Stevesmiths,
Fashion design, psychology or MBA with law. I've lost track which one you are looking to do from your different posts. Have you decided?

What about fraudulent essay writers and what students really think about them?

On FindAPhD, I've done a search with 'non-European student, energy, engineering'. You may have looked already.
There are some funded ones listed, for international students though they might be only fees paid and no stipend (living costs).

Hi,
I've seen on a few uni websites that a part-time PhD can take up to 6 years, some uni's indicate 7 years. It may be possible to take even less time. I know one uni was advertising shortest registration for part-time PhD was 5 years. Direct entry PhD I would have thought and not MPhil first.
Part-time PhD fees are often 50% cost of full time.

Perhaps going part-time and aiming to complete in 5 or 6 years?

Hi,

It might be that they are asking for 240 ECTS from an integrated master's (a masters with outside assessed work attracts more credits). This may be a professional accreditation.

The following page from Imperial College has a bit about ECTS:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/ug/courses/our-degrees/ects/


Perhaps it could be worth asking the university to clarify.

Dody,

The OIA might be of interest to you, as you have made an appeal to your university. There is a cut off time for complaints and appeals to be looked at. It's like an Ombudsman.

You could phone them for advice at this stage, it's free.

The Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) is an independent body set up to review student complaints.
Free to students, the OIA deals with individual complaints against Higher Education Providers in England and Wales.


www.oiahe.org.uk

The other thing I have learned is universities will not take responsibility and refuse many appeals and complaints, so you have to fight your corner. Think of it as a standard part of the process, something you expect to do.

Yes, a need for reform in academia. The comments my supervisor made were not constructive criticism unfortunately, they made me feel inadequate, useless and disrespected.

pm133 and Tudor_Queen:
When you say move on, do you mean keep silent and move on? Or report the bullying and move on?

I found the following on the web, from staff and students at the University of Newcastle in Austrailia, who have been bullied.

“Systemic bullying, hazing and abuse generally are identified with poor, weak or toxic organizational cultures. Cultures that are toxic have stated ethical values that are espoused but not employed, and other non-ethical values which are operational, dominant, but unstated.

Such cultures thrive when good people are silent, silenced, or pushed out; when bad apples are vocal, retained, promoted, and empowered; and when the neutral majority remain silent in order to survive. Those who are most successful in such a toxic culture are those who have adapted to it, or adopted it as their own”. (McKay, Arnold, Fratzl & Thomas, 2008)

My university has an apparent "zero tolerance approach to bullying and harassment towards students". A value not employed.

Thanks for the replies. I guess it was a shock to me that supervisors could be like this. I paid for the course and like any customer, I expected to be treated with a normal standard level of respect but this didn't happen. My supervisor was chosen for me as my first choice was unavailable. The whole experience impacted on my project. It has put me off the university and I will go elsewhere in the future.

I have been lucky in the past during my undergraduate degree, having an approachable and kind personal tutor and project supervisor.

I experienced a time with my supervisor who was a bully. I have since finished the course but feel it would have been useful to have had some urgent training at the time, on being assertive but also being diplomatic. I went to see student support at the uni at the time and they didn't comment on the bullying, either that person was not trained in dealing with the situation or they were closing ranks.

How do other postgrads handle supervisors who are like this? I know bullying is not rare in academia at postgraduate level and you need to be thick-skinned.

Hi, Do speak to the Student Union as Treeoflife suggests, do this today.

I was lucky to get some legal advice recently as I made an appeal about my course.

The legal representative advised me of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA), for students at universities in England and Wales. It's a bit like an Ombudsman.

The OIA is an independent body set up to review student complaints.
Free to students, the OIA deals with individual complaints against Higher Education Providers in England and Wales.

http://www.oiahe.org.uk

With the career development loan, I don't know if you are able to pay 100% back in the first month after finishing the course or are tied in to set repayments.

Your university may provide welfare loans which are often interest-free but must be paid back by an agreed date, it may be a maximum of £500.

What about a Professional and Career development loan? it's different to a masters loan.

You have to pay it back, it's interest-free while you study and for a month after.
https://www.gov.uk/career-development-loans/repayments-and-interest