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Graduate Studies

KU’s Office of Graduate Studies fosters an exceptionally healthy and inclusive graduate learning community by enacting administrative practices that lift students, faculty, and staff to the highest standards for graduate education.

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The Office of Graduate Studies hosts research competitions and partners with other campus units to provide professional development workshops for graduate students.

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As a PhD student at the University of Copenhagen you have the opportunity to advance your international career as part of a world class research team. Every year, UCPH enrols more than 700 new PhD students. The University of Copenhagen offers cutting edge research in an international atmosphere. In 2013 Monocle Magazine heralded Copenhagen as "the most liveable city in the world".

Read about the job structure and the recruitment process for faculty and academic staff.

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Chemistry

Graduate studies in Chemistry at KU are intended to prepare graduate students for any of the multitude of career pathways available to individuals who hold a doctorate in the Chemical Sciences. Graduate studies differ from the undergraduate experience in that each activity and requirement of the graduate program is designed to prepare students to become independent, creative practitioners of Chemistry.

The full list of courses required for a Chemistry Ph.D. at KU can be viewed on the KU Academic Catalog website .

Chemists at KU still make new materials and find new and exciting applications for these compounds, and study how chemical reactions occur. We apply this knowledge to developing compounds that fight disease, to creating cleaner and more efficient chemical processes for industry and to applying chemistry in other manners that benefit society. Striving for a Ph.D. or M.S. degree is about creating and completing an independent, original research project in the chemical sciences. For KU students, this experience becomes the foundation for their future careers in the increasingly diverse scientific enterprise.

Research in Chemistry graduate programs used to take place exclusively in the laboratory. At KU, students apply a broader definition of the term laboratory to include many other types of research environments:

• Medical facilities where researchers study the efficacy of therapeutic agents and analyze the results of clinical trials,
• Computer laboratories where the modeling of molecular structure, chemical reactions and phase changes are contributing enormously to our understanding of the complex systems around us,
• Fields and streams where environmental chemists strive to understand how chemicals derived from natural processes and human activity impact the quality and diversity of life, and
• Classrooms where individuals study strategies for improving student learning of scientific concepts.

KU Chemistry: A Multidisciplinary Experience

Chemistry is an incredibly multidisciplinary science at KU. As the tools we have developed to study molecular processes have become ever more powerful, chemists have been able to study more and more complicated systems. In our department, graduate students participate in projects including the location and function of neurotransmitters in the brain, how supercritical fluids can enhance the activity and selectivity of catalysts for chemical transformations, the details of what happens at the solid/liquid interface as materials begin to melt, how nuclear pore membrane proteins open to allow access to the genetic material in the nucleus of the cell, and how the HIV virus does such an effective job of evading detection by the human immune system. Chemical Sciences research at KU is an extremely exciting collaborative experience.

Chemistry Degrees

• Chemistry Undergraduate BA
• Chemistry Undergraduate BS
• Chemistry Undergraduate Minor
• Chemistry Graduate MS
• Chemistry Graduate PhD
• Chemistry Non-Degree
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Physics Doctor of Philosophy

The PhD in Physics is a challenging program designed to provide an in-depth look at the foundational areas of modern Physics as a basis for the selection of an area of research specialization which becomes the focus of a PhD thesis.  For students meeting the qualifications upon entering the program, the first two years are structured around classroom and lab instruction, supplemented by research projects and regular interaction with multiple research groups within the Department. Attendance at colloquia and seminars is either required or strongly encouraged.  Once a student has met the requirements for PhD candidacy and has been selected to work with a PhD advisor, the emphasis shifts to full-time research with the expectation of the completion and defense of a PhD thesis, typically within 2 to 4 years. For complete and explicit details regarding admission to the program and progress toward a graduate degree, please check out the links in the menu at left. 

For funding and award information, please visit the  Graduate Student Funding Opportunities page .

An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the  Graduate Studies  section of the online catalog.

We notify applicants of admissions decisions as early as possible. Initial decisions for the Fall Semester are typically sent by the end of January, and final notification to all applications is usually sent by May. For the Spring semester, initial decisions are typically sent in November with final notification to all applicants being sent in December. We send admissions decisions exclusively via email through Slate. We do not share admissions information over the phone, and we do not share reasons for denial of admission. If admitted to the program, please indicate your decision to accept or decline our offer through Slate using the link in your admissions decision email.

Applicants should also review the  Physics and Astronomy Department requirements for Graduate Admission.

PhD Information

• Course Requirements
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• Preliminary Candidacy
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• Dissertation Defense - Honors

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Course Portfolio

Already enrolled on the PhD programme at SCIENCE? Find all the information you need about course activities on KUnet

As a PhD student enrolled in or after January 2024 you must complete course work during your PhD Programme corresponding to

• min. 27 ECTS credits
• max. 35 ECTS credits.

All your course work must be approved by your principal supervisor, the PhD school and in some cases also your PhD coordinator.

3 ECTS credits can be used for other approved activities such as journal clubs or workshops.

10 ECTS credits are earmarked for the compulsory 4-module course ' Fundamentals of the PhD education at SCIENCE' .  

The course is held in cohorts stretches across your PhD programme and covers subjects and skills that you will need – both in ​the different stages of your PhD and in your future career. This includes e.g.

• planning your PhD
• responsible conduct of research
• career management
• data science and statistics
• university pedagogics
• scientific communication.

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Graduate Program in Political Science

The Department of Political Science offers M.A. and Ph.D. programs for students seeking teaching, research, and public service careers involving the study and practice of politics and government.  Fields of study  available are American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Politics, Public Policy and Political Theory.

What's Special?

Our faculty.

The political science faculty enjoy national and international reputations for their research and have won numerous teaching and advising awards. Scholarly output is the primary reason that a recent ranking of doctoral programs in Political Science places KU's doctoral program in the top third in the nation.

