Attendance and Changes to Your Enrolment
On this page:
- Attendance at Victoria and permission to work away from the University
- Re-enrolment
- Changing between full-time and half-time
- Extending or suspending your enrolment
- Withdrawing from your PhD or converting to a Master's
- Termination of enrolment
Attendance at Victoria and Permission to Work Away from the University
Working on Campus
As a PhD student, you will normally be expected to live in Wellington and to attend the University in person during your studies.
You should contribute actively to the intellectual life of the University by presenting your work in seminars, participating in school forums, discussing your ideas with staff and fellow students, meeting regularly with supervisors.
Working Away from the University
Despite the expectation that you will study in Wellington, it may be necessary for you to conduct some of your research away from the University. You must seek approval from your School Research Committee for research absences (see below for details on the application process).
Regulations Regarding Absences
Note: the regulations below do not apply to breaks taken for annual leave (of up to four weeks), statutory holidays, short-term illness, conference attendances and academic meetings.
Regulations stipulate that:
- during provisional registration, PhD students may not be absent from the University for more than three months
- following full registration, domestic students (i.e. New Zealand citizens, landed immigrants and Australian citizens) must spend at least one month per year (regardless of being full-time or half-time) at Victoria
- international PhD students may be absent from the University for no more than 12 months in total during their candidature (see box below)
- students must keep in regular contact with their supervisors while away from the University and report on their research at agreed intervals (a PhD, by its very nature, consists of a programme of research conducted under supervision)
- students must maintain their enrolment, pay fees and comply with University regulations even while absent from the University.
A note on the regulations concerning international students
International PhD students pay the same tuition fees as New Zealand students. In order to be eligible for domestic fee status, international students are required (under Tertiary Education Commission funding rules ENR006 and ENR007) to be resident in New Zealand during their studies.
New Zealand’s universities have agreed to interpret the government’s funding rules as meaning that international PhD students must not be absent from their university for more than 12 months in total during their PhD.
Applications to Work Away From the University
Permission to work away from the University will only normally be granted to allow you to carry out research that cannot be done at Victoria – so that you can undertake fieldwork, for example, or use archives or laboratories at other institutions.
Applications should be submitted to your School Research Committee (SRC) using the form below. You must apply well before the you intend to leave Wellington.
Before submitting an application, please discuss things with your supervisors. You and your supervisors will need to agree on the full range of issues outlined in the form.
| Document | File size | File type |
|---|---|---|
 Application to Undertake PhD Research Away from Victoria |
132 KB | .doc |
Cotutelle Arrangements with Other Universities
Students who are studying at another university under a cotutelle arrangement will be governed by a specific agreement drawn up between the participating institutions. Download the cotutelle guidelines below.
| Document | File size | File type |
|---|---|---|
 Cotutelle PhDs at Victoria |
76 KB |
Re-enrolment
2011
During 2011, you will need to ensure that you re-enrol when your current period of enrolment expires. Your last period of enrolment for 2011 must end on or before 31 December 2011 (even if this means your last period of enrolment is very short). 2011 is the last year you will need to manually re-enrol for your PhD.
Automatic Re-enrolment from 2012
Until you submit your thesis, you will receive notification each October that your enrolment will be automatically renewed on 1 January for twelve months. You should be prepared to pay your fees in full by mid-February.
Exceptions to one year automatic re-enrolment
If you plan to submit your thesis in less than 12 months from re-enrolment on 1 January, you may opt to re-enrol for a period of 3, 6 or 9 months.
If you are currently on suspension you will need to manually re-enrol at the Home Faculty Office from the end of your suspension through to 31 December.
If you are withdrawing from your PhD study, you will not be automatically re-enrolled, providing you notify us.
All exceptions need to be notified using the form below.
| Document | File size | File type |
|---|---|---|
| PhD Automatic Re-enrolment Exception Form |
72 KB | .doc |
| PhD Automatic Re-enrolment Guide |
124 KB |
Changing between Full-time and Half-time
It may be possible to change your enrolment status from half-time to full-time or from full-time to half-time. Please use the form below.
| Document | File size | File type |
|---|---|---|
| Changing between Full-time and Half-time Enrolment |
243 KB | .doc |
Extending or Suspending Your Enrolment
Minimum and Maximum Periods of Registration for the PhD
The thesis may be submitted for examination anytime between the minimum and maximum enrolment periods.
For details, see our section on submission deadlines
Extensions
In exceptional circumstances, you may be granted an extension to the date your thesis is due for submission.
If you think you may need an extension, talk first with your supervisors. You will then need to complete the application form below.
If your application is successful, you will be required to re-enrol and pay fees for the additional period.
Suspensions
In the event of an unavoidable interruption to your study, you should apply for a suspension. Wherever possible, you should apply in advance. See the application form below for more.
Note that if you hold a Victoria scholarship, this will also be suspended. Please contact the Scholarships Manager.
Application Form
| Document | File size | File type |
|---|---|---|
| Request for an Extension or Suspension |
271 KB | .doc |
Withdrawing from Your PhD or Converting to a Master's
If you are considering withdrawing from your PhD, you should discuss things with your supervisors. There may be alternatives to withdrawing completely, such as suspending your study for a period or converting to a Master's by thesis degree.
If, after discussion, you decide to withdraw or convert to a Master's by thesis, please complete the relevant form below.
Note that:
- non-payment of fees, ceasing your research or verbally advising your supervisors or other members of staff will not be accepted as notice of withdrawal
- if you have already paid your fees and then withdraw, you will be entitled to a refund.
Click here for the most recent version of the Fees Statute
| Document | File size | File type |
|---|---|---|
| Notification of Withdrawal from PhD study |
236 KB | .doc |
| Change of Enrolment PhD to Master's by Thesis |
234 KB | .doc |
Termination of Enrolment
The University may terminate your enrolment for the following reasons:
- if you don’t meet the requirements for movement from provisional to full registration
- if you don’t demonstrate sustained satisfactory progress during your PhD studies
- if you do not pay your fees within three months of the due date and have not formally withdrawn
- if, while under examination, you fail to attend your oral defence, don’t complete the required corrections and amendments within the approved timeframe or don’t deposit your thesis in the University library.