Admissions, Enrolment and Induction – Administration Procedure
The following provides step-by-step instructions to support Research Degree Administrators manage the Admissions Process up to and including enrolment and induction. It includes timescales and links to templates and associated documents.
When to Apply
Students can apply at any time of the year if applying speculatively to the University or, if they are applying in response to a specific advert for a studentship position or self-funded project, by the application closure date. Whilst students may apply at any point during the year, there are three cohorts (September, January and April) on which they can start their research degree, or in exceptional circumstances, they may start in July. Although, some faculties only have a September start.
All applicants (even staff!) must use the standard Application Form to Study for a Postgraduate Research Degree. CVs will not be accepted. Applicants’ requisite documentation must be included.
Application Enquiry / ResponsibleStudent Enquiry / Email sent to prospective applicant advising of the admissions process. / FRDA/Grad School
Application Received / Responsible
Application emailed to or posted/handed in to the Graduate School / 1. If hard copy received by Graduate School, scan in the Application Form and file hard copy in the cabinet.
2. Email copy of the application form to the appropriate Faculty Research Degree Administrator, cc in either Direct Admissions Team or International Admissions Team.
3. Save an electronic copy of the Application Form to the memory stick.
4. Email the applicant to acknowledge receipt of the application.
5. Complete the database with the details of the application. / Graduate School
Faculty Processing / 1. If the Application Form is sent directly to FRDA, then email electronic copy to either Direct Admissions or International Admissions and cc in Graduate School.
2. If Application Form is received directly from Admissions, email a copy to the Graduate School, for information.
3. Email the Application Form and proposal (the references and other documentation are not required at this stage) to the Research Degrees Co-ordinator (or HFRD/specified academic) to undertake a first screening and to check:
i) The applicant meets the qualifications for entry.
ii) There is supervisory expertise/interest/capacity within the Faculty.
iii) The quality of the proposal.
Provide a response time for an ‘in principle’ decision of 2 weeks.
NB: an ‘in principle’ decision relates to whether the application will be progressed further to the interview stage or whether the application is rejected.
4. Record the date on Faculty database/spreadsheet and indicate a return date of 2 weeks.
5. Email applicant to acknowledge receipt:
i) Request that further documentation is required to be submitted within 2 weeks, i.e. outstanding references or documentation; or
ii) Nothing further is required. Application is now being processed.
6. Confirm references are genuine when received, if you have any concerns. Check on Google or contact the referee if you are uncertain using the email template. References should be dated within the last 12 months.
7. Set reminder for deadline of 2 weeks (ie using Outlook calendar; email flag) for the notification of the ‘in principle’ decision of the application. / FRDA
Assessment (first stage for ‘in principle’ decision) / Responsible
Assessment of Application Form and Proposal / For speculative applicants, a potential DoS identified / HFRD/RDCo
Application Form considered
1. If accept ‘in principle’, then progress to interview stage (pending receipt of all documentation).
NB: Applicants who have been accepted ‘in principle’ have 7 days to submit their documentation.
After the initial 7 days, send a final reminder email to provide documentation within 7 days otherwise application will be closed and not progressed any further.
2. If reject, then FRDA sends email (cc Admissions) to applicant, advising them that their application was unsuccessful. / FRDA
Assessment (second stage for interview) / Responsible
Interview / 1. Set date and book venue for interview
2. Send notification of the interview together with the venue details to FRDA.
3. Hospitality to be booked for Interview Panel. / Chair of the Interview Panel
1. Applicant invited by email to attend face-to-face interview or advised of time for Skype interview by FRDA.
2. Provide the Interview Panel with an electronic copy of Application Form and other supporting documentation (where necessary).
3. Provide the Chair of Interview Panel with Interview Form (RDInt). / FRDA
1. During the Interview, the Panel must see the original and obtain a copy of the ID and highest qualification in person from applicant on the day of interview or emailed if via Skype.
