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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