During your time in the School there are numerous avenues of support for you to access if you are having trouble with your studies or just need advice on how to get the most out of your time at Bristol. The following points of contact offer tailored support for MSc/Diploma students:
For information specific to the unit topic, Unit owners are available to give advice on questions relating to unit content, as well as being able to advise students on essay plans and resubmission's. Unit convenor contact details and office hours are listed on the Unit Guide.
For those new to the Social Sciences, from a non UK academic background or entering the MSc after a break from education, the Study Skills Advisor holds regular drop-in sessions for advice on essay planning, research strategies, note taking and all other issues relating to study skills.
The study skills advisors are:
The School has produced a Study Skills Guide for all SPAIS students for reference. You may also find this a useful resource.
For advice on the dissertation project, giving guidance on issues such as content, structure and argument, each MSc student is allocated a dedicated supervisor during the course of the academic year.
For guidance on personal issues that may affect studies, and for advice on career progression, the School operates a system of personal tutors for every student. You will have been allocated a personal tutor at the beginning of the academic year, please contact one of the Graduate Studies Administrators (see below) if you are unsure who your personal tutor is.
for issues related to the intellectual content of programmes in Sociology, Politics and International Relations/Development Studies or East Asian Studies, each subject area has a specific Pathway Director:
For all administrative queries relating to your specific pathway, the Graduate Studies Administrators are on hand to help:
Janet Woolway-Allen (Graduate Administration Manager)
Faye Cooper (Graduate Administrator)
Email: spais-mscenquiries@bristol.ac.uk
For wider information on the MSc programmes within the School, and all issues related to rules and regulations, the PGT Director is always happy to speak to students. Please contact Dr Torsten Michel.
In addition to the specific support structures above, the University offers more general support to students. Details are available via the following links: