UNIVERSITY OF KENT
PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION
1. Award and title1
PhD/MPhil in Digital Arts
MSc/Postgraduate Diploma (PDip) in Digital Arts (by research)
2. Length and mode of registration
PhD: a minimum of three years full-time; five years part-time
MPhil: a minimum of two years full time or three years part-time
MSc: a minimum one year full-time; two years part-time
PDip: one year full-time; two years part-time
3. Entry requirements
PhD: First or upper second class honours in a first degree or MSc in Multimedia,
Art, Computing or a related discipline.
MSc: First or second class honours in a first degree in Multimedia, Art, Computing
or a related discipline.
Students are required to meet the UoK criteria for competence in English and to
provide references for their academic achievements and potential for research.
4. Anticipated Total Student Registrations
Two to three students per year increasing to five over the next few years are
anticipated to undertake a research degree in the Digital Arts.
5. Programme Management
Director of Graduate Studies:
Admissions officer:
Academic administrative support:
Prof J Wang.
Dr Gareth Howells.
School Course Administration Office, managed
by Mr. Chris Barron.
6. Proposed Start Date
September 2009.
7. Opportunity and Need
It is central to the University’s mission and the School plan to pursue research to
an internationally recognised standard in all its academic areas. The School has
an established track record of high quality research over a long period in the
Engineering area. However, the Digital Arts are of a fundamentally different
nature and hence require an appropriate Programme Specification.
8. Aims and Objectives
On completion of the Postgraduate Diploma by Research programme, students
will have demonstrated that they have:
(i)
Knowledge of their academic or technical discipline and understanding
of how it relates to a wider field of knowledge.
(ii)
The ability to conduct research.
(iii)
Knowledge of recent advances within their field and in related areas.
(iv)
The ability to apply the existing knowledge to solve original technical or
design problems.
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The School does not normally recruit directly to the MPhil or to the Postgraduate Diploma but wishes
to retain the option to award these qualifications to candidates who have met appropriate requirements.
v.1.3, February 2010
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(v)
(vi)
Understanding of techniques and methods applicable to the research
they have conducted.
Ability to organise, write and present a dissertation on the research
they have conducted to an appropriate professional standard.
On completion of the MSc by Research programme, students will have
additionally demonstrated that they have:
(vii)
The ability to conduct an independent research study.
(viii) If deemed appropriate, the ability to design and develop a suitable
software based application/artefact.
Typically, Postgraduate Diploma and MSc students will have the skills:
a) To deal with complex issues systematically and creatively, make sound
judgements, and communicate their conclusions clearly to specialist and
non-specialist audiences.
b) To demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving
problems, and for acting autonomously in planning and implementing
tasks.
c) To continue to advance their knowledge and understanding, and to
develop new skills to a high level.
d) To transfer skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of
responsibility.
e) To learn independently, as required for continuing professional
development.
On completion of the MPhil programme, students will have additionally
demonstrated that they have:
(ix)
A comprehensive understanding of relevant research methodologies
and techniques and their appropriate application within the research
field.
(x)
The ability to critically analyse and evaluate their own findings and
those of others and to propose hypotheses.
(xi)
The ability to recognise and validate problems.
Additional skills which MPhil students will have:
f) To make sound judgements in the absence of complete data.
g) To autonomously plan and implement tasks at a professional level.
On completion of the PhD programme, students will have achieved all the
objectives of the PDip, MSc and MPhil programmes and also demonstrated that
they have:
(xii)
Contributed to the creation and interpretation of new knowledge,
through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to
satisfy peer review, to extend the forefront of the discipline, and to
merit publication.
(xiii) Systematically acquired an understanding of a substantial body of
knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic discipline or area of
professional practice.
(xiv) The general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project
for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at
the forefront of the discipline, and to adjust the project design in the
light of unforeseen problems.
(xv)
Ability to plan, organise, write and present an extensive thesis on the
research they have conducted to an appropriate professional
publication standard.
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Typically, PhD students will have achieved all the general skills of MSc and MPhil
students, but at a higher level. In summary, they will have the skills and
qualities:
h) To make informed judgements on complex issues in specialist fields, often
in the absence of complete data.
i) To communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to
specialist and non-specialist audiences.
j) To continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and development
at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new
techniques, ideas, or approaches.
k) To exercise personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in
complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent
environments.
