions. Students often take these programmes with a view to going on to do a PhD and there is a research training element in each of them. Students who already have postgraduate qualifications from another institution may go direct to the PhD programme.


Full-time research students must meet regularly with their supervisors at times to be arranged between them. The frequency of contact will vary according to the discipline and during the period of the student's research. At some stages (in the first year, or at a period of crucial development) this might be as often as once a fortnight. Formal progress reports on their work are submitted to the Admissions Progress and Awards Committee (APAC) in April each year. The DPO sees these annual progress report forms and takes up any relevant issues with the supervisor and/or student.


Students undertaking the PhD programme have their PhD status confirmed towards the end of the second semester of their first year of study. A transfer interview is arranged together with the supervisor and the DPO. Confirmation is based on the student's presentation of a piece of written work, say a chapter of the thesis, which will be read by a group of three members of staff, namely the supervisor, the DPO and one other, usually the second supervisor. This is followed by an interview with the same group, which allows for a focused discussion of the project and a useful foretaste of the viva —a key aspect of the examination for the PhD. A majority verdict is required for continuation and a written report is made for the student's file.


Once their dissertation has been submitted for examination, postgraduate candidates can opt to take a ‘mock viva’ as preparation for the actual viva with an external examiner. The mock viva takes place with the DPO and one other staff member — often the second supervisor — while the supervisor attends to take notes that may be of use to the candidate. The candidate chooses and submits a single chapter from their dissertation which becomes the basis for the oral examination. This practice is recommended as a way of polishing interview technique and overcoming nerves and has been supported by most of our PhD candidates in the past.

The DPO chairs the Postgraduate Student Staff Committee twice a semester to gather feedback, to discuss issues, and to try to iron-out any difficulties that may have arisen. The Postgraduate Training Officer monitors progress if and when a research student is accepted (after training) as an undergraduate Teaching Assistant. This involves the PTO sitting-in on a tutorial, talking to the tutor afterwards and writing a report on the teaching practice. Research postgraduates may not work as TAs until after their first year of research progress has been deemed satisfactory, or without the agreement of their supervisor. The DPO has a formal mentor relationship for the first year of supervision with a staff colleague who is supervising for the first time.

Examination Procedures

A thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy shall be no longer than 80,000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliographies, except with prior permission. The same applies to a thesis for the degree of Master of Philosophy, which should normally be no longer than 40,000 words, excluding footnotes and bibliographies.

Students, especially those from overseas, should be aware of the examination process for postgraduate research degrees. The examining committee normally consists of an external examiner who is a recognised specialist in the area of the thesis from another British university and an internal examiner (not the supervisor) from within the Department of English Studies. The examiners receive their own individual copies of the completed thesis and arrive at their provisional judgment separately. The crucial final phase of the process is the viva (viva voce), or oral examination, at which the candidate is questioned about the thesis by the examiners in a meeting that will last at least an hour. The supervisor may be present at the viva, at the invitation of the external examiner and with the agreement of the candidate, but does not take part in the examining process. It is important for students who may have to make special travel arrangement to realise that it is hardly ever possible to waive the viva part of the examination as it is regarded as an essential part of the process. Also, it should be noted that the viva examination may be scheduled up to several months after the submission of the thesis.

Registration Only Fees

Students should be aware that the University operates a system of registration-only fees after a certain number of years of study. The implication of this policy is that once students are in the ‘registration only’ category they should be solely concerned with finishing their thesis and must not expect the same degree of supervision or use of resources as they receive while paying the full-time fee. This emphasizes the importance of aiming to completing your research studies within their allotted time.

Notice of Submission

In the final stages of the student's work the Academic Registrar must be given four months notice of the title and proposed date of submission of the thesis to give time for the setting up of an examining committee, and other administrative arrangements. The candidate may make minor amendments to the title on submission, in consultation with the supervisor. Do not leave your notice of submission until the thesis has actually been completed.

Part-Time Students

Part-time candidates must meet with their supervisors at times to be arranged between them. The frequency of these meetings will vary according to the stage of the student's research and may be supplemented by e-mail. With candidates from abroad the supervisor should meet with the student at least twice a year. Formal progress reports on their work are submitted to the Admissions Progress and Awards Committee (APAC) in April each year.

Study Away

Permission for the above should normally be sought in advance from the University.

Further Information

Further information on good practice for research students and the code of practice for their support can be found on the University website at the following address:
http://www.ifs.stir.ac.uk/research/research-home.php

Full details about the form and presentation of the completed thesis can be found at:
http://www.ifs.stir.ac.uk/research/research-thesis-presentation.php

The full regulations for higher degrees by research, including minimum and maximum study periods for full- and part-time MPhil and PhD students, can be found at:
http://www.ifs.stir.ac.uk/research/research-higher-post2003.php

Framework of Study

Full-Time PhD · Part-Time PhD
Full-Time M.Litt · Part-Time M.Litt

The framework is intended to suggest a structure for the relationship between student and supervisor. Note that this framework is in addition to the Guidelines for the Supervision of Postgraduate Research Students published by the University.

FULL-TIME PhD

This structure is based on the assumption that the student is attempting to achieve completion in three years.

