Transfer

The transfer assessment will identify whether you and your project have the potential for research at doctoral level and whether completing the thesis within the standard period of study is a reasonable expectation. 

The transfer process 

All PGRs working towards a doctorate research degree are initially registered as provisional doctoral candidates and are subject to a formal transfer assessment process within a specified timescale. The assessment at the transfer stage is intended to identify: 

  • whether you and your project have the potential for research at doctoral level; 

  • whether it is achievable for you to complete your research and write up your thesis within the standard period of study for your programme. 

The University has deadlines for the completion of the transfer assessment, and you can see these on your GRAD record. Some faculties and schools may have earlier deadlines for the submission of the transfer report; if this applies to you, your Graduate School will contact you in advance with more details. 

Your Graduate School will provide you with guidance on the transfer process as there may be specific requirements in your school or faculty but this will typically include a written report, plan for completion/Gantt chart and your Data management plan. You are required to upload this to GRAD and complete a ‘Progress report: transfer stage’ in advance of the transfer review. 

If you are disabled, you may wish to review the Reasonable adjustments policy on the Research student guidance page of the For Students website. 

If you are considering submitting your thesis as an alternative style of doctoral thesis including published material, you should familiarise yourself with the guidance and speak to your supervisor.  

Candidates approaching the transfer stage should also note that following successful transfer, it is not possible to change to a practice-led research degree. 

Transfer deadlines 

Full time research degrees: 

  • Provisional PhD or MD: transfer to be held and decision taken within 12 months.  Maximum period after deferral of decision is 18 months from the start of study. 

  • Provisional PhD (4 years) – Faculty of Biological Sciences only: transfer to be held and decision taken within 18 months.  Maximum period after deferral of decision is 24 months from the start of study.

  • Provisional DpaedDent DclinPsychol or DclinDent (Doctor of paediatric dentistry, Doctor of clinical psychology, Doctor of clinical dentistry): transfer to be held and decision taken within 18 months. Maximum period after deferral of decision is 24 months from the start of study. 

  • Provisional EdD (Doctor of Education): transfer to be held and decision taken within 24 months. Maximum period after deferral of decision is 24 months from the start of study. 

  • Integrated degree of PhD and Masters: candidates are accepted for study to the registration category of postgraduate research. After completing the first year, the progress of candidates is reviewed and, where it is satisfactory, registration to a provisional PhD candidature is permitted. If successful in progressing to provisional PhD status, candidates will be required to undergo assessment by a formal transfer assessment panel for transfer to PhD status before the end of the second year of study.  

  • White Rose ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership Doctor of Philosophy with Research in Practice with Integrated Postgraduate Certificate (3.75 years): transfer to be held and decision taken within 15 months.

  • Masters by Research cannot normally transfer registration to MPhil or PhD.  

Part time research degrees: 

  • Provisional PhD (0.6 PT): transfer to be held and decision taken within 24 months. Maximum period after deferral of decision is 30 months from the start of study. 

  • Provisional PhD (0.75 PT – currently only available in FMH): transfer to be held and decision taken within 18 months. Maximum period after deferral of decision is 24 months from the start of study. 

  • Provisional DclinDent, DpaedDent: transfer to be held and decision taken within 30 months. Maximum period after deferral of decision is 38 months from the start of study  

  • Provisional MD: transfer to be held and decision taken within 18 months. Maximum period after deferral of decision is 24 months from the start of study. 

  • Provisional EdD: transfer to be held and decision taken within 36 months. Maximum period after deferral of decision is 36 months from the start of study.  

  • White Rose ESRC Doctoral Training Partnership Doctor of Philosophy with Research in Practice with Integrated Postgraduate Certificate: transfer to be held and decision taken within 30 months.

What to expect 

The ‘Your academic experience’ and ‘Your professional development’ pages of the Doctoral College Induction programme provide information about the transfer process, academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism, copyright, ethical review, and data management. 

You should use the GRAD workflow to complete your pre-transfer progress report form and submit the work required for the transfer assessment. Your supervisor will complete their pre-transfer progress report. You and your project are then assessed by a transfer assessment panel. Their assessment is based upon the academic written material that you have submitted and an oral examination or viva. The panel comprises at least two individuals who must be independent of your supervisory team. Your supervisor will normally attend but will not be involved in any decision-making. 

