Support for Research Students
(Current students seeking information or support should go to the Helios page.)
With its small size and vibrant research community, Heythrop offers its research students a supportive environment in which to study.
People
You will meet your supervisor at least twice a term if you are full-time, or the equivalent for part time students. Your supervisor will discuss your work in progress and advise on your academic progress. Most supervisors expect their students to hand in written work in progress before each meeting. As a new research student, you will attend an induction programme, which will provide you with the skills you will need to succeed, e.g. there are sessions on academic writing, academic publishing, a thesis workshop and academic career advice, as well as a session on personal development planning. A regular research e-mail will keep you up to date with other events at Heythrop and across the University. Though your main contact is with your supervisor, there is also a Tutor for Research Students with whom you can talk informally about any issues which concern you or which you want to raise, and the Research Degrees Convenor and Research and Policy Administrator are there to help you with administrative matters.
Environment
You will be part of Heythrop’s research community, and where possible you will be attached to one of the College’s Research Centres or Institutes. There may be an opportunity to act as a research assistant for a member of staff.
Research students are expected to attend seminars and other research activities regularly. There are seminar series for Theology and Pastoral Studies, Philosophy, Philosophy of Religion, Interreligious Dialogue, and Psychology in Dialogue, and some seminars explicitly for the presentation of students’ work. Philosophy students may also attend and contribute to research-level seminars and conferences organized by all five philosophy departments in the University of London (Birkbeck, Heythrop, King’s, LSE and UCL) and the Institute of Philosophy, and can compete to take part in an annual exchange conference with students from the University of California, Berkeley. The annual Heythrop Postgraduate Research Conference brings together MA and Research Students as well as academics, mainly from the College, but also from other universities across the UK and Europe. Plenary papers are usually presented by world-famous academics.
Additionally, there is a rich programme of seminars, colloquia, study days and conferences within University of London and in other Universities. Notifications about these are sent via research email list, normally once a week.
All students are expected to deliver papers during their course of study. You are particularly encouraged to present papers at conferences, and may apply for financial assistance to attend conferences at which you are making a presentation.
Wherever possible, the College offers senior research students the opportunity to assist with classes for undergraduate or MA Students or to act as tutorial assistants. All research students may attend the training on becoming a tutorial assistant.
There are also social events for research students and supervisors!
Documents
The Code of Practice for Research Degrees contains all the College’s current regulations and provisions for the acceptance of candidates, teaching, probationary period, transfer of status, and review processes and disciplinary aspects of the College’s research teaching. The appendices also give guidelines of expectations and requirements for; (1) students; (2) research supervisors; (3) other staff involved in supporting research students.
The Research Student Handbook contains practical information for research students.
The Heythrop Research Training Framework outlines the training on offer.
The Heythrop College Regulations for MPhil/PhD Degrees give full details of examination requirements.