Pre-entry

  • Application
  • Detailed consideration of application, with interview if possible
  • Recommendation by Department to Faculty
  • Decision by Faculty

Year 1 Semester 1

  • Registration
  • Induction by Department
  • Induction by University and Faculty
  • Training in the use of the Library, including retrieval techniques using information technology
  • Agreement on research topic
  • Creation of bibliography
  • Construction of an initial plan, subject to change and development
  • Agreement on schedule of meetings for semester - in the early stages of research these meetings should occur reasonably frequently, normally every fortnight or three weeks
  • Discussion of student's involvement with the Department, including attendance at research seminars and other groups
  • End of semester progress report, to be signed by both student and supervisor, for the Faculty

Year 1 Semester 2

  • Agreement on schedule of meetings for semester
  • Student's involvement with the Department
  • Teaching Assistantships now become possible
  • Check on adequacy of resources
  • Submission of sample of written work towards the thesis
  • Progress interview
  • Head of Department's report and registration recommendation to Faculty

Year 2 Semester 1

  • Agreement on schedule of meetings for semester
  • Student's involvement with Department
  • Active encouragement and assistance in student attending conference; applications for financial support are currently dealt with by the Head of Department and should be requested using a form obtainable from the departmental office
  • Discussion with supervisor of submitting to the editors of journals those sections that in publishable form, and submission
  • Progress report

Year 2 Semester 2

  • Agreement on schedule of meetings for semester
  • Student's involvement with the Department, including arrangements for the presentation of a paper at the Departmental Research Seminar
  • Conference attendance
  • Major review of research plan
  • Progress report

Year 3 Semester 1

  • Schedule of meetings
  • Writing of first draft of complete thesis
  • Involvement with Department
  • Conference attendance
  • Publication plans
  • Progress report

Year 3 Semester 2

  • Schedule of meetings
  • Involvement with Department
  • Identifying and appointment of external and internal examiners
  • Assistance in job applications and CV writing, with input from Careers Advisory Service
  • Formal notification of intention to submit
  • Submission of thesis
  • Viva examination

It is hoped that the above arrangements will act as a framework for students and supervisors to enable them to recognise what is expected on both sides. The final responsibility for the quality of the work undertaken does, of course, lie with the student.

PART-TIME PhD

The period of study for the PhD is not less than three years and not more than eight years. However, in cases where the study will take more than three years it would seem reasonable to aim for completion in five years and so therefore 'stretch' the full-time programme to cover that period.

FULL-TIME M.Litt

The period of study involved here is not less than one and not more than three years. If the student is planning to take two or three years before completion, it would seem reasonable to adjust the guidelines for the full-time PhD to these circumstances.

However, some students, especially from abroad, may wish to aim at completion in a year. In these cases the minimum period of study would be one year from registration to a first submission of the completed thesis. Assuming the normal point of entry, in September, this suggests that students should aim to be working on final revision during the summer with the aim of being examined before Christmas. This is a matter of particular importance to overseas students. They should aim either to have their work in such a form that the final revision can take place away from Stirling or take into account, perhaps financially, that they may have to remain in the area over the summer. They must also realise that it will be necessary for them to return to the University for the oral examination of their thesis. This suggests the following programme of work:

Pre-entry

  • Application

  • Detailed consideration of application, with interview if possible

  • Recommendation by Department to Graduate Admissions

  • Decision by Graduate Admissions

Year 1 Semester 1

  • Registration

  • Induction by the Department

  • Induction by the University

  • Training in the use of the Library, including retrieval techniques using information technology

  • Agreement on research topic

  • Creation of bibliography

  • Construction of a firm plan, subject only to minor modification by the end of the semester

  • Agreement on schedule of meetings for semester

  • Discussion of the student's involvement with the Department, including attendance at research seminar and other groups

  • Final firming up of the topic

  • End of semester report, to be signed by both the supervisor and the student, for the Faculty

Christmas vacation

  • For those intending to submit in a year, this would be a period of intense work on the thesis

Year 1 Semester 2

  • Agreement on schedule of meetings for the semester

  • Discussion of the student's involvement with the Department, including the giving of a paper to the research seminar towards the end of the semester

  • Progress report at the end of semester and verification of the fact that submission will be possible within the year

Summer vacation

  • A period of intense activity, mainly unsupervised, to enable the student to submit within the time allowed

  • Submission

  • Examination, including the oral examination at Stirling

PART-TIME M.Litt

The period of study is not less than two years and not more than four years from the date of original registration to the date of first submission of the thesis. As with the part-time PhD, it is suggested that the programme should follow a more extended version of that laid out for the full-time M.Litt.

 

Governance

Postgraduate Committee

This Departmental committee, chaired this year by Dr Adrian Hunter, has as its remit the general oversight of postgraduate affairs; it reports to the Departmental Committee and this means that matters of relevance to postgraduates and their supervisors, as well as directors of taught courses, are communicated to all who need to be aware of them. There is, of course, student representation on the Committee.

DPO

Departmental Postgraduate Officer (DPO)

The above is a key position in the Department's relations with research students. It is currently held by Dr Scott Hames. The DPO's informal role is to create a strong, interactive relationship between students and supervisors, and between students and the department in general. He or she is available for advice and consultation for both staff and students. Although resources - space, computers, and so on - are primarily the responsibility of the Head of Department, the DPO will act as a spokesperson for students in this area. If you have problems with supervision, or any other difficulties, you should consult Scott Hames in the first instance.