Introduction to the Graduate School Handbook

Overview

The handbook has information about each of the main processes you will encounter during your PGR study from admission to final submission and assessment, together with information about important research policies and links to other university research pages. There is also information about the help and support that is available if you find yourself in difficulties during your studies, both within the Graduate School and from other services across the University.

PGRs registered on Professional Doctorate programmes will also receive information specific to the requirements of their award via their award handbooks and should contact their award leader for information about these.

Using the Graduate School Handbook

Information is organised into chapters or parts for each main process. Use the interactive contents menu to navigate through to the chapter that you need. Within each chapter, the information is organised into academic regulations, then procedures, then additional information and frequently asked questions. 

Click on the headings in boxes within each chapter to access further information specific to that heading. This is particularly useful when scrolling through the frequently asked questions attached to most chapters. 

Embedded links will take you to other Graduate School web pages eg where you can pick up the forms that you will need to complete for the relevant process, access policies, or find further specific guidance. You will use some parts of this handbook more frequently than others, but you should try to familiarise yourself with most chapters as you will encounter nearly all of the processes at least once during your studies at UWE Bristol.

Introduction to postgraduate research academic regulations

The academic regulations are the framework of rules in which all the University's learning and assessment activities take place. Regulations are mandatory. They set out what must happen and what the impact will be. Postgraduate research degree regulations within the handbook are indicated with a PGR prefix and an ‘R’ suffix.

Postgraduate research regulations are applicable to all postgraduate researchers and are about all aspects of the research project element of their research degree award, including personal circumstances affecting research. They are also for all those who are involved in supporting postgraduate research degree study at UWE Bristol.

Where postgraduate researchers undertake taught modules either as part of their research development and training programme, or as part of a Professional Doctorate award, the University’s academic regulations and procedures for taught programmes (PDF) apply to the taught elements. This includes personal circumstances for assessments and coursework in taught modules.

Processes for making an academic appeal against the decision of an Award Board, or for making a complaint are the same for both research and taught aspects of research degree awards.

Postgraduate research academic procedures

Academic procedures describe how the PGR regulations must be implemented and the processes that must be used. In a large university, this ensures that all PGRs are treated fairly and consistently throughout the institution. PGR procedures are also mandatory, and are indicated by the PGR prefix but do not have an 'R' suffix.

Additional information, guidance and frequently asked questions

Information in these sections is designed to address the queries that the Graduate School receives most often from PGRs and their supervisors, together with examples of good practice, advice and background material to facilitate PGR processes.

UWE Bristol policies

As students of the University, all postgraduate researchers are also subject to and supported by the University’s published non-academic policies. 

Any postgraduate researcher or supervisor who is still uncertain about which regulations, procedures or policies apply to them should contact the Graduate School.