Policies and procedures

Who's who

MPLS Division

The Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division oversees postgraduate studies across several Departments, including Chemistry. It defines the policies and procedures for postgraduate courses, and the MPLS Graduate Office is responsible for final processing of GSO forms and updating student records on the University's student system. 

The MPLS Graduate School website is an essential source of information for graduate students in Chemistry, and you should make sure that you are aware of its contents.

Graduate forms for PGR students

You will need to complete various 'GSO' forms during your studies as a postgraduate research student. The full list of GSO forms can be found on this University page. Please note that some forms have specific MPLS versions (e.g. the 'GSO.2 MPLS' form for transfer of status).

For the milestones (i.e. transfer of status and confirmation of status), the Graduate Studies team will tell you when and how to submit the relevant GSO forms. You will need to get the signatures of your supervisor and your college before submitting the form to the Graduate Studies team.

For thesis submission, you will need to complete the GSO.3 form (Application for Appointment of Examiners). This is completed online via Student Self Service. Please ensure that you read carefully the information in the 'Submitting your research thesis' section below, before preparing and submitting your thesis.

If you wish to submit a GSO form for another purpose (e.g. GSO.19, Application for Adjustments to Assessment Arrangements), please contact graduate.studies@chem.ox.ac.uk for guidance. Please do not send GSO forms directly to your Director of Graduate Studies for signature.

Graduate Supervision Reporting

The GSR system (accessed through Student Self Service) allows students and their supervisors to report formally on the student's progress. There are four reporting periods: three at the ends of the Oxford Terms, and one during the Long Vacation. You will receive an email notification when it is time to submit a report; you and your supervisor are required to complete reports at each opportunity. Students submit their reports first, and then the supervisors submit theirs in response.

If you have concerns about your progress, you are encouraged to explain these. You can set a flag to indicate your concern, which will highlight your report to your Supervisor, Director of Graduate Studies, and College Adviser.