School of Social Sciences

You can see all your students in eProg. Any errors/queries talk to your PGR Administrator.

The Humanities Training Hub offers a wide range of training opportunities for PGR students. 

The Humanities Supervisor Forum offers a series of informal lunchtime discussion sessions in which supervisors can discuss particular issues and share experiences over a sandwich and a cup of coffee. Information about forthcoming Forum sessions is circulated via the School Postgraduate Support office. Some training is provided in the New Academics Programme (for new academics only) and via Research staff training.

Useful resources on PhD supervision

• Policy on Supervision for Postgraduate Research Degrees
• Doing a PhD: What you should expect and what is expected of you  - sample guidance provided to new postgraduate research students by Dame Professor Nancy Rothwell
• Managing Supervision for Postgraduate Research Students - additional guidance on supervision provided by the Student Guidance Service
• Supervisor Guidance Advice Sheet - summary guidance and advice for supervisors
• Guidance for managing PGR students transferring from another institution - gives details on the administrative process for managing a change of institution
• Split Site Arrangements Policy

We have a dedicated induction page for our PG students which includes their timetable for induction week. 

We have two intakes for PGR students: January and September. Students normally start in September. During your first meeting with your PGR student, which should take place within two weeks of their arrival, or the start of their progression to the next year, you are asked to conduct an ‘expectations’ meeting, an audit of your student’s training needs and confirm any course units they need to take.

The Expectations form is compulsory and it is set out in as helpful a way as possible to prompt discussion and so that you can make comments on such matters as frequency of meetings and feedback on written material; and to clarify to the student his or her responsibilities. The Expectations form is made available to all members of the student’s supervisory team and to the student’s advisor.

In year 1 the student will also return a separate course unit form signed by you to the PG Support office

You are expected to have face-to-face contact with your student(s) at least one a month with other forms of contact taking place every fortnight.

eProg allows students to record the outcome of meetings with you via the personal document store and they should upload any work submitted by them and your written feedback there.

Colleagues are expected to supervise their students during sabbatical leave, though not, of course during sick leave or maternity leave when other arrangements should be made via your PGR Director.

Student progress is formally reviewed twice a year (University and Faculty policy). Please follow your Discipline Area guidance on progression reviews. The review will determine whether students have achieved targets set by supervisors and quantitative milestones set by Faculty to proceed to the following year.

The University lays down a number of milestones that students should achieve by the end of each academic year.

Any student who does not meet the targets or otherwise causes concern in the annual review will have the opportunity to resubmit to improve the quality and/or quantity of work. This must be done before the beginning of the next year. If the targets are not achieved, the student may be advised to submit for an MPhil, or to de-register from the programme.

Students experiencing problems (including PGR Special permission applications and referral to DASS, Occupational Health and Counselling Services)

When a student discloses a disability, physical or mental health issues which have affected/will likely affect the student for a prolonged period, qualifying them under the legal definition of disability, a University staff member should immediately ‘discuss a referral’ with the student. Examples of how disability is defined.

The student may agree to be referred or refuse the referral. If refused, a record of that refusal should be made on the student file.

If you have a student who should be referred you can contact our PG Disability Coordinator Jill Chandler (jill.chandler@manchester.ac.uk) in the PG office who will co-ordinate the referral.