Introduction to the Doctoral Academy Handbook

Overview

The Doctoral Academy Handbook details the processes you will encounter during your Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) study, from admission to final submission, and signposts important research policies.

There is also information about the help and support to you within the Doctoral Academy and from other professional services across the University.

If you are registered on a Professional Doctorate, contact your award leader for additional information specific to your award, which is available in your award handbook.

Using the Doctoral Academy Handbook

There is a handbook page for each main process. Use the Doctoral Academy handbook menu (also included at the bottom of each section) to navigate through the handbook.

Each page contains:

• Academic regulations, which are numbered, for example E5.
• Related procedures
• Further information and guidance

Use the heading links at the top of the page to jump through the page contents. You will use some sections of this handbook more frequently than others, but you should try to familiarise yourself with most sections as you will encounter nearly all of the processes at least once during your studies at UWE Bristol.

Introduction to postgraduate research academic regulations

The academic regulations are the framework of rules in which all the University's learning and assessment activities take place and are mandatory.

Postgraduate research degree regulations are set out at Section E of the University's Academic Regulations, and are replicated within this handbook for ease of reference. In academic regulations, PGRs are often referred to as 'candidates'.

Postgraduate research degree regulations apply to all aspects of your research project, including personal circumstances that may affect your research. These regulations apply to anyone supporting postgraduate research degree study at UWE Bristol.

If you take taught modules as part of your research development and training programme or as part of a Professional Doctorate award, the University’s Academic Regulations and Procedures for taught programmes apply to the taught elements.

The processes for making an academic appeal against the decision of an Examining Board or for making a complaint are the same for the research and the taught aspects of research degree awards.

Postgraduate research procedures

Procedures describe how the PGR regulations should be implemented and the processes that must be used. They are mandatory.

University procedures ensure that all PGRs are treated fairly and consistently throughout the institution but are flexible enough to recognise differences between research disciplines across the UWE Bristol College and School structure.

Further information and guidance

Information in these sections is designed to address the queries that the Doctoral Academy receives most often from PGRs and their supervisors, together with examples of good practice, advice and background material to facilitate PGR processes.

UWE Bristol policies

As students of the University, all postgraduate researchers are also subject to and supported by the University’s published policies, both academic and non-academic. 

Any PGRs or supervisor who is uncertain about which regulations, procedures or policies apply to them should contact the Doctoral Academy.