Important Dates 2013-14
Term 1
Monday 30 September – term starts
Thursday 3rd October - at 5.00 pm – Welcome to new research students in Room H502 (fifth floor Humanities Building) – Drinks Reception to follow.
Friday 29 November – deadline to submit Termly Review Form to Graduate Secretary
Term 2
Friday 7 March – deadline to submit Termly Review Form to Graduate Secretary
Term 3
Friday 25 April (week 1) – deadline for receipt of Annual Research Review dossier
Friday 2nd May (week 2) – deadline for 1st year students applying for Upgrade to PhD status
Note – there will be more information about the timing of the Annual Research Review by the end of Term1.
Contents
Section 1: Settling in
Section 2: Funding
Section 3: Training
Section 4: Progress
Section 5: Support
Section 6: Research Seminars at Warwick
Section 7: Submission
Appendix A: For Postgraduate Tutors
Appendix B: For Supervisors, Mentors and Examiner
Appendix C: Departmental Ethics Policy
Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies
University of Warwick
Handbook for MPhil/PhD Research Students
Welcome
This handbook will introduce you to a number of important ways that the department organises postgraduate research. It is based on agreed departmental practice as well as University and national guidelines. It is designed for use by current and prospective students as well as members of staff.
This handbook supplements the Graduate School’s information for current students, found at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/current. This is the key University website for all students taking higher degrees at Warwick. All current students are expected to be familiar with it. Students should consult two other documents outlining university regulations governing research degrees:
*The Guidelines on the Supervision and Monitoring of Research Degree Students (http;//www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/formslibrary/guidelines_on_supervision_and_monitoring.pdf)
*The Guide to Examinations for Higher Degrees by Research (http;//www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/formslibrary/guide_to_examinations_for_higher_degrees_by_research.pdf)
All of these documents are all available for downloading from the Graduate School website. It is the responsibility of research students to be familiar with the guidelines and regulations governing their degree.
There are three research degrees run by the English Department:
The PhD: four years full-time or 7 years part-time, leading to a thesis of 80,000 words. Students are assigned a supervisor and advisory mentor (who offers academic and pastoral support). The PhD is a demanding degree, and the final dissertation is expected to make an original contribution to knowledge. It can be undertaken as an exciting and fulfilling project in its own right, or as the essential preliminary qualification for an academic career. PhD students have a wide range of opportunities to develop their research expertise while studying at Warwick, including the chance to compete in the Humanities Research Centre’s doctoral fellowship programme, the chance to develop professional expertise through undergraduate teaching (at the discretion of the Head of Department), and participation in the Arts Faculty Postgraduate Research and Professional Training Programme and the Graduate School Skills Programme. PhD students who have not already taken the Warwick MA may be required to take part in the ‘Foundation Module’ of the taught MA. This will not be formally assessed but will ensure that you have acquired the necessary skills for further research.
The M.Phil: two years full-time leading to a 60,000 word thesis.
The MA by Research: one year full-time leading to a 40,000 word dissertation. This should be a contained piece of research.
What is a thesis/dissertation
The English Department defines a postgraduate thesis/dissertation as a sustained piece of research organized around a specific and defined topic. The argument will be broken down into subdivisions/chapters, but each chapter will work towards explicating the overall thesis of the research. The thesis/dissertation is expected to reach (and not exceed) the maximum words allowed for the degree in question. The Department is not likely to accept a thesis made up of a series of discrete, unconnected chapters even if the prescribed word length is achieved. Students are advised to discuss the shape and content of their theses/dissertations regularly with their supervisor. Any queries can be answered by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Contact Us
The Head of the Department is Prof. Catherine Bates – email , tel: +44 (0) 24 76 523340. Her office is H501.
The Director of Graduate Studies is Dr Christina Britzolakis – email , tel: +44 (0) 24 76 522820. Her office is H508.
