Higher Doctorates

1. An initial application should be made in writing for the attention of the Officer of the Examining Board, via the Doctoral Academy. The applicant should head the email or letter ‘Higher Doctorate’.
2. Applications will be considered by the Examining Board who will decide if the application is suitable to proceed to examination; this preliminary scrutiny will normally be carried out by a panel of the Board, comprising:
   • the Chair of the Examining Board
   • the relevant College Director of Postgraduate research degrees
   • a senior member of staff who has significant subject expertise and is an established and active member of the research community within the field of the application (this person will normally be a member of the University Professoriate but they do not have to be a member of the Examining Board).
3. Where appropriate, the panel may seek advice from an individual external to the University and wholly unconnected to the applicant or their research about the application and/or the identification of two suitable external examiners. Such an external adviser will receive a copy of the application. The panel will make its recommendation to the Board for decision.
4. Where the application proceeds to examination, the Board will also invite two individuals to act as external examiners. Examiners will have experience of examining at least at doctoral, and preferably at higher doctoral level.
5. The Officer to the Board will organise all examination arrangements and payment of fees by the applicant, now ‘candidate’.

1. The applicant will pay such fees as are determined by the University, and published in its fees policy. The fee payable will be in two parts:
   • the first part to be submitted with the initial application
   • the second part, where the application proceeds to formal examination.

Please note: fees are non-refundable.

1. The successful candidate will be required to submit one copy of the following to the University’s Research Repository:
   • the supporting statement (see regulation E23.v)
   • a bibliography comprising the list of research outputs submitted in support of the application and a list of other publications and significant research outputs.
2. Any material submitted in hard copy as part of the application will be returned to the candidate if requested. Hard copies of outputs will not be retained by the University.

1. Individuals granted a Higher Doctorate award will normally be required to give a public lecture within one year of conferment of the award.