Appointing examiners for research degrees
It is the supervisor's responsibility to recommend both internal and external examiners who meet the eligibility criteria using the examination entry workflow in GRAD
How are examiners nominated?
At least three months before the submission of their thesis, the PGR must enter for examination by completing the examination entry workflow in GRAD. PGRs are advised to start thinking about this process and discuss arrangements with their supervisor well in advance of this deadline as it may take time to find suitable examiners who are available to examine the thesis.
Once the PGR has completed their part of the workflow, the Supervisor will receive a task and email notification through GRAD to complete the nomination for examiners.
PGRs may be asked by their supervisor(s) for their views on individuals who might act as Examiners but the supervisor(s), in consultation with the Director of PGR Studies, is responsible for recommending examiners to be appointed to the Examinations Group of the Graduate Board. The Examinations Group will then make the final decision about the appointments.
Who is eligible to be an examiner?
The University has strict criteria for the appointment of examiners , which can be read in full in the criteria for the appointment of examiners. Between them, the proposed team should have a balanced level of seniority and previous research degree examination experience in the UK. In some cases the University may require the appointment of an independent chair. Please refer to the criteria for the appointment of examiners for further guidance.
Training for internal examiners
Graduate Board requires all internal examiners to complete an ODPL training course/briefing before acting as Internal Examiner. This includes those new to the role and those who are experienced examiners at other Institutions but are new to Leeds, or have not acted at Leeds in the last 5 years. For further information and booking details please see the ODPL website.
How much does an external examiner get paid?
An external examiner is eligible for a fee which will be paid by the Doctoral College Operations team. All other expenses will be covered by the school. For further information, please contact the thesis submission and examination team