2. Bench fees must also be discussed (if applicable)
3. RDInt Form completed by interview panel with feedback and sent to FRDA. / Interview Panel
Outcomes of Interview
Applicant Unsuccessful / Applicant to be sent email and advised that they have been unsuccessful and provided with feedback (if requested)
CC in Admissions (either Direct or International) ensuring full name of applicant is in the subject box with the Applicant’s ID number. / FRDA
Applicant Successful / Home/EU Applicants only are sent email offer from the Faculty (For overseas applicants, International Admissions must send out the offer) with detail of the offer, including start date (ie, September, January, April, and exceptionally July), tuition fees, bench fees (if applicable) and any conditions, and asked to confirm by a specified deadline. / FRDA
For Overseas Applicants, email International Admissions that the applicant has been successful and attach the RDInt Form and any outstanding documents from the Application Form.
Certain subject areas require ATAS clearance. See the link for further information:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/phd-or-other-doctoral-levelqualification-jacs-codes. In which case, the ATAS Form is required. / FRDA
Applicant Accepts Offer / 1. Applicant returns reply slip and accepts offer of a place of study.
2. At this point, Finance should be made aware of the bench fee via email to , if applicable.
3. Chase applicant for their reply slip, if not returned within 2 weeks / Applicant
FRDA
FRDA
Admissions Status
For International Applicants, check the applicants status on QLS to ensure conditions(where applicable) have been met. If met, ensure copy of offer letter has been received for the students file. If not, chase International Admissions to issue offer letter.
1. Log into QLS and select ‘Admissions’ then ‘Admissions Management’.
2. Enter the applicant’s ID number (if known) or full name.
3. Click on ‘Application Details’. This will show the record for the course they have applied for. At this stage it is a good idea to check that they have been put onto the right course code and occurrence.
4. The stage code will reflect the status of the applicant. For example;
DIRCO = Conditional Offer
DIRCF = Conditional Firm Offer (the applicant has accepted)
DIRUO = Unconditional Offer
DIRUF = Unconditional Firm Offer (the applicant has met the conditions and accepted).
5. Once an applicant has met the conditions of their offer, the Recruitment and Admissions will need to see evidence of this to change their QLS stage code to unconditional. You may also need to let them know that they have accepted their offer (if they have come back to you rather than than Admissions.) Only at the point where the stage code shows DIRUF will their record appear in the ‘Enrolments’ side of QLS ready to enrol onto.
6. To check this, click on ‘Enrolment’ and ‘Enrolment Management’ and enter the applicant’s details.
7. If you then click on ‘Enrolment Details’ their record should appear with a stage code of PR, ready for them to enrol onto.
8. If the screen is blank (as per the screen shot below) check with admissions that they have received confirmation of the evidence and acceptance.
9. On the PR enrolment record, input the Unit of Assessment (UoA) data:
(a) On the right-hand side, click on ‘HESA AOS Details’.
(b) At the bottom of the form, click on the ‘REF Data’ button. This brings up the form to input the UoA data.
(c) Input the Unit of Assessment value.
(d) input a default value of ‘Z’ in the Multiple Submission field.
(e) Input a default value of ‘100’ in the Percentage field.
(f) Use the tab key to tab the cursor across the form to ensure the data is stored into the form properly. (A yellow record row line displaying the data you have input should appear at the top of the form.)
(g) Click ‘Save and Close’.
10. Check Tardis report, BIPBRES1658 - ‘HESA Review of Unit Assessment Data for all current PGR Students’ for missing UoA data. This report shows enrolled students only, not PR records. / FRDA
Email Admissions to update QLS record for Home/EU students. / FRDA
Studentship Offers
For funded Studentship places, a separate offer letter (contract) is sent from the Graduate School detailing the funding arrangements in addition to the offer letter for the place of study on the research degree.
Studentship Form / The DoS completes Studentship Form and sends to FRDA / DoS
Once the Studentship Form is checked, take a copy of Form for the student’s file then send form to Graduate School.
For Faculty funded Studentships, obtain signatures from Faculty Accountant before sending the Form to the Graduate School / FRDA
Signatures approving the Studentship obtained from Head of Graduate School and Finance (the Finance Contact is dependant on the project code – refer to Studentship Form) / Graduate School
Studentship offer letter is sent out. / Graduate School
Student returns the offer letter completing the final page to accept studentship / Student
Graduate School sends paperwork to payroll to set full studentship up on the HR payment system. / Graduate School
A fees memo is sent to Finance for each studentship and cc’d FRDA. Memos are required prior to enrolment for Faculty/Departmental funded staff or students (see internal memo). This memo can arrange for the funding to be for the duration of the course, otherwise a memo will be required each year of study. / Graduate School
Move-age Students
(Science & Eng/Cheshire only) / NB: The application process is via the Move-age committee. Interviews are held as normal.
