All our PhD students have formal training in academic, research, and transferable skills. In their first year, PhD students are required to present their work at one-day postgraduate research day within the Department, which culminates with formalised feedback. Second and third students similarly present their work at a CEPSAR-wide symposium, attended by academics and postdocs from across the research centre, as well as senior staff from the OU Research School. Prizes are awarded by the Pro-Vice Chancellor for the best presentations. In addition, all postgrads are also expected each year to give at least one Journal club presentation of a paper from the literature. Time management (2 x 0.5d) and careers (1d) workshops for students are provided by the University. Some of the department's postgraduate training courses also require students to make presentations to the class.
The department encourages students to develop broader skills (as long as their research progress is good) in a number of ways in addition to the formal courses detailed below. Students are employed as "demonstrators'' teaching at OU Physics and Astronomy residential schools, and on an ad hoc basis to provide input and testing of teaching materials under development. Binaries club and coffee club are run by the students, the latter developing a range of financial and logistical skills.
