We are looking forward to you joining us. The first time we will meet you will be at our training and induction days. The details of these will be added here closer to the start date so please continue to check bac regularly.

You can use our interactive campus map to help you find your way around campus when you first arrive.

As a postgraduate research student you will be able to join the Post Graduate Research Association (PGRA). The PGRA is an active and enthusiastic society run by the postgraduate students themselves. They meet regularly and are involved in liaising with various student service departments within the University on behalf of research students.

The PGRA also arranges seminars and events including the annual postgraduate research student conference in May. All are interdisciplinary events which encourage learning and an exchange of views across subject areas. All research students are also eligible to join the clubs and societies of the Students’ Union.

We hope very much that you will enjoy your time as a research student at Canterbury Christ Church University and we look forward to meeting you during the induction period and exploring your ideas as you develop your research with us.

If you have any queries regarding your course before you arrive at the University, please do not hesitate to send an email or telephone the Graduate College.

What to Expect

The MPhil/ PhD course is available across all of the University’s established research subject areas. You will receive the guidance of dedicated academic tutors and supervisors who are experts in their field.

From the outset, the MPhil/ PhD provides you with the opportunity to develop as a researcher through our course of research methods and training. The Researcher Development Programme will enable you to develop your knowledge of research skills and methodologies that will in turn help to refine your research question, design your study and produce high-quality results.

Our approach allows you to follow an individualised course of study that is tailored to your research project, training and skills needs, and career ambitions.

Getting Started

You will need to attend mandatory training days as part of your course, training days happen every semester. Information about the training days will be available in Blackboard which you will have access to when you complete your registration. We also recommend that you explore Research Space after you have registered so you can see upcoming training opportunities.

The library blog and the learning skills hub has a wealth of resources to help you get ready for postgraduate study. A good starting point is modules for postgraduates and SAGE Research Methods.

Funding Support

Check out our Scholarships and Bursaries - including our Closing Our Gap Master’s by Research Scholarships designed to support students from Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage, and other Minoritised Ethnic backgrounds.

Registration

Once you have completed the application process you will receive further information from us regarding how to complete your registration and how to set up your computing account.

Registration generally opens several weeks before the course start date. You can only register once you have received an email titled: "Invitation to online registration". You will not be able to register earlier, so please check your emails regularly.

Please ensure that you action any emails as soon as you receive these - we recommend that you regularly check your junk folder as these emails may be directed there.

Without completing your registration and creating your computing account you will not be able to access our Virtual Learning Environment, Blackboard, which is essential to your participation in the course.

The University has made a significant investment in hard-copy texts and electronic resources in our award-winning Authoring a PhD. How to Plan, Draft, Write and Finish a Doctoral Thesis or Dissertation Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

The University Bookshop on the Canterbury campus offers a 10% discount to our students and we also advise you to look at the second-hand book market.