FACULTY OF BRAIN SCIENCES
School of Life and Medical Sciences
Faculty of Brain Sciences
Applying for an MPhil/PhD
Schedule
Time
Topic
Location
2.00 – 2.05
Introduction to Event
XLG2 Auditorium, Christopher Ingold
Building, 20 Gordon Street, WC1H 0AJ
Dr Jenni Rodd
2.05 – 2.20
Career Options: Beyond the
PhD
as above
Elaine Denniss
2.20 – 2.40
The application process at
UCL
Funding Opportunities at
UCL
What are Graduate Tutors
looking for?
as above
Dr Steven Bloch
2.40-3.00
Travelling to breakout groups, current PhD students will lead you in groups based on Division / Institute / Research Dept
3.00-4.30
Q&A
Sessions
with
Departmental
Graduate
Tutors and Current UCL PhD
Students.
Christopher Ingold XLG2 Auditorium
PALS: Linguistics + DevSci + Language &
Communication + Speech Hearing and
Phonetic Sciences
Christopher Ingold G21 Ramsay LT
PALS: ICN + Experimental Psychology +
CEHP
25 Gordon Street D103
PALS: UCLIC
26 Gordon Square B32
Ear and Ophthalmology
Drayton B03 Ricardo LT
Neurology
Drayton B06
Psychiatry
UCL CAREERS
CAREER OPTIONS BEYOND YOUR PhD
Elaine Denniss
UCL Careers Consultant
UCL CAREERS
After the PhD What Next?
Linear Progression
Continue a research career
e.g. Post doc., teaching fellow, clinical academic
Changing emphasis
Non academic research – e.g. health / social science / market
research, media researcher
Transferable research skills / knowledge e.g. sector specific
consultancy, think tanks, policy units, charities,
journalism/scientific communications
New Direction
Choosing something completely different eg. law, accountancy,
learning and development
UCL CAREERS
Weighing up the pros and cons
‘To succeed in academia, you have to really want the job.
We certainly are not in it for the money - and at times it
can drive you demented when you realise the vast
amount of work you have undertaken within ridiculous
timescales.'
‘Nevertheless, when I think of the diversity of what I do in
an average week, let alone in a year, virtually all of it
work I enjoy doing, I wouldn't swap this for any other
career. If you are fascinated by your research subject
and want to go on exploring it, while also sharing your
enthusiasm for it with the next generation of students, it
is worth all the hard work in order to have that
opportunity.'
UCL CAREERS
Doctoral careers beyond HE
After a doctorate or post-doctoral contract, an academic career
or other role in higher education may seem the most obvious
next step in your career. However, research undertaken by Vitae
in 2010 (What do researchers do?) found that in the UK, only a
minority of doctoral graduates (19%) work in HE research
roles three and a half years after graduating and 22% in HE
teaching or lecturing. Most of the rest have moved into roles
outside HE in sectors such as healthcare, education,
engineering and business
UCL CAREERS
Case studies
Helen – PhD Linguistics. Developed passion for training and development
through teaching experience. Set up own training consultancy.
Alex – PhD Positive Psychology. Set up Centre for Applied Positive
Psychology (CAPP) which undertakes research and consultancy work
Barrie – PhD Psychology. Portfolio career – author, consultancy and
training in the field of career and life management
Sam – PhD Psychology. Now works as a researcher in the area of
wellbeing and quality of life at the Centre for Wellbeing – part of the New
Economics Foundation in London
For full case studies and other stories visit
https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researcher-careers/researcher-career-stories/careerstories-list?b_start:int=100
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/specialistsupport/researchers/videos/index3
UCL CAREERS
Competency Assessment of Researchers
Group 1
Data analysis
100%
Problem solving
100%
Drive and motivation
100%
Project Management
83%
Interpersonal skills
67%
Leadership
67%
Commercial Awareness 50%
Group 2
100%
88%
84%
36%
56%
28%
20%
Recruiting researchers – Survey of
Employer Practice 2009 (Vitae)
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UCL CAREERS
UCL CAREERS
Why Employers Recruit People with PhDs
Experimental experience (collecting/analysing data, ability to carry out
robust statistical analysis)
More confidence in use of equipment
Experience of conducting/writing literature reviews
Ability to review, précis reports
Structured approach to problem solving
More mature, wider knowledge of their subject
Often have better people skills and used to working in a group
Source - Recruiting PhDs: What works? Jackson 2007
UCL CAREERS
Competencies
What skills do you have, what do you need to
develop?
What tasks do you enjoy / not enjoy?
What skill set does my future job need?
Non-academic employers
Transferable skills very important
Provide evidence of motivation e.g. work
experience, training courses
UCL CAREERS
Occupational / Sector Information - General
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UCL CAREERS
SECTOR SPECIFIC CAREERS & TRAINING
INFO
www.phorcast.org.uk
www.creativeskillset.org
http://careers.abpi.org.uk
www.thirdsector.co.uk
www.ciwem.org
www.e-skills.com
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UCL CAREERS
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UCL CAREERS
15
UCL CAREERS
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UCL CAREERS
How We Can Help
CV/Application form checks
1:1 Career Guidance Appointments
Practice Interviews
Full Details at:
www.ucl.ac.uk/careers
www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/specialistsupport/researchers
Funding
Making an
application
Expectations
MPhil/PhD
Making an application
Check you meet the
requirements: 1st or
2:1 Degree &/or
Master’s
Decide what type of
PhD: advertised
programme or
individual?
Approach
programme coordinator or Identify
a potential
supervisor
Meet the supervisor
and discuss your
ideas
Develop a research
proposal with
supervisor
Make a formal
online application
How much does a UCL PhD cost? (UK home
student)
Fees - £4,635
per annum X 3
Estimated
London living
costs - £11,400
- £16,744 X 4
£59505/£80881
Based on full time 3 year study + 1 year CRS & UC Lliving cost estimates
How do I get funded?
The seven Research Councils
currently fund around 19,000
doctoral students in the UK (e.g.
ESRC, MRC)
Advertised PhD studentships
(fees+ stipend e.g. £16,000)
UCL specific awards:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectivestudents/scholarships/
UCL Research Graduate
Scholarships (N=17).
Charities and industry (e.g.
Welcome Trust, Leverhulme Trust
+ specific charities)
Part time/employment and/or
Career and Professional
Development Loan
Expectations – what are we looking for?
A genuine
enthusiasm for the
subject
Ability to place
research in context
(theoretical and
practical)
Demonstrates
knowledge of
research methods
Realistic
expectations about
what can be
achieved in 3 years
Organisation and
engagement with
study + supervisor
Appropriate level of
independent
learning
Further information
www.jobs.ac.uk/phd (435 PhD
vacancies)
UCL prospective students webpages
UCL Doctoral School
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/prospectivestudents/graduate/research/application