Submission rates workshop Department of Economics Dr Arne Risa Hole Email: a.r.hole@sheffield.ac.uk

Background 29 registered PhD students ~1 student per member of staff 6 home 5 EU 18 overseas ~1 student per member of staff Students are based in a shared office in 9 Mappin Street

Trend in submission rates

Policies introduced to improve submission rates Strict admissions criteria PGR research culture Progress monitoring

Strict admissions criteria All potential acceptances interviewed by PGR director and potential supervisor Only accept students who are strong on paper and in interviews, and where there is a good match with the supervisor About 10% of applicants (~150 per year) are offered a place

PGR research culture New students are told that the normal completion time is 3 years Before students were expecting to take 4 years as the norm → many missed the target 'Roadmap' of a three year research programme given to students at induction Includes milestones to reach in order to submit after three years

Monitoring Internal 6 month 'light touch' progress reports Arrangements for fourth year students: The PGR director has a discussion with student and supervisor at the start of the year Set out a research plan to submit before the 4 year deadline Three-monthly verbal progress reports by supervisors of fourth year students, to check they are on course with the workplan Students discouraged from leaving Sheffield to write-up elsewhere

Any questions?