Getting started with your PhD
You are expected to engage actively with your research, your supervisor and your academic community throughout your PhD. This includes attending supervisory meetings, seminars, workshops and other required academic activities.
Research students are also expected to be based in London and actively engaged with their studies throughout the calendar year. This includes the summer period between the end of Spring Term and the start of Autumn Term, which is not an automatic vacation period for research students.
You will normally need approval before spending time away from London, the UK, the School, or your normal study arrangements. The correct approval route depends on your circumstances. It is not determined only by the length of time you will be away.
Before making arrangements, read our guidance on temporary absence from London and/or study. This explains which approval route to use for short absence, vacation, emergency authorised absence, fieldwork, Study Elsewhere, interruption of studies, and requests to reside outside London or the UK. It also provides guidance for Student visa holders and students in receipt of School-administered funding.
Our guidance can be found here.
If LSE sponsors your student visa, you must understand and meet your visa conditions throughout your studies.
Recording supervisor meetings in the PhD Log
You are required to use the PhD Log to record meetings with your supervisor and keep it up to date.
- Full-time students are entitled to three supervisory meetings per term (nine per academic year), and are required to record at least nine supervisory interactions – which can be meetings, email exchanges or other substantive interactions – each year in order to be eligible to re-enrol in the following academic year.
- Part-time students are entitled to two meetings per term (six per academic year) and are required to record at least six supervisory interactions – which can be meetings, email exchanges or other substantive interactions – each year in order to be eligible to re-enrol in the following academic year.
This is a formal requirement, which applies to all students.
For visa-holders, this is required as evidence to demonstrate your engagement to UK Visas and Immigration. You can find guidance on School requirements for PhD log record-keeping, and the relationship of this record keeping to processes like progress review, upgrade assessments and change of circumstances applications here.
School regulations govern your registration, progression, examination and award. You are responsible for reading and understanding the regulations that apply to your programme.
Regulations for Research Degrees
Settling in and starting your research
Choosing your courses
You can select and manage courses using LSE for You (LFY). LFY is the School’s online system used to choose courses, check your timetable, and view your registration and assessment details.
Full information on course selection, including the deadline and how to make your selections can be found here.
If you attend a course but do not take the assessment, tell the PhD Academy before the examination period. PhD Academy enquiry form
The PhD Academy also offers training, workshops, and events to support your development.
PhD Academy training and events to find out whats available and to book your places.
You must consider the ethical implications of your research before you begin data collection.
You must seek ethics approval if your research involves human participants or identifiable data.
Research Ethics webpage
When planning your research, consider potential risks, data protection, and any relevant legal requirements.
If you have any queries concerning the Ethics Policy contact Lyn Grove, research.ethics@lse.ac.uk.
Progress and academic milestones
You are required to remain actively engaged and make steady academic progress throughout your PhD.
Supervisory meetings
- Meet regularly
- Agree goals and next steps
- Prepare and follow up on actions
Use of the PhD Log helps you, your supervisors, your department and the School to keep track of your engagement, progress and supervision.
PhD Log records help to provide a shared record of what has been discussed, what advice has been given, and what next steps have been agreed. You can find guidance on School requirements for PhD log record-keeping, and the relationship of this record keeping to processes like progress review, upgrade assessments and change of circumstances applications here.
Your department reviews your progress each year before you can continue to the next academic year.
Full-time students are required to record at least nine supervisory interactions – which can be meetings, email exchanges or other substantive interactions – each year in order to be eligible to re-enrol in the following academic year.
Part-time students are required to record at least six supervisory interactions per year. This is a formal requirement, which applies to all students. For visa-holders, this is required as evidence to demonstrate your engagement to UK Visas and Immigration.
If your progress changes, or you experience difficulties, seek advice early.
Options may include:
When and why you complete upgrade
Upgrade must take place before the end of your second year of enrolment as an MPhil/PhD students. If you are an MRes student, you are required to upgrade before entering the PhD phase.
Preparing for upgrade
Department and School requirements
MRes/PhD programmes
Upgrade may form part of your progression from MRes to PhD.
