The Viva Process

Paragraph 5 : The role of the internal examiner is essentially that of custodian of the College regulations and standards. Staff appointed as internal examiners for MPhil, PhD, EngD or MD(Res) examinations should fulfil the following criteria:  

All staff: 

must have supervised at least one PhD or EngD or MD (Res) student to successful completion at the University 

must have acted as an assessor for either/or a successful MPhil/PhD transfer, an Early Stage Assessment or a Late Stage Review, normally on at least 3 occasions and 

ideally they must have experience of examining research degrees at Imperial College London. 

Paragraph 9: The external examiner should be a recognised international expert normally with experience of examining a research student at a leading university. The external examiner ought normally to be a Reader or Professor (or equivalent in an overseas university or if nominated from outside the higher education sector) and their role is essentially that of the subject expert.

12

The following persons may not be appointed to examine a research candidate: the candidate’s supervisor(s); the candidate’s mentor; anyone who has played a significant advisory role in the candidate’s research; anyone who has published with the supervisor in the last five years. 

13 

In proposing examiners, supervisors must be mindful of all connections between candidate, supervisors, mentors and proposed examiners. Such connections may be kinship, professional, academic or personal and may include, for example, co-publication, joint holding of grants, etc. Supervisors are asked to declare any such connections in the examiner nomination form. Supervisors are also asked to state briefly why each examiner is appropriate for their role and why the pairing of the examiners is particularly suitable. 

14 

A person who has been involved in the assessment of a candidate’s Early Stage Assessment or Late Stage Review is not debarred from serving as one of the examiners of the final thesis (but see point 13 above): this connection must be stated and the rationale justified on the nomination form. 

20 

An individual should not normally be appointed an External Examiner if they: a. Have previously been involved in the supervision or assessment of the student in question. b. Were previously a member of the same research group as the student in question. c. Are a former member of university staff, except where a period of five years has passed and subject to 20 (a) and (b) above. d. Are a former student of the university, except where a period of five years has passed and subject to 20 (a) and (b) above. e. Have previously held an Honorary or Visiting appointment with the university, except where a period of five years has passed and subject to 20 (a) and (b) above  

Paragraph 98: 

The following options are open to examiners in determining the result of the PhD examination:  

a) 

Pass: The student is permitted to submit typographical amendments within one month which can be reviewed by the examiners, or nominees. 

b) 

Pass, subject to minor amendments: The student must submit amendments within six months, which must be reviewed by the examiners, or nominees.  

c) 

Section 13: Thesis for the PhD degree

73 The thesis shall:  

a) 

consist of the student’s own account of their investigations, the greater proportion of which shall have been undertaken during the period of registration under supervision for the degree; [The part played by the student in any work undertaken jointly with the supervisor(s) and/or fellow research workers must be clearly stated by the student.]  

b) 

c) 

and be an integrated whole and present a coherent argument; [A series of papers, whether published or otherwise, is not acceptable for submission as a thesis. Research work already published, or submitted for publication, at the time of submission of the thesis, either by the student alone or jointly with others, may be included in the thesis. The published papers themselves may not be included in the body of the thesis, but may be adapted to form an integral part of the thesis and thereby make a relevant contribution to the main theme of the thesis. Publications derived from the work in the thesis may be attached as supplementary material to the thesis.]  

d) 

and give a critical assessment of the relevant literature, describe the method of research and its findings, include discussion on those findings and indicate in what respects they appear to the student to advance the study of the subject; and, in so doing, demonstrate a deep and synoptic understanding of the field of study, (the student being able to place the thesis in a wider context), objectivity and the capacity for judgment in complex situations and autonomous work in that field; 

e) 

and be written in English and the literary presentation shall be satisfactory, although a student may make application for a thesis in the field of modern foreign languages and literatures only to be written in the language of study, to be considered on an exceptional basis by the Early Career Researcher Institute; in such cases the thesis shall include additionally a submission of between 10,000 and 20,000 words which shall be written in English and shall summarise the main arguments of the thesis; 

g) 

and include a full bibliography and references; 

h) 

and demonstrate research skills relevant to the thesis being presented