MPhil/PhD students' registration

You are required to register every year for your programme as well as pay your tuition fees. Notification for enrolment will be sent to your college email account, it is your responsibility to check this account regularly.

With departmental consent you can take some time away from your study. You can interrupt for a minimum of 2 months and a maximum of 24 months. For full guidelines pertaining to periods of interruption, please refer to Section 2.2 of the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF)

To request an interruption, please complete Interruption Form and return it to your department for approval.  

With departmental consent you can change your mode of attendance or degree programme. For full guidelines pertaining to changing your mode of attendance, please refer to Section 2.4 of the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF).

To request a change, please complete a Change of Programme Form and return it to your department for approval.

The PGR Board has also approved temporary amendments to the policy governing the Completion period, as set out in the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF), to the effect that:

From 1 April 2021, eligible students are permitted to opt-in to an extension to their Completion period of 6 months FT/ 12 months PT

The following students are eligible for extensions to their Completion periods:

• Students who started their MPhil/PhD programme prior to 1 March 2020 
• Students who have been approved for Completion status 
• Students who have not yet submitted their thesis for examination 
• Students who have already been granted extensions to their maximum registration periods and are currently in Continuation status who wish to avail themselves of this adjustment should contact graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk)
• Students who been granted UKRI funding extensions (through their own DTP or through the Graduate School’s Phase 2 scheme) who wish to avail themselves of this adjustment should contact graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk) to check their eligibility.

For more information about this amendment, please refer to COVID-19 Amendments to PGR Student Policies (PDF) or email graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk)

In certain circumstances, research students registered with the College may, for reasons integral to their research (e.g. overseas fieldwork), need to be based for defined periods (normally between 3-12 months) at an off-campus location.

If you are registered on a full-time MPhil/PhD programme and are going to be researching away from campus for a period of time you can apply for Off-Campus Research status for the applicable period. If approved, your tuition fee for those months will be adjusted pro rata to the part-time rate for your programme. 

You can read the current guidelines applicable to Off-Campus Research in the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF).

Please note that there are additional considerations for students who are studying on a visa when applying for Off-Campus Research status; if you are studying on a visa, you are advised to contact Goldsmiths Immigration Advice Service to discuss your plans before making an application.

If a student’s work is deemed unsatisfactory by the supervisory team, the student may, with the agreement of the Departmental Postgraduate Research Committee (or equivalent), be placed on Special Academic Review (SAR) for a defined time period.

For full guidelines pertaining the SAR process please refer to Section 6.3 of the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF).

PGR convenors are normally expected to submit the formal request for SAR via the Graduate School’s online form (SAR1 - Special Academic Review Department request).

At the conclusion of the SAR period, the Assessors should complete SAR2 – Special Academic Review Joint Report. Once ratified by the Department, this form should be returned to graduateschool@gold.ac.uk.

Students will be initially be registered as candidates for the MPhil degree. During their programme they will be subject to a formal assessment of their research ability and the standard of their research.

The purpose of this assessment is to confirm the student’s transfer of registration to candidate for the PhD degree. The Transfer of Registration process is also known informally as the ‘Upgrade’. For full guidelines pertaining to the Transfer of Registration process, please refer to Section 6.2 of the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF).

Following any Transfer Panel attempt, all parties (including assessors, student, and Departmental PGR Committee chair) are required to complete a UP1 - Transfer Panel Outcome Form (Word) indicating the assessors’ decision.

Completion status is a reduced fee status available to MPhil/PhD students who are confirmed to be in the 'writing up' phase of their programme.

The criteria for approval for completion status is included in full in Section 2.5 of the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF). For information about fee liability in this mode, please refer to Annex 7 of the College’s Tuition Fee Policy and Procedures.

Tuition fee amounts for each Academic Year are listed on the Fees website.

In exceptional circumstances, students may be granted an extension to their registration beyond the maximum period. The process for requesting an extension, as well as the criteria for approval, are included in Section 2.6 of the Code of Practice for Postgraduate Research and Training (PDF). Applications are made via our online Request to Extend Registration Period Form.

Where the Graduate School grants an extension request, the student will be liable for Continuation fees throughout their extension period. For information about fee liability in this mode, please refer to Annex 7 of the College’s Tuition Fee Policy and Procedures. Tuition fee amounts for each Academic Year are listed on the Fees website.

From 1 April 2021, eligible students are permitted to opt-in to an extension to their Completion period of 6 months FT/ 12 months PT. The following students are eligible for extensions to their Completion periods:

• Students who started their MPhil/PhD programme prior to 1 March 2020
• Students who have been approved for Completion status
• Students who have not yet submitted their thesis for examination

Students who have already been granted extensions to their maximum registration periods and are currently in Continuation status who wish to avail themselves of this adjustment should contact graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk)

Students who been granted UKRI funding extensions (through their own DTP or through the Graduate School’s Phase 2 scheme) who wish to avail themselves of this adjustment should contact graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk) to check their eligibility.

For more information about this amendment, please refer to COVID-19 Amendments to PGR Student Policies (PDF) or email graduateschool (@gold.ac.uk

If you need to apply to extend your Student visa during your studies please make an appointment with the Immigration Advisory Service well in advance of any application.

Further details on extending your Student Visa.

Research degree examinations

Information on the MPhil/PhD examination process.