Time away, changes and life events
You may need to request a formal change to your registration or study arrangements during your PhD. This includes fieldwork, study elsewhere, interruptions of study, changes to your mode of attendance, changes to supervision, and extensions to your final thesis submission deadline.
Change of Circumstances
You should submit requests well before the date on which you want the change to take effect. Many changes require departmental approval and, in some cases, approval by the Chair of the Research Degrees Subcommittee. Requests submitted shortly before a deadline or planned period of absence may not be able to be considered in time.
The requirements, supporting evidence and approval processes vary depending on the type of request. You can find detailed guidance on each type of change through our Change of Circumstances pages.
PhD Log records
Most change of circumstances requests require consideration of your academic progress, supervisory arrangements and plans for completion. For this reason, the Chair of the Research Degrees Subcommittee will normally expect your PhD Log records to be accurate and up to date before approving an application, unless there is a good reason why this has not been possible.
Where records are incomplete or out of date, additional information may be required before a decision can be made. This will usually take longer than simply updating your records and obtaining approval from your supervisors.
You can find guidance on PhD Log record-keeping requirements, and how these relate to progress review, upgrade assessments and change of circumstances applications, here.
Changes to supervision
If you are considering requesting a change to your supervisory arrangements, or if changes to your supervision become necessary because of changes to your research project or staffing arrangements, you should review our guidance on changes to supervision, which can be found here.
This explains how supervision is organised, how requests are considered, and the respective responsibilities of students, supervisors and departments.
Some changes, absences, or periods away from London or the School use different approval routes. Before making arrangements or submitting a change of circumstances request, please also read our guidance on temporary absence from London and/or study so that you can identify the correct process, which can be found here
Before you carry out fieldwork or research away from LSE
If you plan to carry out fieldwork or study outside LSE—whether in the UK or overseas—you must apply in advance. You should also remember that you will be required to continue meeting with your supervisor, and recording supervisory interactions in the PhD Log, while you are away from the School. You can find guidance on School requirements for PhD log record-keeping, and the relationship of this record keeping to processes like progress review, upgrade assessments and change of circumstances applications here
When approval is required
Submit a fieldwork or study elsewhere application form to the PhD Academy at least one month before your planned start date.
Study Elsewhere guidance
Fieldwork Form
Before you apply
Make sure all required approvals are in place before starting your fieldwork. This may include:
Before starting fieldwork
- You must apply even if your research takes place in London
- Early planning is essential to ensure approvals are completed on time
Finishing your PhD: thesis submission and viva
As you approach the final stages of your PhD, you should start planning for thesis submission, examination and your viva. Early planning will help you avoid delays and make sure that the examination process can run smoothly.
You should discuss your expected submission timeline with your supervisor. You should also check whether your department has any local requirements that you need to complete before submission.
Before your thesis can be sent to your examiners, you must enter for examination. Your department should submit your examination entry at least 40 working days, or eight working weeks, before your thesis deadline or your planned submission date, whichever is earlier. This allows time for examiner nominations to be reviewed, approved and confirmed.
Your viva is arranged by your department after your examiners have been appointed and your thesis has been submitted. If you need reasonable adjustments for your viva, you should raise this as early as possible. You should normally do this through the examination entry process and, where relevant, through your My Adjustments plan.
After your viva, your examiners will recommend an outcome. You may be asked to complete corrections or revisions before your award can be made. Once all examination requirements have been completed, you must submit a final electronic copy of your thesis to LSE Research Online. LSE cannot make your award until your final thesis has been received.
Detailed guidance on thesis submission, examination entry, examiner appointment, viva arrangements, corrections, final thesis deposit, embargoes, visas and graduation is available here.
Appeals and complaints
If you believe that a formal academic decision about your progress, upgrade or examination was not reached fairly, you may be able to submit an appeal.
Appeals are different from complaints and can only be made on specific grounds set out in the Appeals Regulations for Research Students.
Complaints are used for concerns about supervision, teaching, facilities, communication, support or other aspects of your experience at LSE
Guidance on the difference between the two processes, what decisions can be appealed, and how to submit an appeal, can be found here