Every student will have at least one external examiner, and in some cases will have two. According to our Code of Practice: External Examiners are a recognised authority in their field and provide an important external oversight of the examination process. It is recommended that external examiners should normally be appointed from research‐intensive universities, to ensure standards and consistency across all Faculties.
Criteria that external examiners must meet
External Examiners MUST:
- Have significant experience and knowledge of research in the subject area within which the candidate is working.
- Be independent and have no obvious conflict of interest.
- Have a research degree or equivalent academic or professional experience.
- Be research active and will normally have published in recognised outlets in the discipline in the last two years.
- Have a clear understanding of the examination process normally based on experience of examining doctoral degrees at other institutions.
Criteria that may exclude external examiners
External Examiners MUST NOT:
- Be a former member of Newcastle University or a former postgraduate unless more than five years have elapsed since that person left the University.
- Be appointed on a regular basis such that their familiarity with the School/Institute might influence their judgment. While there is no absolute guidance, we suggest that more than 3 times in a 5-year period would be inappropriate.
- Have a close relationship with the postgraduate student or supervisory team e.g. have published with or worked directly with them to a significant degree within the last five years.
- Be an honorary member of Newcastle University.
- Normally be a retired member of staff from another University unless they demonstrably meet all the criteria outlined above.
We know that from time to time, a very-well-qualified external examiner will be excluded for a reason that does not stand up in reality. We feel your pain, but it is important that the process stands up to outside scrutiny. As well as BEING fair, it’s very important that the examination is SEEN to be fair and compliant with policy by anybody who doesn’t know the individuals concerned.