Arrivals information for Postgraduate Researchers

As a PGR student, you will not be given a timetable of lectures and seminars to attend, you do however have a timeline for your degree which focuses on several key milestones. You will have monthly meetings with your supervisory team, and access to workshops throughout the year to support you. You should contact your supervisory team to arrange an initial supervisory in the first week of your course.

You will be invited to an online introductory session on the first day of your course. This session will provide an overview of the Doctoral College, how to get started on your research degree, and introduce the support available at BU for PGRs.

A separate induction, organised by your faculty, will include specific information to help you settle into your new surroundings, as well as provide informal opportunities to meet your peers and faculty staff. 

Further information about your induction timetable will be available on the Doctoral College Brightspace page, available to you once you have completed online registration. Details of how to complete this as well as when your first session will be held are included in your registration email, which is sent around six weeks prior to your course start date.

Once you have completed your online registration, you will be able to view the new starters area within the Doctoral College Brightspace community page, which will support your arrival at BU. This page includes a welcome to BU from the Vice-Chancellor and Heads of the Doctoral College, as well as information on how to attend your faculty induction and settling-in sessions, alongside an induction checklist you will need complete in your first week. Brightspace is a key platform used at BU to engage with your learning, you can find out more about Brightspace on the BU website.

You have access to all BU support services and events, which you can read about on our student web pages. Current students and staff will be available at the start of term to give you an introduction and a welcome to life on campus.

You can also join the dedicated Postgraduate Research Society to discover a range of activities and events with other postgraduate researchers. Find out more about how to join and what you can get involved in on the SUBU website.

At Bournemouth University, the Doctoral College Researcher Development Programme (RDP) can support you in obtaining the necessary skills and knowledge you need to complete your research degree, as well as the skills and attributes needed for your longer-term career ambitions.