University of St Andrews PGR (PhD) Induction
Welcome to all students starting their PhD or MPhil this fall, or who missed the University PGR Induction day in September 2011. You are warmly invited to attend the 2012 Induction Day appropriate to your area of study. However, if you are unable to attend the Induction for your faculty, please do attend the other one.
This University induction is intended to help you make a smooth transition from undergraduate or masters study to postgraduate research student. It focuses particularly on University procedures and the support available to help you make the most of your research and development opportunities as a postgraduate student, including presentations on student’s and supervisor’s perspectives of research. Presenters include the Principal, Deputy Principal and Vice Principal Research, Provost (Dean of Graduate Studies), Postgraduate Pro-Deans, GRADskills, Careers Centre, Student Support, current postgraduate students and senior academic staff.
Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Date: Wednesday 26th September 2012
Time: 9.00 to 15.30
Physical and Life Sciences and Medicine
Date: Tuesday 2nd October 2012
Time: 9.30 to 16.00
How do I register?
You must register for one of the Postgraduate Researcher Induction Days using the University's Personal Development Management System (PDMS). Please note that you must activate your University email / username prior to booking a place on the Induction as you will be asked for this upon registering. You should have already received details of how to activate your University email account; if you have any problems, contact the IT Service Desk.
On reaching the PDMS homepage, select Research Postgraduates from the Audience drop-down menu in the top right hand corner. Then scroll through the list of courses until you come to your chosen Induction, tick the "Add course" box, then click the "Book" button. Please note that booking will only open from Wednesday 15th August 2012.
You will need to enter your University email username and password to complete the registration - you will also be asked to provide some information about yourself such as any special dietary requirements. (This is all kept confidential and is used when arranging catering.) You will receive an email to acknowledge your registration request, and a second email to confirm when you have actually been allocated a place.
If you encounter any problems or have any queries, please email us at: coursescapod@st-andrews.ac.uk
Please note that the deadline for registration is two days before the Induction you wish to attend.
Structure of the day:
Each Induction day is divided into two main parts. The morning session is the same on each day: it covers University procedures and support that apply to all students. The afternoon sessions differ on the two days as they involve discipline-focused presentations, such as sessions by the academic liaison librarians on databases and resources for particular subject areas. The Schools/Departments are allocated as follows:
- Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences: Art History; Classics; Divinity; Economics & Finance; Film Studies; English; Geography; History; International Relations; Management; Modern Languages; Philosophy; Psychology & Neuroscience; Social Anthropology; Sustainable Development.
- Physical & Life Sciences and Medicine: Biology; Chemistry; Computer Science; Environmental Geoscience; Geology; Mathematics & Statistics; Medicine; Physics & Astronomy; Psychology & Neuroscience.
Please note that the division of disciplines above is only to provide you with an idea of which Induction day to attend; the main deciding factor should be the nature of the research you will be undertaking. If you are unsure which Induction day you should attend, please ask your Supervisor for advice.
There will be refreshments during registration and mid-morning, and lunch will be provided. During the morning break there will be Information Stands from Vitae and a variety of internal units such as Centre for Academic, Professional and Organisational Development (CAPOD), Careers Centre, the Library, Special Collections, and Student Services.
We look forward to meeting you at Induction!
