Research Degrees Management System FAQs

A full range of training materials for all users is available on our project training webpages. This includes links to examiner and student guidance.

This project will enable the implementation of previously-agreed Postgraduate Research (PGR) examination regulation changes that were announced in the 31 October 2024 edition of the University Gazette and are available on the Policy and Guidance on Research Degrees webpage.

Here are the key changes:

• Increasing the length of time available for minor corrections to two months from one month;
• Retention of major corrections as an examination outcome, but providing clearer options for major corrections with re-examination and major corrections without further examination;
• Reduction in the length of time available for reference back decisions from two years to one year;
• Improved guidance including the addition of indicative criteria to each decision, to aid examiners in determining when a particular outcome should be selected;
• The removal of extensions from minor and major correction outcomes;
• The provision for a period of suspension of up to 12 months (with a minimum suspension of 4 weeks) for those with major corrections and reference back decisions;
• Improved clarity on the expectations for supervision of students post-viva, with students receiving major corrections and reference back decisions entitled to the same level of supervision as expected before submission;
• Provision for students to apply for exceptional suspensions and extensions from Education Committee.

There are no email notifications in the system for staff. You will need to log in to the Research Degrees tab (which may be in the + icon in your menu) to view examinations at any stage. This is particularly important for super users to see all examinations with a workflow status of Awaiting GSA Review which indicates action is needed, including where a report needs to be referred to DGS/Board or Division. 

Research Degrees Examination Management in eVision will change the thesis submission process for postgraduate research students. Various staff involved with postgraduate research assessments will also be impacted by the project. This includes: Graduate Studies Administrators, Directors of Graduate Studies, Supervisors, Examiners, the Research Degrees team in Student Assessments and the Student Systems Support Centre.

Some Professional Services teams who support Postgraduate Research (PGR) assessments will experience minor changes as a result of the project. This includes: Student Registry, Payroll, the University Gazette team, Oxford Research Archive, University Stores and the Print Studio.

The Research Degrees Management System (RDMS) project is delivering Research Degrees Examination Management (RDEM) in eVision. 

You can email the project team at RDMSproject@it.ox.ac.uk with any questions, feedback or concerns.

RDEM in eVision will improve the Postgraduate Research (PGR) student experience because it moves their thesis submission process into eVision – a system that they are already familiar with and use for University registration, student record access, examination entry, examination results, booking degree ceremonies and more.

The current Postgraduate Research (PGR) thesis submission platform, Research Theses Digital Submission (RTDS), is only encountered by PGR students for the first time as they are submitting their thesis. The new process will remove the need for PGR students to learn a new system while they are meeting this important deadline, and will instead allow them to use a system that is well-known to them.

For major corrections outcomes, examiners will be able to upload corrections, annotated theses and additional notes in the system, as part of their joint examiners’ report.

The minor corrections process will not change: examiners will continue to correspond with students off-system, via email.