Questions tagged [united-kingdom]
On standards or conventions specific to the higher education system in United Kingdom (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland), which differs in structure and style from the systems in other parts of the world.
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Why is discrimination based on citizenship allowed in PhD funding in the UK?
This question is specifically aiming at the UK PhD admission system.
Having spent roughly 6 years in the UK - 2 years A-Level and 4 years undergraduate, I am now moving forward into applying for PhD ...
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Will an off-topic Masters hurt my chances of a PhD place?
I have just completed the third year of an integrated master's degree (a three-year undergraduate degree plus an additional year of study at a master's degree level, with the final degree being an ...
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Sex worker student offering her (lawful) services
One of my students is an escort/stripper and she has offered me (and other faculty in my department) her "services". I am pretty sure my initial reaction of "thanks for letting me know, now can you ...
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Can my UK PhD permit me to use the title "Dr.-Ing." in Germany?
I'm moving to Germany in a couple of weeks and I'll be setting up as a freelancer. I'm just curious about my title though.
I got my PhD in the UK in 2015, it states "Doctor of Philosophy" on the ...
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Why do most scientists think Brexit is bad for British science?
From what I've seen in the media, almost all British scientists think Brexit is bad for British science. However I don't understand why. Some of the most common reasons I've seen are:
Loss of funding ...
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Interviewing for a lecturer position in the UK
I have been invited to interview for a lecturer position (AFAIK, equivalent to assistant professor elsewhere) in the UK, after being pre-selected following a Skype interview. This means that the ...
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Translating British faculty titles into American equivalents
A recent job posting at a British university has specified available openings at multiple levels: lecturer, senior lecturer, reader, and professor. However, it's not clear how to map these titles to ...
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How does funding at UK universities work?
The process for obtaining funding for graduate work in the UK seems much different than it is in the US. In particular, in the UK, funding decisions often come after offers of admission. What is the ...
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How should someone with a German PhD be addressed in the UK?
This question has been discussed several times but there doesn't seem to be a clear answer for my particular situation.
I have a Dr.rer.nat from Germany but currently I am working for an institute in ...
user23530
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Can a student who graduated from a lower-ranking school in a developing country be admitted to a graduate school in a western country?
Most colleges in developing countries are sub-par by western academic standards. In one developing country, for example, professors are not obliged by law or by their institutions to pursue a doctoral ...
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Getting faculty position in the US: after Postdoc in the US or Lecturer in the UK?
I am a postdoc in a US university (Rank A, edit: R1). I tried to get an academic faculty position in the US, but was unsuccessful. I got an offer (lecturer in the UK system) from the UK university (...
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Are UK faculty salaries in computer science low compared to salaries in United States?
I'm looking at faculty ads for computer science in the UK and noticed that the average salary range seems to be significantly lower compared to the US. Typically, a starting Lecturer ( = Assistent ...
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Why are most universities reluctant to offer open-ended contracts to research-funded-staff (such as postdocs)?
In some countries, labour law requires that if an individual has been employed on temporary contracts for a certain amount of time, the employer must offer them a permanent contract (or let them go). ...
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Is it rude to request a book chapter from the academic who wrote it if you don't want to buy the entire textbook?
The title says it all. I want to read a book chapter from a prominent Oxbridge researcher, but I don't want to shell out the cash for the entire textbook in which it's published. Is it rude to contact ...
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When referring to study at Oxford why is the word "read" used?
When reading about people who have studied at Oxford the word "read" is used instead of study. Example:
"He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford"
Why when discussing study at Oxford (...
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Is it true that scores > 80% are effectively unachievable in the UK?
No one from my UK university appears able to give me a concrete example of an answer for coursework or an exam that would get over 80% for any of my MBA modules.
It was suggested here that this is ...
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How to negotiate the salary for a UK faculty position?
Following several interviews, I have been offered two faculty positions in the UK. Salary is among the factors I consider to choose one of the positions.
How can I reasonably negotiate the salary? ...
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How to address an Oxford/Cambridge full-time lecurer who is not a Ph.D.?
I am currently writing an e-mail to a member of Oxbridge staff. He is a "lecturer," full-time staff, who co-ordinates a well-known program, but does not hold a PhD, only an MA.
I can't call him "Dr. ...
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing a postdoc in Singapore and UK?
I am end of my PhD. I would like to do a postdoc. In UK the average postdoc salary is around 30K (per year). But in UK the tax is very high, after taxes I may get around 1800 pounds (per month). I ...
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What salutation to use for someone with a PhD who is a Lecturer or Reader in the UK?
What is the correct salutation to use when writing to someone with a PhD whose academic title is Lecturer or Reader in the UK?
(A related question addresses the case of a Lecturer without a PhD.)
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What does "First Class or 2.1 Honours degree" mean?
A PhD position for which I am planning to apply notes:
Applicants should have (or expect to achieve) a minimum of a First Class or 2.1 Honours degree.
The position is in the UK, but I live in ...
user7226
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Visa requirement query for Indian postdoc applying in UK
I have completed a Ph.D. in India, which is my native country, and am applying for post doc positions in the UK. However, due to strict visa rules, I am not sure if my application would be ...
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How to convert Italian grades to American and U.K system?
I just graduated in aeronautical engineering (master of science) at the Polytechnic of Milan. In the Italian university system, students who finish their major get a final grade that that goes from 66 ...
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Difficulty being admitted to good PhD programs in the UK
Since last September I have been working hard on my applications, applied to multiple good CS departments yet none of them even wait-listed me, all rejected me, I have also got rejected informally by ...
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Why are many funded PhD programmes in the UK not open for non-EU applicants?
