A newly refurbished study space on our Canterbury Campus is available exclusively for postgraduate students, complete with full IT facilities and social space. Specialist teaching and research supervision within our academic Faculties, Schools and Research Centres is complemented by a cross-disciplinary research development and training course provided by the Graduate College.

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.

Key Dates

• 21 - 25 July 2025 - Postgraduate Summer School

What to Expect

The MPhil/ PhD by Publication course is available across all of the University’s established research subject areas. You will receive the guidance of a dedicated supervisory panel who are experts in their field.

The MPhil/ PhD course provides you with the opportunity to develop further as a researcher through our course of research methods and training and provides support for the finalisation of your doctoral submission. The Researcher Development Programme (RDP) is available to all PhD students and you will be able to take part in sessions to support your development in areas relevant to your submission and relevant to the final defence of your doctoral submission.

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

Getting Started

You will be invited to the next Graduate College Induction and mandatory training days. You can also find these listed on Research Space. You will begin meeting with your Supervisor as soon as you have registered, and you should plan to meet with your Supervisor at least once per month.

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.

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.