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Transfer of status

In This Section

By the end of your fourth term, you must have completed your Transfer of Status from Probationer Research Student (PRS) to DPhil or MSc by Research student. You will be required to complete the GSO2.MSD form and write a progress report as part of this milestone. You will be reminded to complete the process by the Graduate Studies Administrator and can check your deadline on Student Self-Service.

The GSO2.MSD form can be downloaded on the Graduate Forms page. You must complete this form in advance of the transfer viva, and should send the signed form (by you, your supervisor and college) to the Graduate Studies Administrator. The administrator will obtain the DGS’s signature and send the relevant paperwork to your assessors. Please make sure the form is ready at least two weeks before the viva date so there is plenty of time to do this. The transfer report should be sent directly to the assessors by the student, and the meeting date arranged by the supervisor.

The transfer report should be completed in concert with the GSO2.MSD form and should outline a summary of the project and its main objectives. 

FOR THE DPHIL

The report should be no more than 5000 words in length and should include an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, any appendices, and future plans including a proposed timetable for completion. The word limit excludes tables and references.

The assessors will need to see the following points addressed in your transfer report:

  1. That there is a clear and defined project
  2. That an investigative strategy has been devised
  3. That some initial progress has been made in terms of method development and acquisition of results. 
  4. That there is a clear and timetabled path towards completion of the project.

FOR THE MSC BY RESEARCH

The report should be no more than 500 words and should include a timeline to submission.

ASSESSORS

As part of your Transfer of Status, you will meet with two assessors (for MSc by Research you will have to give a presentation) to undergo an oral assessment, also referred to as the transfer viva. Your supervisors must not be present at this meeting.

The assessors will normally be proposed by the supervisor and approved by the DGS. Both assessors should be internal to Oxford, however an honorary contract for an NHS Trust employee would be acceptable. Assessors may be external to the department. At least one of the assessors should have supervised a student to completion in Oxford, however there should be no supervisory link with the student being assessed.

After the transfer viva the assessors will return an assessment sheet and a written report to the Graduate Studies Administrator, and this will be forwarded along with the GSO.2.MSD form to the Divisional Graduate School Office for approval by the Medical Sciences Board. The result will be confirmed in writing once approved.

DEFERRAL

If you will not be in a position to complete transfer of status by the given deadline, you should apply for a deferral. To do this you must complete a GSO.2b via Student Self-Service, which you can access here. If you do not complete transfer or apply for a deferral, your status will lapse, and you will have to apply to be reinstated.