Postgraduate Academics: How It Works
Sarah Pickard, Head of Graduate Students
Board of Graduate Studies
Introductions
• Congratulations!
• Cambridge: strange, complex, collegiate, special, almost
unique
• What is everyone doing?
• MPhils, PhDs
• Arts, Sciences
• Gone through admissions process, will have been in contact with
the Board. Hope the process wasn’t too grueling – did best to
help, apologies if sometimes delays in getting through to us
The experience
• No such thing as ‘the Cambridge experience’
• Should make it your own, and everyone experiences Cambridge
in a different way
• If scientist, may spend lots of time in lab and with lab friends
• May join societies and try new hobbies, or may not
• Do get the most out of it, but that will mean different things for
each of you
Socialising
• Work is v. demanding, but having a break is also important!
• Large numbers of international students, as well as all the UK
students, so very culturally diverse environment – take
advantage of it
• Avoiding socialising only with those from same country
• Don’t feel any pressure to confirm to certain social habits such as
‘drinking’
• Remember to have fun as well as work!
Where to find information
• Every department is different – key is to familiarise yourself with
departmental procedures
• Go to inductions, health and safety, fire training etc
• Get hold of departmental literature, handbooks,
• Code of Practice: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/practice/
• Statutes and Ordinances: http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/pdfs/
• Find out who the Director of Graduate Education is
• Meet your College Graduate Tutor – very important person! Can help,
for example, if you need to apply for exam allowances
• Familiarise yourself with the Board of Graduate Studies web site:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ and in particular with the
information on the Board’s web site for new graduate students
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/new/
Role of the Board
• http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/
• Teams in Board dealing with current students and examinations
• There mostly to deal with the administrative and academic side –
processes requests for leave to work away, intermission, submission of
theses
• Candidates are approved for degrees only at a meeting of the Board
• If you want to apply to continue to another graduate course: MPhil to a
PhD Degree you will need to apply to continue your studies:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/continuing/
• NOT a pastoral body. Job of college tutor.
• NOT responsible for initial stages of problem resolution if there are
difficulties – initially this is pursued within the department, through
liaison with college tutor if relevant
Your Student Record and the Board
• CAMSIS:You will need to use CamSIS via your own self-service
account (referred to as a Student Centre on CamSIS) in order to
manage your life whilst a student at Cambridge.
• CamSIS and the Board of Graduate Studies web site:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/ are your most important sources of
information for managing your graduate study and life at Cambridge.
• May only have access to certain facilities once registration process is
complete
• Cambridge Supervision Reporting system – part of CamSIS – you can
read reports written about you from your supervisor
Your Student Record and the Board
• CamSIS: request various types applications:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/current/procedures/
• Leave to work away
• Exemption/allowance of terms
• Intermission from your studies
• Changing your course registration
• Changing your Department/Faculty
• Changing your mode of study from part-time to full-time or vice versa
• Changing your name
• Applying for a person to join you in Cambridge
Academic practices
• Important to be aware of academic conventions in UK and Cambridge,
which may be different to what used to
• Look at university’s webpage on plagiarism – what it is, how to avoid it:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/plagiarism/
• Also, intellectual property issues may apply if sponsored by someone,
or shared IP if group sponsorship, implications for thesis etc. Read
about it on web, talk to department:
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/2008/chapter13-section2.html
Academic practices (2)
• Read departmental handbook – know what procedures are in your own
department, what is expected
• First year assessment format etc
• Relationships with academic staff – v. different to undergrad, strange for
everyone
• Supervisors will expect you to approach them, don’t wait for them to do
it, it’s fine to ask to meet them
• Agree between you how often you will meet and how you will do things
Academic practices (3)
• Particularly in research courses, find out about the availability of training
courses e.g. writing a thesis, teaching undergraduates, finishing a PhD
• Transferable skills: presentation skills, assertiveness, communication
skills etc
• Take advantage of what’s on offer at the Centre for Personal and
Professional Development
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/hr/cppd/
• May be compulsory in some departments
Finances
• As stated in Prospectus, can’t work while studying
PhDs can do v limited teaching
MPhils – no working permitted
• Perception of University as rich – not case. In any case you all signed
financial undertaking forms, serious issue if you cannot meet your
financial obligations
• University unable to bail out if there are difficulties
If there are any problems…
• Ask for help! You can always email the Board. If we cannot help, we
can always point you in the right direction:
graduate.students@admin.cam.ac.uk
• Talk to Supervisor, College Tutor, other students…
• If you need help with English, approach the Language Centre:
http://www.langcen.cam.ac.uk/index.htm
• If you are struggling emotionally, loneliness, you can approach your
College Tutorial staff or you could approach the counselling centre
directly – let them decide whether you need help!
http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/other.html
• Raise any problem, whether academic or otherwise, sooner rather than
later!
Students: immigration and visas
Catherine Fage, PBI Officer (Tier 4)
Academic Division
Congratulations…you are here!
For some…frustration
For some…climbed a mountain
I can forget about visas…
• The UK Border Agency has laid down conditions of your visa while in
the UK.
• You must understand and abide by the conditions, which include:
• Working restrictions;
• No access to state benefits
• Possible registration with the police
• Providing your College with copies of passport, visa pages and any
ID card (now and every time re-enter UK)
• Maintaining your contact details (CamSIS or College record)
Other UKBA conditions:
• Notification of any change to a course or education provider;
• Notification of early completion of a course;
• Notification of changes to contact details, personal details and/or
appearance ;
• Notification of any changes in your application;
• Conditions on your partner and children who enter the UK as your
dependants;
• Understanding that any time you spend in the student category will
not count towards the time needed to qualify for settlement in the UK
Keep current
• UK Border Agency website
www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/studyingintheuk/adult-students/
PBI Office
• The Points Based Immigration (PBI) Office, Academic Division, is the
office responsible for compliance with immigration legislation and has
responsibility for the University’s sponsorship of its overseas students.
• Whilst the PBI Office cannot give immigration advice, you can contact
• International Office, www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/international/
• UK Council for International Student Affairs, www.ukcisa.org.uk/
PBI Office
• Contact this office to request for visa letters, and to advise change your
circumstance.
• Renew your visa in good time
• within last four months of permission to stay .. but don’t wait until last
month
• If expires you will have to leave the UK
• The office is open Monday to Friday, 0830 – 1700 and can be contacted
using: studentvisas@admin.cam.ac.uk
Developing PBI web page
http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/pbi/visas/