PROGRAMME AIMS
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) trains you as a researcher and allows you to develop advanced techniques and in-depth knowledge in a specialist area. You will develop an all-round knowledge of your discipline, and a broad range of transferable skills.
You will carry out independent research, resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in your chosen area. You will work under the guidance of your supervisors. To be awarded a PhD you will submit a thesis and defend this thesis in an oral examination (assessed according to the University's regulations).
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
The prescribed period of study for a full-time Integrated PhD is 48 months, and University regulations allow a further 12 months study time for completion of the thesis. Progress during your PhD is assessed by annual reviews, which formally determine whether you can progress with your PhD.
In Year 1 students are encouraged to:
- Attend the compulsory induction for PhD students and any other inductions or training required.
- Complete a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) by the end of month 2.
- Work with supervisors to establish the research project which will be the basis for the dissertation.
- If applicable, complete risk assessment/ethics approval in relation to the proposed research, any proposed fieldwork.
- Take training courses from Institute of Academic Development (IAD) and the Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences. First year students are expected in particular to complete the IAD's Effective Tutoring Introduction.
- Participate in tutoring and teaching assistant duties.
Students are required to:
- Apply for SGPE affiliation, and complete any affiliation requirements that arise from this.
- Attend and present at the SGPE conference.
- Submit for approval a First-Year report in preparation for the Progression Review at the end of First Year.
- Present their dissertation prospectus to the First Year review panel, and successfully complete all other elements of the First Year review.
Progression to second year requires students to pass the compulsory coursework component of the programme. Coursework performance is formally assessed by the Exam Board (whose members include an external examiner) when it meets in June. Progression is dependent on the successful completion of the published training requirements, all to a standard sufficiently high enough to indicate the student's suitability to continue with a doctoral research project. In addition, students must have achieved all formal credits with a coursework average of 60, and the PhD Dissertation Prospectus must be passed with a minimum mark of 70. Where students fail to achieve all required credits, the Exam Board may award credit on aggregate for up to 40 credits as necessary. The Exam Board may also require students to retake up to 40 failed credits in their second year, or to take alternative courses to make up the missing credits.
At the end of first year, students may leave with an MSc(R) Economics rather than progressing to the second year of the PhD, providing they have performed adequately in the coursework component and fulfilled the requirements of the Taught Assessment Regulations.
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