Affiliated Research Centre Students

Your registration with The Open University

The Research Degrees Regulations are the principal means through which The Open University ensures consistency in academic standards across the research degree programmes that it offers. It is important that you read them in conjunction with the Code of practice for student discipline, the Conditions of Registration for Postgraduate Research Students, the Research Degrees in Affiliated Research Centres Handbook (see Handbooks) and other relevant documents referred to in the text. The Code of Practice for Research Students and Supervisors in Appendix 2 of the Research Degree Regulations sets out your responsibilities and tells you about the support you can expect from your supervisors.

The Conditions of Registration for Postgraduate Research Students sets out the terms and conditions for your research degree registration at the Open University. The Research Degrees in Affiliated Research Centres Handbook (see Handbooks) is a guide to the University’s academic and administrative arrangements for research degree study. It provides information about the services available to research degree students, the policies that apply to registration, and it provides advice about key points in the student journey. Please read the handbook and refer to it for information about your Open University registration.

PGR Manager will form the framework of your administrative journey through the programme, supplemented by information in Forms and Guidance.

Open University library

As an Open University student, you have access to the full range of Open University online services and resources to support you. The following welcome video introduces you to these services and how to access support from the OU Library and specialist Research Support Team.

Your professional development

The Researcher Development Framework (RDF), developed by Vitae, is designed to articulate the "knowledge, behaviours and attributes of successful researchers and encourages them to aspire to excellence through achieving higher levels of development." The framework gives researchers (including research students) a comprehensive map of all of the areas of skill and competence that a researcher will need throughout their career.

Your Affiliated Research Centre will provide you with many opportunities to develop your generic research skills (as articulated in the Researcher Development Framework), discipline level research skills and project-level research skills, during your registration. We have put in place some guidance and tools to help you and your supervisors to identify the skills you need to develop, plan how you are going to acquire them, and record your achievements.

We have developed a set of online training modules in generic research skills, aligned with the Researcher Development Framework, to supplement the research skills training available through your Affiliated Research Centre. At present the modules available are targeted at students who are starting their research projects and in the first year of registration (first two years if you are a part-time student). If you have just registered, the 'Starting your research' theme is a good place to begin exploring what’s on offer.

Feedback from the ARC students

The Open University participates in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey, currently once every two years. This survey goes out to all postgraduate research students at the University, whether directly registered or ARC. It's an opportunity for students to give us feedback on a range of matters and influence how we support you, so please engage when you receive an email (April/May).