Graduate Studies and Research

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Examination of Thesis Fees

• M.Phil TT$100.00

• Ph.D TT$150.00

Higher Degrees (MPhil and PhD)

Students must continue to pay fees until the submission of the thesis to the Office of

Graduate Studies & Research, after which they are required to continue to register every semester and pay the registration fee until awarded.

NOTE:

If the thesis or project is submitted before September 30 - semester I or end of

February - semester II, only the registration fee of TT$20.00 is payable.

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UPGRADING OF REGISTRATION FROM MPHIL TO PHD

A candidate registered for the MPhil degree who wishes to upgrade his or her registration to the PhD must apply after a period of one year full-time, or two years part-time, from the date of initial registration, and should complete the upgrade of registration by the end of three years full-time, or five years part-time from the date of initial registration.  The candidate must have the support of the supervisor and the relevant Head of Department and have given evidence of having the qualifications necessary for writing a thesis for the PhD. (Regulation 1.40)

The Procedure for Upgrading of Registration

1. Consult with supervisor and then write to the Senior/Assistant Registrar, through the Supervisor and the Head of Department/Unit or Director of Institute/Centre, formally seeking an upgrade of your registration.
2. The Senior/Assistant Registrar will seek a recommendation from the Head of Department, advising him or her of student’s eligibility for the upgrade.
3. If the Head of Department is in agreement with the student’s request to upgrade, he/she will submit the recommendations for the Upgrade Assessment Committee to the Chair of the Campus Committee for approval.
4. Once approval has been given for the composition of the Upgrade Assessment Committee, the designated Chairman shall ask the student to provide a copy of his/her Upgrade Proposal for each of the Assessors, and set a mutually agreed date for the oral presentation by the student of his/her:
   
   1. Report on the work done and accomplishments to date under the M.Phil. registration.
   2. Proposal to upgrade the work to the Ph.D. beyond the M.Phil. level.

Upgrade Proposal Document

The precise form of material considered as part of the Upgrade Proposal will vary across Departments and disciplines so the student should draft his/her Upgrade Proposal in consultation with his or her Supervisor(s).  The Upgrade Proposal should be no more than 100 pages.

It should cover at least the following components:

1. An introduction giving the context of the work;
2. A literature review;
3. A research question and hypothesis;
4. A section on methodology
5. A substantial piece of work towards the thesis objectives;
6. A plan and timetable for the reminder of the work; and
7. A bibliography.

Guidelines for upgrading MPhil to PhD (link to document in Research Degree Document Library)

Upgrade Seminar

The upgrade seminar will consist of at least a 30 minute oral presentation of the work and proposal by the student, followed by the questions posed to the student by the Assessors.

Possible Outcomes

• Pass – upgrade of registration to PhD; or
• Adequate – subject to revision of the Upgrade Proposal to the satisfaction of the Supervisor within two (2) months; or
• Inadequate – Revise and resubmit the Upgrade Proposal for second and final attempt at the upgrade seminar within six (6) months; or
• Fail – MPhil to be completed within a specified time.

Progress Reports (Reg 1.69)

• Your Chief Supervisor must submit biannually to the Campus Committee through the Head of Department, a report on the work you have done under his/her supervision.
• Members of your Advisory Committee are required to meet with you at least once per year and based on these meetings should submit to the Campus Committee, through your Head of Department, an annual report on your progress.
• Your Supervisor shall supply you with a copy of these reports, and you shall be invited to verify that you have seen these reports.
• Supervisor’s Progress Report Form (For students not on a graduate scholarship) - updated Jan 2021

Graduate Research Seminars (Reg. 1.68)

• Students enrolled for an MPhil degree must satisfactorily complete at least two (2) research seminars, to be convened by the relevant Head of Department, prior to the submission of their MPhil thesis.
• Student enrolled for PhD degree must satisfactorily complete three (3) research seminar prior to submission of their PhD thesis.
• The upgrade seminar will count as one of the three (3) seminars for the PhD, provided that it is not the last seminar.
• Assessments of student’s seminars must be included in their progress Reports.

• Students enrolled in Professional Doctorates must satisfactorily complete research seminars as specified in Programme requirements.

Guidelines for Mandatory MPhil & PhD Seminars  (link to documents library)

Examination of Theses/Manuscripts

Entry for Examination by Thesis/Manuscript

• A candidate must submit for the approval of the Campus Committee, the exact title of his/her thesis/Manuscript at that time when he or she applies for entry to the examination.  An approved thesis title may not be changed except with the permission of the Campus Committee.
• An MPhil candidate must have satisfactorily completed two (2) seminars and at least six (6) credits of courses before applying for entry to the examination of the thesis.
• The PhD candidate must have satisfactorily completed three (3) seminars and at least nine (9) credits of courses before applying for entry to the examination of the thesis.
• Candidates must apply to enter for the examination by thesis on the prescribed form,  Application for Examination of Thesis not less than three months before the expected date of submission of the thesis.
• The application must be accompanied by the required examination fee and must be signed by the candidates Supervisor and Head of Department.
• Candidates will be invited to submit their thesis/manuscript for examination when the Office of Graduate Studies and Research has received approved nomination of examiners from the Head of Department/Dean or Deputy Dean.