Our Individualized & Stimulating Atmosphere

Our medium size allows faculty to teach seminars on a variety of topics with individualized mentoring in and out of the classroom. Graduate students work closely with faculty on research and themselves publish independent papers and win fellowships and awards. This productivity is complemented by a diverse group of students, many coming from around the world.  In addition, by the time of graduation most of our graduate students will teach their own classes.  We believe teaching is important part of a graduate education and serves our students well in an increasingly competitive job market.  And our unique Thompson Summer Scholarship Research Program offers students the opportunity to engage in a genuine collaborative research project with selected faculty.  Working with faculty on a variety of research topics, students maximize their potential by earning a competitive stipend and sharpening their research skills across the summer months.  The program has generated many conference papers and publications as well.  Our Department therefore offers unparalleled access to our faculty and valuable opportunities in both research and teaching.

Our Campus & Community Connections

We have extensive connections with the broader KU and Lawrence community: KU is an exciting place to be for the study of politics. Graduate students in our program have access to the nationally-recognized centers for African Studies, East Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, Russian, East European, & Eurasian Studies, Environmental Studies, Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, the Institute for Policy & Social Research, and the Dole Institute of Politics. Put your stereotypes about the Wizard of Oz aside; Lawrence is a wonderful place to live, with an interesting political history, and a lively arts and cultural scene.

M.A. Degree Requirements

The Master of Arts program is a 30 credit hour coursework only M.A. degree with no required thesis or exam. The program may be completed entirely online. There are 12 credit hours for required courses and 18 credit hours for electives. All courses must be at the 500 level or above. At least 50% of the coursework counted toward the degree must be 700 level or above.

Core Courses

18 elective credit hours are required. Electives must be chosen in consultation with a faculty advisor.

Directed readings courses in excess of 5 hours cannot be counted toward the 30 hours required for the degree. With prior written approval, candidates may count up to 6 graduate hours taken outside the department (either at KU or via transfer credit from another regionally accredited institution) toward the 30 hours required for the degree. 

A digital portfolio will be required to complete the degree.

PhD Degree Requirements

Please refer to the graduate student handbook for detailed course requirements, procedures for examinations and defenses, and resources for degree completion.

Course Requirements (48 Credit Hours)

Students must complete coursework in two major subfields, one minor subfield, and research methods.

Major Subfields

The major subfields must be drawn from the four subfields listed below (American Politics, Comparative Politics, International Relations, and Public Policy). Before their first attempt at the written preliminary examination in any subfield, all doctoral students must complete at least four graduate level courses courses in that field, three of which are at the 700 level or above. Enrollment in directed research covering a particular subfield may be substituted for one of the four courses/seminars. Students should consult their faculty advisor to plan a schedule of courses in each of their major subfields to provide adequate preparation for the written preliminary examination.

The specific course requirements in each of the major subfields below apply to students admitted in Fall 2020 or later. Students admitted prior to Fall 2020 should consult with their faculty advisor to determine the most appropriate course selection in each of their major subfields. 

American Politics

• POLS 810 American Politics (3)
• three elective courses selected in consultation with faculty advisor

Comparative Politics

• POLS 850 Introduction to Comparative Politics (3)
• POLS 851 Comparative Institutions and Government (3)
• POLS 957 Comparative Political Behavior (3)
• one elective course selected in consultation with faculty advisor

International Relations

• POLS 870 International Relations (3)
• POLS 972 Theories of International Conflict (3)
• POLS 973 International Political Economy (3)

Public Policy

• POLS 720 The Scope of Public Policy (3)
• POLS 820 Policy Formulation and Adoption (3)
• two elective courses selected in consultation with faculty advisor

Minor Subfield

The minor subfield may be another of the major subfields, a related field from an outside department, or an interdisciplinary program. If the choice is not an additional major subfield, the student must obtain written approval of their faculty advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies. Students must complete at least four graduate level courses in the minor subfield, three of which are at the 700 level or above. Enrollment in directed research covering a particular subfield may be substituted for one of the four courses. Students should select courses for their minor subfield in consultation with their faculty advisor. Courses for the minor subfield may not be applied to another examination field.

Research Skills & Responsible Scholarship

Doctoral students must complete the three courses listed below to meet the Research Skills & Responsible Scholarship requirement. 

Research Methods

• POLS 705 Research Design for Political Science (3)
• POLS 706 Research Methods I (3)
• POLS 707 Research Methods II (3)

Additionally, doctoral students must supplement this coursework with one of the following options, to be approved at any time prior to registering for written preliminary examinations:

• An additional research methods course selected in consultation with their faculty advisor
• Two semesters of a single foreign language completed no more than five years prior to the time of approval
• Native speaker of a foriegn language

Preliminary Examinations

After completing all coursework in research methods and both major subfields (subfield coursework must all have a grade of B or better), students must complete written preliminary examinations in both of their major subfields. The preliminary examinations take place at the beginning of each semester and consist of questions related to the student's major subfields. More information about preliminary examinations .

Oral Comprehensive Examination

After passing preliminary examinations in both major subfields, students must complete an oral comprehensive examination in the same semester. The oral comprehensive examination covers the entire field of Political Science, with an emphasis in the student's two major subfields of study. 

Dissertation

All doctoral students must complete and defend a dissertation showing the planning, conduct, and results of original research and scholarship.  

Degree Completion Timeline

Most students are expected to complete the Political Science MA/PhD program in four years. All students should consult with their faculty advisor to ensure they're on a completion timeline appropriate for their research.

Non Degree Seeking

If you completed a bachelor’s degree with a demonstrated academic competence in political science or a related discipline and wish to take an upcoming graduate-level course in the Department of Political Science ad hoc, you may apply as a non-degree seeking (NDS) student. Please note undergraduate prerequisite course completion is typically necessary to succeed in graduate-level coursework. Not all courses in our department are open to NDS students; please contact our graduate academic advisor before applying to inquire about your eligibility to enroll in specific courses. Any applicant seeking to be admitted as a non-degree seeking student must submit an application. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

See also admission information .

Former Grad Student Reflections

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Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Geography

The Geography Ph.D. program offers concentrations in the following areas: cultural-regional geography of Africa, East Asia, Latin America, Russia/Eurasia, and the United States; geographic information science (including cartography and remote sensing); and physical/environmental geography.

