Guide for MPhil/PhD with a Practice Element

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Guide for MPhil/PhD with

a Practice Element

This document is for advice and guidance only and is not a substitute for the Research Degree Regulatory Framework. In case of any conflict these formal statements and requirements take precedence over the student handbook.

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the handbook, as at 1st September 2014. The University of Worcester can, however, take no responsibility for errors or omissions or for arrangements made by third parties. It reserves the right to change the information given at any time.

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1.1 The MPhil and PhD at the University of Worcester can take the form of a 100% written thesis or the thesis can incorporate an element of practice. This might be as a research methodology, as a research outcome or as a means of testing propositions set out in the written component of the thesis. The following document offers some additional guidance for students working towards a PhD which involves an element of creative practice. This must be read in conjunction with regulations as laid out in the Research Degree Regulatory Framework.

1.2 It is important to stress that creative or performance practice alone will not be admissible for the award of PhD. Students (with the support of their supervisory team) undertaking a PhD involving creative practice must therefore follow the processes as outlined below to ensure that their research project is substantially equal in rigour to a PhD without a practice element.

2. Practice-based research at the University of Worcester

2.1 At the University of Worcester, each Academic Institute should provide guidance on the exact nature and scope of the practice element permissible within a practiced based PhD project. Currently, practice-based research is most prominent in the Institute of Humanities and Creative Arts and here the practice can range from design and fine art to creative writing, media technology, photography and performance.

3. Application and Admission

3.1 The application and admissions process for a PhD involving creative practice is identical to that for a traditional route PhD with the following additions: a.) The nature of the ‘practice’ must be specified in the application form.

b.) The resources and facilities required to generate the research and the means to examine the research must be discussed at the point of admission and an offer should only be made if these facilities and resources are available. c.) The applicant must be able to demonstrate that they have the requisite skills,

knowledge and experience to carry out the project or the ability to acquire these.

d.) The balance of the elements that will make up the final submission must be discussed with the supervisory team at interview. This balance is likely to change during the research degree programme so although this will be provisionally agreed when the research proposal is received by the Research Degrees Board, the final decision will be made during the transfer to PhD, at which point, it is expected that an external examiner will also have been appointed and consulted.

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4. Supervision

4.1 It is expected that the supervisory team for a PhD involving creative practice will include staff with relevant experience in a field cognate with the practical work. The team will guide the student in the development of the research project, ensure that the practice is based in research and ensure that there is a close relationship between the research-based practice and the written thesis.

5. Research Proposal

5.1 As stated above, when the Research Degrees Board receive the research proposal for a PhD involving creative practice they will want to see information about the nature of the practice element of the research, the proposed balance of the elements that make up the final submission (including proposed word count of the thesis), a statement about resources and facilities required to carry out the research (and how these will be accessed), a detailed timeline (which must be kept under constant review) and the means to examine the research. Research Degrees Board will only approve a research proposal for a PhD by Practice when they are satisfied that all these elements have been satisfactorily addressed. The Board acknowledges that some aspects of the programme are likely to change as the project grows and develops and for this reason recognise that there will be an on-going process of review (that is formally documented during the Annual Interview). Final decisions about the length of the written submission, the balance of the elements etc will be agreed during the Transfer to PhD.

6. The Final Submission

6.1 As stated above, the relationship between the practice and written element of the submission will have been established well in advance of final submission. Together, the practical and written component and written thesis will form 100% of the examined submission.

6.2 The submission, including both the written and practice material must have been completed during the student’s period of registration with the University. The practice work must be set out in its relevant theoretical, historical, critical and where appropriate, visual context.

6.3 The presentation of formally examinable practice should not normally be more than one calendar year in advance of the final written submission.

6.4 All submissions involving practice must include a permanent record of the practice element that is stored in such a way that makes it accessible and retrievable and in a manner that renders the research imperative of the work and the role it plays in the submission (CDRom, DVD, scores, drawings, photographs etc). This must be bound into the document deposited in the University Library. Where material is too bulky to be included in the permanent

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examination.

6.5 In addition to other forms of recording, the written component of the submission will normally include a short descriptive account of the practice components to be examined.

6.6 The written component of the thesis must include a list of all the work to be included for examination.

6.7 The written component of the thesis will follow the standard presentation as laid out in the Research Student handbook.

7. Examination

7.1 It will be necessary to appoint examiners earlier than is customary for the traditional route PhD if the practice element is to be accessed in advance of the viva voce. It is important that the examination team is happy with the arrangements for examination and for this reason, the examination team must have been appointed and consulted prior to transfer to PhD, during which the format of the submission and examination will be agreed.

7.2 If the examiners are required to see a piece of work (for example a performance or a piece of artwork) prior to the viva voce examination, care must be taken to maintain an appropriate professional distance from the student. Any questions arising at this point must simply be points of clarification. Interrogation of the work will only take place during the viva voce

examination itself. Please be aware that if there is to be a presentation of work prior to the viva voce, it is the student’s responsibility to make the practical arrangements for this presentation (for example, to arrange the location, nature, timing, etc. of the additional presentation of work).

7.3 At the appropriate time, the supervisory team must submit the examination arrangements on the RDB3. This should include an additional statement outlining how, where and when the practice elements will be directly experienced by the examination team. If access proves impossible or would delay examination beyond three months after submission, the viva should take place in a timely manner and the student should be given the opportunity to speak to the documentation/permanent record provided.

7.4 The University will cover the examiner’s travel costs and expenses for visits in addition to that for the final viva voce.

Guide for MPhil/PhD with a Practice Element