Graduate Life

Our graduate students are the lifeblood of our research groups, providing ideas, manpower and enthusiasm. Graduate projects frequently result in publications, often first-author papers in prestigious journals. Graduates are encouraged to expand their academic networks by attending departmental seminars, group talks, and brown bag lunches, by collaborating with other departments in the University, and by attending international meetings and conferences.

Offices

Graduates share offices in the Department, usually with students from different research groups, at different stages of their course. The aim is to promote cross-pollination of ideas and ensure that the whole graduate community is cohesive and close-knit.

Social Events

Our first-year graduates run the weekly ‘Happy Hour’ bar, and are responsible for organising many of the departmental social events, such as the Christmas Party which is open to all staff and students. Staff and students also meet at 11am every morning for coffee in the Researchers' Common Room – this is a great forum for informally sharing ideas.

Support

Graduates benefit from close contact with their project supervisor(s); it is expected that you will have at least two substantial supervision sessions each term. Your college will also have a range of pastoral support available.

The postgraduate Academic Administration Team provides support for the key milestones during your course, and some research groups also have access to an administrator to assist with things like travel arrangements for fieldwork and conferences. Within the Department, graduate students are eligible to apply to the Burdett-Coutts Fund, which supports fieldwork and conference travel.

Work and Volunteering

Group photo of demonstrators on the Assynt field course. They are wearing outdoor gear and are smiling at the camera with their arms wrapped around each other.

Employment may be found within the Department by tutoring undergraduates or working in practicals as demonstrators. Demonstrators are also required for undergraduate field teaching. We have a very vibrant and active public engagement and schools outreach programme with plenty of volunteering opportunities (and some paid) at schools, providing demonstrations for groups visiting the Department or collaborating at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.

Graduate Handbook

Graduate Handbook 2025-26.pdf

Student Welfare

The first point of contact for welfare issues in the Department is the Head of Administration and Finance, Hannah Lingard. 

The Department also has trained Mental Health First Aiders amongst its staff. The University’s Counselling Service can be contacted in order to speak to a Mental Health Professional, and the University has a number of self-help resources. 

The Department and the University do not tolerate harassment in any form. The Department has several trained harassment advisers. The University’s harassment procedures for students are detailed on the University website. We also expect members of the community to be responsible bystanders if they witness unacceptable behaviour.

External Support

  • Nightline is an independent listening, support and information service run for and by students, offering instant messaging, Skype and telephone support
  • Samaritans is an independent listening service – always available 24/7 by telephone or online chat
  • The NHS Mental Health Helpline is open 24/7 for people who need mental health care when their situation is not life threatening
  • Togetherall is an NHS-approved service providing mental health support 24/7 to students, wherever you are in the world. Students can register free with their Oxford email to talk online to a mental health professional using the ‘message a wall guide’ feature or connect with other students through online forums
  • Oxford Safe Haven offers short-term support out-of-hours for people in Oxfordshire who are experiencing a mental health crisis including suicidal thoughts, via telephone and face-to-face support
  • Students also have the option of speaking to their GP who will have access to wider support and resources

More information can be found in the Graduate Handbook.

Photograph of a DPhil student presenting their work at the graduate conference. They are gesturing at a large screen behind them displaying a map of the South Atlantic Ocean.

Assessment

All research students are initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research Student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a PRS student they are expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to either DPhil or MSc(Res) status.

A successful transfer of status from PRS to DPhil or MSc(Res) status will require the submission of written work.

Students who are successful at transfer to DPhil status will also be expected to apply for and gain confirmation of DPhil status within nine terms of admission, to show that their work continues to be on track.

Both milestones normally involve a presentation and an interview with two assessors (other than your supervisor) and therefore provide important experience for the final oral examination.

DPhil students are expected to submit a substantial/original thesis not exceeding 250 pages after three or, at most, four years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a DPhil in Earth Sciences they will need to defend their thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

MSc(Res) students are expected to submit a substantial/original thesis not exceeding 125 pages after two or, at most, three years from the date of admission. To be successfully awarded a MSc(Res) in Earth Sciences they need to defend their thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

More information can be found in the Graduate Handbook.

