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Improving standards in postgraduate research degree programmes

Summary

This report presents the findings of a review commissioned by the higher Education Funding Councils of England, Scotland and Wales (HEFCE, SHEFC and HEFCW), to identify indicators that could form the basis of threshold standards in research degree programmes (RDPs).

The report presents a framework of standards for RDPs that builds upon existing good practice in the sector. This framework covers the breadth of research training, including the research environment, selection, induction, progress and examination of students, supervisory arrangements and skills development, together with institutional arrangements for quality assurance, procedures and regulations.

The principal recommendation of the report is that the Funding Councils should adopt the framework and define threshold standards as the basis for conditional funding for RDPs.

This is the first of three stages in the project. Stages two and three will develop these threshold standards, systems for assessment and monitoring, and the funding models to support them.

Comments on the report are welcome, and should be sent to Will Naylor, Policy Officer at the HEFCE, e-mail w.naylor@hefce.ac.uk

Download the report and annexes

Report

[ MS Word 233K | Zipped Word 81K | Adobe PDF 89K | Zipped PDF 74K ]

Annexes

A    Glossary and abbreviations
[ MS Word 60K | Zipped Word 9K | Adobe PDF 9K | Zipped PDF 7K ]

B    Steering Group membership and terms of reference
[ MS Word 61K | Zipped Word 9K | Adobe PDF 20K | Zipped PDF 14K ]

C    Project methodology
[ MS Word 85K | Zipped Word 14K | Adobe PDF 29K | Zipped PDF 23K ]

D    Framework of standards for research degree programmes
[ MS Word 97K | Zipped Word 21K | Adobe PDF 57K | Zipped PDF 48K ]

E    Summary of framework standards
[ MS Word 71K | Zipped Word 12K | Adobe PDF 23K | Zipped PDF 18K ]

F    Quality Assurance Agency audit reports
[ MS Word 105K | Zipped Word 21K | Adobe PDF 46K | Zipped PDF 36K ]

G    Joint Research Councils/AhRB statement of skills requirements for research students
[ MS Word 38K | Zipped Word 10K | Adobe PDF 15K | Zipped PDF 9K ]

H    Institutional good practice mapped against framework standards
[ MS Word 108K | Zipped Word 23K | Adobe PDF 65K | Zipped PDF 57K ]

I    Comparisons of international practices
[ MS Word 85K | Zipped Word 20K | Adobe PDF 35K | Zipped PDF 26K ]

J    Relevant literature on research degree programmes
[ MS Word 46K | Zipped Word 9K | Adobe PDF 17K | Zipped PDF 11K ]

K    Research Council/AHRB requirements for postgraduate funding
[ MS Word 98K | Zipped Word 15K | Adobe PDF 23K | Zipped PDF 17K ]

Last updated 4 September 2003