Welcome to the Faculty of Sciences!
Postgraduate Taught Master’s Induction 2015
Dr. Colin Johnson
Associate Dean (Graduate Studies)
The Graduate
School
All Sorts of Students
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Part-time/full time
Local/overseas
Carrying on from previous studies
…or returning to study after work/family.
Specialising in your existing subject
…or working on something new.
…and studying a wide range of subjects.
…finding out about each other…
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Turn to the person next to you:
Find out something that you have in common with
them.
Find out something that is different.
The Faculty of Sciences
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Biosciences
Computing
Engineering and Digital Arts
Maths, Statistics and Actuarial Science
Pharmacy
Physical Sciences
Sport and Exercise Sciences
Community and Diversity
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Projects currently underway in the Faculty include:
 Understanding how exercise can help people after illness and
injury.
 Understanding the fundamental algebraic structures in the
mathematical world.
 Finding new ways to capture images of the living eye
 Preventing historical artefacts from decay.
 Understanding how to effectively deliver medicines for
maximum efficacy.
 Using social media technology to help with the social
challenges of aging.
 Measuring and predicting how proteins fold and what the
implications are for the living cell.
 Finding new ways to protect personal information in computer
networks.
 …
What makes Science Science?
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The scientific method
 "a method or procedure that has characterized natural science
since the 17th century, consisting in systematic observation,
measurement, and experiment, and the formulation, testing, and
modification of hypotheses.” (OED)
…but, is scientific practise the same thing?
 Probably not…curiosity driven…serendipitous.
…but, in the end we need to present our results
rigorously, disinterestedly and critically
 …in whatever way is canonical for our subject.
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Science and technology are also about skills…
...which we might learn in a formal course
…or from our neighbour at the lab bench/computer room
What makes Science Science?
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A tale of two subjects:
 “It only took me an hour to do the homework.”
 “An hour! I did it in 20 minutes.”
 “I’ve spent 7 hours staring at this code and I still can’t get it to
work.”
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“Stop working and start thinking.”
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…but, do realise that study requires serious work
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Don’t spend too long on one approach…
…take a break, try explaining your work to your
flatmates or your cat…
 “it can take half-an-hour to understand how one line leads to
the next.”
Broadening your Horizons
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On your courses you will be introduced to a broad
range of research & and the diversity of methods, as
well as different perspectives on science and
technology.
But we would encourage you to seek out more
Why?
Employers recognise the depth and breadth that a
Masters degree gives, not only in terms of skills &
knowledge, but also in terms of the wide appreciation
that it can give you of the world around you and the
challenges that world is confronted with.
Broadening your Horizons
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At the Masters level, you will acquire many of the skills
needed to engage in a serious way with cutting edge
research
One of the great things about studying for a Masters is
the time it affords to engage with a rich research
community right on your doorstep
Go along to the research seminars and guest lectures
hosted by your Schools
Look out for Inaugural and open lectures offered within
the Faculty and across the University
Take advantage of the conferences, workshops &
reading groups run across the Faculty
Broadening your Horizons
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Reading groups, often run by postgraduate students,
are one of the most exciting forums for testing out your
ideas and developing your skills of critique and
argumentation, outside of the more formal settings of
lectures and seminars…
…remember that you can set up things like this
yourself, too.
You have such a rich and diverse pool of knowledge in
which you can immerse yourself, and (hopefully!) the
time to do it.
Life beyond the Masters degree
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The Masters degree is intended to equip you with advanced
research & analytical skills as well as a range of
transferable skills which are very attractive to a wide range
of employers.
It is never to early to be thinking about future careers.
But you may be thinking of continuing in an academic
career
If you are thinking of undertaking a PhD, you should not
delay in thinking and preparing
There are sources of funding at Kent for PhDs, but they are
highly competitive and you need to apply early.
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Finally
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Make the most of your time here.
If you are fulltime, treat your studies like a fulltime job, 40
hours per week: read, read & read some more, but also
engage with researchers in the University to bring those
words on the page/screen to life.
All colleagues share a commitment to enthusing you and
exciting you about analysing the cutting edge research
that we are undertaking in the Faculty and beyond.
So keep talking to us, telling us what we are doing well
and letting us know what we can do better.
Hope that you enjoy your studies!
Thank you!
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C.G.Johnson@kent.ac.uk
@Colin_GJ
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