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Student Academic Standing

This page provides information and guidelines for academic staff overseeing postgraduate taught and research programmes - Course Directors / Course Co-Ordinators, Supervisors, Directors of Teaching & Learning who deal directly with queries from postgraduate students. The range of topics include student cases, extensions to Thesis submission deadline, off-books requests, students' progression and confirmation on the Ph.D. register.

Postgraduate Student Cases

Student case requests must be submitted by the student's Course Director/ Course Co-Ordinator/ Supervisor. In exceptional cases, the Dean may consider requests originating elsewhere.
 
Postgraduate student case requests should be emailed to pgcases@tcd.ie, with any supporting documentation available. Please ensure that your email includes the student's name and student number. All enquiries regarding postgraduate student cases will be responded to, and are treated in the strictest confidence.

EU/Non-EU Fee Status

Tuition fees differ for applicants based on their EU or Non-EU status as assessed by Trinity Academic Registry. A student’s registered status (EU/non-EU) cannot be changed during a programme for which s/he is registered. Please note that full-time education in the EU does not in itself constitute ordinary residence. A student, or his or her supervisor or course director may appeal his or her fee status to the Dean of Graduate Studies on the appropriate form. The Dean of Graduate Studies will only alter the fee status of an application in exceptional and appropriate circumstances. The Fee Status Appeal Form, available for download from the Regulations and Resources section of this page, should be submitted via email to the Administrative Officer for the consideration of the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Extensions

If your student's research has been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, your student can apply for a free of fees extension to his/her thesis submission deadline. Supervisors are asked to fill in the form below in support of the extensions requests made by their PhD or research students and the form will be processed jointly by the Graduate Studies Office and PG Cases Pgcases@tcd.ie in Academic Registry.

During the current academic year requests for extensions based on the impact of Covid-19 will only be considered from students who are in the final year of their research programme. Where an extension is requested on medical grounds, medical certificate(s) should be available as they may be requested as part of the conditions of approval.

Please note the extension form below should only be used if requesting a further extension on the grounds related to Covid-19. If your student is seeking his/her first extension or requesting an extension on the grounds other than the impact of the pandemic, please email the request directly to PG Cases Pgcases@tcd.ie and Graduate Studies Office genadgso@tcd.ie.

Supervisor’s Extension Form

Off-Books

Application to go off-books should be made to the Dean of Graduate Studies via the student's Supervisor/Course Co-ordinator or the relevant Director of Teaching and Learning (Postgraduate). Students may not apply directly to the Dean of Graduate Studies. Supervisors / DTLPGs are requested to email pgcases@tcd.ie submitting a copy of an Off-Books Form on behalf of their student.

Please note that students who are off-books (off the register) do not pay fees but they also cannot avail of college facilities including the Library. If a student is in receipt of a stipend, s/he should contact HR to suspend it for the duration of the off-books period. Students who are off-books on medical grounds, must submit a completed Letter of Certification to PG Cases Pgcases@tcd.ie one month prior to their return date to be reviewed by the Medical Group.

Student's Progression

Progress Reports

All supervisors must complete a progress report with their students before the end of the academic year. The student is required to submit it to a designated administrator within the School by the end of August, for students who registered in September, and by the end of February, for those who registered in March.

Before the end of the relevant academic year, and in a time period determined by the relevant School or Discipline, the student should submit the progress report to the non-supervisor members of the Thesis Committee. Thereafter, a meeting should be arranged between the student and such non-supervisor members to discuss academic progress. Following this meeting and, if appropriate, following discussions between the supervisory and nonsupervisory members of the Thesis Committee, the latter should sign the progress report form and indicate whether or not they recommend continuation on the register. Please note that from 2019 Progress reports must be signed by all members of a thesis committee.

The Progress Report Form can be downloaded from the Regulations and Resources section of this page.

Confirmation on Ph.D. Register

A process of academic assessment for all Ph.D. students to confirm their continuation on the Ph.D. register is arranged within the first eighteen months of registration. This timeline is extended by a further year for Ph.D. students on the part-time register from year 1. As part of the process each Ph.D. student must prepare a Ph.D. Confirmation Report and submit it to their Supervisor in time for them to read it and provide feedback before submission.

Ph.D. students then attend a Ph.D. confirmation interview. The Director of Teaching and Learning (Postgraduate) makes the final decision about membership of the Ph.D. confirmation panel, but will consult with the Supervisor before deciding, taking the student’s opinion into consideration. The Supervisor cannot be a member of the Ph.D. confirmation panel, but the Supervisor and Co-Supervisors are present at the interview. When necessary, an external discipline expert may be appointed. The Supervisor’s attendance at the interview ensures that he or she is aware of the panel’s critique of the student’s work.

Written feedback shall be given to the student as soon as possible after the Ph.D. confirmation interview. The recommendation of the panel shall be one of the following:

• continuation on the Ph.D. register,
• continuation on the Ph.D. register after some minor changes have been made to the Ph.D. confirmation report,
• continuation on the Ph.D. not recommended at this time: a new report to be written and confirmation interview to be held again as soon as possible thereafter,
• a recommendation to change to the general Masters register to submit a Master’s thesis, or
• not to continue as a postgraduate research student.

The Confirmation on the PhD Register Form can be downloaded from the Regulations and Resources section of this page.

Transfer to the Ph.D. Register

Students who started on the research Masters register but wish to convert to the PhD register can undertake a ‘transfer process’ identical in all respects to the confirmation process. This process is normally arranged within the first eighteen months of registration, extended by a further year for Ph.D. students on the part-time register from year one.

The transfer process requires the student to prepare a transfer report; the transfer report should be written according to the guidelines issued by the appropriate Director of Teaching & Learning (Postgraduate).

The student then attends a transfer interview. The transfer panel for each student is appointed by the Director of Teaching and Learning (Postgraduate) but s/he will consult with the Supervisor, also considering the student’s opinion. The Supervisor cannot be a member of the transfer panel, but the Supervisor (and Co-Supervisors) are present at the transfer interview. When necessary, an external discipline expert may be appointed.

Withdrawals

If a postgraduate student wishes to withdraw from College they must notify their Supervisor/Course Co-ordinator or Director of Teaching and Learning in writing and submit a copy of PG Withdrawal Form to pgcases@tcd.ie.
Graduate students who are seeking to withdraw from their course of study are urged to remain mindful of their tuition fee liability. Please contact Student Fees in Academic Registry if you have any queries about your tuition fee liability.

Regulations and Resources

• Non-EU Fees Status Appeal
• Off-Books Request Form
• Progress Report Form (Pre-2019 Registrants)
• Progress Report Form - New Students from 2019/20
• Confirmation on the PhD Register Form
• Transfer to PhD Register Form
• PhD Student Withdrawal Form

Please contact our Administrative Officer if you have any questions about your student's academic standing or check for answers on our FAQ page.