National Study of PGT Programmes Directors

Understanding more about the key issues and challenges of PGT study in UK HEIs is a focus of work which is being conducted by a sub-group of UKCGE’s Postgraduate Student Experience Working Group. 

National Study of PGT Programmes Directors

Understanding more about the key issues and challenges of PGT study in UK HEIs is the focus of work which is being conducted by a sub-group of UKCGE’s Postgraduate Student Experience Working Group.

UKCGE have launched a national survey exploring the responsibilities of PGT programme directors which aims to build on a successful pilot study carried out by the working group earlier in the year. 

The pilot study achieved 79 responses, of which 52 were from Edinburgh, 11 from Lancaster, 13 from Warwick and three undeclared. Response rates to individual questions was generally very high – the lowest being 62 of a possible 79 responses, but with many questions achieving 100% or close to that.

Professor Sharon Huttly, Pro Vice Chancellor (Education) at Lancaster University and member of the Postgraduate Student Experience Working Group said,

We want to try and understand more about the kinds of support available for masters students and whose responsibility it is to provide it. We know the PGT population is a diverse one, and from the pilot study the management and operation of PG taught courses varies greatly across institutions.”

Pilot Study of PGT Programme Directors Infographic

The Council’s Postgraduate Student Experience Working Group found that [in the pilot study] programme directors take the student experience seriously in considering what they would do with additional resources. Recruiting more students was the most frequent response (which may relate to the small programme sizes in many cases), but other frequent responses referred to spending additional resource on serving existing students better (through a variety of measures), providing more extra-curricula activities and better online facilities, and enhancing courses and course materials.

Dr Gale Macleod, Dean of Postgraduate Taught (Humanities and Social Science) at the University of Edinburgh and member of the Postgraduate Student Experience Working Group said,

The Pilot study did engage a number of colleagues at the three institutions but now we are eager to roll the activity out to the wider UKCGE membership.”

UKCGE members and supporters are encouraged to forward the revised national study of PGT Programme Directors to internal colleagues. The outcomes from the revised study will be presented at a half day seminar PGT: Student Experience’ at UKCGE’s Conference Rooms in Lichfield (Staffordshire) on the 8th June 2016.

Dr Tina Barnes, Working group member and UKCGE Executive Committee Secretary said,

The Survey and PGT seminar series is part of a growing commitment from UKCGE to further support PGT education in its membership community, in addition to existing activities for PGR education”.

Colleagues with interest in or responsibility for PGT education are encouraged to join the Council’s recently launched online Special Interest Group, as well as attend one of the three seminars across the UK.

Links:

Revised National Study of PGT Programme Directors (Please share)

Pilot Study Infographic (print)

Pilot Study Infographic (live)

Pilot Study Report

PGT Special Interest Group

PGT Student Experience Seminar