Research training
Students undertaking research degrees in the School of Environment and Development have varied backgrounds and educational histories, such that some new candidates have more formal research training experience than others.
For students entering directly onto the PhD programme, we expect new candidates to take a compulsory Research Methodology course in their first year of registration.
This is intended to provide a foundation in generic academic research training for social science researchers. In those areas of research within SED where social science training is less relevant, such as in Architecture or Planning, bespoke training opportunities can also be organised in consultation with your supervisors. In Geography such opportunities will also include, if relevant, laboratory and computer programming skills.
The generic core research training modules are, in any case, supported by a whole suite of transferable skills courses, to meet the needs of a diverse research base, and all students will need a package of workshops, day courses, and special training to complement their generic foundation.
To this end, all new students undertake an online self-audit and, with their supervisors, agree a set of generic and substantive modules that will be taken to enhance their skill portfolio. SED, the Faculty of Humanities and the University together offer a wide range of training opportunities, which includes language provision, computer training and short courses in advanced methods.
For example, generic and transferable skills training is provided by the Faculty's Researcher Development Programme , where students are offered a suite of courses and are invited to book online.
Courses are delivered by faculty from across the constituent schools, and include research ethics, the viva process, academic and thesis writing techniques, 'getting published' and working with the media.
In addition to this, the John Rylands Library provides opportunities to develop a variety of bibliographic skills, including the use of searchable electronic citation databases. Manchester Computing also provides an extensive range of training opportunities, from the basic European Computer Driving Licence to an array of advanced courses. The University's Careers Service offers a variety of courses to help bolster research postgraduate skills, including transferable skills workshops on topics such as time management, network development, career planning, interview techniques and overseas employment. In addition, the Centre for Censuses and Survey Research (CCSR), and all postgraduate modules available across the multi-disciplinary School provide further opportunities for PhD students to specialise and grow their knowledge base over their entire research programme.
All new research students are supervised by 2 members of academic staff and, during their course of study, go through several rites of passage (including the preparation of a formally assessed 'continuation report'). We encourage cross-supervisions between SED's four subject areas, allowing some students to benefit from expertise in two fields.
SED encourages research students to take responsibility for their own learning and offers them a means to continually identify their learning needs through 'personal academic profiling'. We also ask students to present their research at an annual SED Postgraduate Research Conference held in May each year.