Research support
We provide you with an excellent level of support throughout your PhD studies.
Your supervisors
You are allocated two supervisors - a principal and a secondary supervisor. They take a close interest in your research and offer advice and guidance throughout your time with us. One criterion for earning a PhD is that you show evidence of independent research. The decisions you make throughout your PhD are therefore your own, but your supervisors will help you to arrive at a position where you can fully justify your research objectives, methods and, ultimately, your conclusions and recommendations. They will encourage you to publish your research, perhaps jointly with them. This not only helps to focus your thinking and writing skills, but also puts your work in the public domain and establishes your activity in your chosen field.
The Doctoral Research Board
You are allocated a Doctoral Research Board (DRB) tutor in addition to your subject supervisors. The DRB tutor mentors you through your time with us. He or she is an experienced supervisor from outside your immediate area of research interest, and so able to take an objective stance on it.
We are particularly proud of our DRB system of monitoring and controlling the progress of your research, helping you to work towards completion within a reasonable time and preparing you for your oral examination.
The DRB meets twice a year to review progress reports for each student. The DRB increases completion rates significantly by identifying early obstacles to completion and suggesting solutions.
Another major role of the DRB is to consider requests for transfer from MPhil to PhD status.
Computing courses
To complete your research successfully, you will need to be conversant with databases, word processing, spreadsheets, bibliographic reference systems, qualitative data analysis packages and quantitative data analysis packages such as SPSS. If you lack the necessary computing experience, you may attend training on computer skills offered through the School of Management and at the University of Bradford Computer Centre.
Teaching and learning skills
The University of Bradford Staff Development Unit runs a programme of training on teaching and learning skills. The events, open to our PhD students, cover subjects such as presentation skills and different ways of absorbing information.
Foreign-language training
We have a dedicated language laboratory, where supervised group tuition in a range of languages is available according to demand. The language laboratory can also be used for personal, self-pace audio training. In principle, verbal skills in any language can be thus acquired.
English-language academic writing
If your mother tongue is not English, you may attend a week-long course in English language academic writing in your second or third year.