Research Skills Requirement

Research skills are important elements of any graduate program and should complement the student's research topic. Coursework necessary to meet this requirement should commence early in the program. Selection of a particular Research Skills option must be approved by the student's advisor and student's committee members. A student's Research Skills requirement may be met by one of the following:

1. Demonstrate a reading, writing, and speaking capability in a single foreign language sufficient to enable the student to do field work without an interpreter. An examination for competence, including written and oral portions, will be conducted by the appropriate language department having expertise in that language.

2. Demonstrate a satisfactory capability in one research skill from the list below. The actual courses must be approved by the student's advisor and committee members.

 a. Computer Science - complete a computer-programming course in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (e.g., C++, Fortran, or Visual Basic) with a grade of B or higher and create a substantial computer program that illustrates a geographic application of that language. Both the course and computer program must be approved by the Computer Programming Committee of the Department of Geography.

 b. Mathematics - complete nine hours of courses at the 500 level or above with a grade of B or better.

 c. Statistics - complete nine hours of courses outside the Geography Department at the 500 level or above with a grade of B or higher.

 d. An outside discipline relevant to the student's field(s) of specialization within geography, e.g., anthropology, biology, economics, geology, history, psychology - complete nine hours of courses at the 500 level or above with a grade of B or higher. (Atmospheric science courses may be used for this option, but not courses listed or cross-listed as geography.) Students may petition the Graduate Affairs Committee to have nine hours of courses at the 500-level or above in multiple departments fulfill this requirement.

Students whose native language is not English may, in some cases, use their native language to fulfill the Research Skills requirement but only if the language is considered an adequate research tool for their program and is justified by the student's advisor and committee members. Using a native language to fulfill part of the Research Skills requirement must have GSC approval.

Responsible Scholarship Requirement

As part of the University requirement that all PhD students receive "training in responsible scholarship relative to the field of study," the Department of Geography will conduct a non-credit training seminar in responsible scholarship to be held at the beginning of spring semester each year. This requirement must be completed prior to taking the comprehensive exam. The seminar consists of eight (8) contact hours between seminar leaders and PhD students. Seminar leaders will include faculty members in the Geography Department who represent the broad range of research fields in Geography and who have expertise and experience in the topic(s) they cover. Topics to be addressed will include (but are not limited to): human subjects, data management, conflicts of interest, appropriate research conduct, collaborative research, authorship of research articles and grant applications, citation ethics, plagiarism, copyright, peer review, confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements, mentor/student responsibilities, classroom behavior and ethics, and professional liability. The format will consist of readings, policy reviews and resources, short presentations, case studies, and discussion.

Engagement and Enrollment in Doctoral Programs

Prior to the semester in which the comprehensive exam is held, all doctoral students must complete minimum program engagement equivalent to two full-time semesters. This may be accomplished through either of the following:

1. Two semesters (fall and/or spring) of full-time enrollment in KU coursework, as defined by University policy

2. At least 18 hours of enrollment in KU coursework spread out over several part-time semesters

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination is scheduled when the student and the advisor believe that competence in the specialty or specialties has been achieved. Normally the process occurs after the student has completed nearly all of his/her coursework, although Graduate School regulations stipulate that the testing can take place as soon as five months after enrollment in the Ph.D. program. Admittance to the examination is by approval of the GSC. In petitioning for admittance, the student must submit the following materials at least three weeks prior to the scheduled examination (forms are available for 1 and 2 in the departmental office).

1. a program sheet listing courses taken, grades received, etc.

2. demonstration that the Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirements have been satisfied (see description above).

3. demonstration that the Residency Requirement has been satisfied (see description above).

4. a written dissertation proposal approved by the advisor (see Theses and Dissertations tab on main menu).

5. a list of examination committee members. The Graduate School requires that the committee consist of at least five members of the graduate faculty. People outside the university can be appointed ad hoc members as necessary. At least one member must be from a KU department outside of geography and at least three members must represent the department. Members are chosen by the student in consultation with the advisor on the basis of expertise in the areas of specialization. They must also be approved by the GSC and recommended by the department to the Graduate School.

6. The date and time proposed for the oral portion of the examination.

The comprehensive examination normally focuses on the student's areas of specialization, including proposed dissertation research. It consists of two parts: written questions submitted by the committee members and then an oral examination. At least four members of the committee must submit written questions. The procedure is for each examiner to give his/her questions to the chair of the student's committee at least one week before the written examinations begin. The committee chair has the responsibility of screening these questions for overlap and clarity, and then administering them, one set per day. The questions may be open-book or closed at the discretion of the individual submitting the questions, and the student normally will have up to eight hours to complete each set of questions. At the conclusion of the written portion of the examination, the committee chair will poll the committee. A majority of the members must approve their individual written portions of the examination in order for the second (oral) portion to take place. Three grades are possible for the overall examination: "honors," "satisfactory," and "unsatisfactory." In the unsatisfactory case, the student may be allowed to repeat the process upon recommendation of the committee. Such repetition can be undertaken no sooner than ninety days after the last testing. The comprehensive examination may be taken no more than three times. Approval of the Graduate School must be secured for the scheduling of this procedure and the request must be submitted three weeks prior to the proposed date for the examination.

The aspirant is expected to demonstrate proficiency in research and achieve a teaching competence in geography. The student may concentrate in 1 area or may offer a concentration in a second area in the department or an outside discipline. Whatever the choice, the student develops the plan of research and study with the advice and supervision of professors in the chosen area(s) of concentration who also sit on the student’s examination and dissertation committees. A minimum of 30 hours of course and seminar work in addition to dissertation credit usually is required beyond the M.A. Required Courses.

Geog 805 (History of Geographic Thought). Geog 980 (Seminar in Geography: Colloquium) for 1 credit hour during each of the first two semesters of residence at KU. Non-credit 8-hour Responsible Scholarship session held just before classes start in the spring semester.

