These are provided for reference only. If you are awarded a Postgraduate Scholarship you will receive an offer pack in the post with the correct Terms and Conditions documents for you to sign and return to the Scholarships Unit.
- 1 Higher Degree and General Regulations
- 1.1 A University scholarship holder, known as the scholar, will be registered at the
University as a full-time or part-time postgraduate student for a Higher Degree by
research and thesis under the relevant University degree regulations and the
General Regulations of the University. In addition, all scholars will be subject to
the following terms and conditions.
- 1.2 These terms and conditions apply only to scholarship holders and not to students
who may be engaged as Graduate Teaching Assistants who are governed by the
University’s Terms and Conditions for Graduate Teaching Assistantships and the
Conditions of Service for Graduate Teaching Assistants.
- 2 Agreement
- 2.1 All scholars will be required to confirm the formal offer of the scholarship by
agreeing to the terms and conditions set out in this document and any
supplementary conditions set out in the scholarship offer. Scholars are advised to
keep a copy of these Terms and Conditions for their records.
- 2.2 The scholarship offer will specify the start date of the scholarship, the amount of
the scholarship and the method and frequency of payment.
- 3 Length of Scholarship
- 3.1 A scholarship will normally be tenable for one year in the first instance, renewable
annually for a maximum of three years (36 months) for full-time scholars or five
years (60 months) for part-time scholars, subject to satisfactory progress and
continued registration as a student of the University.
- 3.2 A scholar who has completed part of the period of registration for a degree will
only be offered a scholarship for the remaining period required for the completion
of their registration.
- 3.3 A scholar who secures alternative or additional sources of funding should inform
the University (by contacting the Scholarship Unit). Depending on the
circumstances, the scholarship may be withdrawn or reduced pro-rata.
- 4 Mode of Study
- 4.1 Scholarships may be offered for full-time and part-time study. The mode of study
will be agreed in advance of registration and award of the scholarship. This is
accepted and agreed with these terms and conditions. The transfer of mode of
study may affect the scholar’s funding; scholars who are registered for part-time
study will not receive funding designed for full-time study.
- 5 Intermission
- 5.1 Intermission from registration will only be granted in cases of grave and
exceptional misfortune. During the period of intermission, scholarship payments
will be suspended.
- 5.2 Periods of intermission will not normally be granted for periods longer than 6
months. Applications for intermission should be made in advance and require
the support of the supervisor and approval from the Director of Graduate
Studies/Research of the relevant School.
- 6 Illness
- 6.1 Periods of illness for a continuous period of 2 weeks or more require medical
certification and should be reported to the supervisor and the Director of
Graduate Studies/Research of the relevant School. During periods of certified
illness, scholars may be paid at the full rate of their maintenance grant for the
first 8 weeks within any 12 month period. After 8 weeks the scholarship will be
suspended until the scholar resumes full-time study.
- 6.2 Should a period of illness exceed 4 weeks, scholars are advised to request a
period of intermission.
- 7 Maternity Leave
- 7.1 Full-time scholars who become pregnant during the period of registration will be
entitled to three months maternity leave during which the scholarship payments
will continue. The total period of the scholarship may thus be extended to a
maximum of 39 months (the financial support available will not extend beyond
the usual thirty six months plus the period of up to three months maternity
leave).
- 7.2 Full-time scholars may also apply for a further period of up to nine months of
unfunded intermission as a result of the pregnancy, providing a maximum period
of twelve months (funded and unfunded) maternity leave.
- 8 Teaching/Demonstrating
- 8.1 For certain scholars teaching and demonstrating may constitute an integral part
of the development of their academic skills and will form a subsidiary part of their
studies. Where this is the case, then:
- 8.1.1 The number of contact hours that a scholar may participate in teaching
shall be reasonable in the context of their academic load and not exceed
the equivalent of 4 hours a week or 96 hours over the two 12 week
teaching terms; additionally scholars are expected to undertake the
appropriate preparation, marking, examination and the presentation of an
end of year report in respect of these contact hours. Where scholars are
engaged to undertake laboratory demonstrating or act as language lectors,
or other activities which do not require such extensive preparation, this
will be 10 contact hours per week or 240 hours over the academic year.
