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UCD Structured PhD
Introduction of a Structured PhD in UCD: Did it Work?
Dr Emer CunninghamUCD Graduate Studies
UKCGE 2nd International Conference on Developments in Doctoral Education and Training, Oxford, Monday 30th March 2015
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What is the UCD Structured PhD?
• A unique Doctoral Studies Panel for each PhD student- information
held on the student record• A compulsory progression step from stage 1 to stage 2 of the PhD
Programme at ~15 months competence and capacity to complete• Integrated Research and Professional Development Planning• Opportunity to take research skills and discipline-specific credit-
bearing modules ( compulsory in some Schools)• Opportunity to take Transferable Skills Training
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UCD STRUCTURED PhD
Year 3Year 1 Year 2 Year 4
Thesis Submission
Research and Professional Development Plan
Taught Elements
Research Project (original contribution to scholarship)
Transfer Assessment
Principal Supervisor(s) and Doctoral Studies Panel
Research and Transferable Skills
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UCD Structured PhD
Structured PhD introduced in 2016 with the aim of optimized the UCD doctoral student’s experience of research training and skills acquisition.
After 6 years of operation, UCD Graduate Studies initiated a systematic investigation in 2012 of how the elements of the structured PhD were operating across 7 colleges and 36 Schools in the university.
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University Programmes Board
College of Human Sciences Graduate
School
Politics and International Relations
Economics
Psychology
Applied Social Science
Philosophy
Education
Sociology
Geography, Planning and Environmental policy
College of Science Graduate School
Biology and Environmental
Engineering
Bimolecular and Biomedical Science
Geological Sciences
Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Computer Science and Informatics
Mathematical Sciences
Physics
College of Health Sciences
Medicine and Medical Science
Nursing and Midwifery
Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science
College of Agriculture, Food Science and Vet
Agriculture and food Science
Veterinary Medicine
College of Engineering and Architecture Graduate School
Architecture
Biosystems Engineering
Chemical and Bioprocessing Engineering
Civil, Structural; and Environmental
Engineering
Electrical and Electronic and Communications
Engineering
Mechanical and Materials Engineering
College of Arts and Celtic Studies Graduate School
Archaeology
Art History and Cultural Policy
Classics
English, Drama and Film
History and Archives
Irish, Celtics Studies
Languages and Literatures
Music
College of Business and Law Graduate School
School of Law
School of Business
Gra
duat
e St
udie
s offi
ce
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UCD Structured PhD Review
The review was carried out over 4 months and involved the :
• PhD student profile data and performance indicator data from the Office of the Director of Institutional Research
• Informal interviews with Graduate School Coordinators in each UCD School
METHODOLOGY
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PHD PROFILE
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PERFORMANCE INDICATOR DATA
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UCD Structured PhD Review
Who: Graduate Coordinator
Time: 60 minutes
Data presented to schools: PhD profile and performance indicators
Format: Structured questions re staff and student engagement with elements of
the Structured PhD
INTERVIEW FORMAT
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UCD Structured PhD
• Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels• Transfer Assessment: Methods and degree of Implementation• Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan• Student engagement with research skills and advanced disciplinary
modules• Uptake of transferable skills training• Feasibility of adopting a minimum credit requirement within UCD
Schools.
AIMS OF INTERNAL REVIEW
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UCD Structured PhD
• Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels• Transfer Assessment: Methods and Implementation• Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan• Student engagement with Research Skills and advanced disciplinary
modules• Uptake of transferable skills training• Feasibility of adopting a minimum credit requirement within UCD
Schools.
AIMS OF INTERNAL REVIEW
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UCD Structured PhD
Findings• Almost complete compliance with the supervision regulations but found areas
where implementation needed work
Resulting Actions• Renewed emphasis on Admission process; student must be assigned DPS
upon admission• Renewed emphasis on Student Induction • Research supervisor support and development programme was put in place
Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels
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UCD Structured PhD
• Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels• Transfer Assessment: Methods and Implementation• Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan• Student engagement with Research Skills and advanced disciplinary
modules• Uptake of transferable skills training• Feasibility of adopting a minimum credit requirement within UCD
Schools.
AIMS OF INTERNAL REVIEW
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UCD Structured PhD
Findings1. Considered by staff and students to be the most positive aspect of the Structured PhD2. Schools have between 10 and 120 PhD students so different approaches have been adopted e.g.• Transfer Assessment Panel unique to each student• One Transfer Assessment Panel for many3. Common Elements i.e. Supervisor submission, written statement of progress from the student.4. Other elements e.g. presentation, chapter of thesis, technical tasks, mini viva.
