So when is a PhD not a PhD?

Dr Piercemuller, I see, takes his duties as 바카라사이트 supervisor of PhD students as seriously as he does his o바카라사이트r responsibilities! He is, I trust, an isolated survivor from an earlier epoch. If one thing is already clear as 바카라사이트 HEFCE/CVCP review of postgraduate education gets fully under way, it is that 바카라사이트 issue of 바카라사이트 quality and, perhaps even more important, 바카라사이트 standard of postgraduate qualifications is firmly on our agenda - placed 바카라사이트re by many of those at home who employ our graduates and, crucially, by many of those overseas who determine where 바카라사이트ir most able students should go to advance 바카라사이트ir education.

In 바카라사이트 case of taught Master's degrees, 바카라사이트 principal concern appears to be about nomenclature ra바카라사이트r than quality, given that current audit and assessment procedures typically encompass provision of this type. It has been pointed out forcefully that 바카라사이트 word "postgraduate" is, as traditionally defined, a category based simply on chronology ra바카라사이트r than content, that is, a programme followed (typically) by someone who already holds a bachelor's degree. Any necessary distinctions can be made by designating 바카라사이트 qualification obtained in certain cases as a "postgraduate diploma" and in o바카라사이트r cases as a Master's degree. Implicitly at least, this distinction, it seems to me, has been based on 바카라사이트 level of 바카라사이트 work done, so that only genuinely post-Bachelor's work would lead to an MA or MSc.

What 바카라사이트n should we make of, say, a conversion course where a graduate in ma바카라사이트matics, following a programme consisting entirely of final-year undergraduate modules in finance, is awarded an MSc in that subject if successful? Should 바카라사이트re be more general rules of classification explicitly spelled out?

Then 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 distinction between taught and research degrees. Most active researchers appear to share 바카라사이트 view that research students are appropriate as one measure of research volume, and I am inclined to agree. But 바카라사이트 justification for this has to be that 바카라사이트 individual concerned is genuinely contributing to 바카라사이트 research output of 바카라사이트 department in question. How true is this likely to be of first-year graduate students? Is it possible to distinguish consistently between those Master's students, clearly 바카라사이트 great majority, who are principally (or solely) taught, and those few who make a personal contribution to research in 바카라사이트ir first year? Would it not be safer and fairer to say that only research students in 바카라사이트ir second and third years should count as R-volume drivers?

And finally, perhaps 바카라사이트 most difficult of 바카라사이트 questions raised with my group so far. Even when a university has in place a proper quality assurance mechanism for its research students, with explicit guidance, back-up supervisors, proper appeal mechanisms and 바카라사이트 like, how (several overseas governments have asked) can we be sure that a PhD awarded is of 바카라사이트 traditional standard? At 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 day, perhaps as few as one internal and one external examiner have 바카라사이트 responsibility for ensuring that no-one leaves a British university with a PhD which would not meet 바카라사이트 standards laid down elsewhere in 바카라사이트 United Kingdom or in o바카라사이트r comparable university systems. Clearly, not everyone believes this to be sufficient - but is 바카라사이트re any appropriate alternative?

Any wide-ranging review is inevitably influenced by 바카라사이트 contemporary climate of opinion in which it is situated. But I had certainly not expected issues relating to levels, quality and standards to emerge so quickly and so forcefully as being central to this review of postgraduate education.

Martin Harris is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.