dr matt henn, head of research degrees and research training graduate school

Doctoral programmes and Graduate Schools in the UK: A case study of Nottingham Trent University

UNICA, Dubrovnik September 23rd 2009

Dr Matt Henn, Head of Research Degrees and Research Training

Graduate SchoolCollege of Business, Law and Social SciencesNottingham Trent University Burton StreetNottingham NG1 4BUGreat Britain

Tel: (0115) 848 8156; Fax: (0115) 848 8700; Email: [email protected]

22 Apr 2023 2

Doctoral programmes and Graduate Schools in the UK: A case study of Nottingham Trent University

•Changes to the UK PhD over the last 20 years

•Key external forces shaping PhDs

• Introduction of Graduate Schools

•Overview of the structured approach to PhDs

•How NTU organises our PhD programmes

•Overview of our PhD Programme of Supporting Studies

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Nottingham Trent University

College of Science

College of Art and Design

and Built

Environment

College of Arts, Humanities

and Education

College of Business, Law

and Social Sciences

CentralGraduate School

School ofSocial

Sciences

Nottingham Business School

Nottingham Law

School

Graduate School BLSS

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What do UK PhD’s look like?

The traditional PhD - 80,000 word thesis

PhD by published work:

• published work, artefact or performance that is accompanied by a written commentary placing it within its academic context resulting in an independent and original contribution to knowledge

Professional doctorate (e.g., Doctor in Business Administration, Doctor of Social Professions etc) - for practising managers and professionals:

• 4 research papers,

• personal reflection of the PhD process

• 30,000 thesis

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A personal view of changes in the organisation of UK PhD’s over 20 yearsIn the past:

• The traditional apprentice model, in which the research student sat at the feet of the supervisor who was the Fountain of Knowledge

• Very personal and “individualised” relationship

• No support outside of that relationship (subject, methodological, pastoral)

Now:

• There is now much support outside of that relationship– a team of supervisors– School Research Degree Co-ordinators – Head of Research Degrees– Graduate School – and of course, the other students!

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A personal view of changes in the organisation of UK PhD’s over 20 years

In the past:

• Single discipline-orientation

Now:

• Mix of core disciplines and interdisciplinary orientation

- Supervisors

- PhD Programme of Supporting Studies

- Research environment

• “The Council’s Strategic Plan also places a strong emphasis on innovation in research and training, and on the need to foster purposeful interdisciplinarity to address what are increasingly complex, and multi-faceted research questions” (Economic and Social Research Council 2009, ESRC Postgraduate Training and Development Guidelines, p.3)

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In the past:

• Little contact with other research students

Now:

• Part of a Graduate School - and subsequently of thriving graduate and research communities

– Gathered together in a single open-plan workspace– Workshops every two weeks (research training, transferable skills,

teacher training)– Graduate School Conferences twice each year– Subject research seminars open to all

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In the past:

• Little regard for ethical issues, or for health & safety matters in the research project

Now:

• All prospective PhD research degrees projects are required to gain approval from the College Research Ethics Committee

• Workshops and comprehensive guidance notes – Ethics; Health and safety

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In the past:

• Very low completion rates 1970s and 80s - the Winfield Report revealed that only 20% of UK social scientists completed within 4 years (Taylor, S. 2007. Improving retention rates and completion rates. UK Council for Graduate Education, Goodenough College, London UK, March 2007)

Now:

• Research councils set target completion rates – (60% in 4 years)

• UK 1996-97 PhD research student cohort - 36% completed within 4 years; 57% within 5 years (Higher Education Funding Council for England, 2007. PhD research degrees update: Entry and completion. Bristol: Higher Education Funding Council for England)

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What is a “Graduate School”, and what are its benefits - Bologna

Create organisational structures for:

• Research training to prepare people for careers outside of the HE sectors across Europe to strengthen research capacities and meet needs of wider employment market

• Promote interdisciplinarity in terms of skills training, and also in the research environment

• Professional skills development and training of academic staff

• Increasing mobility across Europe for research students, and international collaboration between universities and other partners

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Graduate Schools - The UK context

Harris Review 1996

• Harris, M., (1996). Review of Postgraduate Education, M 14/96. Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bristol. Accessed on 11 September 2009 from <http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/hefce/1996/m14_96.htm>.

Roberts Review 2002

• Roberts, G., (2002). SET for success: The supply of people with science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills. The Report of Sir Gareth Roberts’ Review. HM Treasury, London. Accessed on 11 September 2009 from <http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/ent_res_roberts.htm>.

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Graduate Schools - The UK context

• QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) 2004 Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education - http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/codeOfPractice/section1/

• The Research Councils:

– ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) - http://www.esrc.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/postgraduate/pgtrainingpolicy/

• VITAE - http://www.vitae.ac.uk/

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The Graduate School at Nottingham Trent University

Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences Graduate School formed 1997 ; University Graduate School formed 2004

Operating purposes:

• Co-ordinate institutional ambition for high-quality provision for research students

• Interdisciplinarity

• Bring students together to create a critical mass and a stimulating knowledge environment

• Centre for methods and general research skills training

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How we ensure quality 1: Recruitment through to examination

• Recruitment and applications process – the Graduate School is the key point of initial contact with all prospective students

• Project approval

• Monitoring arrangements (twice yearly)

– Annual monitoring of student as a condition of progress to subsequent year of study. It includes a review meeting with the student, the supervisory team, and an independent assessor

• Ethical approval

• Transfer (MPhil-PhD upgrade) stage

• Independent assessors

• The viva

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How we ensure quality 2: Supervisory support

Our principles:

• Supervisor/ student relations are very important - but the supervisory team is accountable to the university for the successful conduct of supervision

• Supervision “teams” – minimum qualifications (2 completions)

• Economic and Social Research Council has a limit of 4 students per supervisor

• PhD students are entitled to regular, accurate and constructive feedback about their progress

• The university has an obligation to ensure that the student receives the support, training and advice needed for success in the PhD and in their future career

• Supervisors need support, training and advice too!

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How we ensure quality 3:The student experience

• Student training – Programme of Supporting Studies (workshops, conferences) We will consider this in a moment…

• High level research environment with exposure to alternative paradigms and approaches

• Student evaluation and feedback

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PhD programme of supporting studies (PSS)

What is the Programme of Supporting Studies?

• Programme of research training designed to:

– Support PhD research

– Provide skills and competencies training for later careers

• Process for development of the Programme of Supporting Studies

• Active participation in, and full completion of, the PSS is specified in the research student’s research plan – their initial Project Approval application

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PhD Programme of Supporting Studies

Graduate School Conferences(December &

May)

Graduate Schoolworkshops

Research training Modules

Individually Identified

Specialist Advanced Research Training

Programme of Supporting

Studies

Research groups’Annual seminar

series

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The outcome?

• Initially – culture of resistance… especially amongst supervisors

• Now – a more realistic appreciation that such a supporting programme equips the student with the skills to approach their PhD research degree with confidence

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The future of PhD’s, and major challenges

• Interdisciplinarity

• Collaboration (nationally and internationally)

• Culture of resistance

• Training the supervisors

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Thank you for listening.

Any questions?

dr matt henn, head of research degrees and research training graduate school

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