As a postgraduate research (PGR) student, we appreciate that the start of your time at BU will be different to that of our postgraduate taught and undergraduate students.
The information on this page will help prepare you for the start of your postgraduate research degree and introduce you to your faculty so that you can hit the ground running from day one.
Prepare for your research degree
Key milestones
As a PGR student, you will not be given a timetable of lectures and seminars to attend, you do however have a timeline for your degree which focuses on several key milestones. You will have monthly meetings with your supervisory team, and access to workshops throughout the year to support you. You should contact your supervisory team to arrange an initial supervisory meeting in the first week of your course.
Your first week
You will be invited to an induction on the first day of your course. This will provide an overview of the Doctoral College, how to get started on your research degree, and introduce the support available at BU for PGRs.
Following your induction you can expect:
- A separate induction, organised by your faculty, which will include specific information to help you settle into your new surroundings, as well as provide informal opportunities to meet your peers and faculty staff
- A series of 'Getting Started' sessions to welcome you to the Doctoral College community and run through useful resources at BU.
Further information about your induction schedule will be available on the Doctoral College Brightspace page, available to you once you have completed online registration. Details of how to complete this as well as when your first session will be held are included in your registration email, which is sent around six weeks prior to your course start date.
As well the induction organised by your faculty and Doctoral College, our BU service teams and the Students’ Union (SUBU) will be hosting a variety of events and activities to welcome you to the BU community. You can find out more about what to expect in your first week by visiting our ‘Explore and things to do’ webpage, or downloading our arrival app.
Brightspace and BU email
Brightspace and your student email will be essential to your experience at BU and can be accessed once you have completed your online registration.
Brightspace
Once you have completed your online registration, you will be able to view the new starters area within the Doctoral College Brightspace community page, which will support your arrival at BU. This page includes a welcome to BU from the Head of the Doctoral College, as well as information on how to attend your faculty induction and getting started sessions, alongside an induction checklist you will need complete in your first week.
To help you get started with using our learning platform we recommend completing our 'Getting to know Brightspace' course which can be found on the Brightspace homepage after you log in. You can also find out more about Brightspace on the BU website.
BU email
As a PGR student you will receive both a BU student email address and a BU staff email address. Both will give you different access across our BU platforms to engage in your research and learning.
These email addresses will be where we communicate with you throughout your degree. We recommend that you check these daily to stay up to date on news about your course or the wider BU community.
You can find out more about how to access the basics on our IT information webpages.
Please note: When you access Brightspace or your BU email account for the first time, you will be asked to register for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). To do this, you will need to go to office.com and register with your new BU email address. You can find out more about MFA in the IT information section of our website.
Student Agreement
We've put information about our rules, policies and procedures in an agreement which was emailed to you with your offer letter. This student agreement includes important information about your time at BU - for example, what happens if we have to change something about your course, you're not able to meet a key milestone, payment of research degree fees and more.
When you accept your offer from BU, you're agreeing to our student agreement. When you register for your course online, you'll be asked to review the current version and confirm that you agree to it and the rules, policies and procedures it refers to. We may have updated our student agreement since you first saw it, so make sure you check it when prompted.
Download your copy online from our important information webpages.
Research support
We want you to develop into self-motivated, independent, lifelong learners. To help you achieve this we offer a range of services.
Researcher Development Programme - The Doctoral College Researcher Development Programme (RDP) can support you in obtaining the necessary skills and knowledge you need to complete your research degree, as well as the skills and attributes needed for your longer-term career ambitions.
Library and Learning support - We provide a comprehensive library and learning support service to all our students. As well as our two libraries - The Sir Michael Cobham Library, Talbot Campus and Weston Library, Lansdowne Campus, which are open seven days a week - we offer a range of online resources that you can access off-campus, including e-books and e-journals. Find out more on our website.
Additional Learning Support (ALS) - If you have a learning difference, a medical or mental health condition, or a sensory or physical impairment, adjustments can be made to your learning and assessment. Contact our ALS team so they can advise on the most appropriate support for you. They can help you apply for additional funding if you are eligible, access useful resources and learn strategies that will empower you to develop your skills and achieve your goals. The sooner you contact them the sooner they can help. Find out more about the service on our website.
English language support - We offer extensive free English language support for students for whom English is not your first language. Workshops on various aspects of English for academic practice and one-to-one sessions to help with grammar and punctuation are available. These workshops are bookable throughout the year, either face-to-face or virtually. Find out more when you get here.
IT services and support
As a BU student you have access to a wide range of IT facilities, tools, services and support. Below are a few quick links to things we think you might find useful:
- How to contact the IT Service Desk - open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
- IT information pages – everything you need to know about IT at BU
- Password reset, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and the Authenticator App – help protect your BU account
- WiFi access on campus - including how to connect and print from your personal device
- Accessing BU computers and software – find the right solution for you
- Working remotely and using your own device – access when and where you need it
- Log-in services - including myHub, Brightspace, Office365 and your BU email
- Calendar Centre - sync your BU timetable to your personal calendar
- Staying safe online – what to watch out for
- IT Learning Resources – a self-service library of learning resources for M365, SharePoint and more.
Life at BU
You have access to all BU support services and events, which you can read about on our relevant web pages. Current students and staff will also be available at the start of your course to help give you an introduction and a welcome to life on campus.
You can join the dedicated Postgraduate Research Society to discover a range of activities and events with other postgraduate researchers. Find out more about how to join and what you can get involved in on the SUBU website.
