University Calendar 2012/13
Section XIII : Academic Regulations - Faculty of Social and Human Sciences


PREFACE
CONTENTS
SEMESTERS
SECTION I
SECTION II
SECTION III
SECTION IV
SECTION V
SECTION VI
SECTION VII
SECTION VIII
SECTION IX
SECTION X
SECTION XI
SECTION XII
SECTION XIII
SECTION XIV
 
ARCHIVE 2006/7
ARCHIVE 2007/8
ARCHIVE 2008/9
ARCHIVE 2009/10
ARCHIVE 2010/11
ARCHIVE 2011/12
Academic Unit Psychology
Final Award MPhil/PhD
Programme(s) Health Psychology Research and Professional Practice
Last modified July 2012

Academic regulations for research degree programmes (without taught elements) are written and maintained by the University and can be found in Section V of the University Calendar.

1. Admissions
 
1.1 The requirements for candidature shall be a good undergraduate degree (First or Upper Second class) which confers the British Psychological Society's 'graduate basis for registration' and a British Psychological Society accredited MSc in Health Psychology, or a pass in an equivalent British Psychological Society examination in health psychology. The average for MSc work should preferably be above 65%, or at least 60% including at least 60% for dissertation and research methods modules. MSc modules studied must meet pre-requisite basic knowledge and understanding requirements.
1.2 Experienced candidates who do not meet these requirements but seem particularly well qualified in other respects may be individually considered for admission on a discretionary basis.
1.3 Candidates may apply for exemption from units of the Thesis or Portfolio of Competence requirements of the programme on the basis of Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning. The acceptance of such learning towards the award of a qualification shall be at the discretion of the Programme Director.
1.4 The offer of a place on the programme is conditional upon the candidate securing suitable and approved health-related work and meeting fitness to practice requirements.
1.5 Candidates satisfying the requirements for candidature may be admitted provided the Psychology Board is satisfied as to their chosen subject for research and the supervisory and health-related work arrangements. A formal supervision plan, research proposal, supervision agreement, job description and workplace agreement, will be submitted for approval at the outset of the candidature and any changes to these plans and arrangements will also be submitted in writing for approval in advance.
1.6 In approving candidature, Psychology shall state the effective starting date which may be backdated to the day after the last Psychology Board meeting in certain cases, at the discretion of the Board.
1.7 Psychology supports the University's commitment to a comprehensive policy of equal opportunities and cultural diversity. Students are selected solely on the basis of their relevant academic merits and abilities.


2. Structure of Programme(s)
 
2.1 The course to be followed shall be one of supervised practice in research, consultancy, teaching and training, behaviour change interventions and generic professional competence, and shall be either part-time or full-time. The Thesis and Portfolio of Competence in each of those elements shall be presented in the form specified for examination by scrutiny and viva voce at the end of the course of study.
2.2 The period of study for the MPhil/PhD in Health Psychology Research and Professional Practice ends when the Thesis and Portfolio of Competence are submitted. The minimum periods of study are as follows:
  Full-time Part-time
MPhil 18 months 24 months
PhD 24 months 36 months
In practice the period of candidature will usually be longer. The maximum duration of candidature for MPhil and PhD trainees is four years (48 months) for full-time candidature and seven years (84 months) for part-time candidature. A candidate who fails to submit a portfolio by the end of the maximum period of study shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the course.
2.8 Periods of nominal registration shall count towards the maximum period of study.