Apart from abilities and general skills specified above, research students will have
also acquired various specialist skills, such as advanced usage of ICT and of
sophisticated software, which could be of great value in their future employment.
Most of them will also have gained some teaching experience, mainly as studio or
workshop demonstrators.
The most important differentiation between PhD and other degrees is that PhD
requires an original contribution to knowledge or understanding. As research work
in Digital Arts covers an extremely broad spectrum, this can be interpreted in a
number of contexts.

In a theoretical context, the criteria are to formulate new creative
approaches, techniques or methodologies and to prove their scope and
validity.

In a practical context, the criteria are to use a range of methodologies to
find creative solutions to design problems as well being able to analyse and
evaluate the development of a solution through a substantial piece of
writing. Specifically, students will be required to evaluate critically the
success of the process in relation to the specified research issues, problems
or questions.
Any particular PhD thesis may combine these approaches.
9. Programme Outline
9a. Research training
Students are given details of all the training provided in advance. The attendance
at the events organised by the School is monitored by a register. Typically, these
events are scheduled once per week.
Research student training can be divided into four categories:
(i)
Topic-based research skills related to the project – they are mainly
acquired and developed through close interaction with the research
supervisor and through the research group activities and culture. The
structured components of the training in these categories include:
 Regular research group seminars with active student participation and
presentation of their results.
 Postgraduate poster session presentation at the end of the second year
of registration. Assessment criteria are published and feedback is
provided to the student.
 School seminars involving prominent academics and practitioners
presenting important new developments in the digital arts.
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(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Specialist technical skills (usage of specialist equipment, software, etc) –
they are acquired by training within the research group and attending
specialists courses. Regular monitoring and assessment of student
progress provide feedback on specific additional training needs. The School
provides funds to all its research students for specialist training, including
outside courses and seminars.
Specific skills and knowledge related to studying in local environment
(What are the rules? Where to ask for help? How to arrange for things?
How to gain access to library or computing facilities? Etc) – they are
acquired by introductory talks, through School web pages and student
handbooks. This training is mostly provided in a structured form during
the induction period at the beginning of the first year of registration. Some
of the training sessions organised by the School are listed below:
 “Research studies in the School of Engineering and Digital Arts”
 “Computing facilities in the School and how to make best use of them”
 “Research in the School of Engineering and Digital Arts”
 “Teaching in the School of Engineering and Digital Arts”
In addition, there is also training in this category provided by the
University central facilities: UELT, Computing Service, and the Library.
General and transferable skills (Study skills. Computing skills. Planning
and organising a research project. Communication and interpersonal skills.
How to perform literature search? How to search internet? How to write a
report, a thesis, and a research paper? How to prepare and make a
presentation? Teaching skills. How to find a job. Health and safety issues.
First aid.). They are mostly acquired by taking a formal training or
courses, followed by a practice. Some of the training sessions organised by
the School are listed below:
 “Making most of your supervisor”
 “Literature search and other online resources in Engineering and Digital
Arts”

“Preparing and giving oral presentations and posters”
 “Writing a research paper”
Immediately upon arrival at the School, each student will be given a
Health & Safety induction and tour. Students are required to declare that
they have read and understood the Health and Safety requirements of the
School.
Other aspects of training are provided by central University facilities. Some
are specifically tailored for Engineering and Digital Arts students. For
example, final year students receive a talk from the University Career’s
Advisory Service. Topics covered include:
 Introduction to the Careers Advisory Service facilities
 How employers view Engineering and Digital Arts postgraduates - the
present state of the job market
 What jobs are open to Engineering and Digital Arts postgraduates
 How and when to apply
 Postgraduate CVs
The teaching training is provided through studio or workshop
demonstration (optional) under a supervision of an academic.
For students whose first language is not English help is provided through a
tailored programme of tuition. Although our English Language entry
requirements ensure that cases of major difficulty are rare, this facility has
been utilised on a number of occasions and has proved very valuable for
some of our students.
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9b. Progression milestones
The progress of postgraduate students is monitored according to the system
described below.
1) One month after the start of the studies (typically at the end of
October), the supervisor and the student submit Project Outline to the
Supervisory Panel.
