Library Services and Resources

Resources for Postgraduates

Postgraduate students should find out about the library and IT resources available to them at www.kent.ac.uk/library-it. There is also online guidance for postgraduate students: www.kent.ac.uk/library-it/supporting-your-research. Medway students can use the Drill Hall Library on the Medway Campus: http://campus.medway.ac.uk.

Liaison Librarians and Academic Support Librarians

In order to make the best use of the Library and its services, it is also important for you to contact the Liaison Librarian (Canterbury) or Academic Support Librarian (Medway) responsible for the area of research you are pursuing as soon as possible. Liaison Librarians can give you one to one help throughout your course, by phone, email or in person. For Liaison Librarians at the Templeman Library on the Canterbury campus see: www.kent.ac.uk/library-it/opening-hours-and-support/library-subject-support. For Academic Support Librarians at the Drill Hall Library on the Medway campus please see: https://campus.medway.ac.uk/subject-librarians/

Subject guides are also available at: www.kent.ac.uk/library/subjects (Canterbury) and at: https://libguides.medway.ac.uk/?b=g&d=a (Medway).

On-line Resources

The Library makes available a substantial number of electronic resources, including e-journals, journal and thesis indexes, e-books, online newspapers, online theses and e-reference works. Please see: www.kent.ac.uk/library-it/your-digital-library.

If you need to use material not held by this Library, there are two options. You can request the material via the document delivery service www.kent.ac.uk/library/borrow/document-delivery.html or visit other libraries throughout the UK using SCONUL access www.sconul.ac.uk/sconul-access. For further information, please contact your Liaison Librarian.

Postgraduate Work Space

If you need somewhere to study and you don’t need to use Library books, try one of the study hubs, PC rooms or extra vision spaces across campus. If you are working on the Canterbury campus there is a dedicated Postgraduate Study Hub located in the Senate building. You will need your KentOne card to gain access to the hub at all times.  Full details can be found at: www.kent.ac.uk/guides/where-to-study-on-canterbury-campus

Careers and Employability Services

Career Planning

The University boasts an award-winning Careers and Employability Service (CES) that aims to support you in making a successful transition from your postgraduate degree to the next stage of your career.

Qualified and experienced Careers Advisers and Employability Advisers are available for personal careers advice and guidance and for support with your job-hunting. This may include help with developing interview skills and making successful applications for both academic posts and graduate positions in other sectors.

There is an extensive careers website, which includes a section dedicated to postgraduate students and an online database of graduate vacancies. The CES has also produced a booklet which covers career options for students, the transferable skills gained through your studies, finding job opportunities and making successful applications.

Although you can make use of the CES at any stage of your studies, and even up to three years after you graduate, we would recommend that you start to use it early in order to gain the maximum benefit from the support it offers.

For more information, see the CES website: www.kent.ac.uk/ces

Employability Points

The Employability Points Scheme rewards students for their active involvement with co-curricular activities. Through undertaking co-curricular activities, including volunteering, part-time work, attending workshops, joining societies, and much more, students are actively making themselves more attractive to prospective employers. The Employability Points Scheme allocates points to students for completing such activities and towards the end of the academic year, these points can be redeemed for rewards. Each year, on average, over 800 rewards are offered to participating students, ranging from paid internships to work experience, training and much more.

For more details visit: www.kent.ac.uk/employabilitypoints

Volunteering 

The Careers and Employability Service advertises volunteering opportunities, both on campus and within the local community. Volunteering is an excellent addition to your CV and a great way to develop essential employability skills. You can log your volunteering activities on the Employability Points Scheme, where you can reflect on the skills you have gained and earn points, which can be redeemed to apply for rewards, such as internships and work experience placements. For more information visit: www.kent.ac.uk/ces/volunteering.html

Study Plus 

Study Plus offers a diverse range of non-credit bearing courses on a wide variety of topics which are completely free and are open to all registered Kent students. Study Plus workshops give you an opportunity to learn something different from your main area of study, build key transferable and employment skills and enhance your CV. You will also be eligible for employability points.

Examples of courses include:

  • Creative arts and digital photography
  • Microsoft Office
  • Student mentoring at University
  • Language Express Bitesize: Arabic, Dutch, French, Japanese, Mandarin, Modern Greek and Spanish
  • Gaining work experience and employability skills
  • Business start-up workshops

For more details visit: www.kent.ac.uk/studyplus

Kent Union

Postgraduate Representation

Postgraduate Representatives are student volunteers who act as a voice for postgraduate students within their School or Division.
There are so many benefits to becoming a Postgraduate Rep in Kent Union’s Student Reps programme, including the opportunity to:

  • develop new skills
  • liaise with the University on postgraduate student issues
  • meet new people
  • become familiar with University structures
  • enhance your CV.

If you like the sound of all that and are interested in becoming a Postgraduate Rep for your School or Faculty, please contact your Kent Union VP for Postgraduate Experience, Tobi Obaremo at union-postgrad@kent.ac.uk

Advice Services

Student Services at Medway

Advice and Support Services at Medway are located in the Gillingham Building and are available to all postgraduate students based on the Medway campus: www.kent.ac.uk/locations/medway/support

Kent Union Advice

The Student Advice Centre is able to provide independent advice on a wide variety of problems that students may face whilst they are studying. The Centre is similar to a Citizens Advice Bureau for students and it can give advice on a range of areas such as immigration, housing, academia and funding to name but a few. The service is free and confidential and available to all students studying at the University of Kent. The Centre is based in the Mandela Building on the Canterbury campus and you can access the service by making an appointment to see one of the advisers. Email advice@kent.ac.uk) or visit the website at: https://kentunion.co.uk/welfare/advice.

Nightline 

Nightline is a non-judgmental listening service for students, run by trained student volunteers at Kent Union. Any student from Kent can call on 01227 824848. For more information visit: https://canterburynightline.org/.

Advice Centre at Medway

The Greenwich and Kent Students’ Unions Together provides an Advice Centre based in the Pilkington Building on the Medway campus and offers pre-booked appointments, drop-in sessions, email advice and a dedicated telephone advice line.

For more information please see their website at: www.gkunions.co.uk/advice/aboutus

International Partnerships 

The International Partnerships directorate is responsible for increasing the University’s global presence by developing a range of international partnership activity including research, education and mobility opportunities for both students and staff. The team manages and initiates partnerships with institutions worldwide, it manages staff and student exchange arrangements and enhances engagement with international training, capacity building and funding projects such as Erasmus+.

For further information visit www.kent.ac.uk/global/partnerships