3. Progression
 
3.1 Trainees must successfully upgrade from MPhil to PhD registration to be eligible to apply for BPS Chartered Psychologist status. Progression from MPhil to PhD registration is not required to be eligible to apply to register with the HPC as a Health Psychologist.
3.2 Candidates whose fitness to practice as a Health Psychologist may be limited by reason of health or behaviour may be withdrawn from candidature on recommendation of a Fitness to Practice panel.
3.3 After completion of the necessary period of study a Portfolio of Competence and Thesis shall be submitted for examination.  The maximum length of a thesis is 75,000 words (PhD; excluding references, bibliography, and Portfolio of Competence) or 50,000 words (MPhil; excluding references, bibliography and Portfolio of Competence). Supporting factual information may be submitted for referencing in addition to the thesis itself which will be available to examiners and will form part of the record. Candidates who exceed the stipulated length will normally be required by the examiners to resubmit in a form which does not exceed the maximum length. A trainee may present a statement to the supervisor indicating that the thesis cannot be contained within the stipulated length for reasons relating to the subject material. The supervisor may then recommend to Psychology and the Faculty, before notice of submission, that a longer thesis be permitted.
3.4 A candidate who is about to submit a Thesis and Portfolio of Competence shall give to the Programme Administrator at least two months' prior notice in writing (N.B. trainees cannot be examined against competencies predating their registration on the programme). Such notice of intention to submit shall be given not later than 31st January if the candidate seeks award of the degree by the following July.
3.5 The viva arrangements are made by the supervisor when the trainee is nearing their ‘intention to submit’. The supervisor will select an appropriate internal and external examiner, ensuring that neither has had substantial involvement in the development of the project so far. Once informal agreement has been obtained, then the Health Programme Administrator will issue the formal invitation to examine and will arrange dates and details, etc. Prior to submission, the portfolio of competence must be signed off as being of a sufficient standard to be submitted for viva by one of the programme directors (usually the deputy director). The thesis and portfolio of competence must then be submitted to the Health Programme Administrator at least one month prior to the date of the viva examination:
  • Three copies of the Thesis should be submitted, produced in accordance with the “Completion of research degree candidature” booklet (see the "University Regulations, Policies and Facilities" section in this handbook for the website address).

  • Two copies of the Portfolio of Competence should be submitted.


4. Assessment
 
4.1 Candidates are required to satisfy the examiners with regard to the Thesis, the Portfolio of Competence, and the viva voce.
4.2 For each individual candidate, normally one internal and one external examiner shall be appointed to examine the thesis. The examiners will be a HPC registered Health Psychologist who is also a BPS Chartered Psychologist. If it is not possible to identify a HPC registered Health Psychologist who is also a BPS Chartered Psychologist who is suitable to act as an external examiner for the research part of the MPhil / PhD then two external examiners must be appointed; a suitable examiner for the MPhil / PhD thesis (who need not be a HPC registered Health Psychologist or BPS Chartered Psychologist, and will not examine the portfolio of competence) and a HPC registered Health Psychologist who is also a BPS Chartered Psychologist, who will examine only the Portfolio of Competence.


5. Award of Qualification(s)
 
The Programmes follow the University Regulations for the Progression, Determination and Classification of Results specified in Section IV of the University Calendar.
5.1 All elements of the portfolio must be passed in order for the degree to be awarded.
5.2 The examiners for each candidate shall recommend one of the following courses of action:
  • that the degree be awarded;

  • that the degree be awarded subject if necessary to minor / modest amendments to the Thesis and/or other documents in the Portfolio of Competence being made by the date specified by Psychology;

  • that the candidate be required to attend for a further oral examination;

  • that the candidate be permitted to submit a revised Thesis and/or other document in the Portfolio of Competence for re-examination on one subsequent occasion only by athe date specified by Psychology;

  • that the candidate be permitted to apply for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Health Psychology Research and Professional Practice by the date specified, either without further examination; subject to certification of minor / modest amendments to the thesis, or subject to examination of a revised Thesis;

  • that the candidate be permitted to apply for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology by the date specified, either without further examination; subject to certification of minor / modest amendments to the thesis, or subject to examination of a revised Thesis;

  • that the candidate be permitted to apply for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy in Psychology by the date specified, either without further examination; subject to certification of minor / modest amendments to the thesis, or subject to examination of a revised Thesis;

  • that the degree be not awarded and that re-submission of the Thesis or Portfolio of Competence be not permitted.
5.3 A candidate who fails to submit a corrected or revised Thesis or other document(s) Portfolio of Competence by the date set by the examiners shall normally be regarded as having failed the examination and the recommendations of the examiners shall lapse.


6. Placements/Study Abroad/Exchange/Fieldwork
 
6.1 Candidates must undertake a minimum of two years (full time, or part time equivalent) supervised practice in health-related work. All sustained periods of health-related work will need to be approved and monitored annually to ensure the ongoing suitability of the work setting to meet HPC Standards.
7. Other
 
These regulations may be revised during the student's period of registration in accordance with procedures approved by Senate.

Submitted by Corporate Services
Last reviewed: 29-Aug-2012
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