Degree of Master of Research

RESOLUTION

The Degree of Master of Research is governed by Resolution No. 666 of the University Court, which at the time of publication was currently in draft form, with provision that:

1.    The Degree of Master of Research (MRes) may be awarded by the University of Glasgow in The Glasgow School of Art.

2.    a) A candidate for the Degree may undertake research as set out in the Regulations. Such research shall be prosecuted in The Glasgow School of Art or in another institution recognised for the purposes of study and research.

b)   The Glasgow School of Art may allow the candidate’s research to be conducted in an external institution. The choice of such an institution will be determined ad hoc and only where there exists clear alignment of the candidate’s proposed research with the aims and objectives of the institution proposed, and where the institution can demonstrate ability to provide an appropriate level of supervision of the candidate. A full-time member of staff of a recognised institution may be nominated to The Glasgow School of Art’s Academic Council either as a supervisor or as an internal examiner although such an individual may not be nominated as an examiner if they have previously supervised the candidate's work. In cases where an employee of the institution acts as supervisor or internal examiner, a member of staff from an appropriate subject area in The Glasgow School of Art will also be appointed.

3.    Every candidate for the Degree, before being admitted to a programme of research qualifying therefore, (a) must have obtained a Degree in any Institution of Higher Education specially recognised for this purpose by The Glasgow School of Art on the recommendation of Academic Council, provided always that a diploma or a certificate recognised in like manner as equivalent to a Degree may be accepted in place of a Degree and (b) must have satisfied The Glasgow School of Art’s Academic Council of their fitness to undertake advanced study.

4.    A candidate who is a full-time student shall follow a programme of study by research in The Glasgow School of Art or another Institution recognised for the purpose for 12 months. The period of study for a candidate who is a part-time student shall be at least one year longer than that prescribed for full-time students.

These provisions notwithstanding, The Glasgow School of Art may on special cause shown extend the prescribed period of study for any full-time candidate by not more than one year.

5.    The Glasgow School of Art shall designate a Professor or Lecturer in the School to supervise the study of each candidate. The supervisor shall report at appropriate intervals as determined by The Glasgow School of Art on the progress of the candidate.

6.    On the conclusion of their period of study each candidate shall present for examination their Summative Portfolio as detailed in the Regulations.

7.    The examiners for the Degree shall be appointed by The Glasgow School of Art Academic Council.

8.    The Degree shall in no case be conferred on persons who have not satisfied the conditions hereinbefore set forth and shall not be conferred as an Honorary degree except on the conditions contained in Ordinance of the University Court No. 109, Glasgow No. 28.

9.    The regulations for the Degree shall be as stated in the Regulations.

REGULATIONS

1.     Admission

1.1   A student admitted onto a programme leading to an award must follow the instructions issued by the relevant Department or equivalent and make detailed reference to the content of the Programme Specification and the MRes Programme Handbook which will contain further details on the Programme including, in some cases, further requirements associated with the award.

1.2   Before being considered for admission to study for an award to which these Regulations apply, a candidate must normally have obtained either a degree from a recognised University or an equivalent qualification to the satisfaction and approval of the Academic Council of The Glasgow School of Art.

1.3   Admission to study for the Degree will normally be granted from the beginning of the academic year.

1.4   In The Glasgow School of Art the normal standard of admission will be that of a Degree with First or Upper Second Class Honours but another qualification, being a qualification approved by the University Court as provided in section 3 of the Resolution, may be accepted by The Glasgow School of Art as being suitable for the programme of research which it is proposed that the applicant should follow.

2.     Duration of Study

2.1   The minimum period of study for the award of the Degree is 12 calendar months for a full-time candidate and 24 calendar months for a part-time candidate. The maximum period for full-time study is 24 calendar months of registered study. The Academic Council of The Glasgow School of Art may recognise attendance given and examinations passed in another institution. The maximum period within which all candidates must complete the programme is five years from the date of initial registration.

3.     Supervision

3.1   The progress of each candidate shall be overseen by a Supervisory Team, appointed for that candidate, and ratified by the Research Degrees Sub-Committee of the Research and Enterprise Committee of The Glasgow School of Art (hereinafter referred to as the RDSC). A candidate can enrol only with their Primary Supervisor. If it is not apparent at the commencement of studies the context of the particular nature of, or specialism, required for the supplementary supervision of a candidate’s study, the rest of the candidate’s Supervisory Team may be considered at a later stage. A second supervisor(s) should be approved by the RDSC or its Convener no later than three months from the commencement of studies.

