Postgraduate Prospectus

Biological Sciences | www.essex.ac.uk/bs
Sarah-Jane Walsh,
Eastbourne, East Sussex
– BSc Marine and Freshwater
Biology ’09, PhD Marine
Biology
Student
profile
My PhD topic is fairly rare in the
UK, due to research primarily
being conducted in the tropics.
When I saw that Essex had a title
very close to the area I wanted
to specialise in, I jumped at the chance to
take it! I was also happy to conduct my
postgraduate studies at Essex due to
the University’s high research status in
biological status and because of the
notable scientists within the Department,
who have helped to shape much of the
subject I currently study. It is great to be
able to work alongside these people and
have their contributions in your publications.
I have been lucky enough to be awarded
full funding from the scientific body, NERC,
and I receive funding for field research from
Operation Wallacea, in return for my input
into their own summer expeditions.
I get to travel a lot with my research and
recently attended an amazing course in
Mexico with top researches in my field,
which was great for expanding my
background knowledge across
disciplines, as well as getting to grips with
a range of methodologies and instruction
in the use of several commonly used
scientific machinery. Conferences are
also a fantastic opportunity to see what
is at the forefront of your discipline and
currently undergoing experimentation, as
there is often a time lag between research
being conducted and publication. It
enables you to get a real feel for what
is going on in your field, as well as being
a good way to meet other students and
possible collaborators.
My fondest memories of studying at
Essex will be the travelling opportunities
it has given me, particularly intensive field
courses where I underwent instruction
from scientists at the forefront of my
subject. And I will never forget the first
time I met another student on
a conference, who recognised
my name from a publication.
sufficiently qualified, you may be offered
our MSD where, on satisfactory progress,
you can be upgraded to our PhD.
There are two entry levels to our PhD:
n a good undergraduate degree – upper
second class honours or above in an
appropriate subject; or
n an MSc in an appropriate subject.
We offer structured training programmes
which all must attend. These provide
training in generic and key skills. You
are expected to attend departmental and
research group seminars, and give research
seminars about your studies in research
group meetings. A Departmental Graduate
Forum, organised by our graduate students,
is held each September and you present
your research, either as a poster or an oral
presentation, with prizes for the best. You
are encouraged, and funded, to attend
national and international conferences
and, during the later stages of your PhD,
expected to present your work at such
conferences.
You must attend two formal supervisory
board meetings each year where you submit
literature reviews and research reports to
the Board members prior to the meeting.
Your PhD thesis is generally completed
within three to four years and has a
maximum length of 80,000 words. Your
MPhil is usually completed in two years,
with a maximum length of 50,000 words.
Your MSD is usually completed in one year,
with a maximum length of 30,000 words.
Our students are frequently employed
as graduate laboratory assistants to
act as demonstrators in undergraduate
laboratory classes. Such teaching is a
valuable experience for you.
Research areas
We offer research supervision within our
different research groups. We also offer
an interdisciplinary PhD Environmental
Governance, which forms part of an
accredited Doctoral Training Centre
of the ESRC at Essex.
Research supervision is available in the
following areas:
n Bacterial infections
n Cancer biology
n Environmental microbiology
n Environmental plant biology
n G-protein coupled receptors
n Immunology
n Marine and freshwater biology
n Metalloproteins
n Molecular mechanisms of
tumourogenesis
n Peptide interactions
n Plant productivity
n Protein molecular dynamics
n Sustainable environments
n Viral infections
Doctor of Medicine
Medically qualified staff at Essex, or at an
NHS Trust associated with us, may apply
for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. The
minimum period of study and research is
two years, and the maximum is four years.
Please contact us for more details.
74 | Postgraduate Prospectus 2012