The Department of Computer Science and Technology expects that the PhD will be substantially completed by the end of the third year. Ideally, all practical work should be finished and the thesis should be close to completion. To monitor progress, all research students submit a progress statement at the end of their third year. This comprises either (a) showing your supervisor a complete draft of your thesis or (b) submitting a brief report of 500 words (maximum), giving an overview of your work since submission of your second year report and a schedule for the next one to three terms' work. The 500-word report must include chapter headings, the status of each chapter, and a timetable for completion; that is: you should simply need to provide an update of the chapter-by-chapter description in your Second Year Report, along with a timetable for when you will complete the remaining work.
At the end of your third year, your supervisor will be asked to submit a progress review via the Cambridge Supervision Reporting System on CamSIS. If you submit (a), your draft thesis, then your supervisor's progress review must include a statement that he or she has seen the draft and an evaluation of its state. If you submit (b), the 500-word report, then this will be read by your supervisor, the Chair of the Postgraduate Education Committee and the Head of Department. You must submit two copies of (b), the 500-word report, to the Secretary of the Degree Committee by 30 September (or corresponding date), and should upload a PDF version, unless your supervisor has seen (a), a complete draft of your thesis, before that date.
Reports may be soft-bound in comb-binding or stapled.
Secretary of the Degree Committee
September 2013, updated July 2019