Section A: roles and responsibilities

2.1  The College Postgraduate Committee will consider and ratify the recommendation of the Internal and External Examiners appointed to examine a student for the award of a research degree.

 2.2 The responsibilities of the College Postgraduate Committee include:

(a) approving the format of assessments;

(b) the security of and arrangements for assessments; examining and marking assessed work; and processing and storing marks and grades;

(c) the quality and standards of marking;

(d) ensuring all examiners are aware of their responsibilities;

(e) accurate recording, minuting and reporting of decisions of the Committee.

2.3 Committees may, where appropriate, delegate operation of some responsibilities to Schools. Such delegation decisions are recorded by the College.

2.4 Colleges produce information on postgraduate research assessment:

• CAHSS 
• CMVM
• CSE

Regulation 3 Examiners: appointment

3.1 Where appropriate, upon receipt of a student’s Notice of Intention to Submit form, the College Office will contact the Head of the student’s School to request that examiners are nominated for the assessment of the thesis or submitted assessment.

3.2 Before submitting nominations to the College, the Head of School should consult the student’s supervisors over the choice of examiners. Supervisors inform students of the names of possible examiners, and students must inform their supervisor if any problems are likely to arise if particular examiners are appointed. Any comments will be taken into account but students have no right to determine the Head of School’s eventual recommendation, and therefore have no right to veto any particular appointment.

3.3 The External Examiner will be approached informally by the Head of School to establish their willingness to act. However, the College Postgraduate Committee has responsibility for the approval of all examiners. Any objection to the proposed examiners must be made to the College committee in good time before the relevant assessment. Complete final lists of examiners are maintained by the relevant College Office.

3.4 Internal Examiners are academic and/or honorary staff of the University. Honorary staff, in this context include:

• Staff from Associated Institutions;    
• Teachers and senior staff from partner schools to the Moray House School of Education;      
• Academic staff from partner higher education institutions as part of specific collaborative agreements;
• and NHS staff who are honorary staff members of the University of Edinburgh.

3.5 Internal Examiners are appointed by the student’s School with approval by the relevant College. Staff who are or who have been a supervisor of the student at any time cannot be an Internal Examiner for that student.

3.6 No person who has held an appointment on the teaching or research staff or has been a student of the University, or who has been granted honorary status in the University, is eligible to act as an External Examiner until a period of four years has elapsed since the termination of the appointment or the status. In exceptional circumstances this rule may be waived by the Academic Policy and Regulations Committee. Members of affiliated or associated institutions may be Internal but not External Examiners.   

3.7 The School must inform the student of the names of their examiners when the examiners have been approved by the College committee.

3.8 If more than three months have elapsed between the examiners being appointed and the student submitting the thesis, the College Office has responsibility for checking whether the commitments of any examiner have changed significantly so that consideration may be given to appointing an alternative examiner.

4.1 The appropriate process for appointing a Non-Examining Chair is the same as for appointing Internal Examiners (see regulation 3).

4.2 The role of the Non-Examining Chair is to ensure that due process is carried out and to attend for the duration of the oral examination. The Non-Examining Chair needs to be a person with appropriate experience of postgraduate research examining from within the University. The Non-Examining Chair need not be from the same School as the student. The Non-Examining Chair must ensure that all parties to the examination process fully understand the expectations of them and should offer assistance and facilitation where necessary. The Non-Examining Chair must not express an opinion on the merits of the thesis.

5.1 In particular cases, such as the assessment of an interdisciplinary topic, a second External Examiner may be appointed.

5.2 When the student is or has been a member of staff of the University during their research degree there must be two External Examiners and one Internal Examiner. “Member of staff” will be defined by the student’s School with approval by College. There is no requirement for students who are or have only been tutors or demonstrators (or have undertaken similar roles) to have two external examiners.

5.3 See also Regulation 7 Avoiding potential conflicts of interest.

6.1 The College Postgraduate Committee will specify responsibilities and requirements to examiners, and ensure they are aware of these regulations and the recommendations available to them.

6.2 It is the responsibility of the College Postgraduate Committee to ensure that the External Examiner is competent to assess the degree. The External Examiner is appointed for their specialist knowledge, whereas the Internal Examiner may be a generalist or an expert in only part of the subject matter of the thesis.

6.3 Internal Examiners must be fully conversant with the procedures and regulations for oral examinations within the University. Heads of School must ensure that Internal Examiners are aware of all their duties in the examination process.

6.4 During the assessment the examiners must hold the thesis and the abstract in strict confidence.

Regulation 7 Avoiding potential conflicts of interest

7.1 If there is a potential conflict of interest the College Postgraduate Committee will be consulted.