Pursuing a PhD: What do you need to consider?

Dear students of the Humanities Honours Programme, 

From your current position, the possibility of doing a Phd after an MA or RMA programme may seem quite far away. However, as a HHP student you have a higher chance of following such a trajectory in a couple of years time. If doing a PhD is something that you see yourself considering at some point – or if you are not sure yet and just would like to know more – it is a good idea to gain some more insight in what this could look like. For students and recent graduates of the Research Master Media, Art and Performance Studies (MAPS), I am organizing a special event that provides more info on doing a Phd. As HHP students, you are very welcome to also attend this session. Stay on for the drinks afterwards if you’d like to get to know some MAPS students and staff in an informal setting. Some of them are former HHP students too.  

If you’d like to join, please send me a note on l.l.karreman@uu.nl by Tuesday 15 October so I can include you in my estimate for the catering. 

I hope to see some of you on the 25^th! 

Kind regards,
Laura

SPECIAL EVENT

PURSUING A PHD: WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONSIDER?

Friday 25 October

Location: Muntstraat 2a, Grote Zaal (T 0.05)

Time: 

14.00-14.15 Welcome (walk in and say hi)

14.15-16.00 Main event

16.00-17.00 Drinks in the foyer

Chair: Dr. Laura Karreman (Programme coordinator MAPS)

Guests: Prof. dr. Maaike Bleeker (Director of Research, Dept. Media and Culture Studies, PhD candidate Irene Alcubilla Troughton (MAPS alumna), PhD candidate Soyun Jang (MAPS alumna). 

This Special Event is organized as part of the course MAPS Research Lab, but for this meeting, second-year MAPS students and recent MAPS graduates are also invited to join. 

As students of a Research Master, many of you will consider the possibility of doing a PhD trajectory after your studies. For some of you, this was even the main reason to enroll in this programme. But even when the MAPS programme provides an excellent foundation to continue with an academic career, choosing this path is far from self-evident. What do you need to consider when you are thinking about pursuing a PhD? In this meeting, Maaike Bleeker (MAPS staff member and Director of Research in the department of Media and Culture Studies), Laura Karreman, and MAPS alumni who are currently doing a PhD will share with you their answers to Frequently Asked Questions about doing a PhD, and discuss points of attention with regard to this topic that specifically relate to the academic field of media, art and performance studies. There will also be plenty of room in this meeting to ask your own questions. 

Topics and questions that will be addressed include, but are not limited to:  

• What does doing a PhD involve? 
• What are different ways of doing a PhD?  
• When is the best moment to apply for a PhD position? 
• How do I find out about the availability of PhD positions?
• How do you approach prospective supervisors? 
• What qualifications do I need to be eligible for a PhD position? 
• What type of support is available at Utrecht University while I’m further researching my options or applying for positions? 

Preparation

No preparation needed, but it helps to think about questions you would like to ask in advance.