I once wanted to do a PhD in the UK, but found out that the opportunities were limited for those coming from outside Europe (I did my PhD in Norway instead). I think it is still the case today. I am ...
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1
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Academic position salaries in the UK
In job ads in the UK, a range is often mentioned as a salary, e.g. from 30k to 35k pounds per year. What exactly does this mean?
Is the salary negotiable?
Does the salary remain the same throughout ...
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2
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Accepting 2 postgraduate university offers
I have received a conditional offer from the University of Birmingham and an unconditional offer from the University of Leeds for a masters degree in marketing, both programs are great but I have a ...
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Philippine grade equivalent in the UK grading system
My GPA for my bachelor's degree here in the Philippines is 1.4259 (equivalent to magna cum laude). In the UK system, to which honors class will it belong?
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PhD student, issued contract at year 3 which will sign over intellectual property. Is it legal?
I'm EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Science Research Council, the biggest UK funding source in the sciences and engineering) funded. Several months into my PhD an industrial sponsor came along. In ...
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UK Postdoc - Is salary negotiation even possible?
I have an interview later this week and the advertisement goes something like:
Grade 7: £31,604 - £38,833 p.a.
While talking to a postdoc at my own department, she told me that the scale wouldn't ...
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5
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Can someone interview their sibling?
I just had a job interview (permanent lecturer position not connected to a grant) and, immediately afterwards, I found out that the person who is the group leader and responsible for recruiting is the ...
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UK faculty salaries are much lower than US – is there any upside?
I was looking at faculty jobs, and most of the jobs in UK publish the salary range and band, which (from my understanding) is essentially non-negotiable and adopted by most universities in the UK. It ...
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Can a department revoke a degree, once granted by the university?
I’ve just completed a graduate degree at a university in the UK, as an older student.
The department, IMO, is a mess of politics, fickle actions, and backstabbing. Whilst here, I have been pushed, ...
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Feeling bad about taking time off
So I'm a first year PhD student in the UK working on an applied mathematics project. Excluding weekends I put in about 37/40 hours a week of work which leaves me pretty tired to say the least.
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How can I thank a senior faculty who's written me a good reference which helped me land a desirable job?
I recently got a good job and I want to thank a very senior professor in my department, who spent time to write me a very good reference.
I am thinking maybe to give him a thank you card when I go to ...
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Etiquette of wearing the wrong academic robes at graduation as a lecturer in the UK
I have graduated three times from UK universities. First was a bachelors' degree, then a Masters' degree, then a PhD. The graduation robes associated with my PhD graduation are absolutely horrible. I ...
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Unhappy with my PhD program in my home country, thinking about applying to another university in UK
My problem is a bit unusual and I would love to get some advice…
I'm a first year PhD student in social-sciences and I already got my proposal approved. I moved back to my home country (where I am ...
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Can I be a lecturer without doing research?
This is probably a question quite opposite to the general vibe of people in academia, but oh well.
I am a UK-based PhD student and as I progress through my programme I notice more and more that my ...
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Is it lawful for a fellowship linked to a permanent faculty position at a British university in the STEM field to only be available to females?
The internally funded Anne McLaren Fellowships at The University of Nottingham state in their eligibility that "Candidates for the Anne McLaren Fellowships must be female and pursuing a career in a ...
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What differences should an early career UK academic expect when moving to Australia (e.g., research culture, funding opportunities)?
I'm currently a Lecturer in Computer Science at a (medium ranked) institution in the UK and I've been given the opportunity to join one of the (top ranked) universities in Australia.
While I do ...
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How would the UK leaving the EU affect academia and PhD admission?
Will all European applicants count as ‘international students’ then?
Are there any proposals on this yet? I am finishing my BA in two years and was considering applying to the UK, but am worried now ...
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How do new faculty members in the UK start their career without startup grants?
I'm starting a lecturer position in Computer Science in the UK, which is roughly equivalent to a tenure-track assistant professor position. However, the department head told me that, while they do ...
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What type of workplace accommodations are departments required to make for a mentally unhealthy faculty member?
We have a faculty member in my department who has mental health issues. These issues tend to flare up about three times a year, right at the beginning of the year, in January when grading is due and ...
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Interview not reimbursed if offer is made but not accepted (UK)
I'm applying for Lecturer positions in the UK (entry-level faculty, other academic systems might call the position "Assistant Professor").
I just got short-listed for one of the positions I have ...
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Are the Newton fellowships (UK) prestigious enough to warrant low post-doc pay?
I'm nearing the end of my graduate studies (1-1.5yrs remain) and have been looking out for post-doc opportunities. I came across the Newton Fellowships, which provide funding for up to 2 years of ...
user4417
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3
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Do any British universities still offer degree registration from afar to those who study alone, without tuition?
Forty years ago, London University was still offering degree registration to "external" students, who might be living anywhere in the world. To prepare themselves for the London exams, many studied at ...
user51877
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Postdoc salary negotiation (UK)
I am interested in taking up a postdoctoral position in a UK institution. The appointment details write:
Appointment will be on a Fixed Term Contract for 3 years and with a
starting salary in the ...
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How and why are PhD programs free in Europe?
In some European countries, PhD programs are free. As I understand, PhD opening depends on the research funds of the supervisor. In other words, PhD research is funded by a national agency or EU.
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What are duties for jobs like Professor, Lecturer, Research Scientist, Research Assistant, and Research Fellow in the UK (Oxford)?
In Oxford's job website (here and here), I see positions including Professor, University Lecturer, Departmental Lecturer, Research Scientist, Research Assistant, and Research Fellow. What are the ...
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Why are university drop out rates in the United Kingdom relatively low?
The drop out rates for America and Germany in University are similar at about 30%. I believe a common explanation for both is that there is not enough screening for the people who go into college.
...
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