Common use of Final Examination Clause in Contracts

Final Examination. The final thesis, which should be between 75,000 and 100,000 words long, will be assessed against the Dublin descriptors for 3rd cycle qualifications. Candidates have to demonstrate the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication. At least two examiners (at least one of them external) will prepare written reports on the thesis in advance of a viva voce examination. The examining board for the viva will be comprised of the two supervisors (who will be non‐voting members for ▇▇▇▇▇ conducted in Kent); at least two further TEEME staff from the degree‐awarding institutions; at least one examiner of appropriate standing who is external to all consortium universities; and, whenever FU Berlin is among the degree‐awarding institutions, one non‐professorial FU staff member. Parity between the two degree‐awarding institutions on the examination board will be ensured. The consortium will agree in a separate document the necessary level of seniority of exam board members to ensure compliance with institutional requirements. A joint report, recommending the award or not, will follow the examination. Examiners will submit reports to the Academic Board which will then forward them to the relevant committees of the two degree‐awarding institutions. Successful candidates will qualify for the award of a doctorate from the two partner institutions which have established the supervisory team and overseen the supervision and production of the thesis. The consortium is committed to awarding joint degrees in all partner institutions. Joint degrees are already fully recognized in the relevant subject areas at the University of Kent and FU Berlin. At the time of writing this document (spring 2011) CU Prague still requires formal approval for its joint degree from the national Czech accreditation agency. This approval is expected by the end of the candidates' enrolment period, ie the date of signature of the Doctoral Candidate Agreement (no later than 1 July 2011). Porto was until recently prevented from awarding joint degrees, due to constraints created by national legislation. Following new regulations, approved in 2011, an upgrade of Porto’s participation from double (dual) to joint degree status is under way. It is expected that by the time the first TEEME students reach completion stage, Porto will also be in a position to award joint degrees. Anticipating the approval of the joint degree option in the relevant PhD programme specifications at Prague, joint degrees will be available to all candidates whose combination of degree‐awarding institutions does not include Porto, provided that a student has spent a minimum of 12 months in each of these institutions. For all combinations that include Porto, dual (double) degrees will be awarded, subject to the requirement that the doctoral candidate shall have spent a minimum of 12 months in the partner institution awarding the dual (double) degree. For dual (double) degrees two separate certificates will be issued, one by each of the two degree‐awarding institutions. Each of these certificates will be valid only in conjunction with the other. Graduates who have chosen FU Berlin as one of their degree‐awarding institutions will have their thesis and their viva voce graded according to FU regulations. FU Berlin graduates will also be required to publish their thesis; all other TEEME graduates will be strongly encouraged to do so, either through the TEEME website or through other means appropriate to the discipline.