Being a research student

Research degrees Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

A research project in one or more disciplines with a thesis that makes an original contribution to knowledge. Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

A thesis that is usually a record of original work or an ordered and critical exposition of existing knowledge.

Masters by Research

See page 9

Supervision

Research is supported by one or more supervisors but the final outcome depends entirely on the individual student. The Code of Practice for Research Degree Students and Supervisors recognises that successful research depends on both the efforts of students and supervisors, the research environment in the department and research training. The Code covers the responsibilities of the student, supervisor and advisor and also outlines administrative and monitoring procedures. You’ll get regular progress reviews, an oral and written upgrade exam and a major annual review for which you’ll usually prepare a written submission. Our Researcher Development Programme (RDP) is a series of courses to help research students develop broader, transferable skills alongside their research, such as training in ethics and academic writing, and presentation and leadership skills.

Assessment

Research students produce a thesis and undergo an accompanying oral viva voce examination with two expert examiners working in the relevant field of study.

Duration of study

MPhil degrees normally require a minimum of two years’ full-time study and PhD degrees a minimum of three years. In most cases, PhD students are registered initially for an MPhil with transfer to PhD status after an upgrade examination at the end of year 1 or during year 2. With advice from your supervisors, you are responsible for deciding when you should submit your thesis, as long as it is submitted within four years (eight years if you are part-time). Some funders have shorter timescales and you will be told if this applies to you.

Teaching opportunities

Suitable teaching opportunities are advertised to research students. Some studentship funding includes a small amount of teaching or teaching support. If you are given teaching responsibilities you can also access training for this, and you will be required to take the training if you are teaching without an experienced teacher present. We run a teacher training programme called inSTIL for postgraduate researchers and completion of this leads to the widely-recognised Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA). Once you have settled in to your research, you will have the opportunity to become a mentor to new research students, and obtain the AFHEA recognition. We also offer opportunities to do some work in schools (via the Brilliant Club scheme) after receiving training in school teaching.

The Doctoral School

This is the key postgraduate research student hub that supports all our research students through the key milestones in their academic journey. It provides a range of dedicated administrative support together with specialist and bespoke services, including researcher development training, fees and funding information and support to enable you to make the most of your degree. Contact doctoralschool@royalholloway.ac.uk for more information.

Research & Innovation

Our Research & Innovation team supports all researchers at Royal Holloway. You can access information and advice on a range of subjects including sources of research funding, costing of grant applications, intellectual property rights and starting new business ventures. If you have a Research Council studentship, our specialist staff can help you apply for additional opportunities like internships, and for extra funding for conferences and study trips. They’ll also help you make the most of development opportunities offered through the Research Council Doctoral Training Partnerships.

First steps

In order to complete a research degree at Royal Holloway, in most cases you will need a supervisor from one of our departments. You can find out about each of our academic departments in this prospectus, with further details available on our website. You can start the process of applying for a research degree by making informal enquiries to one of our Directors of Postgraduate Education, who will be able to give you more information. Visit royalholloway.ac.uk/PGdirectors

Funding

There are a number of different ways to fund your research degree, including studentships and sponsorship. See page 32 for more information.

“I chose to study at Royal Holloway for its high quality greenhouse gas research in the Department of Earth Sciences. I really enjoyed working with my research group, and I was also given the opportunity to collaborate with a network of European universities and professors, helping to identify what my options are for the future. I really feel that I made the right choice with my PhD. Not only have I been offered support with my research, I’ve been encouraged to take advantage of everything offered to me, which has helped to develop soft skills such as presenting, essential for my career development.”

Julianne PhD student, Earth Sciences