England

Please tell us where you live so that we can provide you with the most relevant information as you use this website.
If you are at a BFPO address please choose the country or region in which you would ordinarily be resident.
Accessibility statement
All research students are members of the Open University Graduate School, a hub for research skills training and support, as well as cross-University community. The Graduate School is there to:
Our Graduate School hosts induction events in October and February, which are mandatory for new students.
They’ll give you the information you need to get started in your research, the opportunity to meet other new students and the University’s research community.
Each faculty also holds an induction into their own research community.
The general Research Development Programme skills training provided by our Graduate School is designed to complement and support the training your faculty will provide. Most sessions are provided online and recorded, with face-to-face and hybrid sessions used for the sessions that really suit those formats. Some of the topics covered include:
All researchers will have the opportunity to access support in general writing and communication skills and Social Science researchers will have specialist training days in methodologies. Day schools also provide concentrated sessions popular with our part-time students.
Our training aligns with the Vitae Researcher Development Framework.
PACE is the Graduate School’s flagship Academic Literacies programme. It is led by Dr Julia Molinari and has been uniquely developed by pioneering OU researchers and practitioners, such as Emeritus Professor Theresa Lillis and Dr Jackie Tuck, to support doctoral researchers across all faculties and disciplines in becoming confident and engaging communicators.
PACE offers OU doctoral researchers several online and campus facilitated events:
For enquiries, please email [email protected].
Your student journey will be managed via the bespoke PGR Manager platform. It also allows you to manage your skills and development planning, and book face-to-face and online training sessions, workshops and seminars.
You’ll also have access to a rich, expansive library of research skills development materials and guidance relating to other University services, such as the OU Library, Careers Service and the OU Students Association.
You’ll usually join an established research group when you start your studies. Joining an appropriate and supportive environment will help you build and establish your identity as an independent researcher.
There’s also a regularly updated online network: the PGR Community Microsoft Team has different support channels for, e.g. PGRs Writing club, Socials and MK chat and Part-time PGRs. The Team hosts weekly coffee mornings and other socials.
There are several exciting cross-University social events in the academic year. Aside from welcoming new research students at October and February inductions, we also support an annual OU PGR Conference in the summer and a very special 'Bake Your Research' competition in November.
Get involved with the OU research community by following our OU Graduate School LinkedIn page and OU Graduate School Facebook page, as well following our Bluesky account @OUGradSch to see our research student community's triumphs and news.
As an OU student, you’ll automatically be a member of OpenSU. OpenSU is the University’s representative body for all students. It encourages the formation of societies, clubs and groups, as well as providing social activities for its members and their families.
Our research career development programme is open to all research staff and both part- and full-time research students. It combines targeted training, for those in the first half of their degrees, with events aimed at later-stage research students and early-career researchers.
Research students can also benefit from our Careers Advisory Service, which can help with career planning, CVs, applications and interviews, as well as offering careers webinars and forums.
Our Graduate School manages student internships in partnership with industry. These provide the opportunity for research students to develop valuable commercial skills, whilst contributing to the OU’s relationships with industrial partnerships.
Graduate School Network logo
The induction was very well organised and brought in lots of speakers and gave a really nice welcome … I was inspired and encouraged by it.
Open Research Degree induction event
For advice about applying for a research degree, or sponsoring a research student, email the Graduate School or call +44 (0)1908 653806.
Level info