Support - Postgraduate Taught & Research Students
We know that postgraduate degrees can be very different to your experience as an undergraduate and adjusting to any new way of working can sometimes be stressful. As such, we want to ensure all of our postgraduate students know where to receive advice and support.
Newcastle University Students’ Union and Newcastle University have collaborated on this page to share resources available to all of our postgraduate students.
Some of the resources listed, such as staff-student networks, are more suitable for postgraduate research students, whilst others are open for all postgraduates to use. Remember all services are FREE.
We hope that both postgraduate taught (e.g. Master’s programmes) and postgraduate research students (e.g. PhD programmes) make use of these FREE resources.
NUSU Postgraduate Officer
You can contact Newcastle University Students’ Union’s Postgraduate Officer if you would like help finding support or have a query or issue. The Postgraduate Officer works as a student representative of all postgraduate students and can help raise issues to different departments within the Students’ Union and University. The Postgraduate Officer cannot take on individual casework but they can direct you to the most appropriate support services or contacts if you ask for support.
The Postgraduate Officer runs events, activities and drop-in sessions for postgraduate students. You can find information about these and more support resources at the NUSU PG Hub webpage.
Student Union Advice Centre
Newcastle University Students’ Union runs the Student Advice Centre. This service is available for all students, including postgraduates, offering specialist advice in academic, financial, housing, personal and employment issues. All appointments are currently being conducted online/by telephone. The Student Advice Centre is independent from the University, and will manage your queries.
Postgraduate Advice Line
The 24/7 Advice Line is free and confidential and is available for all postgraduate students.
Here you can talk to professionals 24/7 and receive advice on common life concerns e.g.:
- family
- mental health
- stress
- finances
CALL 0800 030 5182
or sign in online with the username: Newcastle and password: University to access support resources on the website.
Student Health and Wellbeing Services
All postgraduate students can use the Student Wellbeing Service to access finance support, faith and spirituality services, disability support and counselling appointments, support after and experience of sexual violence or a hate crime.
Other free resources include:
- Silvercloud which hosts a suite of online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy programmes, which can be tailored to your specific needs. Sessions relating to stress, depression, anxiety and positive body image are available to all students at no cost.
- Talk Campus a confidential 24/7 peer support service.
Wellbeing Workshops & Practical Support
Many postgraduate students will be familiar with the NCL Workshops site, which hosts many researcher development workshops. There are also wellbeing workshops offered by the Student Health Wellbeing Service, including specific workshops tailored for PGRs which focus on resilience and mental health. These are free and offer an opportunity to engage with a practical workshop run by trained staff from the Mental Health and Counselling Team.
Staff-Student Networks
There are several staff-student networks at the University. Some are more tailored at postgraduate research students (e.g. PhD students), but any postgraduate can contact them with a query. These networks are especially a good source of support for our students from under-represented groups, who may benefit from the social support of meeting other students and staff with similar experiences or backgrounds. Many of the networks have a mailing list with regular emails circulated, as well as specific events and opportunities advertised within the networks.
BAME Network
The BAME network is an inclusive, cross-faculty, collective space that will serve as a community of support and a platform of institutional engagement for Newcastle University's BAME staff and postgraduate researchers (PGR).
The network is run by BAME staff and PGR, and includes academic staff, professional services staff and postgraduate research students.
You can contact them at: bamestaffnetwork@newcastle.ac.uk.
Disability Interest Group
The Disability Interest Group (DIG) is for anyone who wants to help promote a positive, safe and respectful environment for disabled students, staff and visitors. It is a joint network, open to all disabled and non-disabled staff and students at Newcastle University.
You can contact them at: contact.dig@newcastle.ac.uk.
NU Carers
NU Carers is an informal group of staff and postgraduate researchers who are carers and others who want to support carers at Newcastle University. Staff and postgraduate research students are welcome to join.
You can contact them or request to join their Teams group by emailing: karen.hendrix@newcastle.ac.uk or join their mailing list.
NU Parents
NU Parents’ Network is a network for all parents at Newcastle University, including students. They aim to build and oversee an interactive and supportive network for parents and to be a voice for parents with children of all ages at institutional level.
You can request to join their mailing list.
NU Women
NU Women supports all women employed at Newcastle University. The network is open to anyone who works at the university and provides a voice for staff working in every aspect of the university, at all levels.
You can contact them at: contact.nuwomen@ncl.ac.uk.
Rainbow Network
The Rainbow Network has been established by and for members of the University community with the purpose of:
- supporting LGBT+ staff and students
- challenging heteronormativity
- promoting inclusion of people of diverse genders, sexualities, and relationships
Rainbow is open to staff and PGR students of all genders and sexualities. This is in all grades and roles (admin/technical/research/academic/support). They engage in and provide advocacy, education, celebration and promotion of diversity and inclusion.
You can contact them at: rainbow@newcastle.ac.uk.