- 8.1.3 Scholars will be responsible to the Head of School for their teaching or
demonstrating duties. These should be specified in writing at the time the
scholarship is offered.
- 8.1.4 Scholars will be required to conform to the University’s Quality Assurance
and Health and Safety procedures.
- 8.1.5 Scholars may be required to participate in relevant modules of the
University’s Postgraduate Certificate for Higher Education (PGCHE) and/or
Associate Teacher Accreditation Programme (ATAP), or another training the
University decides is appropriate in relation to the teaching or
demonstrating required as approved by the Faculty Director of Graduate
Studies.
- 8.1.6 If a scholar is deemed not to be teaching or demonstrating to a satisfactory
standard, then the Head of School, in conjunction with the scholar’s
supervisor may redirect the scholar’s duties to include marking, research
or other academic related activity, commensurate with their academic
studies.
- 9 Holidays
- 9.1 Scholars are entitled to a maximum of eight weeks holiday (including public
holidays and the University closure at Christmas) per annum and pro-rata.
- 9.2 Holidays should be agreed in advance with the supervisor and, in cases where the
scholar is engaged in teaching or demonstrating, with the approval of the Head of
School.
- 10 Monitoring
- 10.1 Continuation of a scholarship is subject to satisfactory progress in research
training and in the preparation of the thesis.
- 10.2 Scholars and their supervisors are required to complete progress reports in
accordance with Annex K of the University Code of Practice for Research. At the
end of each academic year, the supervisor must recommend whether or not the
scholar should be permitted to continue to receive the scholarship. This
recommendation will be considered by the School’s Director of Graduate
Studies/Research. Should the recommendation be satisfactory then the
scholarship will be renewed for a further 12 months, or until the end of the period
of registration, whichever date is sooner. If a scholar’s progress is found to be
unsatisfactory, the supervisor, in conjunction with the Director of Graduate
Studies/Research or the Head of the School should recognise either:
- 10.2.1 that the scholarship be renewed for a further limited period (e.g. three
months) after which the scholar’s progress will be reviewed again to
determine whether or not the scholarship may be renewed for the
remainder of the academic year, or
- 10.2.2 that the scholarship be terminated.
- 10.3 Some scholars may be required to apply to transfer from MPhil to PhD during
their registration. Full time scholars who are not permitted to transfer from
MPhil to PhD, but are allowed to submit a thesis for the award of MPhil, will have
their scholarship limited to a maximum of 24 months; part time scholars who are
not permitted to transfer but are allowed to submit for the award of MPhil, will
have their scholarship limited to a maximum of 36 months.
- 11 Submission of Thesis
- 11.1 All scholars are expected to submit their thesis no later than 12 months after the
completion of the period of registration. Extensions to this period will only be
given in grave and exceptional circumstances and in accordance with faculty
guidelines.
- 12 Termination of Scholarship
- 12.1 The University will terminate a scholarship when progress or performance is
deemed to be unsatisfactory. Scholars should therefore inform their supervisors
and the Director of Graduate Studies/Research of any problems or difficulties at
the earliest opportunity. Similarly, supervisors should assist in identifying
problems so that a scholar’s progress is not impeded.
- 12.2 If a scholarship is terminated prematurely for any reason, a scholar must repay to
the University any monies including maintenance, travel, subsistence, fees
overpaid from the date of the termination of the scholarship.
- 12.3 If a scholar is permitted to reduce the period of registration and the scholar’s
period of registration finishes before the scholarship is due to finish, the
scholarship will be terminated on the date of the completion of registration.
- 12.4 If a scholar submits a thesis before the end of the scholarship, the scholarship
will be terminated on the date of submission.
- 12.5 If a scholar takes up full-time employment whilst in receipt of a scholarship, the
scholarship will be terminated as of the first day of employment.
Approved by the Graduate School Board on 5 March 2013