Half-day (non-credit) orientation before classes begin the fall of your first semester.

Major Areas of Study.

The capabilities and interests of the department fall into four areas of study: geographic information science, physical, human, and regional geography. A student concentrating within one of these divisions will develop a program in consultation with professors in that area. This program usually will include work in other aspects of geography and related disciplines. 

Major Areas of Study for the Ph.D. in Geography

The level of competence attained in the major study should be such that the graduate can teach upper-level seminars and conduct research in that area. If a second area of concentration is chosen, it is often complementary to the first.  Here the graduate is expected to have knowledge sufficient to teach undergraduate courses at the introductory and intermediate levels, even if teaching is not the ultimate career objective.

In addition to the area(s) of specialization, the candidate is expected to have a broad background in general geography as well as knowledge of those research skills most appropriate to the areas of specialization.  This background is primarily gained through coursework requirements in the bachelor's and master's degree programs, which are prerequisites for Ph.D. work.

PhD Comprehensive Exam Procedures

In order to give committee members sufficient time to read and discuss responses to the written comprehensive examination questions, at least seven (7) calendar days must elapse between the date of the last written exam question and the meeting for the oral examination. The gap between the last written exam question and the oral exam may be up to 30 calendar days. Any exceptions to these policies must be unanimously agreed upon by all examination committee members and the chair of the Graduate Studies Committee.

The Doctoral Dissertation

Serious work on the dissertation should begin no later than the third full-time semester of study for the Ph.D. and well before the scheduling of the comprehensive examination. When selecting a topic, the student first should make sure that an advisor exists who is able and willing to supervise on that subject. Then, usually in close consultation with this advisor, a proposal is developed to articulate the research idea for the rest of the examination committee. The advisor also serves as chair of this committee.

The dissertation committee, consisting of the advisor and at least four others, is designated immediately following the passing of the comprehensive examination and is usually comprised of members of the examination committee. This committee must include at least one member from a KU department outside of geography and must have at least two members from Geography. Committee members must be approved by the GSC and recommended to the Graduate School. After successful completion of the comprehensive examination, the student is officially admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree. By passing to the candidacy stage, the examination committee records its view that this person has a satisfactory dissertation proposal as well as the capability to complete the proposed task of research and writing. Although formal coursework is finished at this point, continued scholarly and professional development obligates the candidate to continue attendance at special-interest seminars and colloquia while still in residence.

After passing the comprehensive oral exam, every student must be continuously enrolled, including summer sessions, from the time of candidacy until the dissertation is deposited at the Graduate School office. The Graduate School further stipulates that a minimum enrollment of six hours is required each semester (plus three in summer) until a total of eighteen is achieved. Thereafter the enrollment may be dropped to one hour per semester, assuming that the dissertation is deposited in the Graduate School office within six months after the defense. Students who exceed this six-month limit must enroll in three hours per semester until the dissertation is so deposited.

When the dissertation committee has tentatively approved the dissertation, approval is sought from the Graduate Studies Committee to schedule the final oral defense. At least five months must elapse between the successful completion of the comprehensive examination and the date of this oral defense. The final oral defense committee has the same composition requirements as does the dissertation committee. Approval of the Graduate School must be secured for the scheduling of this exam and the request must be submitted to the GSC three weeks prior to the proposed date for the examination. Submission procedures for the dissertation are described on page two of this booklet.

When the final oral defense has been passed and the dissertation completed, both electronic and hardbound copies need to be prepared. Both should include an abstract of no more than 150 words. A hardbound copy is required for the department.The KU Libraries recommend the following binders that can bind paper copies of your thesis and additionally offer print-from-electronic file services: 1)  Heckman Bindery  or 2)  Acme Bookbinding . The student must turn in a receipt showing that arrangements have been made for such work prior to the deadline for graduation set by the Graduate School. It is also customary for the student to provide a bound copy for the advisor.

The dissertation must be submitted to the graduate school and UMI Dissertation Publishing electronically using Portable Document Format (PDF). Instructions for this process are available at the KU graduate school website. See also  UMI’s website . In addition to this electronic submittal, a student must submit a paper copy of the title page and an “acceptance page” with original signatures to the College Graduate Studies office in 108 Strong Hall. Formats for both of these are at the graduate school website. A copy of the title page should also be turned in to the Geography office.

The Graduate School has established a maximum time limit of eight years between initial enrollment in the doctoral program and completion of all degree requirements. For people earning both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from KU, the combined time limit is ten years.

Geography Degrees

• Geography BA
• Geography BGS
• Geography BS
• Geography Minor
• GIS Certificate
• Climate Change Certificate
• Geography MA
• Geography MS
• Geography PhD
• Dual Program: Geography MA & Master of Urban Planning
• Graduate GIS Certificate
• Geography NDS

Atmospheric Science Degrees

• Atmospheric Science BS
• Atmospheric Science Minor
• Atmospheric Science MS
• Atmospheric Science PhD
• Atmospheric Science NDS

• Department of Mathematical Sciences
• Study programmes
• PhD program

The PhD program

The PhD program at the Department of Mathematical Sciences usually lasts 3 years, for students enrolled with a Master's Degree, and 4-5 years for students enrolled in the integrated program with a bachelor's degree (or equivalent). The program consists first of all of an independent research project resulting in the end of a PhD thesis with publishable results.

It is also a part of the PhD program to follow some PhD courses, and our PhD students are expected to spend an extended period (up to 3-6 months) at a foreign research institution during the PhD program.

PhD students (except industrial PhDs) are required to teach, typically as teaching assistants. Our advanced courses are taught in English. Our PhD students must be able to teach in English and to follow courses taught in English.

A PhD in mathematics will make you qualified for a wide range of career possibilities including continuing an academic career or going into the private or the public sector.

PhD students who hold a stipend from the University of Copenhagen will receive funding as follows: Students enrolled in the 3-year program will receive a salary throughout the PhD period. Students enrolled in the integrated program will receive a number of state education grant portions until they acquire the master's degree 2 years before handing in their PhD thesis. For the remaining 2 years they will receive a salary.