2) Students registered for the PhD (or MSc students wishing to transfer to
the PhD programme) are required to submit to the Supervisory Panel a
First Year Report after some nine months after the start of the studies
(typically by the end of June). This report should consist of two main
components: (i) literature review and (ii) the proposed programme of
work (about 4000 words in total excluding list of references). On the
basis of the First Year Report and the meeting with the student, the
Supervisory Panel may recommend that the registration is amended or
continued to PhD.
3) At the end of Year 2, each student prepares a poster and a 15 min
presentation for the Postgraduate Student Symposium. The prize for
the best poster is awarded to encourage student contribution of high
standard. Poster and presentation form the main components of the
annual student assessment by the Supervisory Panel. The Panel may
recommend student’s withdrawal if the progress is unsatisfactory. In
that case, a meeting with the student should be held as well.
4) Eight months before the submission deadline (typically in January of
the Year 3), a student must submit to the Supervisory Panel, after
consultation with the supervisor, a timetable for completion of
experimental work and write-up and the thesis outline.
5) Two months before the submission deadline (typically in July of the
Year 3) a meeting of the Supervisory Panel takes place, to which the
student and the supervisor submit progress reports. Also, the student
submits a revised thesis outline and publication plans. If necessary, the
student can also request a permission to enter extension year. In the
latter case, the student must also submit a clear timetable for writing
in the extension year.
6) Director of Graduate Studies grants the permission to enter the
extension year on the recommendation of the Supervisory Panel.
7) In Year 4, the student provides progress reports to the Supervisory
Panel every three months.
The progress of part-time students is monitored in the same way, but the
timing of the monitoring stages is extended proportionally over 5 years.
9c. Assessment method
Both PhD, MPhil and MSc students write a thesis embodying their research work.
The work is examined by an internal and external examiner whose appointments
are made according to university criteria. PhD and MPhil students will generally
be given a viva voce examination; MSc students will usually not have a viva.
10. Approved Supervisory Chairs
10.1
10.2
10.3
Supervisory Chairs are approved by the Faculty Graduate Studies
Committee in accordance with Annex H of the Code of Practice for Quality
Assurance (Supervision).
Supervisory Panel arrangements (see section 12) ensure that less
experienced staff can receive appropriate supervision support.
The School has considerable experience in supervision of PhDs in
Electronic Engineering and more than 15 approved supervisory chairs. The
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Faculty has additionally approved the following as supervisory chairs in
Digital Arts:
Dr JC Batchelor
Dr LT Walczowski
11. Research Environment
The School of Engineering and Digital Arts, previously the Department of
Electronics, is a broad-based research centre that has engaged in postgraduate
research training since the 1960s. In the most recent research assessment
exercise 85% of the School’s research activity was assessed to be of international
standard.
The School has four research groups:
Image and Information Engineering
Instrumentation, Control and Embedded Systems
Broadband and Wireless Communications
Digital Media
which form the focus for research work in the School. Each member of research
active staff is a member of at least one group, but many staff participate in the
work of more than one group, and inter-group work is encouraged. Every
research student will join the research group of their supervisor(s). Each research
group organises its own seminars meets on a regular basis.
The School is well equipped with a wide range of studio and computing facilities
and diverse software packages for teaching and research support. Well qualified
research and computing technicians help to run specialist facilties such as A/V
studio and the production studio and provide computing support.
Support for all full time research students includes consumables, equipment and
academic travel budget, as well as a training budget. The students have their own
desk and filing space in one of the research laboratories and a PC. Research
students have free access to university facilities such as printing, photocopying, a
well provisioned Library and high bandwidth internet links.
The School aims to provide an environment which, in material terms, offers a
high level of physical resource and direct support to students to enable them to
work effectively and to gain experience and expertise in the core techniques and
technologies which underpin the broad area within which their research is placed.
Equally, from a less immediately tangible point of view, we aim to establish and
nurture a culture of ready familiarity with a field, a sense of belonging to an
identifiable and vibrant Group of researchers with common interests, a
recognition of the value of productive interaction with other researchers and,
above all, an enthusiasm for the research process which will facilitate the easy
acquisition of fundamental knowledge and practical skills which are to be found in
the best researchers. Therefore, we aim to develop an atmosphere of informality
but serious commitment, of a lively but purposeful pursuit of research goals and
recognition of the inter-dependence of researchers and the place of the individual
within the wider research community. Staff and students work together primarily
as colleagues in a joint enterprise where all have an important part to play.
