We hope that the below section will act as students' first port of call for queries about the PhD programme and the department.  However, FAQs work best if there is plenty of user feedback; if you think something should be added to this list then let us know about it.

• What is the research log, how do I access it, and why do I need to fill it out?
• Where can I find administrative forms (eg, viva report form, transfer to PhD, exam entry)?
• How do I get money to go to a conference?
• How do I reserve a room in the building or campus? 
• How do I obtain a landline number and phone for my desk? 
• What is the visitor policy for the MPEB building and open plan offices?
• Can I access the building after hours?
• How can I become a Post-graduate Teaching Assistant (PGTA)?
• What should I do if I need to interrupt my studies?
• My period of CRS has nearly finished but I'm not yet ready to submit, what should I do?
• I'm ready to submit my thesis - what now? 
• Who pays for thesis binding?
• How can I borrow items through the Inter-library loans System? 
• Where can I do photocopying and do I have to pay for it? 
• Where can I get access to office stationary, like folders and pens?
• How can I print from my computer to the department printers?   
• How can I connect my new machine to the CS web? 
• How can I get access to software from the ISD software database? 
• Can I attend MSc lectures although I am a PhD student?  

The research log is a mandatory part of UCL’s doctoral programmes and is run by the Graduate School.  See our page on the Log for more info and links to the Graduate School site. 

All administrative forms required throughout your PhD and guidance on where to submit them are available online from the administrative section of the research student pages.

You can apply for funding for conference expenses through the Graduate School, and through the Department.  Please note that you will only qualify if you are presenting a paper at a refereed conference.  Funds this year are also particularly limited so unfortunately there are no guarantees.  See our conference funding page for more information on how and where to apply for financial support for conferences.

You can reserve a meeting room in the department by emailing room-bookings@cs.ucl.ac.uk, please try to do this at least a day or two in advance.  For Campus wide room bookings you should contact Central Room Bookings on roombookings@ucl.ac.uk, or see Central Room Bookings website for more contact details and room availability.

We currently endeavour to provide all research students in the department with a direct telephone line at their desk space.  If you require a phone itself, you should request this from the Department Facilities Manager, JJ Giwa.

Visitors are allowed in the department but procedures must be followed.  All visitors should first report to the Front Engineering Building Security desk, and will then be directed to CS Department Reception on the 5^th floor (MPEB) to officially sign in the Visitors’ book.  This is for security as well as health and safety reasons.  Only visitors who are on research collaboration (with a supervisor’s permission) are allowed access to the open plan areas.  For more information see the department’s code of conduct.

Research students have access to the department every day of the week from 7am to 11pm.  After this point facilities available to students are normally closed.  We believe that these hours provide students with adequate time in which to work.  Should you need to access the department’s facilities outside of these times you should speak to the Department Facilities Manager, JJ Giwa, and we will endeavour to come to a temporary arrangement.

The department offers a limited number of opportunities for research students to work as Post-graduate Teaching Assistants (PGTA).  Please contact Gabriel Brostow, the Teaching Support Co-ordinator, and visit the Teaching Support web pages, for more information about applying for a demonstrator post.

You should speak to your supervisor firstly, especially if you are experiencing problems that for what ever reason may affect your studies.  You supervisor will then need to inform the Graduate Tutor and Postgraduate Administrators that you wish to interrupt your studies temporarily.  See here for more information on the procedure.

If you have a genuine reason beyond your control for not having been able to complete your writing up (e.g. illness, death in the family, carers duties; NOT work-related) within the alloted time (12 months full-time, 24 part-time) then you may be able to apply for an extension to your period of CRS.  Otherwise, your record will be closed (the status of Post-CRS from September 2010 now no longer exists), you will have to apply to submit your thesis late, and will be required to pay late submission fees.  See here for more information on how to apply for an extension and on late submission fees.

See here for more information on the process for submitting your thesis.

The department’s PhD budget can cover the cost of thesis binding.  Students are responsible for the costs of case binding copies of their thesis, if required.  A velobinding machine is available for research students to use in the copier room.  Binding costs should be claimed for using one of the expenses claim forms (found in the copier room), which should then be given to the Finance Manager in room 5.21.

Journals/copies of proceedings/books that you may need to obtain from other libraries for your research can be ordered through the inter-library loans system, which is organised by UCL Library Services.  The department can cover the cost of loaning items this way for current research students via an Inter-department Transfer form, which can be obtained from the Finance Manager, room 5.21.  More information about using the inter-library loan service can be found here.

The department of Computer Science provides free of charge photocopying facilities for all research students, with no quota on usage (copier room 5.24).  UCL libraries do also have their own photocopying facilities, for which a separate card is required.  The department can cover the cost of these cards for current research students, but we urge students to take advantage of the copying facilities in-house as they are considerably cheaper.  The cost of UCL library photocopying cards can be claimed for using one of the expenses claim forms (found in the copier room), which should then be given to the Finance Manager in room 5.21.

The department keeps stationery, pens, paper, folders etc. in the copier room.  Students can use these materials freely but they must be signed for (there is a book on the counter in the copier room).  Please try to keep usage to that which is necessary.

The Technical Support Group webpages provide useful guides on how to set up printer connections, among many others.  See here for more information on setting up and using printers in the department.

The TSG webpages provide information on setting up connectivity in the department, amongst various other useful guides.

Again, the TSG pages are a good place to start as they have instructions on how to download software for free (see here).  Or, you could also go directly to UCL ISD services, who have a database of software available to staff and students.

Sitting in on an MSc module informally is usually OK, as long as the supervisor or instructor taking the class agrees and is happy to allow this.  However it would not be possible to accrue skills development/training points for this; nor would it be possible to take the exam.