Both stipends also include a travel allowance for participation in conferences and for research visits to foreign research institutions.

For more information about the PhD programme see https://science.ku.dk/phd/

The Department of Mathematical Sciences offers PhD degrees in pure and applied mathematics, statistics, insurance and financial mathematics within four research sections and two centres:

• Algebra & Geometry
• Analysis & Quantum
• Insurance and Economics
• Statistics and Probability
• Copenhagen Centre for Geometry and Topology (GeoTop)
• Centre for the Mathematics of Quantum Theory (QMATH)

The department has about 45 tenured faculty, 30 postdocs, and 60 PhD students.

Applying for a PhD

• After accepting a PhD stipend  
• Mini-guide on how to fill the online application form

For current PhD students

See MATHnet  (department intranet) for courses, economy, travel etc.

PhD students

Theodor Henningsen, PhD student

Silvan Vollmer, PhD student

Taro Spirig, PhD student

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Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training

Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Science

The mission of the doctoral program in rehabilitation science is to prepare outstanding leaders who advance innovative interdisciplinary research in rehabilitation science.

Rehabilitation Science Alumni

"KU offered me the best training opportunity for a transition to basic science research. It was one of the select few rehabilitation science programs in the nation showcasing basic science research and training. The faculty were highly committed to training graduate students to acquire the essential skills for research." - Raj Loganathan, Ph.D., PT, a 2007 KU graduate and currrently assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Wichita State University

University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Physical Therapy, Rehabilitation Science, and Athletic Training Mail Stop 2002 3901 Rainbow Blvd. Kansas City, KS 66160 [email protected]

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Clinical Psychology Program

The Clinical Psychological Science program at the University of Kansas offers a Clinical Science approach to graduate training, and provides in-depth training in the application of scientific principles to all aspects of clinical psychology.

Program Philosophy

Admissions, outcomes & other data (.pdf), clinical psychology student handbook (.pdf), apa accreditation.

The program has been continuously accredited by the American Psychological Association since 1949, and in line with our clinical science training philosophy, the Program is a member of the Academy of Psychological Clinical Science. We aim to produce professional Clinical Scientists who demonstrate mastery of knowledge in the field of scientific psychology and who will have (1) the ability to generate new scientific knowledge and theory related to the field of psychology, and (2) can make independent contributions to the evolving base of skills and scientific knowledge required for effective clinical practice.

KU Medical Center & Clinical Health Track

The Clinical Science program has strong connections with the University of Kansas Medical Center, and offers a track in Clinical Health Psychology. We are a member of the Council of Clinical Health Psychology Training Programs, which defines Clinical Health Psychology as the application of scientific knowledge to understanding the interrelations among behavioral, emotional, cognitive, social, and biological components of health and disease. The distinct focus of Clinical Health Psychology within our program is on physical health problems, and more specifically emphasizes the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of illness and disability, the promotion and maintenance of health, and the improvement of the health care system.

Explore the Program

We have a long and proud tradition of training leaders in the field of psychology. Our first class entered in 1946, a few years before KU participated at the original Boulder Conference that defined the Scientist-Practitioner training model. Although we have moved to a more focused clinical science approach, our history is strongly rooted in the Boulder Model. Training in the program starts broadly with foundational courses and experiences in research, data analysis, psychological assessment, and theory and methods of psychotherapy, and narrows in subsequent years to allow for more specialization within student’s area of interest. Coursework and requirements are designed to be completed in 4-5 years, followed by a yearlong internship. Our students obtain excellent internships, and over the last 10 years, all of our graduates are employed, with many in university psychology departments, medical schools, and Veterans Administration hospitals. Our licensure rate is continuously over 90%.

Meet our Faculty and learn more about their research interests:

Clinical Faculty

Meet our Graduate Students:

Clinical Graduate Students

Meet our Department Staff:

Department of Psychology Staff

Professional Licensure

The Department of Psychology Clinical Psychology Program meets the educational requirements for licensure as a psychologist in the states of Kansas and Missouri.  The  NC-SARA Professional Licensure Directory  provides resources for licensure and certification boards in other states & territories.

KU’s licensure programs strive to maintain accurate and up-to-date information about the educational requirements for licensure in U.S. states and territories. However, regulations are subject to change and varying interpretations. In addition to possible changes in educational requirements, licensure often includes additional requirements, such as specific examinations and additional training or practicum hours. It is highly recommended that students seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency before beginning an academic program to ensure they know what is needed to obtain the license/certification/registration in the state in which they intend to practice and/or seek licensure.

Clinical Health Psychology

Clinical health psychology is concerned with the contributions that psychologists can make to understanding health and illness, frequently in collaboration with other health professionals, including physicians, nurses among others. It involves the development of theory, research, and intervention directed toward prevention, treatment, and management of physical disease and disability, as well as the promotion of health.

Discover more about this program by visiting our Clinical Health page .

For General Information and to Apply to our program, please visit our Departments Graduate Program page .

Admissions Philosophy:

Because we believe that students' professional goals are best served if there is a reasonably close match between the student's interests and the areas of expertise available in our program, we typically recruit students to work with specific faculty members. To learn more about our faculty and their research interests, please visit our Clinical Faculty Directory .

Clinical Psychology Quicklinks

Ku psychological clinic, support clinical psychology.

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Welcome to the Department of Psychology

The mission of the Department of Psychology at the University of Kansas is to further the understanding of the mind, the brain, and human behavior through the classes we teach, the new discoveries we make in our research, and in our service to the people of Kansas and the world. At the undergraduate and graduate levels our students acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to become leaders in the psychological sciences and in other professions.

Undergraduate Program

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Graduate Program

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Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences

• Thesis and defence

Thesis formalities

Before submitting your PhD thesis, please read the following requirements for a PhD thesis at the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences.

Thesis format: Synopsis or monograph

The PhD thesis should be written in English, and may either be written as a monograph or as a synopsis with manuscripts/papers included.  As a general rule, the PhD student may not copy text directly from own  manuscripts/papers. This is perceived as potential self-plagiarism and is not acceptable.

