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Registration of new and continuing research students

New research student registration

Registration is the process by which the University confirms that it holds correct information about its students, their programmes of study, and the arrangements for the payment of their tuition fees.

All full-time international research students are required to register in person on commencing their studies following a Right to Study check. Full-time Home research students, part-time research students and University staff candidates are required to register at the commencement of their research, but are not required to register in person. 

Students entering the University at the beginning of the Autumn Semester are expected to register at the start of the Semester, see the registration webpages.

Full-time international students whose research commences part way through the academic year should contact the  to confirm where to register.  

Before registering, all students must provide satisfactory evidence of their ability to pay tuition fees and other dues. 

Students requiring formal confirmation letters relating to registration status and immigration matters must apply to Student Support Services, who are the only personnel authorised to issue such letters on behalf of the University.

Please note that it is not possible to amend a student's registration start date once they have registered for their degree. If a student is aware that their start of registration date is incorrect (i.e. they have arrived earlier or later than originally expected), and they wish to amend it, this should be done prior to registering. Students should complete the  for further advice and guidance.

Continuing research student registration

All full-time and part-time research students are required to register annually. The re-registration of all research students is online, approximately two months prior to the registration start date.

Permission to re-register will be withheld in cases where students have monies outstanding to the University in respect of tuition fees and tuition-related fees.

Payment of tuition fees

Tuition fees for sponsored students are paid direct to the University by the sponsoring body. The holders of University scholarships which cover tuition fees are regarded as sponsored students for this purpose.

Students who intend to pay their fees from their own or family funds which they have control of, or through a bank loan, are regarded as self-sponsored. Self-sponsored students may choose to pay their fees either in full, or in two instalments. Students must arrange payment of their tuition fee in advance, online, as part of their pre-registration tasks; students will not be able to pay their tuition fee when registering in a registration venue.

Postgraduate doctoral loans are available to Home students. For information and eligibility, please see .

See the tuition fees page for full details of the University’s fee rates and payment plans.

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Periods of registration

The minimum, normal and maximum registration periods for research degrees are defined as follows:

Minimum period of registration is the shortest allowable time between initial registration and submission of the thesis for the specified research degree programme, as defined in the University Regulations. Permission is required for a student to submit their thesis before the end of their minimum period of registration.

Normal period of registration and tuition fee payment is the typical or optimum time between initial registration and submission of the thesis for the specified research degree programme. Tuition fees are payable for the duration of the normal period of registration. The University's expectation is that ALL research students should submit their thesis within the normal, i.e. tuition fee-paying, period of registration.

Maximum period of registration is the time limit for submission of the thesis for the specified research degree programme, as defined in the University's Regulations. Students who do not submit their thesis before their time limit will be withdrawn, unless they are granted an extension to their time limit (extensions are only granted in very exceptional circumstances).

The normal registration period for tuition fee-paying purposes and the time limit for submission of the thesis are specified on a student’s offer letter. At present, most full-time PhD students have a normal/tuition fee-paying period of between three and four years and a maximum registration period of four years, depending on the funder and the nature of the project and training required. Projects should be designed from the outset to be completed within the fee-paying/funded period and regularly monitored to ensure timely submission.  This will ensure that students do not have to work unfunded during the latter stages of their degree.

Periods of registration and time limits for research degree programmes

Please note: these periods of registration include the writing of the thesis to the point of submission and apply to standard programmes. There are an increasing number of non-standard PhDs, where the periods of registration may be longer than the standard. This may be due to additional training and/or placements, or other funder requirements. Students are advised to consult their offer letter which will specify their exact normal and maximum registration periods.

Degree	Candidature	Minimum	Normal	Maximum (time limit)
PhD	Full-time	2 years	3-4 years*	4 years*
PhD	Part-time	4 years	6-8 years*	8 years
PhD	Full-time University Staff	2 years	3 years	4 years
PhD	Part-time University Staff	2 years	2 years	8 years
PhD with an integrated Masters qualification	Full-time	3 years	4 years	4-5 yearsâ€
MPhil	Full-time	1 year	2 years	3 years
MPhil	Part-time	2 years	4 years	6 years
MPhil	Part-time University Staff	1 year	1 year	6 years
EdD	Part-time	4 years	6 years	8 years
MD	Full-time	2 years	2-3 years*	3 years
MD	Part-time	4 years	4-6 years*	6 years
MD	Full-time University Staff	2 years	2 years	3 years
MD	Part-time University Staff	2 years	2 years	6 years
EngD	Full-time	3 years	4 years	4-5 years*
DEdCPsy	Full-time	3 years	3 years	4 years
DClinPsy	Full-time	3 years	3 years	4 years

*The normal and maximum registration periods for a full-time PhD vary according to factors such as funder and training requirements and students should refer to their offer letter for their precise duration. Similarly, the maximum registration period for an EngD varies according to the programme.

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Tuition and other fees

Tuition fees are payable for the duration of the normal period of registration and are collected at the beginning of each year. If a student submits their thesis after passing the minimum period of registration, but before completing the normal period of registration a refund of tuition fees will be calculated on a pro-rata basis, based on the thesis submission date.

In exceptional circumstances if a student does not submit their thesis by their time limit (maximum period of registration) they may be granted a time limit extension to continue on with their programme. Fees for time limit extensions are incurred on a pro rata basis, depending on the length of the extension.

Time limits and extensions
Additional fees will be incurred should a student be required to resubmit their thesis following their viva examination.

Examination outcomes

Extension and resubmission fees can be paid by credit or debit card online. Queries regarding payments should be addressed to: feepayments@sheffield.ac.uk.

Online Payment System

Fees in 2024-25

• Extension to time limit: £504
• Resubmission without oral: £365
• Resubmission with oral: £440
• Staff Candidate submission: £520

Please note that these fees are increased annually from 01 August.