Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

The amount of time you spend on campus really depends on your project and research. If you need access to resources and facilities in the Business School, then you will have to be on campus, but if your research can be done at home then there is no reason why you should need to visit campus frequently! Your regular meetings with supervisors would usually be in person, on campus, but especially at the moment because of COVID all progress meetings are taking place virtually, and this may be able to continue even after the pandemic settles.

For more information, please use this enquiry form – it will send your message to the Business School team who will be able to help further: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgr/register-management.aspx

Best wishes,
PG Recruitment

Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

I’m sorry you haven’t been able to find the relevant information. In terms of studying by DL, as long as you find supervisors who are willing to supervise you long distance, and your research does not require you to be on campus every day (for example), then a Psychology PhD by DL is doable! More info here: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/les/distance-learning/dl-phd.aspx

You can use this database to start your search for a supervisor: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgr/find-a-supervisor.aspx

Or use this enquiry form to enquire to the Psychology team: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/enquiries/pgr/register-psychology.aspx

I hope this helps,
PG Recruitment

Hello, thank you very much for your question and apologies in the delay getting back to you. My name is Emma from the Postgraduate Recruitment team, and I am replying on behalf of the mentor as they have not yet answered it.

You are correct in that a PhD is different in the US than it is here in the UK! UK PhD’s don’t have any taught components or coursework/seminars – the three year long project is solely for completing your research. The only exception would be if you had to complete any research training but that would be minimal and wouldn’t count towards your final thesis.

For research in the Arts and Humanities, you would usually develop your own research proposal and find a supervisor before applying. Have a look at our how to apply pages for advice on finding a supervisor: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/pgr/requirements-dr/index.aspx. I would also advise that you look at our staff in Philosophy, Theology and Religion to see which members of staff match your research interests: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/ptr/staff/index.aspx

For any further questions, you can email the admissions tutor for PhD Global Ethics at the bottom of the course page (https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/research/phil/global-ethics.aspx)

Best wishes,
PG Recruitment

Before applying for the PhD programme, I had completed an MA in Philosoophy. I think attempting a PhD with no grounding in analytical philosophy would be very challenging. If I were you, I would have an open discussion with a member of the academic staff.

Hi,
we do, where possible, ask for at least one of the two references to be an academic one. However, it is understood that this can be difficult for some applicants to obtain so employment references are usually accepted (on headed paper and signed) if necessary. You can contact the Admissions team using the below linked details for confirmation on this:

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/International/contact/index.aspx

This is something that does occur and, as you say, often amongst distance learners. The university does not show any preference to younger students and each applicant is judged on the merits of their application: academic background, employment experience, research proposals (where applicable). The university also has an ever popular Postgraduates and Mature Students Society who may be able to chat further about life and study at the university: https://www.guildofstudents.com/studentgroups/societies/pgmsa/

I hope this helps. Best wishes,
Tom

There is no straightforward answer to the question of what has motivated me to undertake postgraduate study. As I am close to retirement age, it definitely isn’t the opportunities for career advancement a postgraduate qualification might afford. In fact my area of study, Global Ethics, has no direct bearing on my professional work. Many years ago, as an undergraduate, I always felt a little frustrated that time didn’t allow me to explore a topic area as fully as I would like. This was also the case when, much later, I did a part-time MA by distance learning. So one motivating factor for enrolling on a PhD programme is the opportunity to take any ideas I may have as far as they will go. Of course, as I am studying part-time and by distance learning, there are still significant restraints; and the discipline of assignment deadlines and supervisory meetings still provides a research framework which is at once both enabling and constraining. Second, as I mentioned, in a few years I am reaching retirement age and I see the PhD as one means of transitioning into a new phase of life. I would like to think I am never going to `retire´, just do other things.

I chose the University of Birmingham because the Global Ethics DL option is well constructed and mature. At the same time the University as a whole has a solid public reputation. But more than anything, I was struck by the openness and friendliness of the people I met and talked to when first exploring the possibility of enrolling on the PhD programme.

Well, it has become a long journey. I left school over forty years ago aged sixteen. After several years earning my living in various ways, I returned to full-time education as an undergraduate student. After graduating, I dabbled with a PhD and some undergraduate teaching, but was given a career opportunity I found I couldn’t refuse, working as a policy adviser in the Chief Executive’s Office of a Metropolitan City Council. Some years later, chance took me to the United States and then to Germany. I still live in Germany and now work in the IT division of a large financial company based in Munich. A few years ago I completed a distance learning MA in Philosophy. My current programme of study is the follow-on.

For me the big transition is from  participating in mainly taught programmes of study to undertaking a research project. I don’t think the concluding dissertation module on a taught MA has anything like the same feel as embarking on a PhD.

But I think it is important to keep in mind that when starting your PhD you yourself are not the finished article. As your project develops so do your own academic and organisational skills. I would say in this respect there is a clear continuation from previous courses of study. The core attributes of curiosity, openness, willingness to learn and application are those which will bring success in both the undergraduate and postgraduate world.

Sections of the DL community has the opportunity to meet in person at the residentials. Outside of this, my experience is that contact between DL students is minimal. Attempts by the UoB to foster communication between DL students have not really worked. The responsibility for this is, of course, with the DL students themselves. There is no real link between the DL community and the on-campus community. I think the DL student would need to make regular trips on-campus for various department events for there to be such a link. For example, there is a conference being hosted by the university at the end of May, which I will attend.

As I am only a part-time distance learning PhD student I cannot completely answer your question. However, even as a part-time DL student there are deadlines to be agreed and kept. There is an obligation to meet on a regular basis (every six weeks) with my supervisor team. In these meetings we review progress and set targets. If the supervisors feel not sufficient progress is being made they are obliged to state this on the official record of this meeting. There is also a progress review panel which formally reviews the progress made after x(1 years time). This panel comprises college faculty, and their approval is required to continue on the programme. I went through this review process and although the panel expressed some concerns about my progress I was allowed to continue.

As for the necessary time commitment , If you are a full time distance learning then it must be the equivalent of full time employment – but again this is probably highly dependent on the individual researcher. As a part-time distance learning student I have struggled to find time  do my research alongside full time employment.