The synopsis-based thesis consists of a synopsis and published papers and/or unpublished manuscripts. There are no specific requirements concerning the number or type of first or co-authored papers/manuscripts.

The synopsis is typically 30-60 pages long (papers or manuscripts not included), but there are no specific requirements concerning the number of pages in the synopsis. The synopsis should clearly and concisely encapsulate and discuss the research findings presented in the manuscripts/papers included in the thesis. The synopsis should at least include:

• Summaries in Danish and English (a requirement according to the PhD Order section 12, subsection 3)
• Methods: this chapter should briefly summarize and reflect on the methods used
• Description of the research project placed in the context of international state-of-the-art research within the subject area
• Summary of the results of the papers and their relation to international state-of-the-art research within the subject area
• If required for the studies, information on ethical and legal permits and approvals
• Conclusions and perspectives for further research
• Chapters consisting of any papers or manuscripts included in the thesis. The chapters must appear in the end of the thesis.

The monograph is typically 100 pages long, but the number of pages can vary. The monograph should include the following elements:

• Summaries in Danish and English
• Description of the research project placed in the context of international state-of the-art research within the subject area
• Description of the research carried out (including materials, methods and results)
• If required for the studies, information on ethical and legal permits and approvals
• Discussion of results

Thesis front page layout

• The red UCPH logo must be included on the front page of the thesis. Please note that the official logo includes the red line that intersects with the lowest red circle. 
• The following must be stated on the front page of the thesis: “This thesis has been submitted to the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen [INSERT DATE].
• See also   UCPH design template - Please notice that the template only suggests the text “Submitted on:”, but The Graduate School requires the full text “This thesis has been submitted to the Graduate School of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen [INSERT DATE]”.
• Please remember to change the standard text in the upper left corner of the template. Insert the name of your own department or faculty.
• Font, image use, etc. are agreed between the PhD student and the supervisor
• The entire thesis – including published articles and/or unpublished manuscripts – has to be screened for plagiarism at The Royal Library. Therefore the entire thesis has to be OCR-readable. This means no articles and no text can be inserted as pictures. How to convert your thesis into an OCR-readable PDF
• Your thesis must not exceed 100MB. Minimize it by compressing any images. The co-authorship declarations must be submitted in a separate PDF.

Declaration of co-authorship

Any articles included in the thesis may be written in cooperation with others, provided that each of the co-authors submits a written declaration stating the PhD student's or the author's contribution to the work. It must appear from the co-authorship declaration if an article or manuscript is also included in a co-author’s thesis. If a manuscript or published paper has eleven or less authors, all authors must sign a declaration of co-authorship. If it has twelve or more authors, only the PhD student, the corresponding author(s), the senior author and the principal supervisor need to sign the declaration of co-authorship.

The contribution of the PhD student must be described in the co-authorship declaration if an article or manuscript is also included in a co-author’s thesis.

Download:   Declaration of  co-authorship

Use of material from published articles (including your own)

Use of your own material from published articles

As a general rule, you may not copy text directly from your own manuscripts/papers into the thesis. This is perceived as potential self-plagiarism and is not acceptable. However, generally it is accepted to copy methods descriptions, concrete results incl. figures and tables when appropriately marked and referenced. If you have transferred copyright of your own publication to a publisher, the Graduate School recommends that you obtain permission from the copyright owner before you publish.

Of note, the Faculty screens all PhD theses for duplicate text using iThenticate immediately after submission and prior to forwarding to the assessment committee. iThenticate screens PhD theses against published papers, not your unpublished manuscripts.

To read more please see these guidelines avoiding potential plagiarism and self-plagiarism  in your PhD thesis.

Use of material from published articles in general

If you copy/adapt figures, tables or other content from published articles (including your own) it is important that the source is always clearly stated in the thesis (e.g. in the figure text).

To avoid conflicts with the owner of the copied material, the Graduate School recommends that you obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) to publish material from already published articles in your thesis. This includes your own publications if you have transferred copyright to the publisher. The allocation of the copyright often depends on which contract the journal's publisher has signed with the article's author(s). If the copied material is published open access, it is typically allowed to copy the material by referring to the Creative Commons license .

If you plan to use this kind of material, we recommend that you contact the relevant publisher to ask for permission to use the material. It can typically be done at no cost via an online permission application link on the publications website. We also advice you to consult the information on KUnet and/or contact the library if you have questions regarding copyright.

Copyright of the PhD thesis

As a main rule the PhD thesis is not considered a publication, and PhD students are entitled to the copyright of their own unpublished manuscripts and the synopsis of the PhD thesis.

However, the copyright to any published articles in the PhD thesis or copied figures, tables and texts belongs to the publisher, depending on the agreement in each case.

To ensure compliance with copyright regulations, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Publisher Permission: Ensure that the publisher permits the inclusion of the article(s) in the thesis, especially if you plan to distribute the thesis or if the articles are not Open Access.
• Clearing Copyrights: Obtain clearances for copyrights before submitting the thesis, and explicitly state in the thesis that necessary permissions have been obtained. If you ie. include figures/tables from already published papers in the synopsis, please specify permission under each figure/table. Permission for including an already published article in your thesis (typically inserted after the synopsis), should be stated in the introduction of the thesis or before each article.
• Accessibility Considerations: Be aware that even if a publisher allows articles in PhD theses, they may have policies on the accessibility of the thesis after defense, such as restrictions on digital availability.

For more information about copyright please contact the Department for Research Support, see link: Copyright – University of Copenhagen (ku.dk)

Thesis accessibility and distribution

Regarding thesis accessibility and distribution, please be aware of the following guidelines:

• Pre-Defence Distribution: The Graduate School allows interested parties to obtain a copy of the thesis from the PhD student before the defence, but otherwise the thesis is not freely available online. Requests for access to your thesis prior to the defence cannot be declined.
• Managing Requests: When receiving requests to access your thesis, inform recipients that it cannot be shared with others. This is particularly crucial if the thesis includes articles that are not Open Access.
• Additional Guidance: Familiarize yourself with university policies on thesis accessibility and consider seeking guidance from your advisors or the university's copyright office if needed.

