Milestones and Study Plan for PhD Students No. Requirements, Study Plan / What To Do When / Remarks 1. Matriculation July - for August Intake New students need to report to School after matriculating with the Graduate Studies Office (GSO). 2. Submit Research Scholar/Graduate Student Data Form Full-time graduate students on scholarship need to complete the form and submit it the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) Office through their respective divisional administrator. 3. Proposed Research Topic And Supervisor - If students have not contacted a potential supervisor before joining NTU, the Division will help them find suitable supervisor to work with. - The supervisor needs to submit the form Proposed Research Topic And Supervisor/Thesis Advisory Committee for MA/PhD Research Students through the Head of Division to the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) for approval. - The Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) Office will send completed form to GSO. 4. Study Plan and Thesis Advisory Committee - Students must work out a study plan for the candidature period with their supervisor - The supervisor and student, with approval from the Division, will form a Thesis Advisory Committee. - Submit the TAC form to Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) Office - It is the duty of the TAC to approve the study plan and monitor student s progress. 5. Coursework Requirement and Course Registration - Research students in the PhD programme must take 6 courses (18AUs) during the first 2 to 4 semesters of their studies. A minimum CGPA of 3.5 must be attained. Students can take 2 additional courses on top of the 6- course requirement. Please note that additional courses are included in the CGPA* calculations. - PhD students may appeal for up to 3 course exemptions on the basis of having taken graduate level courses in previous graduate programmes. - PhD students are required to take the English courses HWG702-Small Group Teaching and HWG703- Graduate English (which may be exempted for those who meet the exemption criteria). These are over and above the 6-course requirement. - All research students are required to complete the January - for January Intake - After reporting to School and as soon as possible - For authorisation of stipend payments Research Scholar/Graduate Student Data Form Within 4 weeks after commencement of candidature Proposed Research Topic And Supervisor/Thesis Advisory Committee for MA/PhD Research Students Within 6 months after commencement of candidature Proposed Research Topic And Supervisor/Thesis Advisory Committee for MA/PhD Research Students Registration of courses is to be approved by the supervisor, or as advised by the Graduate Studies Coordinator and the Division. Students must fulfill the 6-course (18AUs) requirement by the second year of their candidature or earlier. Economics Division students have to complete the 6 courses by the end of their first year. The 6 courses do not include the following:
Epigeum Research Integrity Course by the time they are due for confirmation and submit a copy of their certificate to their divisional administrator with their confirmation report. - The Division may require students to take on additional courses which are necessary for their research. - Students may be required to attend weekly research seminars. - After consulting their supervisor, students can register for courses via the Graduate Course Registration System (accessible from GSLink). - Students to submit hardcopy course registration forms (printed from GSLink after online registration) to their supervisor & the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) for approval. * CGPA - Cumulative Grade Point Average. HWG703 Graduate English (if not exempted) HWG702 Small Group Teaching Epigeum Research Integrity Course 6. Start of Research & Progress Report - Supervisors need to submit a progress report every 12 months. Research students, therefore, need to work closely with their supervisor to make sure the progress made in their research every year is acceptable. Note: The progress reports are used as a basis to determine whether your candidature and scholarship will be renewed or discontinued. 7. Confirmation Exercise - After completing their coursework requirement, including HWG703 (if not exempted), HWG702 and Epigeum Research Integrity Course, and having achieved the CGPA requirement, students will be required to go through and pass a Confirmation Exercise (CE). - Timeline: No later than 18 months No later than 12 months (Division of Economics students on PhD track receiving a scholarship) - For timely renewal of award, students are advised to submit their reports to their divisions at least 3 months before the expiry of the year s award. - Students must pass the HWG703 Graduate English course (unless exempted) before they are allowed to take HWG702. - Students who do not fulfill HWG702 may proceed to be confirmed without the S$500 stipend increment until they pass HWG702. There will be no backdating of stipend increment for these candidates when they subsequently pass HWG702. - The CE panel will be formed by the Division. - Students will be informed accordingly to make preparations. Progress monitored by supervisor and Thesis Advisory Committee. Confirmation or Conversion of Candidature/Renewal of Award /Assessment of Progress After attaining the courses and CGPA requirements, and by the second year of their candidature, or earlier for Division of Economics candidates. For all students, and to be submitted to School to convey to GSO: Forms: Confirmation or Conversion of Candidature/Renewal of Award /Assessment of Progress Epigeum Research Integrity Course Couse Certificate A copy of academic records printed via GSLink
- Students will be required to submit copies of their confirmation report to their supervisor. The report should contain both the work the students have done, and their plans for future research. It should be concise and precise. A significant part of it must contain details of future work and a time schedule towards completing their candidature and the writing up of a thesis. An indepth literature review of their approved research topic is required, which forms part of the report. (Divisions may have slightly different formats for the report. Students need to check with their supervisors.) - The panel s report and recommendation will be conveyed through the School to GSO. - Students who fail their Confirmation Exercise may be allowed to undergo another Confirmation Exercise within a fixed period. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis. - Research students who are not confirmed may be downgraded to a Master s candidature or given an option to exit by transferring to a Master by coursework programme. Please note that, if you are not confirmed as a PhD student and are downgraded, the Research Scholarship will be terminated, and you will have to continue on a self-financing basis. 8. Completion of Thesis - PhD students and their supervisor must inform the Head of Division and the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) Office to commence the appointment and approval of examiners at least three months before their forecasted final thesis submission. The appointment of examiners must be approved by GSO before it is deemed official. Note: Please refer to the HSS s Graduate Studies website for regulations for submission of thesis and sample of hard bound theses. 9. Submission of Thesis To ensure the successful submission of thesis, students must take note to submit the following: - Abstract of thesis (150 words); - Receipt issued by Office of Finance for examination fee and semester tuition fees; - A copy of their academic records printed via GSLink; - 3 ring-bound copies of the PhD Thesis Note: Students should check the terms of their funding award on whether the tuition and exam fees are payable by them or by the funding award given to them. If the funding award has lapsed, students will have to pay for the semester tuition fees and all other miscellaneous fees. To work out with their supervisor on the expected thesis completion date 3 months ahead, and submit this date through the Division. Appointment of Examiners for Higher Degree Candidates by Research Thesis to be submitted by the deadline prescribed in the funding award. Supervisor's Report on Submission of Thesis for Examination Normally PhD students take 3 to 5 years to complete their studies. This is not tied to the length of funding they are receiving. If the given funding has expired, the student will have to continue on a self-financing basis, i.e., students will need to find their own means to pay for their own upkeep and all fees.
