Research degrees, most commonly called PhDs, are a great way to satisfy your own personal and professional curiosity in a specific area of academic interest. They can help you to gain invaluable skills and knowledge to progress your career and ultimately to add to the global bank of knowledge in your chosen field.
Different people have different motivations to take on a PhD – see what some of our current PhD students have to say about their experiences of undertaking a PhD at UCLan.
Kelly Hambleton, PhD student, studying astrophysics
"I have received international recognition of my research by the scientific community," says Hambleton.
"When I initially started my undergraduate degree in astrophysics at UCLan, I had no intention of undertaking a postgraduate degree. However, the enthusiasm and excellence of the lecturers excited me to consider further studies, with UCLan being the obvious choice.
"During my master's degree I was encouraged to attend conferences and found myself at international meetings in Slovakia, Spain and Belgium. After a one year master's degree at UCLan, my desire to do research had been further driven by my world-renowned supervisor and the dynamic team that I had become a part of. Thus, when I was offered a PhD position, there was no question that I wanted to continue to be a part of this vibrant team.
"During my PhD I have written multiple peer-reviewed publications and successful proposals, thanks to the support of my department. Consequently, I have attended and presented at more than six conferences in places such as Asia, Australia, America and Europe, with the highlight of my PhD being a year of study in Philadelphia.
"The result of these activities is the international recognition of my research by the scientific community and exposure to prospective employers and collaborators. My ultimate goal is a successful career in academia."
Gurpreet Singh, final year PhD student, studying inorganic chemistry
"Pursuing a PhD at UCLan is one of the most important, independent decisions I have made so far in life. The opportunity to come to England and pursue a Doctorate does not happen often, and, for those who plan to pick up this opportunity, the decision about which university to approach can be a difficult one.
"Initially, I faced the same dilemma, but when I came across the International PhD Scholarship programme at UCLan, it was by far the most appealing offer I received.
"The university offers funding and support benefits, which ease the financial and social constraints, providing a secure and advanced learning environment. The state-of-the-art laboratories are fantastic, and a very friendly mentor-student relationship makes a research degree feel like a convivial and collaborative work environment.
"UCLan is emerging as one of the top-notch universities in North West England, incorporating world-class research and events, and offering an avalanche of opportunities, especially in the science and technology fields. I would certainly recommend a research degree here at UCLan for upcoming researchers who are in pursuit of an eminent academic career.
Lais Baptista, PhD student, forensic genetics
"I chose UCLan because they have a great forensic department and I couldn't be more happy with my choice. UCLan has a great infrastructure and my team of supervisors is amazing.
"Ever since I got here, I was in a welcoming environment, filled with everything I need to develop as a researcher and a professional. Here, I have the opportunity to attend different courses aimed at helping me develop skills relevant to professional life, so I know that when I graduate, I'll be able to use them to the fullest.
"I think that forensic genetics is a very important field of study because it has the possibility of helping thousands of people. I want to use my degree to help develop the research in the field in my home country, and I think that UCLan has the best course that I could ask for."
For more information about what it's like to undertake a PhD at UCLan, contact our Research Student Registry on +44 (0)1772 895082. You can send an email here or find more information on our website here.
