Examiners and chairs

Below you will find all the information you require as an examiner or a chair of a postgraduate research degree student at the University of Plymouth.

The Research Degrees Handbook below gives you all the processes and procedures regarding research degrees at the University of Plymouth, as well as information on viva voce examinations and the roles of examiners. Our regulations are available on the University's Student regulations, policies and procedures page.

We have provided guidance notes for examiners in the document section below. If you are a chairperson, there is a different document for you to refer to outlining your role and responsibilities.

An extract from The Frameworks for HE Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies, for masters and doctoral level, which must be complied with by examiners when examining research degrees, can be found in the document section below.

You'll find the relevant forms to be completed before and after the viva voce examination below. External examiners - if you want to claim for expenses or give feedback, you can find the relevant documents on this page. If you have not yet returned your signed contract of appointment you can download a copy below which you'll need to sign and return to the Doctoral College.

Examiner training

There have been significant changes to research degrees regulations, processes and protocols since the establishment of the University’s Doctoral College in 2017, culminating in the approval of revised PGRs Examination Outcomes to take effect for theses submitted after 1 September 2018.

As a result, Doctoral College Board decided that all internal examiners and chairs require training and regular updating for the purposes of quality assurance.

Please read our mandatory training for PGR internal examiners and chairs document to determine the level of training you will require, as it is dependent on your previous examining experience and prior training.

If you are unsure which applies best to your circumstances, please email researchskills@plymouth.ac.uk for advice.

Postgraduate research external examiners’ honorarium rates

Change to regulations

Students submitting their thesis for the first time on or after 1 September 2018 are being examined under new regulations. If you are examining a student under the new regulations, please refer to the documents in the first section below. Those examining a student under the old regulations will need to refer to the documents in the second section.

If you are at all unsure whether you are examining under new or old regulations please contact the Doctoral College by email (doctoralcollege@plymouth.ac.uk) or phone (+44 1752 587640).