Dear All

Just wanted to have a straw poll on how many of you had to do a report/dissertation and /or Viva at the end of your first year of your PhDs.

Just asking cos im at the end of my first year and here at Imperial we have to do what is known as an MPhil/PhD transfer (ie if you pass you can continue onto the 2nd yr, if you fail you get an MPhil by default).

Reason I ask is that mates of mine at ALL other unis have no formal transfer requirements, just that your supervisor keeps tabs and when I talk about writing my transfer they have absolutely no concept of what I am doing. I just think its a wee bit unfair as who has enough to write anything of quality at the end of a 1st yr. Secondly its wrong that if you cant cut the mustard, you get an MPhil.

2500, I wish.

Its crazy the hoops we have to jump thru.

At 2 months 1000 word introduction summary

Dont know what hapened there.

Anyways

2 months: 1000 word intro
9 months: a FIRST year report (yes first year report after just 3/4 year) 3000 word
12 months: 10000 dissertation, Viva, poster, symposium presentation
Throughout a mass of non-phd related transferable skills courses

The above all go on file for your phd examinations

I thought PhD was always about doing what you wanted that interested you as and when you want to.

On top of that you have to the normal stuff for your supervisor eg. lit reviews, progress reports etc. Cant wait to do my research as opposed to ticking boxes

I have to submit a similar first year report to transfer to a PhD (it's a bit disheartening that all year my status has been 'not at first registered). I have to hand it in sometime between now and September, and I'm hitting 16 000 words at the moment...

I will have to upgrade from the MPhil to PhD at least six months before submitting my thesis - have to go through an upgrade viva - but that happens when you're ready (not specifically at the end of the first year IYSWIM)