Best Practice in Supervising Part Time and Professional Doctorate students

Please note this event will be delivered virtually. We will be in touch before the scheduled event date to provide zoom details.

More than half of all doctoral students in the University study part-time. Part-time students have particular pressures and issues that do not affect full-time students in the same way. Financial pressures, committing up to six years to a doctorate and changes at work all mean that the supervision of part-time students may at times be more demanding than that of full-timers. The aim of this workshop is to identify the issues and challenges of supervising part-time students and to explore good practice in addressing these.

The workshop will firstly consider the expectations, challenges and opportunities of supervision from the perspective of both the supervisor and the research student. It will then provide an opportunity to share good practice and learn from the experience of colleagues in different parts of the University. The session will explore some of the common issues and experiences that part-time students face and draw on feedback from past/present part-time students. The workshop will also be an opportunity to discuss specific issues that supervisors have with supervising part-time students. It is relevant to all those who supervise part-time students registered for a PhD, an MPhil or a Professional Doctorate, as well as those who may be part of a supervisory team of a part-time student in the foreseeable future.

PLEASE NOTE: This event is currently open to Portsmouth University affiliated staff only. If you have any further queries please email

Event Venue

Online