Documents Required for Submission of theses/Manuscripts for Examination

When invited to submit the following documents must be e-mailed to PGResearch@sta.uwi.edu:

• One (1) electronic copy of the thesis in PDF and Word format (Please submit large files via drop box or Google Drive link),
• An electronic copy of the Turnitin Report in PDF Format
• A scanned copy of the Certificate of Completion signed by your Supervisor(s) and Head of Department.   Certificate of Completion of Thesis/Research Paper/Project

Re-Submission for Re-Examination: Documents Required

When re-submitting for re-examination the following documents must be e-mailed to PGResearch@sta.uwi.edu:

• One (1) electronic copy of the revised thesis in PDF and word format (Please submit large files via drop box or Google Drive links),
• An electronic copy of your signed statement of revisions document

Re-submission Before Proceeding to Oral Examination: Documents Required

When submitting a revised thesis/Manuscript before proceeding to the Oral Examination the following documents must be submitted to PGResearch@sta.uwi.edu:

• One (1) electronic copy of the thesis in PDF and Word format (Please submit large files via drop box or Google Drive link),

• An electronic copy of your signed statement of revisions document
• A memo or letter from your supervisor/examiners certifying that you have done all your revisions to their satisfaction.

Documents Required for submission of the corrected Thesis/Manuscript (for the award of the degree)

When submitting your final corrected Thesis/Manuscript the following documents must be e-mailed to PGResearch@sta.uwi.edu:

• One (1) electronic copy of the thesis in PDF and Word format (Please submit large files via drop box or Google Drive link),

• An electronic copy of your signed statement of corrections document

• An electronic copy memo or letter from supervisor/examiners certifying that you have completed your corrections to their satisfaction.
• An electronic copy of the signed declaration form.

Award of High Commendation (Reg. 1.75)

The award of an MPhil/PhD shall be conferred with High Commendation where the Examiners are unanimous in their recommendation that such an award should be made (see Reg. 3.25).

 In the case of Professional Doctorates (PhD Business Administration and the Doctor of Business Administration), candidates must also have attained a Grade A average over the coursework component of the Programme, and a candidate failing a course (Including an elective course) required for the completion of the programme shall be ineligible for the award of High Commendation.  Failure in a co-requisite course shall not exclude the student from receiving high commendation.

High Commendation will not normally be awarded to candidates who have exceeded the time limits for registration.

Extension in Time for Submission of Thesis/Manuscript

• A candidate whose period of registration is about to end (See Regulations 1.49-1.50) may apply for an extension of time.
• Campus Committees may approve extensions of time limits of up to 2 years for MPhil, PhD and Professional Doctorates theses.
• Extensions in time are decided at your Faculty of Board of Examiners Meetings which are held after each semester.  You are advised to speak to your Supervisor or Head of Department about your desire to have an extension in time to submit your thesis/Manuscript.

Leave of Absence Reg. 1.37)

• A student who for good reason wishes to be absent from an academic programme for a semester or more may apply for a formal leave of absence to the Campus committee , stating the reasons for the application.
• Leave of absence will not be granted for more than two consecutive academic years, unless the Board for Graduate Studies and Research in any particular case decides otherwise.
• Applications for Leave of Absence for a semester shall be submitted by the end of the third week of the relevant semester.
• Applications for leave of absence for the academic year shall be submitted by the end of the third week of Semester I.

How To Apply for Leave of Absence

• Log in to the new student portal (my.uwi.edu)
• Go to ‘mySecureArea’
• Go to ‘Student Services & Financial Aid’
• Click on ‘Registration’
• Click on ‘Application for Leave of Absence’
• Follow the steps required for the application and click ‘Submit’

Please note:

• Medical Certificates are required if your reason for the application for leave of absence is medical.
• A confirmation e-mail will be sent to your new student portal Email with a tracking number once your application is submitted.
• Students can track the progress and status of their application by logging into Banner and clicking on the specific Tracking Number to see details.  When making enquires, please use your tracking number as a reference.
• All updates will be communicated to the applicant through The UWI Official Student email.
• For further info you may contact: 662-2002 Exts. 84191 and 85018.

Contact Information

Mrs. Rachel Harripaul - Rachel.Nyack2@sta.uwi.edu (School of Educations, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology)

Ms. Sherelle Trim - Sherelle.Trim@sta.uwi.edu (Faculty of Law, Faculty of Engineering, School of Humanities, Seismic Research Unit)

Mrs. Shernelle Babb - Shernelle.Babb@sta.uwi.edu (Faculty of Food and Agriculture, Faculty of Social Sciences, SALISES, Institute of International Relations)

Ms. Vanessa Duncan - Vanessa.Duncan@sta.uwi.edu (Administrative Assistant, MPhil and PhD Matters)

Should you wish to speak to a member of staff please access our LIVE CHAT at https://sta.uwi.edu/admissions/postgrad/) between the hours of 8.30 am to 4.30 p.m)