Preparing for Upgrade

This page contains links that will support you as you approach Upgrade. This is a stage that all PGRs will go through one year after start date (full-time) and two years after start date (part time) to formally move you from MPhil to PhD. Professional Doctorate students will follow a series of assessments and successful completion of these replaces Upgrade.

Forms and Guidance: handbooks contain good overall guides to the research degree programmes, including those for PhD, Professional Doctorate and Affiliated Research Centre.

Upgrade will be covered in the welcome back sessions that happen in September each year (slides available on Welcome Back PGR Manager listing).

Forms and Guidance

Note: if any of these links are broken try searching on the main Forms and Guidance page.

‘Upgrade’ section in PGR Manager - Student User Guide
PGR Manager: Planning and booking your training.

Training resources

Other helpful resources

PGR Manager- upgrade demonstration for students
Preparing for your mini-viva 1: reflections before the mini-viva, Holly Parrott and Laud Freeman (29 minutes, YouTube)
Preparing for your mini-viva 2: reflections after the mini-viva Holly Parrott and Laud Freeman (21 minutes, YouTube)

What differs between Faculties?

Each Faculty may have its own policy and procedure around stages and actions including:

how you can spend any funds related to your training, e.g., a training grant
health and safety, including work stations and risk assessments for fieldwork
arranging travel for conferences and fieldwork
equipment and specialist software
Third Party Monitor allocation and any subject-specific buddying/mentoring.

We recommend you start by talking with your Faculty Administrator about what happens in your Faculty (mailbox address on RESEARCH-SKILLS: Contact us | OU online).