CLAIMS on Doctor Who that the Time Lord may have received a doctorate from the University of Glasgow are supported by new research from archivists, according to the institution.

The question of how and when he was awarded his doctorate is said to have eluded Whovians for decades.

In Saturday's season finale, companion Clara Oswald reeled off various facts about the title character, played by Peter Capaldi. Pretending to be the Doctor in an effort to save herself from Cybermen, Clara said: "I don't even really have a doctorate. Well Glasgow University, but then I accidentally graduated in the wrong century."

The Time Lord is said to have made several inconsistent statements on his past education over the years, at one point claiming to have studied under renowned physician Joseph Lister in 1888. While at Glasgow, Lister pioneered a revolutionary system of antiseptic surgery.

Lesley Richmond, head of the university's archives services, said: "There are a few problems with the Doctor's Glasgow claims. Lister wasn't here in the 1880s. And, when you look at the different dates the Doctor says he was here - it doesn't add up.

"One of my theories is that he came to consult with some of the greatest scientific minds of the time, because he was developing the sonic screwdriver. Now, who better to assist than renowned physicist and engineer Lord Kelvin?"

Producer Steven Moffat is a graduate from Glasgow, Capaldi attended the Glasgow School of Art.