King's postgraduate research students and postdoctoral research staff can access and book places on the CDS training courses through our online system Skills Forge. For guidance about course bookings, see Booking & Course Availability.
Getting the Best from your Supervisor (PGR324)
This course will help you to understand your supervisor’s perspective and expectations and will highlight areas for autonomy and supervision throughout a doctoral journey. Learn how to be assertive and persuasive in the way that you communicate with your supervisors to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
Postgraduate Funding: Considering the Alternatives for Research Students (PGR131)
Are you a current PhD or PGR student who needs extra funding for fees, living expenses, research, conference or 4th year PhD writing-up costs? If the answer is ‘yes’, then consider joining this workshop! It’s all about funding from unusual places you probably haven’t heard of! As well as explaining the more ‘usual’ postgraduate funding options available, it’s mainly about alternative grant-making bodies in Britain: principally charities, trusts, and foundations. Charities and trusts are seldom used by students, but often make grants regardless of subject, course, or nationality. They are an excellent – but underrated – funding option.
Preparing for the Upgrade
– in the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (PGR144)
– in the Sciences (PGR174)
These courses are intended for research students in the run-up to the upgrade from MPhil to PhD. The course will provide guidance on how to construct the upgrade report, prepare for the interview/presentation and what the differences are between an MPhil and a PhD.
Preparing for the Oral Examination (PGR105)
This course is intended for research students in the final stages of writing up the thesis. It will help you prepare for the oral examination. This workshop identifies the regulations, expectations and outcomes of the viva and aims to address questions and anxieties.
Starting your PhD
– in the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (PGR101)
– in the Sciences (PGR100)
These courses, aimed at first year doctoral students, provide an overview of the PhD: what it is, what to expect and how to manage a research project effectively.
Writing up the Thesis
– in the Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (PGR104)
– in the Sciences (PGR103)
This course is for research students who are entering the writing-up phase of their doctorate. In addition to addressing key questions about the structure and content of a thesis, it will also explore writing strategies and how to cope with ‘writer’s block’.