The date that the supervisor signs the form Supervisor s Report on Submission of Thesis for Examination determines the last date that the student will receive their stipend for the month. If students have gone over their scholarship period, GSO will determine the tuition fees they are liable for, whether full semester or half a semester of tuition fee. Students should submit the final draft of their thesis to their supervisor in advance for him/her to have time to review and approve the final draft. 10. Examination of Thesis - For a PhD thesis, the panel of examiners will consist of one internal examiner and two external examiners. 11. Amendments of Thesis - If the examiners recommend amendments, the examined thesis, required amendments and questions to be answered will be sent by GSO through the School and supervisor to the PhD student. - Students should work with their supervisor on the amendments and on the reply to any question posed by examiners. Examiners are given two months to examine a thesis. Taking into account time for the thesis to be mailed and returned and other unexpected circumstances, the decisions of the examiners may be known in 3 months or more. A research student is given a 6 months fee-free period to re-submit the amended thesis and answer any question posed by the examiners. If the amendments take more than 6 months, the research student may be liable to pay tuition fees. If the maximum PhD candidature period of 5 years has lapsed, the PhD student has to apply to the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) for an extension of the maximum candidature. Forms: Submission of Amended Thesis for Re-examination Application for Extension of Candidature of Higher Degree Candidates (by Research) 12. Re-examination of thesis - The amended thesis certified ready by the supervisor for re-examination is endorsed by the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies), and conveyed through the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) Office to GSO to be sent for re-examination. - If the examiners still recommend amendments the process as described in Point 11 will be repeated. - If the examiners accept the amended thesis, GSO will convey the decisions to the School and the supervisor so that an oral examination can be organised. Examiners will be given 2 weeks to a month to re-examine the thesis.
13. Oral Examination for PhD Candidate - Students are required to submit 3 or more ring-bound copies of their final thesis through GSO to the members of the Oral Examination Panel, together with any possible comments from the examiners. - The Oral Examination Panel will review the final thesis, and conduct the oral examination with the PhD candidate. At this point, any possible last comment by the examiners can be put to the student for further explanation. - The Panel may decide whether the PhD student has passed the oral examination, require another oral examination to be held, or require further amendments to the thesis. - While amending the thesis for the Oral Examination Panel s review, the student may be required to pay tuition fees if he has already used up the 6 months feefree period granted for thesis amendments. - The Oral Examination Panel may recommend that a PhD student be awarded a Master degree. - If the Oral Examination Panel recommends that the thesis be accepted for the award of the degree of PhD; GSO would inform the candidate to submit 2 or more hard bound thesis copies. Minor corrections may still be required which will be checked either by a Panel member, or the supervisor. Note: The formats for the hard bound submissions will be issued by GSO through the supervisor for the PhD candidate s compliance. The Oral Examination will be held only after all the examiners have recommended that the thesis be accepted for the award of the degree, subject to the PhD student passing the oral examination. The Oral Examination is scheduled according to panel members availability, and only after GSO has given the go-ahead. 14. Awarding of PhD Degree by the University - Once students have passed their thesis and oral examination, submitted the hardbound thesis and paid any outstanding fees, their names will be submitted to GSO for the conferment of the degree. 15. Degree Conferred - GSO will send the conferment letters to the graduates. The letter can be used as proof of the degree obtained, pending the Convocation Ceremony and the issue of the degree certificates. - Once the degree is conferred, the PhD student is deemed a graduate of the University. After the submission of hard bound copies, and fulfilling all prescribed requirements. After the award of degree. Note: If proof of status is required, the graduate may apply online via GSLink for GSO to issue a certification letter, or pay for a copy of the transcript which would stipulate the subjects taken and the degree awarded. Last Update: 17 th July 2014