Starting your research degree

Starting a research degree is an exciting time. It is also a momentous change and a significant commitment, whether you are moving to the UK to join us as a full-time student or are balancing part-time studies with other commitments.

The initial stages of your research degree will include:

Enrolment

You will need to enrol as a University student before you start your degree, and you will receive an email with guidance on how to do this. Our friendly Graduate School team will also arrange an introduction call with you in the weeks before your start date to provide you with key information. This call is your opportunity to ask any questions about starting your PhD.

Before arrival

If you are an international student, we offer an arrivals service to support your journey from Newcastle or Teesside Airport to the campus.

Beginning your studies

You should contact your Director of Studies to arrange to meet, either in-person or virtually, ideally in the first few days of your research degree.

You will be invited to welcome and induction events in the initial stages of your research degree.

You should contact Student & Library Services for a library induction, covering the support and services available from the library team throughout your PhD.
More about research support from the library team

Training

You will be invited to participate in initial research training. This covers supervision, how your progress will be reviewed and evaluated, final examination and assessment criteria, the aspects of research to focus on in the first year, to support you to develop your work in the right direction.

You will also be invited to participate in training on research standards and values. This training covers the standards involved in conducting research, including publication, authorship, reliability and validity of research literature, legal and ethical norms, data management; and a practical introduction to managing these areas.

Research portal

The research portal is a great resource to find out more about the academic interests of staff and postgraduate research students within the University You can also create a profile to become a visible part of the University's research community and to showcase your work. Read our guidance on creating your profile. You can also attend a session on getting to grips with the research portal as part of the ENRICH programme.

Engagement with these activities will help you to settle into your studies and become familiar with the support, resources and processes which you will use throughout your research degree.