Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre (MSDTC) Programmes

If you are not enrolled on one of the below programmes, please disregard this page as the information will not be relevant to you.

DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences*
DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam)*
DPhil Computational Discovery*
DPhil Cancer Science*
DPhil Cardiovascular Science
DPhil Cellular Structural Biology
DPhil Chemistry in Cells
DPhil Chromosome and Developmental Biology
DPhil Genomic Medicine and Statistics
DPhil Health Data Science (HDR UK/Turing Wellcome)
DPhil Infection, Immunology and Translational Medicine
DPhil Ion Channels and Membrane Transport in Health and Disease (OXION)
DPhil Neuroscience (4-year Doctoral Programme including the MSc Neuroscience + DPhil Neuroscience)*

*The DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Computational Discovery, DPhil Cancer Science and the DPhil Neuroscience programmes are part of the MSDTC but are not subject to the same timelines as the other MSDTC programmes.

Programmes 1, 2 and 3 above are three-year programmes. Programme 4 above has three different tracks: clinical trainees (track 1) and medical undergraduates (track 2) enrol on a three-year programme; non-clinical/fundamental scientists (track 3) enrol on a four-year programme. Programmes 4-12 above are four-year programmes.

DPhil milestone timings

All MSDTC Programmes (except DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Computational Discovery, DPhil Cancer Science & DPhil Neuroscience)

Transfer of status: end of the 6^th term from the start of the course
Confirmation of status: end of the 10^th term from the start of the course
Maximum submission date: end of the 12^th term from the start of the course

DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Computational Discovery & DPhil Cancer Science

Transfer of status: end of the 4^th term from the start of the course
Confirmation of status end of the 9^th term from the start of the course
Maximum submission date: end of the 12^th term* from the start of the course

DPhil Neuroscience

Transfer of status: end of the 4^th term from the start of the DPhil Neuroscience element of the programme
Confirmation of status end of the 9^th term from the start of the DPhil Neuroscience element of the programme
Maximum submission date: end of the 12^th term* from the start of the DPhil Neuroscience element of the programme

*Please note that these are maximum terms for these programmes – the recommended thesis submission date in each case is the end of the 9^th term, with confirmation brought forward as appropriate.

Transfer of status

MSDTC students are admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS) in the first instance (or after the MSc year in the case of Neuroscience students). By the end of the 6^th (all programmes except DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Computational Discovery, DPhil Cancer Science & DPhil Neuroscience) or the 4^th (DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Computational Discovery, DPhil Cancer Science & DPhil Neuroscience programmes) term, you must attempt transfer to DPhil status, otherwise your status at the university will lapse.

In order to transfer status from PRS to DPhil status, you will be required to:

Agree on two assessors with your supervisor. Your supervisor and Director of Graduate Studies should not be one of these assessors. Your supervisor should informally request their willingness to assess.
Complete an application to the Divisional Board on the University form GSO.2 MSD, as follows:
1. You and your supervisor complete the relevant sections of the form and then send the form to your college office/tutor for graduates. When the college has completed their section of the form it must then go to your Programme Director, acting as your Director of Graduate Studies, to be signed off.
2. Then, return the completed form to Louise Samson (the DTC Administrator), who will send the formal invitation to your assessors.
3. It is recommended that this form is filled in by the end of August if your transfer is in Trinity Term, or by the end of November if your transfer is in Michaelmas Term.
Undergo a formal oral assessment by 2 assessors. Following this formal oral assessment, the assessors will provide a report on the oral assessment.
1. You should forward to each of your assessors a report on progress to date on research work and future plans, no less than two weeks before the date of assessment. The word limit for the transfer report depends on when you started your course:
  - Word limit for students who started prior to 1 October 2019: 3,000 words. This includes an abstract, introduction, results, discussion, a detailed timetable leading to submission and a methods section. You may add appendices of up to 2,000 words including figure legends, references and – if you have not included it within the main report – a methods section. (The methods section can be included either within the body of the main report or within the appendices.)
  - Word limit for students who started on or after 1 October 2019: 5,000 words. This includes an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, any appendices, and future plans including a proposed timetable for completion, but excludes tables and references.
2. It is recommended that your oral assessment takes place no later than mid-September if your transfer is in Trinity Term, or by Christmas if your transfer is in Michaelmas Term.

More details on the content of the transfer report

Confirmation of status

MSDTC students are required to confirm their DPhil status by the end of the 10^th (all programmes except DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Computational Discovery, DPhil Cancer Science & DPhil Neuroscience); or 9^th (DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Computational Discovery, DPhil Cancer Science & DPhil Neuroscience programmes) term – (see above, confirmation is recommended earlier to allow for submission within the funding period). Successful completion of Confirmation of Status is required, before submission of the thesis and appointment of examiners.

In order to confirm your DPhil status, you will be required to:

Agree on two assessors with your supervisor. Your supervisor and Director of Graduate Studies should not be one of these assessors. Your supervisor should informally request their willingness to assess.
Complete an application to the Divisional Board on the University form GSO.14 MSD, as follows:
1. You and your supervisor complete the relevant sections of the form and then send the form to your college office/tutor for graduates. When the college has completed their section of the form it must then go to your Programme Director, acting as your Director of Graduate Studies, to be signed off.
2. Then, return the completed form to Louise Samson (DTC Administrator), who will send the formal invitation to your assessors.
3. It is recommended that this form is filled in by the end of August if your confirmation is in Trinity Term, or by November if your confirmation is in Michaelmas Term.
Give a presentation of your research to, and attend an interview with your assessors. Following this assessment, the assessors will report on your suitability for confirmation of DPhil status.
1. Your research presentation could be a contribution to a regular seminar series or it could be specially arranged. A length of around 30 minutes is recommended. The department in which your research is based may have local standard practices that you should follow.
2. Your completed GSO.14 MSD form should include a full thesis contents list, milestones of any remaining work to be undertaken, and dates for the submission of draft chapters to supervisors to comment on
3. It is recommended that the confirmation process is completed no later than mid-September if your confirmation is in Trinity Term, or by Christmas if your confirmation is in Michaelmas Term.

More details on the confirmation of status

Submission

MSDTC students are required to submit their thesis by the end of their 12^th term. If you do not meet this deadline, you will be liable for University continuation charges. You may also be liable for College continuation charges. Please see the Graduate Continuation Charge page for full information.

Please note, for students on the DPhil Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam), DPhil Computational Discovery, DPhil Cancer Science & Neuroscience DPhil programmes, submission is recommended by the 9^th term from the start of the DPhil.

In order to submit your thesis, you will be required to:

Agree on two examiners, one internal and one external, with your supervisor. Your supervisor should informally request their willingness to assess.
Submit an application for appointment of examiners to the Divisional Board on the University form GSO.3 (this form is submitted via the My Student Record section of Student Self-Service).
- The GSO.3 must be completed and submitted at least 6 weeks before the date of submission of the thesis.
Submit your thesis. As of Michaelmas term 2019, students should submit the examiners’ copy of their thesis online only, via Research Theses Digital Submission. A quick reference guide for Research Thesis Digital Submission can be found here. Hard copies of the thesis should no longer be submitted. Do not send examiners a copy of the thesis yourself. The word limit for DPhil theses is usually 50,000 words except in the Department of Experimental Psychology where you should apply for an extension to 100,000 words.
Your internal examiner should normally contact you to arrange a date for the viva examination, within one month of receiving your thesis from the Research Degrees Team in the Examination Schools. The average length of time between submission and a viva examination is approximately 8 weeks.

More details on submission and examination