Abstract:

The SUPA Graduate School is staffed by a Director, a Secretary and three Learning Technologists and provides post graduate education and training for Scottish physicists. An integral component of the SUPA Graduate School is the Graduate School Management Committee (GSMC) which provides advice and support to the Graduate School Director in the development of the Graduate School.
Since 2006, the SUPA Graduate School has built seven video conferencing training suites across Scotland, set up MySUPA (a purpose built VLE adapted from Moodle), run an annual international studentship competition and an annual post graduate training program consisting of 60 courses across six technical themes (including specialist courses), advanced training workshops, summer schools, masters courses from Distinguished Visitors and generic skills training. Education and training is delivered by face-to-face sessions, utilising video-conferencing technology and on-line, by web based training materials. SUPA utilises departmental, university and research council generic skills training as well as employing specialist external providers. Generally, training is developed specifically for the physics community e.g. C++/Object Oriented Programming, Shell Scripts, Data Analysis, Entrepreneurship and Career Development. However, the targeted entrepreneurship module – dealing with marketing, IP, commercialisation, patents and networking has now become a cross-pool event, encompassing SUPA, SULSA, SICSA and SINAPSE and a Biology Summer School is run by SULSA and SUPA for Physics and Life Sciences (PaLS) students.
Since 2008, every SUPA PhD student has been required to complete a minimum of 40 hours of lectures + coursework and assessment of technical studies and 20 hours or 4 days of generic skills in the first 2 years of their PhD. In some themes, such as particle physics theory, the requirement is much higher. Results are held on a master database with the facility to print out transcripts of continuing professional development for early stage researchers. Guidance is given on these requirements to all 1st year PhD students at the annual SUPA-wide Induction Event.

Keywords:

Physics, Graduate School.