FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
Below are some questions you may have about the Skills Training Programme. Our programme will continuously change in response to needs. If you have identified a need for training or skills development that is not addressed in the training programme please let us know.
What can be counted as relevant training & development?
How much does the training cost?
Is the training compulsory?
Should my supervisor be aware of the training courses I plan to attend?
Which formal courses should I take from the PSTP? Can I attend any course?
How do I register for a class?
What do I do if I have booked on a class but can’t attend? The classes might book up quickly so I am going to book onto whatever classes I can get a place on – is this ok?
What if a class I want to attend is fully booked?
I have special requirements, what should I do?
Who delivers the training?
What if I need training in an area that is not included in the training programme?
Who can I contact if I have any queries?
What can be counted as relevant training and development?
Within the Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme the following is considered as training and development activity
For a full list please refer to the Programme Guidelines within the About the Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme section. If you attend other formal training with your School or external bodies and they are not included on the on-line training system you will have to add these details into your training record. Any developmental training that you undertake will also have to be added into the ‘Developmental' section of the training system.
It is in your own interest to update your training record with additional training undertaken to ensure that you gain credit for this training.
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How much does the training cost?
The training courses are available to you free of charge. However, charges may apply for cerftification, if applicable.
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Is the training compulsory?
Due to the diversity of skills requirements and training needs, the University has not designated any of the training provided centrally as compulsory, but it is expected that you will undertake the recommended 30 days training with activities which will be of benefit to you and in agreement with your supervisor. Some Schools will make elements of the training compulsory so you must check with your supervisor or School Office. For differentiation purposes it is expected that you will have attended 10 days training.
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Should my supervisor be aware of the training courses I plan to attend?
Your supervisor should be aware of any training activity that you intend to undertake. Ideally you and your supervisor should take time to discuss your training needs and plan out your training activity for the semester/year. It is very important that your supervisor supports the training activity that you undertake.
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Which formal courses should I take from the PSTP? Can I attend any course?
We strongly recommend that you take the time to select the most appropriate courses. You should discuss with your supervisor which courses are most relevant to your stage of research. The course details on the PRDP website outline the target audience for each course. This works to your benefit as there will be little to be learned from a first year student attending a ‘Preparing for the Viva’ course or a third year attending an ‘Introduction to Project Management’ course.
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How do I register for a class?
To register for any of the PSTP classes you need to log onto Qsis. Full instructions on how to book a course are detailed on the home page.
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What do I do if I have booked on a class but can’t attend?
If you are unable to attend you must cancel your registration (booking) for that class. Some very popular courses become fully booked and therefore if you do not cancel off a course, you are preventing someone else from attending. The Postgraduate Training Team reserve the right to prevent further course registration for those students who persistently do not show up to courses. Please refer the Booking and Attendance Policy 2010 for further guidance.
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The classes might book up quickly so I am going to book onto whatever classes I can get a place on – is this ok?
No! We ask that students do not ‘block book’ onto a lot of classes at once, but to take their time in selecting the most appropriate courses rather than booking onto the classes they can get a place on! Please note that we do monitor the bookings and will contact those students who have booked onto a significant amount of classes.
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What if a class I want to attend is fully booked?
For the most popular courses we do try to schedule additional dates to meet demand. However due to other commitments some facilitators may not be able to provide extra courses.
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I have special requirements, what should I do?
If you have any special requirements relating to access or equipment required for the training course, please notify staff of the Postgraduate Training team well in advance of the class date to allow suitable arrangements to be made. The staff can be contacted by email at pg.training@qub.ac.uk, by phone on +44 (0) 28 9097 2590 or at the Postgraduate Student Centre, 1st Floor, International and Postgraduate Student Centre.
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Who delivers the training?
The formal courses are delivered by a variety of facilitators including members of Queen’s University staff, both from academic support units and academic members of staff and external facilitators who have significant training experience in a University environment.
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What if I need training in an area that is not included in the training programme?
If there is particular generic-based training that you would like to see included in the programme please get in touch with the training staff at the Postgraduate Training team. If enough other students are interested in this training, then we may be able to help. Please note however that we do not offer 1-1 training.
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Who can I contact if I have any queries?
The skills training programme is organised and co-ordinated by the staff of the Postgraduate Training team. The staff can be contacted by email at pg.training@qub.ac.uk, by phone on +44 (0) 28 9097 2590 or at the Postgraduate Student Centre office, 1st Floor, International and Postgraduate Centre (opposite the new McClay Library).
