Progression on the PhD Programme

Monitoring progress

Monitoring of study

Regulations relating to monitoring and supporting trainee progress are described in the Faculty Postgraduate Research Handbook (on the FSHMS Graduate School website) and in the University Code of Practice (paragraphs 63-74).

Monitoring of study via PGR Tracker

PGR Tracker pre-programs progression milestones which are calculated from the date candidature starts. PGR Tracker sends automated reminders by email as milestones are approaching or tasks need to be completed. Electronic forms are completed by the student, supervisor and/or examiners and are automatically sent to the relevant person for the next stage. PGR Tracker reminds you on a weekly basis when tasks are overdue.  The following Milestones will be monitored via PGR Tracker:

• Supervisory team details
• Academic Needs Analysis
• Bi-monthly Activity reports (Trainee & Supervisor meetings)
• Annual Progress Reviews
• Confirmation assessment
• Intention to submit/ Nomination of Examiners

Further details on these milestones are described in the FSHMS PGR Handbook.

Additional requirements

Additional requirements relevant to this programme are set out below:

Annual progression reviews and meeting

Students must adhere to the progression reviews flagged by PGR tracker (described in the Faculty Postgraduate Research Handbook). In addition, a PhD Health programme annual progress report (Appendix 2) and review meeting should be completed by the trainee, supervisors, and workplace contact each year (annually for both FT and PT; meetings can coincide with the faculty progression reviews when dates coincide). The workplace contact should also be invited to annual progress review meetings. The meeting should review trainee progress in relation to the supervision plan that has been agreed, and to agree any changes to the plan that may need to be made. An interim meeting with the trainee, supervisory team, and workplace contact (if relevant) should be arranged immediately in the event of any serious barriers to progress identified by the trainee, supervisors, or workplace contact at any other time. The annual workplace monitoring visit (further details below and in Appendix 2) should also be carried out. Once completed, the signed programme annual progress report and workplace monitoring visit form should both be scanned and uploaded to PGR tracker to complete the annual progression review process.

If trainees have any concerns they wish to have considered and addressed confidentially by the Programme Director or (if the Programme Director is the trainee’s supervisor) the chair of the Programme Board, trainees can submit a confidential report (appendix 2).

All progress reports will be inspected by the Programme Director. Any concerns arising from these reports will be considered at the next restricted Programme Board meeting. If there are no concerns, this will also be noted.

Additional Progress Milestones

7-9 months full-time (17-20 part time) or to coincide with the first progression review.

• Completion of first study or systematic review to be submitted with the first year annual progress review.

17-20 months full-time (21-41 part-time) or to coincide with the second progression review – the confirmation of PhD status (upgrade from MPhil to PhD)

• Confirmation interim portfolio of competence submitted and defended alongside the interim thesis.
• Outline of remaining portfolio plans presented to confirmation panel.

Changes to the supervision plan

During the period of supervised practice, changes may need to be made to the original Supervision Plan. Changes may concern:

• areas of work
• coverage of units
• the supervisor, or any designated workplace contact(s)

All such changes should be made with the agreement (and assistance) of the supervisor and the workplace contact where relevant. Normally any changes to the supervision plan should be approved at the annual progress meeting and detailed in the annual progress report at the end of each year and submitted with a separate amended/extended supervision plan (see template in Appendix 2). Changes in supervisor or substantial changes to the Supervision Plan that occur mid-year must be approved by a special meeting of the supervisory team, and agreed with the workplace contact where relevant. These changes to the supervision plan should be recorded using the amended/extended Supervision Plan.

Workplace monitoring

Following initial approval of the workplace, every year throughout the course of the study the workplace will need to be monitored annually to ensure the ongoing suitability of the workplace setting to meet HCPC standards (see ‘workplace visit monitoring form’ in Appendix 2). The workplace monitoring visit will be carried out by a member of the programme team at the trainee’s place of work and will comprise two separate private meetings: one with the trainee, and one with the workplace contact. The workplace monitoring visit should usually be completed before the annual progress meeting, and submitted as part of the annual progress review additional documentation (see ‘monitoring progress’ section above).

Any change of work address or workplace contact should be notified immediately, in writing, to the supervisor and to the Graduate School Programme Administrator so that an approval visit can be arranged. If the workplace setting or workplace contact are unable to meet the standards required, the trainee may need to find an alternative workplace contact or health-related work to fulfill the programme requirements.