Types of Submission The Royal Conservatoire will accept any one of three possible forms of submission for a research degree. The final proposal as to which form of submission is most appropriate to you will be agreed between you and your supervisors and submitted to the Research Degrees Committee for approval in good time before the anticipated date of submission. In the following examples (which relate to PhD), the word ‘portfolio’ is used to signify the presence of performance- centred and/or practice-based work in a submission, and therefore in your research processes throughout your programme of study.


1. Portfolio accompanied by Written Commentary A substantial body of original work that represents or embodies new knowledge, derived from original research. It will be accompanied by a succinct written commentary contextualising the production and/or presentation of that original work. The original work submitted must be documented fully in appropriate forms that will be accessible to future researchers.


2. Joint Portfolio with Dissertation A combination of original work and an extended written text (of around 40,000 - 50,000 words) which together (but not necessarily separately) represent or embody new knowledge and derive from original research. The original work submitted must be documented fully in a form that will be accessible to future researchers.


3. Thesis


A substantial written thesis (of around 80,000 - 100,000 words) representing or embodying within the text new knowledge deriving from original research.


A research degree is awarded on the basis of a holistic assessment by a panel of examiners that takes into account the submission (including any live elements) and an oral examination known as the viva voce. The Royal Conservatoire and the University expect PhDs to be substantial, scholarly, lucid and significant.


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