Introduction

This interactive and intensive programme has been designed for doctoral researchers and will look at practical ways to increase your effectiveness and meet the challenges of admission requirements of eminent UK Universities. An admission success rate is very low, sometimes below 10% at leading universities and key weaknesses of unsuccessful applications are the research proposal and level of academic English.

Expectations at the end of the programme

• Opportunities to visit a minimum of 3 university campuses to become familiar with the learning environment
• Increase English language proficiency level to IELTS 7.00 or above
• Prepare and develop a PhD/ DBA Research proposal as per university standards
• Meet with potential university supervisors / admission officers and discuss opportunities for admission

Target Clients

This programme is aimed at students / individual professionals who are interested in undertaking a PhD or DBA at good ranking British Universities.

Participation Requirements

To join the programme, an applicant must comply with the following entry requirements:

• Hold an Honours degree (in some cases you will also need to have completed a Masters degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant subject awarded by an approved university), or
• Hold an alternative qualification or qualifications and/or evidence of experience indicating an applicant’s potential for academic research
• English Requirements: Minimum IELTS 6.0 or equivalent

Studying a PhD / DBA in the UK

Entry onto PhD/ DBA programmes at good ranking universities is highly competitive and relevant skills, attributes, motivation and potential for success of an individual are taken into consideration when making an offer.

‘MUST’ Requirements

To achieve a secured admission at the university, the applicant

1. Must have IELTS 7.0 (or above) in English Language (or similar recognised evidence such as TOEFL or PTE)
2. Must identify a research area and submit a quality research proposal as per university standards and format
3. Must find a potential supervisor(s)
4. Must complete admissions procedures e.g. application, visits / interviews successfully

Achieving ‘MUST’ requirements

To achieve a secured admission at the university, the applicant

1. Must have IELTS 7.00 (or above) in English Language

We have specially designed an academic English programme to meet the requirements of university admission. The programme details are as follows:
Areas Covered
• Examination strategies and techniques for the Reading and Listening papers.
• Grading criteria for Writing and Speaking components.
• Grammar areas essential for achieving 7.0+ in Writing and Speaking.
• Text organisation study for IELTS and all academic reading and writing.
• The importance of pronunciation and intonation in the Speaking component and all oral communication.
• The importance of collocation in Writing and Speaking for IELTS and all communication.

Approach
• Every learner is treated as an individual with their own strengths and weakness. Therefore, participants have their own Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and tutors can advise on materials and methods to help.
• The staff understand how stressful reaching the target IELTS bands can be. The programme gives learners the opportunity to share experiences and support each other, rather than feel isolated.
• Classes are a combination of teaching examination techniques and strategies, plus timed examination tasks. There are also opportunities for peer and self-evaluation.
• Tutors will recommend self-study websites for skills development and practice for IELTS, Academic English and Study Skills.
• An IELTS examiner is a member of the ELT team to ensure advice, materials and methods are relevant to the actual IELTS examination.


2. Must identify research area and submit a quality research proposal as per university standards and format



The Programme offers a broad and comprehensive range of services, resources and opportunities to develop a draft doctorate research proposal that is acceptable to UK universities as a part of their admission requirements.

Develop and submit an initial research proposal (The level of detail required in your initial research proposal will depend on the programme you choose).

All universities in the UK require a research proposal of between 1000 and 1500 words specifying the subject of the proposed research. Please note that there is no set format or prescribed length for a research project. This depends on the university chosen.

A research proposal generally consists of an outline of your proposed research project, including your main research questions and the methods you intend to use. You should also comment on the potential impact and importance of your intended research and on how your work would interact with current trends in your academic field.




Areas covered




Introduction

• Rationale of PhD and DBA
• PhD and DBA in the UK – successful and failure cases
• What PhD and DBA project planning involves
• Making the most of your PhD / DBA – planning for the future
• Why research development is so important
• Working with others in the research environment
• Maximising your impact




How to Choose a Topic

• Initial sources of ideas
• Topic requirements at masters level
• Research process revisited
• Role of preliminary literature search
• Evaluation of ideas
• What is a good topic




The structure of proposals

• A good research topic
• The structure of the proposal
• Aims/objectives
• Data: What is data? Discuss
• Quantitative data
• Qualitative data
• Choosing data sources
• Choosing methods of collecting



• Proposal Parameters & Research Paradigm (Philosophies)
• What are research parameters and a research paradigm?
• Types of research paradigms
• Epistemological, ontological and methodological issues



• Writing Your Research Proposal
• Structure
• Contents
• Referencing
• Timetable
• Literature review
• Ethical considerations
• Methods/approach and timescale of research
• References and bibliography
• Appendix





3. Must find a potential supervisor(s)



In the UK, all Doctoral Researchers are provided with a lead supervisor, who will act as the main source of academic supervisory support and research mentoring during your time as a Doctoral Researcher at the University. The appointment of supervisor (s) is generally decided between the prospective student and the lead supervisor. The participant will need to identify potential supervisors in their desired field of research and contact them directly regarding your research proposal.

The College will help the participant to contact potential supervisor once areas of research are identified before submitting an application to the University.



4. Must complete admissions procedures e.g. application, visits / interviews successf



The college will assist participants in completing an application and submission with the required documents to at least three universities. The students will receive support in arranging an interview with university staff.

We will try our best to support and guide you to complete admission requirements that lead a secured admission for you at your chosen university. However, other options will be explored in case of difficulties in meeting the requirements of your first choice university.

How you will study

Participants are placed in learning groups to work on a range of activities both in and outside a classroom setting. From this you will gain an awareness of your performance as an individual and in a team. You will use and develop skills that are essential for a researcher including communication skills, planning, time management, problem solving, leadership and assertiveness, as well as building a greater self-awareness of your learning and working styles.

An individual supervisor will be provided to support and guide you in developing your research proposal in your chosen subject area.

Who will deliver the programme

The programme will be delivered by independent professors and senior lecturers who are vastly experienced and have supervised doctoral students. English language studies will be delivered by senior staff who have considerable experience in teaching English for Academic Purposes and IELTS preparation. Please note that all English language programmes at Birmingham College are accredited by the British Council.

Duration

The duration of the programme is 4 weeks. However it could be extended to 10 weeks depending on the needs of an individual.

Fees

The fees for the 4-week programme are £2000. The fees include 16 hours face-to-face teaching and research development consultancy and guidance on a 1-1 basis. In addition to this, £40 per hour will be charged to applicants who require additional support e.g. intensive English.

Group size

The group size will be with a maximum of 5 participants at each session. The programme is offered a number of times throughout the year to provide opportunity for all to attend.

How to apply

The quickest and most efficient method of applying for admission to the programme is to apply online or email to bc@bcol.co.uk detailing a brief introduction, research areas, university details, English language proficiency.

Contact

Please contact to the administrator on 0121 212 0888 or email to bc@bcol.co.uk should you require any further information.