Specific Regulations for Doctor of Philosophy by Prior Publication
Regulations for 2024/25 (in association with FERA)
These regulations should be read in conjunction with the:
- (PDF:211.3 kB )
- Doctor of Philosophy Degree Assessment Regulations (PDF: 211.8 kB)
- Code of Practice for PGR students (PDF: 444.4 kB) approved by Senate, which is reviewed annually and made available each academic year
These regulations use Academic Unit, as an overarching term for School and Institute.
Where reference is made in these regulations to any named University role, such references are to be read as including reference to their nominees.
A. Introduction
1. Applicants for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Prior Publication are required to show ability to construct original investigations, to explore critically, evaluate and test their ideas and those of others, and to relate them to a sider body of knowledge.
2. The University’s Code of Practice for PGR students provides further details in the section, ’Criteria for the Doctorate’.
B. General Entrance Requirements
Pre-application process
3. In order for an applicant to be considered for admission to the PhD by Prior Publication, FERA will firstly undertake an internal process to identify suitable applicants (from FERA employees) with the required publications for entry to this programme. A non-refundable deposit of £250 will applied in the pre-acceptance phase, which will be payable by the applicant.
4. The number of required publications is equivalent of 4 sole authored papers (minimum of 3 published and 1 in its final stages). The number of publications should be increased pro-rata if jointly authored publications are submitted.
5. FERA will provide any suitable applicant with an agreement in principle to undertake the PhD by Prior Publication is as part of their Continued Professional Development, providing the required study time and tuition fee funding for the programme.
Application process:
6. Once written approval has been provided by FERA the applicant should then submit a postgraduate application via the Newcastle admissions system.
7. The application will require a copy of the applicant’s CV, previous qualifications, a cover letter (explaining their experience and research so far), the intended publications to be submitted as part of the PhD, confirmation letter from FERA (committing to the required study time and tuition fee funding for the programme), and two referees contact details.
8.The applicant should submit an Outside Study form as part of their application to the PhD by Prior Publication.
C. Period of Study and Registration Requirements
9. The minimum candidature period for the PhD by Prior Publication/Practice will be 12 months.
10. The maximum candidature will be 24 months.
11. Students who have the required number of publications by the end of the 12-month minimum candidature period may register as ‘pending submission’ for up to 12 months. The ‘pending submission’ period is not subject to tuition fees.
12. Where the required number of publications have not been completed within the minimum candidature period, the student may register for up to 12 months and the normal Band 2 fee will be charged (pro rata).
13. If a student is unable to submit by the 24-month maximum candidature deadline, an extension to the thesis submission deadline will be required which includes additional fees, and is subject to normal University approval processes. (See Section M of the Doctor of Philosophy Progress Regulations.)
D. Attendance and Progress
14. The tuition fee will include:
- Academic supervision (Minimum of 2 supervisors);
- General administrative costs from application through to examination and award;
- Access to Newcastle University support services, general facilities, and IT account (Library, hot-desk, software, etc.);
- Postgraduate Researcher development training programme;
- Examination costs.
15. This fee will not include:
- IT Hardware provision;
- Research costs budget;
- Access to laboratories, equipment, or consumables;
- Travel and associated expenses.
F. Training and Induction
17. The student will be provided with a hybrid training programme that will include both in-person block attendance on campus (induction with supervisory team, and University induction), and access to online training workshops.
18. It is anticipated that the core training will be a maximum of 15 hours training with access to additional resources via the Faculty Researcher Development Programme. The Faculty of SAgE will curate a suggested list but leave this open to individual requirements.
19. Core training will include:
- Enrolment and Induction;
- Introduction to academia (research degree management and academic skills support);
- Writing support to develop a thesis by publication;
- Bespoke career development coaching session;
- Additional internal training opportunities provided directly by FERA.
J. Examination
22.The Doctoral candidate will be required to produce a final thesis that incorporates all 4 papers and a 10,000-word Doctoral Statement, which meets the requirements of the PhD by publication under Faculty/University regulations
23. Upon submission of the final thesis and documents an examination period would then commence in accordance with the Doctor of Philosophy Assessment Regulations.
24. Entry to the programme will not guarantee award of the qualification