The Directors of Postgraduate Tutors are Dr Nick Monk – email , tel:+44 (0) 24 76 150528. His office is IATL, Senate House and Dr Cathia Jenainati - email , tel: +44 (0) 24 76 573093. Her office is H512.
The PhD Admissions Tutor and PG Funding Officer is Dr Emma Francis – email tel: +44 (0) 24 76522403. Her office is H511.
The PG Placement Officer is Dr Ross Forman – email tel: +44 (0) 24 76 523341
The Department’s postgraduate secretary is Mrs Cheryl Cave tel. +44 (0)24 76 523665. She is in her office (H504) from Mondays to Thursdays 8.30am – 2.30 pm. She is not there during vacation time.
Our postal address is:
Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies University of Warwick
Coventry
CV4 7AL
Telephone: / +44 / (0)24 76 / 523323Fax: / +44 / (0)2476 / 524750
Section 1: Settling in
Making contact
All PhD students should make contact with the postgraduate secretary, Mrs Cheryl Cave, on arrival and supply her with local and home address and, immediately after registration with IT Services, an email address. If you do not make use of your campus email account, it is your responsibility to set up a forward to your home email address so that tutors can contact you at all times. The Warwick email address will be used for all communications. Please be sure to notify the office of any change of address.
Departmental induction
New PhD students are invited to attend the Induction event in the department, hosted by the Director of Graduate Studies, on the first Wednesday of term. You will get the chance to meet other new PhD students, and receive details of the research training module (see below also). This will be followed by a drinks party, at which we will be joined by staff and existing PhD students.
Mentor
All PhD students are assigned a mentor as a point of contact in the department in addition to their supervisor. The mentor will provide pastoral support if necessary and will also play a part in monitoring and reviewing processes.
Other induction events
Both the University and the Arts Faculty provide separate induction events which you are strongly advised to attend. The Arts Faculty induction will inform you of the academic events scheduled for the autumn term, introduce you to doctoral students from other disciplines and also supply you with information about the Arts Faculty Handbook (this can also be obtained this from the Arts Faculty Secretary, whose office is in Room H045 on the ground floor Humanities Building – telephone number 24159). Details and dates will be sent to you by post from the relevant offices during the summer before admission. Both events take place around the same time as formal registration.
Pigeon Holes / Mailboxes
Due to a lack of space, students do not have individual pigeon-holes. However, if you become a postgraduate tutor, your pigeon-hole will be in the staff common room (H502).
Postgraduate Notice board
This is located to the left of Reception (through the double fire doors). Check this regularly for information, seminars, etc.
Common Room
There is a Faculty Postgraduate Common Room in H0.42.
The Arts Faculty Graduate Space
This is the area on the fourth floor extension to the Humanities Building (go through the doors to the left of the lift at the back of the fourth floor of the Humanities Building, and over the bridge) dedicated to postgraduates in the Arts Faculty. You can book this space for seminars, events, conferences etc (consult the Arts Faculty Secretary, contact details above). It contains noticeboards with information about seminar and conference events, the office of the Humanities Research Centre and the office of the Renaissance Studies Centre.
PG Hub
The PG Hub is a space for Warwick postgraduate taught and research students to access support and to work and share experiences together in the broadest context of postgraduate life, not just study.
Use the following link to find out more:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/pghub
Learning Grid
The Learning Grid aims to provide students at the University with a facility that actively supports the development of study, transferable and professional skills. For further information please see the following link:
http://www.2.warwick.ac.uk/services/library/grid/
IT Facilities
When you enrol with the University you will be given information about registering with IT services. The Graduate Space contains dedicated IT facilities for Arts postgraduates. H454 is a general work area and H447 a teaching room/work area. These rooms are equipped with networked computers and printers, for the exclusive use of graduate students. See the Arts Faculty Secretary in Room H045 for registration forms and access code. There are also designated desks and workstations for postgraduate students in Millburn House.
