Is a PhD Right for Me?
Raising awareness of what a doctorate is and why you might (or might not) want to do one.
This three-week Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the FutureLearn platform will provide tips and general advice for those curious about whether doctoral study might be the right path for them. It will also dispel misconceptions potential applicants may have about doctoral study from the moment they consider undertaking the degree through to the first year of their studies. Fundamentally, the course will speak to a wide range of groups traditionally under-represented in doctoral study through case studies and specific information.
Project Director: Sarah Sherman Project Lead: Nancy Weitz
Target launch date: August 2023
This three-week Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on the FutureLearn platform will provide tips and general advice for those curious about whether doctoral study might be the right path for them. It will also dispel misconceptions potential applicants may have about doctoral study from the moment they consider undertaking the degree through to the first year of their studies. Fundamentally, the course will speak to a wide range of groups traditionally under-represented in doctoral study through case studies and specific information.
Project Director: Sarah Sherman Project Lead: Nancy Weitz
Target launch date: August 2023
Teams
We have input from many stakeholders within the BLE member community: administrators and academics (ncluding doctoral supervisors), careers services, student support services, widening participation specialists and, of course, current and recent doctoral students.
We have input from many stakeholders within the BLE member community: administrators and academics (ncluding doctoral supervisors), careers services, student support services, widening participation specialists and, of course, current and recent doctoral students.
- Advisory Group: Keeping an overview of the whole project and offering guidance where needed, particularly in meeting the needs of diversity.
- Working Group: Providing hands-on support, contributions to content and guidance with decisions on the scope and direction of the course.
- Development Team: Those creating the course through design, writing, multi-media and working with the platform. Members of Development Team will also go on to monitor and oversee the running of the course.
Development Team
The Development Team includes two specific teams:
The Development Team includes two specific teams:
- Authors: Three current Doctoral students ranged around the UK, who are engaged in all aspects of the research and development, but principally in designing and writing the content.
- Filmmakers: Two current Master's students, with expertise in filming and editing video, to create the multimedia elements of the course.
Meet the Authors!
Mark Dawson
Mark is currently a Postgraduate Research student at Coventry University. His research investigates student/staff experiences of Collaborative Online International Learning, also known as Virtual Exchange. When not working on his PhD (or MOOC development!), he loves travelling and reading about current affairs/the natural world.
Mark is currently a Postgraduate Research student at Coventry University. His research investigates student/staff experiences of Collaborative Online International Learning, also known as Virtual Exchange. When not working on his PhD (or MOOC development!), he loves travelling and reading about current affairs/the natural world.
Tom Graham
Tom is currently engaged in a PhD at Birkbeck in which he is conducting an Adornoian critique of the social history of the concept of Satan. He is very interested indeed in supporting and encouraging those who, like him, had long since written off ever being able to engage in high-level academic study because of their background. Tom has worked as an author, scriptwriter, art director and animator.
Tom is currently engaged in a PhD at Birkbeck in which he is conducting an Adornoian critique of the social history of the concept of Satan. He is very interested indeed in supporting and encouraging those who, like him, had long since written off ever being able to engage in high-level academic study because of their background. Tom has worked as an author, scriptwriter, art director and animator.
Lindsay Nygren
Lindsay is a postgraduate researcher in the School of Education at Glasgow University. Her research focuses on international student employability and the role of the university in graduate experiences through social network analysis. When she's not working on her PhD (or MOOC development!), she is very active in the UK international student community as an ambassador with UKCISA and creating podcasts for the School of Education's policy seminars.
Lindsay is a postgraduate researcher in the School of Education at Glasgow University. Her research focuses on international student employability and the role of the university in graduate experiences through social network analysis. When she's not working on her PhD (or MOOC development!), she is very active in the UK international student community as an ambassador with UKCISA and creating podcasts for the School of Education's policy seminars.
Meet the Filmmakers!
Dar Ding
Dar did his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University at Canada and is currently a Master's student at UCL, studying documentary filmmaking. He has worked in the film and media industry for four years with a wide range of experience in video production.
Dar did his undergraduate degree at Queen’s University at Canada and is currently a Master's student at UCL, studying documentary filmmaking. He has worked in the film and media industry for four years with a wide range of experience in video production.
Ahmed Fouad Ragab
Ahmed Fouad Ragab is an Egyptian filmmaker, born and raised in Alexandria. Ragab has been active in the art scene since 2009, working with photography and cinema, then shifting to audio. In 2012, he studied conceptual art at Mass Alexandria. After working for several years within the local film industry circles, Ragab decided to move to Estonia, to study audiovisual media at the Baltic Film and Media Institute, where he graduated. He is currently working on his MFA in Creative Documentary at Open City Docs (University College London).
Ahmed Fouad Ragab is an Egyptian filmmaker, born and raised in Alexandria. Ragab has been active in the art scene since 2009, working with photography and cinema, then shifting to audio. In 2012, he studied conceptual art at Mass Alexandria. After working for several years within the local film industry circles, Ragab decided to move to Estonia, to study audiovisual media at the Baltic Film and Media Institute, where he graduated. He is currently working on his MFA in Creative Documentary at Open City Docs (University College London).
Additional contributors
CODE Fellows: Three Fellows from the University of London's Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE), who will contibute through offering feedback from the perspective of doctoral supervisors and guidance in the course learning design.
