Postgraduate Academic English

Develop your research and writing skills to excel in the fast pace of postgraduate study.

The pace of postgraduate academic life is very fast. This means that if you are a taught postgraduate, a research student or a visiting researcher and your first language is not English, you need to quickly develop the specific academic language and communication skills needed for effective writing and research. 

The Centre for Academic Development offers a variety of courses, workshops, resources and events that will develop your skills, boost your confidence, and give you opportunities to meet other people.


Workshops

We have an extensive programme of workshops to help you develop your academic language and skills at a time and a pace that suits you. They are particularly useful for students who need to quickly address one or two areas of concern. 

All Brookes students are welcome to attend these, but if you are not able to join one of our longer Academic English courses, you might find the workshops useful in helping you adjust to the demands of postgraduate study in the UK.

Postgraduate Academic English modules

The non-credit bearing modules run through the Centre for Academic Development offer a really detailed opportunity to develop your skills and confidence in academic research and writing. 


Watch this video for student insights into how one of our modules has helped their postgraduate studies.

Academic language consultations

If you are studying in the UK for the first time and you are worried about the language and style of your academic assignments, then you can submit a sample of your writing to us for some expert feedback. 

Although we can’t correct your mistakes, we can help you identify areas where you need to develop your writing and help you find appropriate resources for development. 

Find out more about academic language consultations and submit a sample of your writing.

Writing consultation

Tutorials

Tutorial session

All Brookes students can develop their academic skills and confidence through 1:1 appointments with a tutor. These are confidential and the focus can be whatever you want. 

Common areas for postgraduates include: developing academic arguments, making the most of available literature, reflective writing, interpreting assignment briefs, time management and dissertation research skills. 

Tutors are familiar with research and writing conventions across a range of disciplines and can offer something tailored to your needs. We also have a specialist tutor in mathematics and statistics. 

Online resources

Whether you are considering the benefits of an annotated bibliography, trying to understand academic jargon, or wondering how you can really know if you have read something effectively, you are likely to find some useful material here.

The Writing Hub

The Writing Hub brings staff and students at Brookes together as one writing community. It has a programme of live seminars, online discussions and writing retreats, which many postgraduates find both enjoyable and useful.

See also

If you are a research student, then you will be very interested in the training available from our Graduate College Research Training Programme, and the opportunity to connect with the wider research community at Brookes.