Student Training and Development

There is a wide range of training provision offered by both the Department and the wider University. These cover research, academic and transferable (career) skills and may include training in advanced computing, scientific writing, presentation and entrepreneurial skills.  The information below summarises the main courses and providers which students are likely to find useful.

Students are expected to take responsibility for shaping their own training, supported by their supervisor. However, please note:

  • It is recommended that students undertake approximately 100 hours during your DPhil studies or 68 hours during your MSc(Res) studies of ‘broadening’ training: courses which are designed to broaden the student’s knowledge and understanding of Earth Sciences in particular.
  • Many important skills can be developed through teaching, and, in general, each graduate student is expected to participate in teaching. The Department runs a Preparing for Teaching and Learning at Oxford (PLTO) course to support students in developing these skills.

Expand All

All DPhil and MSc(Res) students are required to undertake ‘broadening’ training (note: DTP/CDT students should see their own course pages for details of their training programmes). These courses should be designed to broaden your knowledge and understanding of Earth Sciences as a whole and allow you to make links from your research to others. Courses should, by definition, not be directly related to the topic of your thesis. It is recommended that you undertake broadening courses for 100 hours during your DPhil studies or 68 hours during your MSc(Res) studies. They should amount to the equivalent of 5 standard 16-hour lecture courses, which may be selected from the following:

  • Lectures as listed in the undergraduate timetable
  • Courses offered by other departments, for example through the Division’s Researcher Training Programme
  • Summer Schools, Graduate Modelling Camps and similar, with the number of hours of lectures defining the amount of training
  • Other courses with approval from the DGS

The remainder of the hours can be made up via attendance at seminars and conferences. All graduate students should be attending seminars, workshops and conferences regularly, even if not in their specialist area. Students will be required to provide a list of such events attended in their termly reports.

DPhil students will be expected to have taken a minimum of 2, and may take 3, broadening courses before they apply for transfer of status, MSc(Res) students should have completed the full number of hours. Part of the transfer process will be a check that you have done this satisfactorily. DPhil students should have completed the full number of hours by the time they apply for confirmation of status. The assessors for transfer or confirmation of status may ask questions (at a fairly general level) about the topics covered in the broadening training.

These are skills needed to actually carry out research, for example safety, equipment use, and computing. For example, some projects may require use of national facilities such as the ARCHER2 (UK National Supercomputing Service) which offer a variety of courses that may be a requirement for access.

You should undertake to learn these skills throughout your programme.

Many of our students go on to highly successful careers in a wide variety of industries.  Every student should have the opportunity to develop skills that are genuinely transferable and we aim to provide these opportunities, both in the department and the wider University. The phases are for guidance rather than rigid timescales:

Foundation Phase
(0-12 months)

Intensive Research Phase
(12-30 months)

Completion Phase
(24+ months)

PLTO course

Appropriate departmental seminars

Appropriate IT Services courses

Appropriate MPLS training courses

Appropriate departmental seminars

Appropriate IT Services courses

Appropriate MPLS training courses

Careers Service training and events

Appropriate departmental seminars

Appropriate IT Services courses Appropriate MPLS training courses

 

We encourage all our postgraduate students to take full advantage of well-resourced Oxford University Career service.

The Department strongly encourages graduate students to become involved in demonstrating. At the start of Michaelmas Term, the Department runs a training course in teaching and demonstrating (PLTO course). It then provides opportunities for graduate students to act as demonstrators in undergraduate practicals and field courses. The course has two compulsory components:

  1. viewing an online lecture providing information about teaching in Earth Sciences.
  2. completing an in-person interactive discussion session

The first component can be taken at any time; the second component will be run periodically as demand or need dictates. Those who complete the course can request to be added to the departmental demonstrator database and mailing list.

Those who wish to pursue an academic career might like to consider the advice offered in the Notices of the AMS to jobseekers, as well as an analysis of the way teaching is evaluated by hiring committees. Although these are specifically about US practice, a lot of what is said is of value generally.

Information on the MPLS Divisional training programme for graduate students is found on the MPLS website.  To browse the full range of courses provided by departments in MPLS, see the MPLS webpages.

The health and welfare of our students is important to us and there are various workshops available to help students look after themselves and others. Information about these workshops can be found on the Student Health and Welfare pages of the University website.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mnh299XkJes?si=XKs8n-snpP9m-xWL