What do candidates say about doing a doctorate in the UK?
The UK is unique in having the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES), a biennial UK-wide survey which asks postgraduate researchers about their learning and supervision experiences. In 2013, over 48,000 researchers responded from 122 universities. This survey is seen as important by the universities so that they can improve their support for doctoral researchers.
In the 2013 PRES survey:
- 82% of respondents said their overall experience of doctoral training met or exceeded their expectations
- 91% thought their supervisor had the skills and subject knowledge to support their research
- 89% said they had improved their research skills and 87% their analytical skills, while 79% thought their creativity had improved
- Over 80% thought they would finish their doctorate on time.
Read the latest (2013) PRES report for the full results.