A Guide to Postgraduate Study 2017: Newcastle University

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Newcastle University
Postgraduate Study 2017
Studying with us
Eva, MA Linguistics
(Finland)
I enjoy the fact that it is easy
to get in touch with staff, my
tutor is always available, and
there is always somebody you
can talk to. The atmosphere is
informal, and you get to know
your lecturers on first-name
terms. The seminars provoke
good discussion, and other
students, not just lecturers, give
their opinions on topics. Our
optional modules allow us to
investigate different avenues
of the subject, and you have
the option to take modules from
different schools, and work with
lecturers who have different
levels of experience.
The Students’ Union provides
great and affordable opportunities
to meet other people, such as
‘Give It A Go’, through which
I tried Irish dancing, first aid,
learnt some Chinese, tried
ballroom dancing and went
on a brewery tour. Also, the
tandem scheme at the
Language Resource Centre
offers opportunities to further
your language skills and meet
new people – I regularly meet
a Turkish student to exchange
languages.
Tariq, MAHuman
Resource Management
(Saudi Arabia)
Being an international student
studying at a postgraduate level
was a big challenge for me as
it’s a totally different experience,
but I found so much support
from the University, especially
the writing courses and the
friendly staff. In addition, fellow
students were really helpful
which made things easier and
opened my eyes to new things.
Studying here definitely provides
added value because of the
resources the University has to
offer. This includes opportunities
to volunteer and engage in
different activities that help
personal development.
I am a student representative,
so I meet with staff to
represent the student voice.
This has helped me to develop
problem-solving skills, engage
with staff, and has been one
of my best experiences.
Kelli, MRes Medical
Sciences
(UK)
Everyone on my course has
a great work ethic and we’re
provided with plenty of study
space within the University.
I think we have a great balance
of contact time and independent
study, and what is expected of
us as students is made very
clear from the start.
Everyone on my course is really
friendly and accommodating,
and the staff always make sure
our needs as students are met.
I’ve made use of the Research
Development Programme and
think it’s a fantastic scheme,
as they offer workshops in all
aspects of research, including
PhD interviews and giving
presentations.
The Medical School’s Ridley
Atrium is for postgraduate
students and staff, and is a great
place to have a coffee and catch
up on your extra reading, or
have a meeting with your
project supervisor. You don’t
feel segregated from the
undergraduate students as
you can still join in with all the
activities on campus and join
societies, but you also benefit
from having additional support
from the Graduate School.
You’re not
on your own
Although the learning experience for taught
courses is more self-directed, you won’t be
on your own. As a student at Newcastle you
can expect to become part of a dedicated
postgraduate community and you will be
supported throughout your studies by a core
academic team, including your course director,
subject lecturers, administrative support
staff and your personal tutor/supervisor.
We also offer a free comprehensive package of
on-going support such as help with literature
searches, one-to-one sessions with a writing tutor,
and workshops on developing your numerical,
statistical and problem-solving skills.
There are also plenty of opportunities to get
involved, work with your academic colleagues
and meet new people via attendance at regular
research forums, conferences, speaker sessions,
becoming a student representative and by
joining a society.
Here’s what some of
our students say about
their experiences...
Jonathan, MSc
Ecological Consultancy
(UK)
Within my course, I feel very
involved in the postgraduate
community with postgraduate-
only study rooms and a lot of
support from the teaching staff.
Our course has also set up a
Facebook group so we can all
communicate with each other
about any issues that arise.
Outside of my course, there
are a lot of opportunities for
postgraduates to take part in
activities such as different
societies and postgraduate-only
events in Welcome Week.
After I graduate, I would
love to carry out research to
contribute to new development
projects (particularly engineering
developments and the ecological
side of construction), or continue
my studies with a PhD. Newcastle
University not only provides
the qualifications to make this
possible, but also has the support
and contacts to get you where
you want to be.
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