Nominating an assessment committee

Screening for duplicate text, submission of thesis, illustration: the final stages of the phd.

2024-25 Academic Catalog

Doctor of philosophy in psychology, the department of psychology graduate program at the university of kansas.

We offer a single doctoral degree in Psychology which may be earned in one of the following programs: brain, behavior, and quantitative science, clinical psychology, and social psychology. Admission decisions are made separately within each program. Students admitted to one of these programs enter with the expectation of continuing graduate study through the Ph.D. as the department does not admit terminal master's students.

All of our programs boast distinguished and award-winning faculty, notable research publications, and a deep foundation in the historical progress of psychological advances.

Please visit our department website for more information on these programs.

A separate clinical child psychology training program has been developed for doctoral students in an interdepartmental program with the Department of Applied Behavioral Science. For more information regarding the clinical child graduate program, please visit their website .

Admission to Graduate Studies

An applicant seeking to pursue graduate study in the College may be admitted as either a degree-seeking or non-degree seeking student. Policies and procedures of Graduate Studies govern the process of Graduate admission. These may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Please consult the Departments & Programs section of the online catalog for information regarding program-specific admissions criteria and requirements. Special admissions requirements pertain to Interdisciplinary Studies degrees, which may be found in the Graduate Studies section of the online catalog.

Graduate Admission

The department does not admit students seeking the terminal master’s degree, as students enter the department with the expectation of earning the Ph.D.

In addition to the general  admissions requirements  from the Office of Graduate Studies, applicants are required to provide the following materials in their application.

• A Current C.V. (curriculum vitae) or resume
• A Statement of Purpose
• Name and Email addresses of 3 references
• List of psychology courses taken and grades received (at least 15 credit hours in psychology or a closely related field is required, including a first course in statistics and a course in experimental psychology or psychological research methods.)

Applications should be submitted online through the Graduate Admissions website .

Visit the Psychology Graduate Program website for more information on admission requirements or contact the department's graduate program coordinator.

Ph.D. Degree Requirements

Although graduate education is offered through separate programs, each student prepares an individualized plan of study in consultation with faculty members. These plans indicate how the student proposes to fulfill the requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, including all general requirements and conditions.

Note:  Contact your department or program for more information about research skills and responsible scholarship, and the current requirements for doctoral students. Current policies on Doctoral Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship are listed in the KU Policy Library.

Social Psychology

The social psychology program is an intensive research training experience seeking students who are committed to empirical, scholarly work. The major research interests of faculty members are stereotyping, prejudice, intergroup relations, person perception, close relationships, emotion and motivation, self and identity, culture.

In addition to course work, the central requirement of the program is continuous involvement in research. Research opportunities range from laboratory experimentation to field research. Depending on backgrounds and goals, students may move from one research setting to another or concentrate on a particular type of research throughout their training.

Requirements

Students are guided by individually tailored plans called contracts. These describe sequences of learning experiences developed by the student and a 3-member faculty committee. Beginning students are urged to enroll in basic courses in theory and research in social psychology and statistics. The contract specifies students’ long-range goals, specialties, other fields of psychology or related disciplines in which they will become proficient, proposed sequence of course work, research and teaching experiences they hope to obtain, plans for the M.A. proposal, comprehensive requirements and dissertation landmarks, and an approximate timetable. Contract details can be changed by agreement of the student and faculty committee.

The contract is a general framework that permits students’ graduate work to be adapted to their interests and abilities and provides a standard against which progress can be assessed. Students’ contracts must specify how the research skills and responsible scholarship requirement is to be met. The research skills requirement typically is met by completion of 6 graduate courses in statistics and research design. The responsible scholarship requirement is met via coursework as specified in the contract, completion of online tutorials, and attendance at ethics proseminars. All contracts must comply with other departmental and general rules including residence and time limits.

Students are required to complete an Oral Comprehensive Exam once all coursework outlined in the contract is complete. Social Psychology students choose 1 of the following choices to complete their Oral Comprehensive Exam. (1) Defense of a major area paper, (2) Defense of two research proposals, (3) Defense of five propositions, or (4) Defense of written exam. More information on these options can be found on the Psychology Department website. The Oral Comprehensive Exam is completed with the expectations outlined by Graduate Studies policy .

Following the successful completion of the Oral Comprehensive Exam, students in the Social Psychology program will progress towards completing their dissertation and final oral exam. The dissertation and final oral exam are completed with the expectations outlined by Graduate Studies policy .

Brain, Behavior, and Quantitative Science

The Brain, Behavior, and Quantitative Science program provides instruction and research training for students pursuing careers in the academic, public, and private sectors that draw on the research and scholarly interests of the core faculty. These interests include behavioral economics, cognitive neuroscience, cognitive science, developmental science, learning, and quantitative and computational methods.  Across all areas, a strong emphasis is placed on students developing a fundamental understanding of psychological theory, acquiring advanced statistical and computational skills and expertise, and learning how to apply this science to improve the development and/or well-being of individuals in society. Toward this end, the program requires both coursework and sustained involvement in the research endeavor, whether in the laboratory or in the field, and (where appropriate) active engagement in opportunities to translate basic science into practice or application.

Students are guided by individually tailored plans, or contracts. These contracts are a mutual agreement between the student and a faculty committee that describe a set of learning experiences designed to allow the student to establish a career in the behavioral sciences whether that is within or outside of academia. In general, each contract specifies a set of courses tailored to each student that provides the student training in core substantive areas of psychology, quantitative and computational psychology, and training in translational science that are relevant to the goals of the degree on which the faculty and student agree.  In addition, the contract specifies a student’s long-term goals, planned research activities, other professional development necessary for the student to achieve his/her goals, a plan for the evaluation of progress in the program, and a timeline with proposed completion dates. As a part of this contract system students are evaluated annually on their progress within the program.

