My student is not making satisfactory progress on the PhD programme. Can I recommend they be downgraded to MPhil?
I think that you’re absolutely able to recommend them to be downgraded to MPhil. As you know, MPhil is an advanced postgraduate degree short for Master of Philosophy, and if they do not fit to PhD, than it’s maybe the only option to happen. By the way, here is an article about MPhil or MSc differences and how you should choose the right degree, as well as thoughts how is MPhil better than an MSc, so I can highly recommend to read it.
Progression panels are designed to flag problems with students’ progression and the earlier this is identified the better. Supervisors should provide support and guidance to their student, but are ultimately responsible for advising the student to withdraw/downgrade to MPhil, should their progress be unsatisfactory. In such cases, the matter should be discussed with the supervisory team, the School PGR Director and the student. It is crucial that any recommendation made to the student is clearly documented in their file.