For PGRs who started from Sept 2023, you should review your PGR-Supervisor agreement with your supervisors as part of the transfer process.  If you make any changes, please upload an updated copy of the agreement to GRAD.  

It is good practice to revisit the academic and research integrity guidance before you submit your transfer report for assessment, and you may find it helpful to revisit the PGR Academic integrity tutorial. You are required to complete a statement of academic integrity when you submit your transfer, which confirms:

  • that the transfer report is your own work and that you have not presented anyone else’s work as your own;
  • that you have read and understood the University’s published rules on plagiarism;
  • and consent for screening of the transfer report to verify the absence of plagiarised material.

All transfer reports will be submitted to Turnitin, a plagiarism detection programme and database. The Turnitin report will be provided to your transfer panel with your transfer report. You will receive a copy of the Turnitin report at the end of the transfer process (after the viva and once the outcome has been confirmed) as an additional training/learning tool, allowing the report to be discussed with your supervisors and any advice or training around academic writing considered. This will be uploaded to the Project Files area in your GRAD record. Please allow three weeks from the outcome of transfer notification for the report to be uploaded.     

Preparing for your transfer viva  

Guidance on the viva, including video streamed vivas, is available in the Viva collection section in LinkedIn Learning, using your usual University details to log in.  You can experience a short mock viva by participating in a Your Viva workshop. Information about the workshop and how to book is available via ODPL’s Postgraduate researcher development page.  If you are unable to attend the workshop, you can request a mock viva by emailing researcherdev@leeds.ac.uk. You are also entitled to ask your supervisor to do a mock viva with you; support from OD&PL is offered in addition to any support from your supervisor. 

Recommendation following transfer 

The panel will normally inform you of their recommendation at the end of the meeting. The panel will submit a report which will be reviewed by your DPGRS and submitted to the University. You will receive notification of the outcome with access to the report in GRAD at the end of the process.  

The panel will recommend one of the following: 

  • For provisional candidatures for doctoral degrees (including PhD), transfer to doctoral registration 

  • For provisional candidatures for the degree of PhD only, transfer to MPhil registration  

  • On the first occasion only, deferral of a decision about the transfer for a limited period so your work can be revised and then reassessed

  • A decision that the candidate withdraw from the research degree candidature 

Please note that you will be unable to transfer to Masters by Research. 

If a school is unable to recommend that you should proceed to either doctoral or MPhil study within the time limit allowed, then you will be asked to withdraw. 

If you are on a Student visa and receive an outcome of transfer to MPhil or withdrawal this may have an impact on your visa and you should contact the Student Visa Advice team. You must also contact the Student Visa Advice team if you are on a visa and your project has changed or will change significantly. 

Transfer to doctoral registration 

If the panel recommend that you transfer to doctoral registration you will receive email notification from GRAD after the report has been approved by the Progression and Examination Group. The report of the panel will also be available to you in GRAD at that point. 

Deferral of the transfer decision 

The transfer assessment panel may recommend a deferral of the transfer decision for academic reasons. The final decision must be taken within the maximum period permitted for your programme of study as outlined above.  

If your transfer is deferred, the joint report of the panel will be available for you to view in GRAD and will outline the reasons for the recommendation and the further work required. You should review the report and discuss it with your supervisor. Your supervisor will continue to support you during this period and provide feedback on your work. You should continue to attend and record supervision meetings in accordance with the PGR Attendance and engagement monitoring policy during the deferral period.

Your resubmitted transfer submission should be uploaded to GRAD; you will have a task in GRAD to upload your revised report when it is ready. If you have any queries with the process for resubmission please contact your Graduate School.  

It is important that you resubmit your work on or before your deadline, otherwise you may be required to withdraw. Your panel members will be notified when you resubmit your transfer report and may hold a second transfer viva if they feel this is needed (the panel cannot recommend transfer to MPhil or withdrawal without a second viva).  