3.2   The Supervisory Team must meet with the candidate at regular intervals. A meeting of the candidate and the full Supervisory Team (including PhD Coordinator and/or Academic Coordinator and/or Programme Leader) will take place not less than every six months. Meetings between the candidate and individual supervisors will take place regularly. Once a term, the Primary Supervisor and Co-Supervisors should meet the candidate together. The Supervisory Team shall be comprised of the following:

• A Primary Supervisor (main subject domain), who shall be the main supervisor and a member of the academic staff at The Glasgow School of Art, and shall be competent to supervise postgraduate research degrees;
• One or two co-supervisor(s) as may be appointed by the RDSC. The co-supervisor may normally be a member of the academic staff at The Glasgow School of Art, or may be external to the School if their particular expertise is relevant to the programme of research being proposed and/or undertaken. The co-supervisor shall be competent to supervise postgraduate research degrees;

3.3   In addition to the core Supervisory Team, the Programme Leader, and local PhD Coordinator will support the candidate and the Supervisory Team in relation to procedures. The Academic Coordinator (PGR) will provide key overview, in particular with regard to funding, training and regulations.

3.4   The Supervisory Team shall be responsible to the RDSC, to which it shall report annually. The RDSC shall be responsible to the Academic Council of The Glasgow School of Art for the progress of all research students. The Academic Council shall be responsible to the University Senate.

3.5   Candidates must be available for regular supervision by their supervisor(s) unless given permission otherwise by the RDSC.

3.6   Candidates studying on a part-time basis must be available for regular supervision throughout their period of study unless given permission otherwise by the RDSC.

4.     Examination

4.1   A candidate must submit for examination within six months of the conclusion of the statutory period of full-time or part-time study specified by the regulation. In exceptional circumstances, and on submission of stated case, an extension of six months may be approved by the RDSC. In order to complete the research, candidates are required to complete the Formative submissions at the end of each Project Phase, and the Summative Portfolio, as detailed in the Programme Specification.

4.2   On completion of the research as detailed in §4.1, the candidate shall present a Summative Portfolio comprising a Research Project or a Thesis, embodying the results of the work for examination for the degree.

4.3    The Research Project and the Thesis

4.3.1    A candidate for the Degree of Master of Research shall present for the approval of the Senate either a Research Project (portfolio with extended written text) or a full written Thesis which shall embody the results of the candidate’s special study or. Included in either the extended written text or the full thesis must be a written abstract of 250 – 500 words. This must be an adequate and informative summary of the work, suitable for publication by The Glasgow School of Art. The Research Project or the full Thesis shall be accompanied by a  declaration  signed  by  the  candidate  that  the  Research  Project  or  Thesis  has  been composed by themself. Any written extended text, supporting documentation or Thesis must be written in English.

Within these regulations, the term portfolio shall be taken to mean a body of original work, comprising one or a number of items, in fine art, craft, design or architecture. The body of work may be presented in material or virtual reality. The work may take the form of objects, images, environments, architectural structures, performances, texts, virtual or conceptual works, software or designs for any of these, or any comparable form. The portfolio may include work of an interdisciplinary character when the predominant discipline is fine art, craft, design or architecture.

The body of original work shall be documented by photographic or other visual process together with any necessary textual material, including labels or notes of explanation written in English. The documentation must be in permanent form. The documentation shall be to a standard whereby a future researcher may recognise the research represented or embodied within the portfolio, as determined by the Examiners. The documentation shall include references, a bibliography and notes in which the candidate must state the sources from which their information is derived, the extent to which they have availed themself of the work of others, and the portions of the portfolio and any accompanying written thesis which they claim as original. The documentation the Research Project and the full Thesis shall become the property of The Glasgow School of Art and shall be lodged in the Library of The Glasgow School of Art.

A candidate may submit their work within one of the following categories: Master of Research by Research Project or Master of Research by Thesis. An initial proposal of a category should be made by the candidate within their application for registration. A final proposal of category should be agreed by the candidate and the Supervisory Team and submitted to the RDSC for approval prior to the examination. Where it is agreed that the candidate will submit by Research Project, the content of the portfolio and the arrangements for its exhibition shall be subject to the agreement of the Supervisory Team.

4.3.2    Master of Research by Research Project

The candidate shall submit for examination a Summative Portfolio which includes an extended written text which, together but not necessarily separately, represent or embody new knowledge. An extended text shall normally consist of 8,000 words excluding references, bibliography and appendices. A candidate who wishes to submit an extended text of lesser or greater length must seek prior permission from the RDSC.