A Complete Guide To The Phd Degree: From Application To Viva

Learn how to master your PhD in the Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities!

What you'll learn
Discover how to develop a strong research project
Identify the right supervisors and university
Understand how to write a research proposal
Learn how to undertake a comprehensive literature review
Understand the processes and outcomes of the upgrade exam
Discover how to develop a research methodology
Learn how to write a PhD thesis from abstract to conclusion
Understand how to prepare for the viva and what questions to expect
Requirements
It is expected that the student has undertaken a degree prior to this course, but it is not essential.
Description
Stand out from the crowd by being part of the tiny 2% of the world's population who hold a doctorate degree!This course offers a complete guide to preparing for, undertaking and passing your PhD. It is designed specifically for students working in the Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences, whether they have already started the PhD or are considering embarking on this exciting academic journey. In this course, we will go  through all stages of the PhD from the university application to the viva exam, focusing in particular on:Developing a research projectChoosing the right supervisor(s) and universityWriting a research proposalUndertaking a literature reviewPlanning a research projectUndertaking the 'upgrade' examDesigning a research methodologyConducting independent researchWriting and editing a PhD thesisNailing the 'viva voce' examThe course contains 10 sections, each of which contain a mixture of lectures, quizzes and handouts designed to guide you through the PhD degree. It has been informed not only through research but also through personal experience: alongside conventional advice, I'll be sharing with you the many things I wish I'd known before/during my own PhD. Whether you're simply interested in finding out more about what a PhD involves or you're a current or prospective PhD student looking for guidance through the various (and sometimes confusing) stages of the doctoral degree, this is the right course for you!

Overview

Section 1: Course introduction

Lecture 1 Course introduction

Lecture 2 Why doing a PhD is an amazing thing!

Section 2: Developing a research project

Lecture 3 The 8 stages of a PhD research project

Lecture 4 What makes a great research project?

Lecture 5 Finding your research interests

Lecture 6 Originality: finding the 'gap' in literature

Lecture 7 Narrowing the scope of your project

Lecture 8 Finding research materials

Lecture 9 Developing your research questions

Lecture 10 Yes, your research project can change!

Section 3: Choosing supervisors and universities

Lecture 11 Choose the supervisor, not the university

Lecture 12 Finding the right supervisor

Lecture 13 Contacting potential supervisors: the dos and don'ts

Lecture 14 Is the university important?

Section 4: The research proposal

Lecture 15 What is a research proposal?

Lecture 16 What to include in your research proposal

Lecture 17 Building a proposal: from ideas to writing

Lecture 18 Tips for writing a research proposal

Section 5: First-year expectations and tasks

Lecture 19 Overview of first-year expectations

Lecture 20 Establishing a good relationship with your supervisor(s)

Lecture 21 Identifying study tools

Lecture 22 Undertaking and writing a comprehensive literature review

Lecture 23 Planning your research project

Lecture 24 Top tips for your first year

Section 6: The 'upgrade' process: from MPhil to PhD

Lecture 25 What is an upgrade?

Lecture 26 Materials to prepare

Lecture 27 How upgrades are assessed

Lecture 28 Outcomes from upgrade assessments

Lecture 29 Common upgrade questions and how to approach them

Section 7: Designing and undertaking research

Lecture 30 Introduction to designing and undertaking research

Lecture 31 Fitting the methods to the research

Lecture 32 Identifying appropriate source materials

Lecture 33 Designing data collection procedures

Lecture 34 Quantitative and qualitative analysis

Section 8: Writing and editing your thesis

Lecture 35 Wait, I have to write how much?!

Lecture 36 Writing an introductory chapter

Lecture 37 Writing content chapters

Lecture 38 Writing a concluding chapter

Lecture 39 Writing an abstract

Lecture 40 Proofreading and editing your thesis

Lecture 41 Writing and editing: the dos and don'ts

Section 9: The viva voce exam

Lecture 42 What is the viva voce exam?

Lecture 43 How to prepare for the viva

Lecture 44 Common viva questions and how to approach them

Lecture 45 Tips for surviving the viva

Section 10: PhD FAQ's and course conclusion

Lecture 46 FAQ's about doing a PhD

Lecture 47 Course conclusion

Postgraduate students,Prospective PhD students,Current PhD students,Academics