Training
There are plenty of training opportunities available to graduate students including:
- Ethics and intellectual property rights in research
- Time management
- Working in teams
- Managing your supervisor
- Managing your research project
- Getting through a PhD viva
- Writing a thesis
- Effective public communication of science
- Critical academic writing
The Masters in Research Methods programme also has modules covering skills in qualitative methods, advanced statistics (including regression analyses, factor analysis and structural equation modelling) and the Research Process in Psychology. These are also available to any PhD/MPhil student.
Learning and discussion
As well as the formal training on offer, there are a number of additional arenas which give students a chance to share ideas and discuss their work.
Postgraduate research day
All graduate students present their work in front of other students, and are able to peer assess their fellow students' work.
Induction to graduate teaching assistance
This is a one-day course, followed up by in-house briefings and guidelines provided by the postgraduate team. There is also the opportunity to enrol with the Faculty as a mentor (1st year MPhil/PhD students are paired with those in their 2nd and 3rd years).
Research groups
MPhil and PhD students become part of the same research group as their supervisor, and as part of that will be encouraged to give informal talks, discuss design issues and data analysis strategies and critically evaluate key journal articles. These groups are also an excellent place to learn about the stages involved with publishing manuscripts and making grant applications.
The North West Consortium
The School is part of the North West Consortium, a network of universities across the north of England, offering workshops on various research-related topics and a postgraduate research day with oral presentations. It is also registered with PsyPAG (Psychological Postgraduate Affairs Group, the postgraduate branch of the BPS (British Psychological Society), which publishes a quarterly newsletter, offers workshops, holds an annual postgraduate conference and gives the chance for psychology students across the country to get in touch and work together on the PsyPAG committee in various roles.
- North West Consortium
- Psychological Postgraduate Affairs Group
Brainstorming
These sessions take place fortnightly, and are run by and for postgraduates. It is an opportunity for current students at any stage in their PhD career to talk about their research in a laid-back environment, discuss problems they are facing, learn from more experienced students and bond over beer and pizza.
Social morning coffee sessions
Students, research staff and academic staff get together to chat about academic and non-academic issues. It is a great way to get to know other people from the School and to get integrated into its very vibrant research culture.
Divisional and school seminars
External speakers and final-year postgraduate students present their research to staff and postgraduates within the School.
Tailoring training to your needs
A questionnaire given to all MPhil/PhD students helps the School to develop its training programmes based on the needs of individuals. Feedback from training events also feeds into the development of training courses.
The University of Manchester is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
