Studying for your PhD with CREET - what is it like?
CREET offers a full-time, three-year on-campus doctoral programme. Please note that we do not currently offer part-time PhD study. Most PhD students will have spent a year studying a full-time Masters in research methods. As a PhD student you will be allocated two (or sometimes three) supervisors who will support you with your research project that will culminate in a thesis which contributes to the knowledge in the field. Over the course of your studies you will also build up a portfolio of skills.
Structure of the PhD
The first year of your PhD studies provides a bridge between study at undergraduate or master’s level and the independent research required for a thesis. It will be taken up with refining your project proposal, reviewing the literature, developing a methodology and starting to collect and analyse some initial data. At the end of year one you will have a probationary review in the form of a mini-viva. This will be based on the worked that you have been doing and a written report that you have presented for assessment.
In year two you will continue with collecting and analysing data.
In your third year you will be preparing and writing up your thesis, an academic dissertation on the research you have undertaken, ready for submission for examination which takes the form of an oral viva voce.
The general criteria for assessment are:
- that the thesis is a significant contribution to knowledge
- the candidate’s capacity to pursue further research without supervision
- that the thesis contains material worthy of publication
- satisfactory defence of the thesis at the oral examination
What entry qualifications do I need?
For PhD study candidates are normally required to have a first class or upper-second class degree in a subject such as psychology, education, computing, maths, social science, applied linguistics, language studies or information technology. Previous postgraduate research experience or professional qualifications are also taken into account. If you do not have sufficient skills to start on the PhD programme you might be able to join the 1+3 programme (1 year MRes followed by 3 years PhD study).
How much will it cost me to study in CREET?
CREET offers a small number of funded studentships to successful full-time PhD applicants. Studentship funding comprises all tuition fees and a maintenance grant to cover living costs and accommodation for three years (or four if the MRes is included).
For more information on fees, please go to fees and funding.
Can I expect to be attending conferences and seminars?
CREET encourages all full-time PhD postgraduate research students to attend and present research papers at conferences, seminars and workshops. Your supervisors will advise you and support you in your preparations. Funded students will receive financial support for such activities.
What facilities can I expect from CREET?
Our policy in CREET is to provide students with a supportive research environment that will facilitate the submission of a well-prepared thesis. Full time PhD students can expect office accommodation and facilities, plus a computer, to be allocated to them and ready at the outset of their studentship. The facilities offered include a desk, telephone, storage space, free stationery, photocopying and access to a range of on-line library services. You would expect to be located with other students in your year and you will be teamed up with another student who will act as a 'buddy', i.e. show you around and answer the many questions you are bound to have at the outset of your studies. PhD students are expected to attend the University induction programme at the start of the academic year in October.
What are the benefits of studying with CREET?
"As an overseas student most important for me was the service and supervisory support I received throughout my study. There were numerous seminars running each week covering different topics and skills. Through these I acquired skills in academic writing, formulating arguments, presentation, critical thinking and IT etc. I heard many people make the analogy of doing a PhD with ‘It is just like being in jail’. Thanks to the support from my supervisors, fellow PhD students, CREET, the library and the OU I felt ‘the jail’ was located in paradise.
My study at the OU was more than I dared hoped for. It introduced me to many new people, opened up new opportunities such as interpreting and translating and enhanced my career prospects."
Dr Guozhi Cai (PhD graduate)
"My research area lies in developmental psychology, specifically in parent-child shared book reading and the importance of personalisation. I’m also very interested in new technologies and how they affect children’s early literacy experiences. I love being at the OU because of the first-rate research environment and very supportive colleagues. I’m receiving excellent support from my supervisors and have been very lucky to work on exciting projects, such as the Our Story app (see http://creet.open.ac.uk/projects/our-story/ ."
Natalia Kucirkova (PhD student)
"Choosing to pursue my PhD in CREET has been one of the best decisions I ever made. As a third-year PhD student investigating how language is used in online communication on YouTube, I have found The Open University to be incredibly supportive of my research, including not only my supervision team, but also the faculty, staff, and other students. Being at the OU, you have incredible access to some of the most important scholars in your field, sometimes sitting at desks just across from your own. All the resources I have needed to do effective research have been provided to me and I have been able to present my research in five countries since I began at CREET. The contacts I have made during my time here have led to a myriad of interesting options when I graduate, both in academia and industry, all over the world."
Stephen Pihlaja (PhD student)
"I recently completed my PhD thesis entitled 'A collaborative design process for educational digital resources in African higher education'.
Initially I registered with the Centre for Research in Education and Educational Technology (CREET) because it promised to support my multidisciplinary research which combines Information Science with Educational Technology, Human Computing Interaction and African Higher Education. Additionally, I was offered a studentship that covered a 1-year Master of Research (MRES) and 3-year PhD program. The MRes program gave me a strong research foundation which was supported by a series of research skills seminars and training events.
CREET provides a strong research environment with cutting-edge research and a team of experienced researchers who provide supervision of various research topics. I benefitted from my supervision team of experienced and highly qualified researchers, who showed great interest in my research topic and provided the much needed support throughout my program. Besides supervision, they encouraged me to present my research findings in conferences and publish my work in international journals. While carrying out my PhD research, I got involved as a research fellow in a related project within CREET. This gave me an opportunity to enhance my research skills as I carried out extra research and published with experienced researchers."
Dr Pauline Ngimwa (PhD graduate)
Who will supervise my studies?
When you apply for the full-time PhD programme, we identify academics in CREET who would be interested in supervising a student in the research area you propose for your studies. If you are interviewed, one or both of those potential supervisors would be on your interview panel. If you already have a potential supervisor in mind, you can get in touch with them to discuss your proposal. Do let us know about this in your application and we will see if this supervisor is available and willing to supervise.
What if I have questions about the programmes that you haven't answered?
No doubt you will have other questions. Starting postgraduate research study is a serious commitment and you need to find out all you can as soon as you can. Before you contact us directly though, you should refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section of this document which covers a range of queries that we know from experience applicants want to check out.
What's the next step?
If you are planning to study for a doctorate with CREET then the next step is to prepare and submit an application. Details of the PhD application process can be found in the How to apply page. However, before you do this you should read the Research Degree Handbook Postgraduate Research Student Handbook. This is an important document that provides more detailed information about postgraduate research study within CREET. For details of the EdD application process, http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/explained/degrees_we_offer/doctorate_in_education_edd.htm.