Development

Doctoral Skills Development Programme 

A doctoral degree is so much more than a piece of paper or a thesis. It’s about your development as a professional and a researcher.

We strongly encourage you to take full advantage of the free and extensive training programme we have to offer at UCL, and expect you to allocate at least 10 days each year to such training. If you are part of a funded programme, you will need to ensure you meet all the training expectations of your funder as well. 

The Doctoral Skills Development Programme (DSDP) is managed by Organisational Development (not the Doctoral School) as they provide training for researchers at all stages of their career. 

Explore their web pages on the Doctoral Skills Development Programme website and email the Organisational Development team at docskills@ucl.ac.uk if you have any queries. 

When you participate in the DSDP, it is automatically captured in Inkpath, UCL’s training booking system. A summary of your training then appears in your Research Log so that you and your supervisory team can review it alongside your identified training needs and planned development programme. You can also manually add training completed elsewhere to Inkpath and it will feed through to your Log in the same manner. 

Skills Evaluation Tool (SET)

The Skills Evaluation Tool (SET) provides a structured approach to self-reflection and development planning, supporting you and your supervisors throughout the various stages of the doctoral journey.

SET was developed by UCL academics who are experts in the field of assessment.

By engaging with SET you will gain valuable insights into your strengths and areas for growth, enabling you to set realistic goals and plan your development. 

SET asks you to assess yourself against 12 sub-domains aligned to the Researcher Development Framework. To assist you with your assessment we have outlined what each number on the scale means in practice, with descriptions and examples. 

Use the results of your assessment to identify your priority development areas, create a development plan and book on to training and development activities that support your needs.

Find more information plus a link to SET and the supporting development booklet on Skills Evaluation Tool website.

UCL Careers Service 

It’s never too soon to start thinking about your Career. UCL Careers Service offers specialist, dedicated support for researchers in finding and preparing for careers both within and outside academia, offering one-on-one advice and practice mock interviews.

Find out more on the Careers service web page. 

UCL Innovation and Enterprise development for Doctoral Researchers 

UCL Innovation and Enterprise provides support for developing entrepreneurial and business skills, along with guidance on launching your own business or spin-off venture.

Explore their full range of services on the Innovation and Enterprise web page.

Academic Writing

Academic English courses are available for doctoral students who want to enhance their academic writing and oral communication skills, including workshops for non-native speakers. 

See the Centre for Languages and International Education web page and other language support pages.