Course of study and examination

All PhD research students are assigned at least one named supervisor and an advisor, both of whom must be academics in the Information Security Group. The supervisor directs the work and acts as the first line of research and welfare support. The role of the advisor varies, but in all cases the advisor provides a second line of support.

While research work inevitably involves substantial amounts of private study, students may also be directed to attend some of the advanced courses offered by the university. Successful completion of a PhD research programme is most easily achieved if a student plays an active role in the Information Security Group Research community. This involves regularly attending relevant seminar series, workshops and study groups in the Information Security Group. It also involves discussing and presenting work to other students and staff. Where appropriate, students will be expected to attend or present work at seminars, workshops or research meetings off the campus, including international research conferences.

Once the research has been successfully completed the student must write and submit a final report in the form of a PhD research thesis. This will be evaluated by at least two experts and the student will be invited to attend an oral examination where they must defend their thesis.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prospective students are advised that, with effect from 2006, and in line with most other UK universities, there is a maximum registration period of four years for full-time PhD students (seven years for part-time students). Thus, before registering for a PhD degree, students must ensure that time and funds will be available to enable completion of a thesis within this period.

Detailed information about the course of study is available in the Mathematics Department Research Postgraduate Handbook.