The training of postgraduates

The research and management skills required for gaining a PhD differ greatly from those associated with other graduate courses. A training programme for doctoral students should teach the skills needed to conduct research and help prepare students for subsequent careers in industry or academia. When developing the Graduate Support Programme (GRASP) to provide this training at UMIST, it emerged that no general philosophy existed regarding the training needed to pursue a PhD. The requirement to train 350 new doctoral students a year has meant that GRASP represents a radically new approach in teaching provision. Experience with running GRASP for a year has confirmed that all the training needed for PhD research, and preparation for subsequent careers, can be provided within the existing three year research grant system. The aim of this paper is to describe the needs and to explain the constraints encountered in developing a training programme for postgraduates