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This programme will provide you with access to a wide range of supporting opportunities that will increase your ability to develop transferable skills, that are sought after by national and international employers.
Skills Development programme
UCL's DocSkills Development Programme is open to all PhD students at UCL and it offers an extensive list of development opportunities. The purpose of the programme is to give you the opportunity to expand your research and transferable skills in order to support your research, professional development and employability. Find out more about UCL's DocSkills Development programme.
Mentoring programme
We offer a Peer-Level Research Student Mentoring Scheme and provide all new research degree students with a peer-mentor upon arrival. The mentor you are allocated will generally be a 2nd or 3rd year PhD student.
Careers
We take career support very seriously at UCL and you can find out more within the programmes Careers and Employability section.
Early Career Researchers Forum
The Institute’s Early Career Researcher Forum (ECF) is an ongoing and expanding programme of regular seminars for postdoctoral researchers and PhD students. Previous events focused on how to apply for jobs in academia, authorship and publishing, patient and public involvement in research, using social media in research (including film), how PhD students can best prepare for their viva, and oral and poster presentations.
Journal Club
A PhD and junior researcher journal club group which meets in an informal setting. With the aim of improving student's critical analysis and methodology skills, the Journal Club discusses papers from a broad range of topics on health promotion and disease prevention. The club is run by students and facilitated by a senior member of academic staff within the Institute.
Lunchtime Seminar Series
The Lunchtime Seminar series is delivered by the department's research groups and PhD students. The seminars typically take place once a month.
Annual Retreat to Cumberland Lodge
The Institute runs an annual student conference at Cumberland Lodge in the heart of the Great Park in Windsor. The conference, organised for students by our students, aims to provide an opportunity to get to know one another, share ideas and listen to experts in the field, discuss important issues and think about the value of our academic work in relation to society.
The conference is heavily subsidised by the Institute and students pay a small amount towards transport, accommodation and meals.
Previous years themes were:
- 'Purpose and Practice of Public Health: Past, Present and Future'
- 'Multimorbidities - moving beyond the single disease framework.
- 'Prevention: We can no longer afford the fixing and mending of people'.
- 'Global Environmental Health: Exploring the link between health and climate change'.
PhD Poster Competition
Every year we run a PhD student poster competition which is an opportunity to share students work with members of staff, outsiders who will be visiting for our Open Day and fellow students.
3-minute thesis competition (3MT)
The Institute runs an annual 3-minute thesis competition which is an academic competition that challenges PhD students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. 3MT celebrates the discoveries made by research students and encourages them to communicate the importance of their research to the broader community. It's a great opportunity for students to practice their presentation skills, meet other candidates and have a chance to win prize money
Teaching Opportunities for PhD Students
The Institute is committed and recognises the importance of providing postgraduate teaching assistant opportunities for PhD students, so they can gain valuable experience during their studies at UCL. Formal is provided and a wide range of teaching opportunities are offered each term.
Student Support and Wellbeing
UCL is committed to the wellbeing and safety of its students and tries to give assistance wherever possible to ensure that studying at UCL is a fulfilling, healthy and enjoyable experience. There is a wide range of support services for students - the Current Students Support website provides more information.
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