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Supervisors and Thesis Committees
All students should be assigned meetings with their principal supervisors and/or thesis committees shortly after starting at UCL.
Initial Meeting with your Supervisor or Thesis Committee
During the initial meeting, supervisors or thesis committees should explain the necessary concepts and you should both have the opportunity to discuss your expectations.
Your supervisor, a member of your thesis committee or your Departmental/Divisional PGR Administrator will most likely be in touch to arrange this meeting shortly before or after your start date.
Meetings can all be recorded in the Research Log.
Meetings with your Supervisor or Thesis committee
During your first month, a discussion and a timetable for supervisory meetings and progress reports should be agreed with your supervisory team. Following this, you should have regular meetings with your primary supervisor and/or thesis committee.
How often to set up a meeting
The bare minimum for a meeting is once a month, however, many departments and/or faculties expect these meetings to take place more frequently e.g., once every two weeks.
Where do the meetings take place
Meetings can take place online or in-person but should be 1-to-1 meetings i.e., not a group meeting with your peers, and the aim of the meeting should be to discuss your project, current research etc.
Formal Supervisory Reviews
Formal supervisory reviews should be held approximately every three months until you reach the 36-month mark in your programme. After this period, there will be a final review called 'prior to thesis submission' review.
Part-time students
If you are a part-time student or have interruptions or taken study leave at any point, your reviews may take place at different periods in your programme compared to other students.
Goal of the reviews
These reviews are in place to discuss your objectives for the next period and the skills required to complete these objectives. It also allows both the student and their supervisor(s) to have a more in-depth discussion on their progress and whether any further guidance is required.
Log the Formal Supervisory reviews
Formal supervisory reviews should be added to your research log and, once you have completed your sections, should be signed off by your primary and secondary supervisors.
When it comes to exam entry and thesis submission, departments will expect to see a completed log of supervisory reviews that have been signed off by both of your supervisors.
International Students
UK Visas and Immigration require UCL to monitor the attendance and engagement of all students who hold a Student Visa or Tier 4 visa.
Engagement Monitoring
UCL is obligated to withdraw institutional visa sponsorship if a student is absent from their studies without permission or doesn't actively engage in their programme of study. For example, failing to complete assessed work.
Evidence of attendance
There are various activities that can be used as acceptable evidence by your department e.g., attendance at upgrade meeting, however, most departments use the evidence of a monthly meeting with your supervisor(s) as evidence of your engagement.
Log meetings
Many departments will request that you log these meetings on the research log but your department administrator and/or Departmental Graduate Tutor will provide you with further detail on anything you need to do once you start at UCL.
You can find general information on student visa responsibilities on the Students Visa webpage.
CRS
When you are ready to write up your thesis, Completing Research Status (CRS) enables you to remain registered as a UCL student and retain access to buildings and resources, without paying fees.
You must have completed the expected period of normal registration for your degree programme (usually 3 or 4 years if full time) and must meet certain criteria in order to apply for CRS.
All the information you need to check your eligibility and apply can be found on the UCL CRS page.
Thesis Committees
Depending on which Department you are in, you may also have a thesis committee who can provide additional input into your project.
Different Departments have different ways of running thesis committees, so if this applies to you, contact your local PGR administrator for more information.