The 'first year review' is a crucial stage in the progress of a doctoral student.
All potential PhD students in the Faculty are PROBATIONARY in the first year and progression to the second year (and registration for the PhD) depend on a successful first year review.
The format of your assessment will vary slightly according to the department you are in (so you should always check your departmental postgraduate student handbook and/or webpages for details) and your initial registration status:
- most new research students in the Faculty are initially registered as probationary (referred to in the Student Registry and in CamSIS as 'Not At First Registered' for any qualification or 'NOTAF') and will undergo a formal probationary review towards the end of the first year;
- CDT students taking a masters degree in the first year of a formal '1+3' programme are registered as probationary PhD students ('NOTAF') from the start of the PhD phase - i.e. the start of the second year of the programme -and take the probationary review according to the rules pertaining in the department in which they are studying for the PhD;
- students on CDT programmes that do not award a qualification at the end of the first year are initially registered as probationary and undergo a formal probationary review on a fixed date at the end of the first year or early in the second year to take account of extra training requirements.
If you are unsure which assessment you will be required to take and when, please contact your Departmental Postgraduate Office.
You may find Researcher Development courses on writing and publishing helpful, particularly 'Writing your First Year Report'.