If the length of time allocated for the deferral period takes you beyond the first year of your candidature and into the next academic year, it is important that you still follow the registration process and register as normal at the start of the new year.  During the deferral period you will be registered as a PGR. As a deferral does not constitute as an extension or suspension of the normal time limit for your programme, you will continue to have access to facilities normally available, as appropriate, to your research area: 

  • access to IT facilities  

  • access to the Library  

  • access to other University facilities as normal  

  • supervision must continue as normal during this period  

  • you should only proceed to further data collection following careful consideration by your supervisors and DPGRS. 

If you experience any difficulties, it is important that you speak to your supervisor, DPGRS or your Graduate School. If you require an authorised absence, suspension or extension, please see Taking time out from your research page on the For Students website. Information about the different support services is available on the Postgraduate support and wellbeing page on the For Students website. 

A period of deferral may impact your stipend payments, please speak to your Graduate School. 

Transfer to MPhil registration 

You will receive email notification from GRAD after the report has been approved by the Progression and Examinations Group. The report of the panel will also be available in GRAD at that point. At this stage the appeal process will be open to you, if you wish to take this route (please see below). You should receive confirmation of the outcome of the assessment within ten working days of submission of the report by the Director of PGR Studies, or if it will not be possible to meet this timescale, DCO will contact you. You should review the panel’s report and discuss it with your supervisor. Your supervisor will continue to support you during this period and provide feedback on your work. Regular supervision meetings must be held and recorded in GRAD.  

If you initially registered for provisional PhD and it is recommended that you proceed to an MPhil and you hold funding such as a scholarship or sponsorship, you must let your funders know so that they can make any necessary adjustment in funding. 

If you experience any difficulties, it is important that you speak to your supervisor, DPGRS or your Graduate School. If you require an authorised absence, suspension or extension, please see Taking time out from your research page on the For Students website. Information about the different support services is availble on the Postgraduate support and wellbeing page on the For Students website. 

Withdrawal from study 

You will receive a formal letter from Doctoral College Operations after the report has been approved by the Progression and Examinations Group. The report of the transfer panel will be available in GRAD at that point. At this stage the appeal process will be open to you, if you wish to take this route (please see below). You should receive confirmation of the outcome of the assessment within ten working days of submission of the report by the Director of PGR Studies, or if it will not be possible to meet this timescale, DCO will contact you. 

Information about the different support services is availble on the Postgraduate support and wellbeing page on the For Students website. 

Appealing the decision 

You can appeal against an adverse academic decision using the University’s appeals procedure, available from the Student Cases website. You must submit your appeal to the University within 20 working days of the date of the formal outcome notification from DCO.  If you are considering an appeal, we strongly encourage you to seek independent advice from the LUU Help and Support Team. 

Unfortunately your Graduate School cannot answer any questions relating to your appeal, including its progress. However they are still able to help support you with other matters related to your research candidature. 

If you submit an appeal against a decision to refer your thesis at the final examination stage or to transfer your registration to MPhil status, your studies will normally be suspended pending the outcome of your appeal. This will ensure that you do not lose any study time whilst your appeal is under consideration.  

If you submit an appeal to the University against an adverse academic decision due to a recommendation of withdrawal from study you may request continued access to your university email during the period the appeal is under consideration, by contacting pgrprogress@leeds.ac.uk.  

After transfer 

Once you have completed the transfer process, you should start thinking about the route through to thesis submission. Your supervisors will continue to support you by offering you advice and guidance on your research during your regular supervision meetings. 

You are required to complete an Annual progress review on the anniversary of your start date. Your Graduate School will provide you with guidance nearer the time on the material you are expected to submit through GRAD, but this is likely to include a reflection on your progress, a timetable for completion of your thesis (eg Gantt chart) and some form of written work. The review is intended to be supportive and to help planning for the completion of your research and submission of your thesis. 

You are required to re-register on an annual basis on the anniversary of your start date. Your Graduate School will notify you when online registration is available. You must re-register within four weeks of the anniversary of your start date or you risk being withdrawn from study. 

Learning outcomes and criteria for award 

Success at the transfer stage has no direct bearing on whether you will be successful at final examination, it simply confirms that the transfer assessment panel is satisfied that the project has the potential for success.  

If you have not already done so, you should make yourself aware of the criteria for award and learning outcomes for the programme for which you are registered. This is the criteria that will be used by the examiners when examining the thesis.