Course details

One of the more significant and potentially uplifting and rewarding developments that can befall someone becoming established and getting known for their academic work is being asked to examine a doctoral thesis. Thinking through how best to prepare for and/or deal with such a request can often catch us unawares. It may also turn out to be something for which we find we are surprisingly under-prepared. This seminar will incorporate commentary by experienced supervisors and examiners, as well as small group discussions to canvas commonly encountered problems and explore a range of solutions. Resources available to support examiners at Oxford will be highlighted, along with some relevant material from the international literature.

Aim
To assist participants to clarify the range of issues, processes and expectations associated with DPhil examination at Oxford, consider some issues associated with PhD standards internationally, and hence determine strategies which may benefit the examination process.

Learning objective/outcomes
By the end of the seminar you should be able to:
• identify the role and responsibilities of both internal and external DPhil examiners at Oxford;
• analyse the issues at stake in the DPhil examination, for example the “significant and substantial contribution in the particular field of learning”, and questions of originality.

Please note this is a joint session for all disciplines.

See also the related seminar on Supervising DPhil Students and the Examining section of the Learning Institute's Research Supervision website.

This seminar normally runs once a year at the end of Hilary term.