DoS to send a completed Application Form to FRDA together with the RDINT form following the interview identifying the outcome.
DoS completes Studentship Form and sends to FRDA indicating Move-age student. / DoS
DoS
For overseas students, FRDA follows international admissions process as normal to issue offer letter for the place of study.
FRDA to send the Graduate School the completed Studentship Form.
Graduate School processess via normal studentship process. A specific Move-age offer letter is issued from the Graduate School for the studentship. / FRDA
FRDA
Graduate School
For Home/EU students, FRDA sends the Graduate School the completed Studentship Form. FRDA to contact HR to issue the Move-age Employment contract. / FRDA
GTA5s / Academic staff to liaise with HR regarding the sending out of offer letters for GTA5s / Academic staff
Enrol students with the full fee as per the fees list (adding GTA5 in the UFF Instruction to Finance field) and ask the student to select the Employer/Sponsor option during online enrolment and add ‘MMU GTA5’ in the text field. Finance will sort things out internally afterwards.
Finance will invoice in full and charge the full fee to the Department therefore a sponsorship letter/email will be required signed by the budget holder (budget code required). Copy the fees memo to the Graduate School for information.
NB: The GTA5s will have 5 years of funding and will be encouraged to submit at the end of the 5 years. However, as they are part-time students and to fit with the research degree regulations they will formally have 6 years to submit, therefore the final year they will need fund themselves should they need it. The regs indicate that a PT student should dedicate at least 12 hours to their research per week. The expectation is these students on GTA5 contracts should be able to commit more than the 12 hours per week to their research but obviously not as many hours as a FT student at 35 hours. Therefore, this is why they have been funded for 5 years.
Quick summary :
5 year contracts
All costs are covered from Depts’ AL budgets
Average of 250 L&T per annum spread over the 5 years as appropriate to the student/team
Fixed salary of £1155.25 pcm for 5 years (2014-15 rates)
PT PhD fees covered for 5 years / FRDA
Staff Fees Waiver
For staff who undertake a research degree on the Fee Waiver Scheme, please refer to the Fee Waiver administrative notes for the procedures for processing the fee waiver.
Welcome email and DoS email
Welcome Email
(Send 6 weeks prior to start) / Welcome email includes details of how to enrol, proposed supervisory team and when to arrange first supervisory meeting. Additional documents accompany the welcome email as attachments. / FRDA
Email to DoS
(send 7 to 10 days before student(s) start date / Send email to DoS informing them about the start of the new student(s) and attach copy of the Induction Checklist (RDInduction). CC other members of the Supervisory Team into the email. / FRDA
Enrolment
Pre-enrolment for International Students / If overseas, Tier 4 check required before enrolment – this is dealt with by International Admissions.
Online Enrolment / NB: Students are sent details within the Welcome email of how to enrol online.
Once enrolled, Student Billings will invoice for fees (and bench fees, if applicable) to either the student or the sponsoring body. / FRDA
Instructions for QLS / Once the record has been set up in QLS for online enrolment, at this point check the course (AoS) code, mode of attendance and year are correct. Confirm the tuition fees and any bench fees (if applicable) via the Unconfirmed Fee File on TARDIS / FRDA
Instructions for RMS / Enter student ID, press F8.
Click on Project Tab. Click on Mode press F9 then insert whether FT or PT
Insert:
- Insert thesis title. Click save changes
- Insert Supervisory Team. Save changes.
Induction
Graduate School Induction Day / Please provide contact details of all new students to the Graduate School.
Invitations to the Induction Days emailed to students. / FRDA
Graduate School
Faculty Induction / Details of Faculty specific Inductions sent out to students. / FRDA
Induction with DoS / Email (see above) is sent to DoS together with Induction checklist 7 to 10 days prior to new students starting. Cc in the other members of the Supervisory Team
DoS needs to return completed checklist to FRDA for the student file. / FRDA
DoS
2015 / Admission for Research Degree Students
TEMPLATE EMAIL
Subject : Enquiry email
From: Faculty Research Degree Administrator
To: Prospective Student
Dear [insert name ],