12. Student Support and Guidance
On registration, all students are issued with a copy of the Faculty Handbook
“Information for New Postgraduate Students”. The students have access to all
advisory, counselling and welfare facilities available at the University and in the
School. Other components, specific to postgraduate studies include:
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Induction: An induction programme for new research students is organised in
the Autumn Term of their first year of registration.
Supervisor: The principal source of support is the academic supervisor, a
member of staff. Occasionally, when a research topic reaches across research
interests there is more than one supervisor. A student meets with their supervisor
on a regular basis, typically once a week.
Supervisory Panel: Each student is allocated a Supervisory Panel that consists
of their supervisor or supervisors together with two members of academic staff.
The head of the research group will usually be one member of the Panel. In the
case of research which straddles two groups, the second member should be a
member of the second research group.
The terms
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
of reference of the Panel are:
To monitor the academic progress of the student.
To provide academic advice to the student.
To provide advice to the supervisor, particularly in the case of a lessexperienced supervisor.
To advise the Director of Graduate Studies in the case of the
breakdown of the relationship between the student and supervisor(s).
To report to the Director of Graduate Studies on the student’s
progress; in the case that progress is unsatisfactory the panel should
suggest to the Director measures to be taken to rectify the situation.
To examine the students First Year Report (and to report as in item v.
above).
Panel members will not usually be involved in day-to-day supervision of the
student and may therefore become the internal examiner for the student’s thesis.
The panel should notify the Director of Graduate Studies in any case where a
conflict of interest might be thought to arise.
In the case that a student’s sole supervisor leaves the university it is expected
that one of the panel members would become the student’s supervisor; if this
does not happen, the panel would advise the Director of Graduate Studies on a
choice of replacement supervisor. In the case of joint supervision, the remaining
supervisor(s) would retain the supervisory role.
Graduate School Skills Audit: all research students registered on a PhD
programme are required to complete a skills audit by the end of their first year of
registration. The skills audit reflects the seven skills areas identified by the UK
Research Councils in their 2001 Joint Skills Statement. Areas A-B relate to the
skills which students acquire during the course of their research project and which
are usually provided at faculty or school level through research methodology
training, or similar. Areas C-G are the generic skills in which RCUK requires all
UK HEIs in receipt of research council funding to provide training for research
students from all disciplines. Opportunities for developing these skills are
available through participation in the transferable skills training programme run
by the Graduate School, and students will also acquire some of these skills
independently during the course of their doctorate.
Director of Graduate Studies: overlooks student admission, training and
progress and is available to provide a route whereby students might raise
concerns in a more informal forum. The Director submits the reports on student
progress to the School Research Committee.
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School Graduate Studies Committee: one of its functions is to consider all of
the issues related to postgraduate research studies and in particular quality
assurance. It also acts as a forum for discussion of staff/research student liaison
issues.
School Bursary Committee: considers student applications for funding
including, in special cases, additional bursaries for students in particularly difficult
financial circumstances.
Administrative Support: School Administrator and Administration Office deal
with all the formal issues related to the studies, including issuing status letters,
collecting report forms, etc.
13. School Quality Assurance and Enhancement
The formal mechanism for research student/staff liaison is provided at the
meetings between the student and the Supervisory Panel. Another formal
mechanism of obtaining student feedback are meetings of the School’s Graduate
Studies Committee with student representative. Informal liaison is provided by:
 weekly interactions in the student training events (see Section 9a);
 regular research group meetings;
 student/staff interactions in joint team-building and social activities;
 student liaison with the School Administrator, who is seen to be
independent of the academic staff.
Also, Supervisory Panels provide a confidential mechanism for mediation between
student and supervisor in cases where this is necessary.
The code of practice for Quality Assurance for all research programmes of study is
the responsibility of the Graduate School Board.
14. School Resource Implications
The School’s target of 45 FTE research students has strong resource implications
in terms of money, staff time and space. The School makes a substantial
contribution to postgraduate studentships and bursaries. Supervision of research
students is included in the School’s staff workload model, thus ensuring that the
supervisor will not be overloaded. The supervisor is given an annual budget to
pay for the student’s consumable expenses etc. In addition each student is
funded to attend one major conference during his course to present his work. It is
frequently expected that students will construct or use expensive equipment,
often purchased from research grants. The research group head has responsibility
for ensuring that appropriate funding or equipment will be available for the
project. All students can expect to have a desk, filing cabinet and computer
available for their use.
15. Professional Accreditation
Not applicable.
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