Advice Books
While your first step will be to discuss your project with your supervisor, you might look for advice on planning your research from others who have reflected on the process. Here are a few books on the subject that former and current PhD students in the department recommend:
● John A. Finn, getting a PhD: an action plan to help you manage your research, your supervisor and your project (Routledge, 2005)
● Stephen Marshall and Nick Green, Your PhD Companion (How to Books, 2004)
● Joan Bolker, Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day (Owl Books, 1998)
Section 2: Funding
This section includes information about fellowships (which cover tuition fees) and smaller one-off grants to cover research expenses.
Applications for the large fellowships and awards require the strong support of the Department, so you are asked to notify the Director of Graduate Studies and the Funding Officer early on of your intention to apply.
Chancellor’s Scholarships
Warwick offers only one major source of funding for doctoral study, the Chancellor’s and Chancellor’s International Scholarships. These are allocated through a university-wide competition. Information about deadlines will be available at the beginning of the academic year. Please consult the Graduate School website
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/scholarship/typesoffunding/phd
(for details and exact deadlines. You may apply for this at the same time as applying for your PhD place, or during your first year of study.
AHRC Funding
Another source of funding for UK and EU permanent residents/ nationals comes from the Arts and Humanities Research Council. UK nationals/permanent residents are eligible for an award covering fees and maintenance; EU residents are eligible to apply for a fees-only award.
The University, under the AHRC Block Grant Partnership, is able to award two doctoral awards in the area of English language and literature per year. At present the selection process for these awards works in tandem with that for Chancellors awards.
Further information can be found at
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/scholarships/ahrc
To Apply
Funding applications are submitted online directly to the Graduate School Office (use the following link for further information - http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/scholarships/apply) but Directors of Graduate Studies in centres and departments are asked to provide written comments on applicants, and to select a limited number for consideration by the University. Very strong departmental support is essential for applicants. It is therefore imperative to discuss your application with the Director of Graduate Studies and the Departmental PG Funding officer in advance of applying.
Other Sources of Funding
For full information on what the University can help with, see
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/gsp/scholarship/funding/other
In particular the University’s International Office provides details of a number of other sources of funding relevant to nationals of particular countries or in particular areas of study – these include Ireland (e.g. O’Reilly Foundation), Japan, US and Canada, and Korea, and several others.
Departmental Support for Conference Expenses
The Department may offer limited financial help to PhD students attending conferences of up to £250 per annum. This is at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Studies and the availability of funds. If you would like to attend a conference which is central to your area of study, and if you have been accepted to give a paper, contact the Cheryl Cave as soon as possible. Enclose a copy of the programme or acceptance letter, confirming the acceptance of your paper and provide costings (return rail/bus fare, the conference fee, accommodation costs etc). The Director of Graduate Studies will then consider whether the department can offer some financial support. This usually takes the form of a partial reimbursement of funds outlaid. When you have returned from the conference you will need to fill in the university’s form FP16a: Claim for Travelling and Subsistence Allowance, attach relevant receipts and hand all the documents in to the Departmental Office (H506). Another source of funding for conference expenses is the university’s Humanities Research Fund, which is administered by Research Support Services. You can download an application form from their website:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/rss/funding/opportunities/rdf/hrf.
Decisions are normally made within 4 weeks. This allowance may also be used to support other relevant research activity such as the acquisition or improvement of a language essential to your research, at the discretion of the DGS.
HRC Doctoral Fellowships
The Humanities Research Centre (HRC) runs a doctoral fellowship competition. Each fellow receives a research budget and funds to organise an interdisciplinary conference of their choice. It is open to full and part-time PhD students who have completed at least one but not more than two years of study. Applications are usually submitted in term 2. Consult their website:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/hrc/irf/dfc
or visit their office in the fourth floor extension of the Humanities building (H452). You should discuss your proposal with your supervisor before applying for this award and ensure that it will not disrupt your research.
Funding for Research Trips to the USA/other international destinations
Unfortunately, funding is very limited. You should talk to your supervisor and the Director of Graduate Studies well ahead of time if you intend to make an international research trip.