PhD, MSc and MPhil by thesis examiner appointment

Examiner nomination

As soon as the candidate tells us they are ready to be examined, we ask the supervisor to nominate possible examiners. At this point the supervisor should establish whether or not you are, in principle, prepared to act as an examiner should you be appointed. It is then the responsibility of the Degree Committee to consider nominations and appoint examiners.

For the PhD, MSc and MPhil by thesis, the Degree Committee considers nominations and appoints:

  • one Internal Examiner; this person cannot be the student's supervisor, but is expected to be conversant with the University's regulations for the examination; they organises the oral examination and the submission of forms to the Degree Committee afterwards.
  • one External Examiner, normally from the UK, or sometimes for the EEA, or (rarely) from further afield; this person is asked to set the standard of the candidate's work in the context of the equivalent degree in the UK. Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) are being introduced worldwide for visitors to the UK who do not currently need a visa for short stays, or who do not already have a UK immigration status.  An ETA is a digital permission to travel – it is not a visa and does not permit entry into the UK – it authorises a person to travel to the UK.  Eligible non-Europeans already need an ETA to travel to the UK, and eligible Europeans will need an ETA to travel from 2 April 2025.  Visitors are advised to allow three working days for a decision on their application to  GOV.UK . To apply for an ETA, applicants need to: (i) Pay a fee; (ii) Provide contact and passport details; (iii) Provide a valid photo; (iv) Answer a set of questions. 
  • very rarely, two Externals may be appointed, but never two Internals.
  • in some circumstances, such as the examination of a revised thesis, the Committee may appoint an independent chair to oversee the oral.

 

Appointment

The Degree Committee email examiners directly once their appointment has been approved.

As soon as we receive the thesis we will email you the following information:

  • A link to thesis on Moodle
  • Guide for Examiners for the Degree
  • Notes providing further advice relevant to this Faculty (PhD or MPhil)
  • A claim form for fee and expenses
  • If the candidate has declared a disability that requires adjustment to the examination process you will receive relevant information
  • If the candidate has requested a confidentiality agreement, this will also be sent requesting signature before the thesis is sent to you
  • independent pre-oral report coversheet (PhD1, MSc1 or MPhil1)
  • joint post-oral report coversheet (PhD2, MSc2 or MPhil2 sent to Internal only);
  • form for confirmation of corrections having been completed (PhD3, MSc3 or MPhil3);

The examination must be conducted only on the basis of the electronic thesis you are sent. Students must not send examiners any additional material, and examiners may not request any additional material. If you require a paper copy in addition to the electronic thesis, Internal Examiners are advised to print within their Department, External Examiners may print and claim printing costs via the claim form for fees and expenses. If External Examiners require a paper copy and cannot print their own, they should contact the Degree Committee office.