Transfer Assessment: Methods and Implementation
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UCD Structured PhD Review
Time to Transfer Assessment
Year is based on Admittance Year Full-time Doctorates only
Admittance Year
Status 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Full-time Doctorate Students admitted 551 441 372 380 319 311
Days to Transfer 270,965 218,417 181,631 159,796 88,424 27,342
Students who have Transfer date 413 308 262 265 158 53
Average # Days to Transfer 656 709 693 603 560 516
Average Years 1.80 1.94 1.90 1.65 1.53 1.41Average Weeks 94 101 99 86 80 74
Transfer Date: Is the date on which students transferred from Stage 1 of their Doctorate Studies to Stage 2.
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No of Days to Transfer Assessment
UCD Structured PhD ReviewN
o. D
ays
to T
rans
fer A
sses
smen
t
Year of Intake2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
400
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
Time to Transfer Assessment
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UCD Structured PhD
Resulting Actions
• Renewed emphasis on induction • Research supervisor Support and Development Programme
established
Transfer Assessment
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UCD Structured PhD
• Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels• Transfer Assessment: Methods and Implementation• Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan• Student engagement with Research Skills and advanced disciplinary
modules• Uptake of transferable skills training• Feasibility of adopting a minimum credit requirement within UCD
Schools.
AIMS OF INTERNAL REVIEW
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UCD Structured PhD
Findings• Potted implementation• Not valued by supervisors• Full compliance when linked to the Transfer Assessment
Resulting Actions• Need for promotion of National Skills Statement• Investigation into online resource e.g. Simative, or in-house development• Renewed emphasis on induction • Research supervisor support and development programme was put in place• RPDP module in development in collaboration with Careers Dev Centre
Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan
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UCD Structured PhD
Aims• Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels• Transfer Assessment: Methods and Implementation• Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan• Student engagement with Research Skills and advanced disciplinary
modules• Uptake of transferable skills training• Feasibility of adopting a minimum credit requirement within UCD
Schools.
INTERNAL REVIEW 2012
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UCD Structured PhD Review
MODULE DATA
Module Activity (All Years)
Module Activity 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14
Students with Taught Modules 509 624 597 699 656 689
No. of Taught Modules Taken 1,309 1,467 1,484 1,818 1,819 1,840
No. of Taught Modules Taken (Audit Only) 207 272 312 339 177 154
Total Credit Taken 6,553 6,861 6,665 8,480 8,563 10,088
Average Credit taken per student 12.9 11.0 11.2 12.1 13.1 14.6
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UCD Structured PhD Review
% PHD STUDENTS TAKING TAUGHT MODULES
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 201325
27
29
31
33
35
37
39
41
43
45
% P
hD S
tude
nts
taki
ng ta
ught
mod
ules
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UCD Structured PhD
• Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels• Transfer Assessment: Methods and Implementation• Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan• Student engagement with Research Skills and advanced disciplinary
modules• Uptake of transferable skills training• Feasibility of adopting a minimum credit requirement within UCD
Schools.
AIMS OF INTERNAL REVIEW
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UCD Structured PhD
Findings• Lack of awareness of the National PhD Skills Statement and philosophy therein• Lack of awareness of College and University provision of workshops/courses• Transferable skills training not valued, “distracting students from research”
Resulting Actions• Transferable Skills now captured on Student Transcript• Induction/ promotion of Skills Statement• UCD targeted communication systems & Social Media• Workshops in half-day formats
Uptake of Transferable skills training
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UCD Structured PhD
• Operation of Doctoral Studies Panels• Transfer Assessment: Methods and Implementation• Use of the Research and Professional Development Plan• Student engagement with Research Skills and advanced disciplinary
modules• Uptake of transferable skills training• Feasibility of adopting a minimum credit requirement within UCD
Schools.
AIMS OF INTERNAL REVIEW
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UCD Structured PhD
Findings30 credits min already operating in 2/7colleges & 30 credit min in some Schools More uptake of taught than expected in some domainsOpportunity to discuss bottom up approach.Resulting ActionsSeptember 2015: UCD academic regulations to prescribe a 30 credit minimum for all PhD students
Feasibility of Adopting a Minimum Credit Requirement within UCD Schools
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UCD Structured PhD Review
• IN general the Structured PhD is positively perceived by staff and students
• Doctoral Studies Panels implemented with a few exceptions
• Stage 1 to stage 2 Transfer Assessment was seen by students and academic members of
staff as the most positive component of the UCD structured PhD.
• The data visualisation dashboard was considered of real value for the Schools
• There is a need to promote the National PhD Skills Statement to encourage the take up
of transferable and discipline-specific skills training by PhD students
• Research and Professional Development Plan needs revamping to improve engagement
CONCLUSIONS
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UCD Structured PhD