The contract is a general framework that permits students to adapt their graduate work to their interests, strengths, and weaknesses. It also provides a standard against which progress can be assessed. Students contracts must specify how the research skills and responsible scholarship requirement will be met; the research skills requirement typically is met by completion of a set of graduate courses in statistics and research design and work in a research laboratory, while the responsible scholarship requirement is met via (a) coursework as specified in the contract, (b) completion of online tutorials associated with obtaining IRB certification, and (c) attendance at ethics proseminars. All contracts must comply with other departmental and general rules including residence and time limits.

Students are required to complete an Oral Comprehensive Exam once all coursework outlined in the contract is complete. Brain, Behavior and Quantitative Science students choose 1 of the following choices to complete their Oral Comprehensive Exam. (1) Defense of a major area paper, (2) Defense of two research proposals, (3) Defense of five propositions, or (4) Defense of written exam. More information on these options can be found on the Psychology Department website. The Oral Comprehensive Exam is completed with the expectations outlined by Graduate Studies policy .

Following the successful completion of the Oral Comprehensive Exam, students in the Brain, Behavior and Quantitative Science program will progress towards completing their dissertation and final oral exam. The dissertation and final oral exam are completed with the expectations outlined by Graduate Studies policy .

Students will complete 36-60 total credit hours including at least 18 credit hours of research.  For more information on course requirements please visit the Brain, Behavior, and Quantitative Science website  and view our curriculum page.

Clinical Science

The clinical psychology program educates students to master knowledge in the field of scientific psychology so that they can generate new scientific knowledge and theory related to the field of clinical psychology, and can make independent contributions to the evolving base of skills and scientific knowledge required for clinical practice. All students take basic course work and practica in academic/research and clinical application. Students may take electives or practica to augment either aspect of training. About half the graduates pursue academic/research-oriented careers, and the rest undertake careers emphasizing applied activities (e.g., psychotherapy in community mental health centers or hospitals). Information is available from the graduate admission secretary or online .

Major Area of Study in Health and Rehabilitation Psychology

Work centers on the psychosocial and biomedical aspects of physical health, illness, and disability. Students apply the knowledge and techniques to problems of prevention, assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation. A detailed overview is available from the graduate admission secretary or online .

Individual plans of study are designed to meet the standards established by state licensing boards and professional organizations. Individualization is achieved by selecting among alternate ways of meeting specific requirements and by selected electives or choosing the health and rehabilitation emphasis. The plan of study constitutes an agreement between the student and the entire clinical faculty. Program requirements:

General Core Requirements for Psychological Science

Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship 

The research skills requirement is met by completion of 2 graduate courses in statistics and 1 research design course. The responsible scholarship requirement is met by 1 course in research design, 1 course in ethics, and completion of online tutorials.

Thesis and Dissertation (18 hours)

The student must complete a master’s thesis based on an empirical study (minimum of 6 hours) and an empirical doctoral dissertation (minimum of 12 hours) and defend each in separate oral examinations. The thesis should be completed by the end of the second year and written in a form suitable for journal submission.

Electives/Independent Study (6 credit hours, minimum)

Because a minimum of 86 hours of graduate credit is required for the degree, the hours not included in the requirements above may be elective courses selected by the student and his or her advisor.

Examinations: Task

Each student must propose and demonstrate competence in one task or project. This task typically is done in the third year. It may be in applied/clinical, research/methodology, or program evaluation. A complete description is available from the clinic office or online .

Upon completion of all degree requirements except the dissertation and internship, the student must pass the oral comprehensive examination. This examination addresses a proposal for the dissertation as well as related, general questions in the field. It should be taken before completion of 4 calendar years for students entering with the B.A. and 3 years for students entering with the M.A. The faculty believes that the student is best served by completing the entire dissertation before the internship.

Internship (3 hours)

Students must complete a 12-month predoctoral internship at a setting approved by the clinical psychology faculty. Clinical students may complete their internships at any setting approved by the American Psychology Association.

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KUEC health sciences degree opens doors to many career paths

KU Edwards Campus Bachelor of Health Sciences online degree offers students opportunities to start or advance their careers in healthcare. 

For students looking to enter or grow their careers in health care, the KU Edwards Campus Bachelor of Health Sciences online degree is a door opener. 

The health sciences degree program is structured for students who are not pursuing medical or nursing school.

“There is a wide variety of nonclinical career opportunities in health sciences and a great need for workers,” said Mark Jakubauskas, Ph.D., director of the Bachelor of Health Sciences degree program. 

Those careers include health care management, nutrition, public health, wellness, research, health education, clinical trial management, or public policy.

Students can tailor their degree to their professional goals through five minors, including clinical trials management, environmental health, nutrition, public and population health, and health policy and management. 

“All courses are completely online and asynchronous,” said Jakubauskas. “This makes it easier for working adults who need flexibility to complete their educational pursuits. Many of our students are working adults who are juggling jobs, kids and school.”

Two students shared their coursework and experience in the health sciences program and explained what earning the degree means to them. 

Rachel Nass Getting her undergraduate degree kept creeping higher on Rachel Nass’ bucket list. A married mother of two — three, if you count the family dog — she is balancing a job while pursuing her degree online in health sciences. The degree is the perfect fit for her work as a clinical trials coordinator at Children’s Mercy Hospital.

“My minors are in population and public health and health policy and management ,” Nass said. “I can apply what I am learning in my classes on the job in my interactions with patients and my work with clinical trial regulatory requirements.” 

Although she has a deep interest in biotechnology and genomics, Nass shifted her focus to public health and accessibility aspects that exist within medicine and clinical research. Her specific concern is in disparities in health care affecting communities of color, disadvantaged communities, and the disabled. 

While Nass will complete her degree in May 2025, she hasn’t ruled out pursuing a graduate degree.

“I consider myself to be a lifelong learner,” she said. “If the opportunity presents itself, I will pursue it with everything I have.” 

Apollonia Orozco The COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for Apollonia Orozco returning to college to earn her bachelor’s degree. 

“During that time, I found myself wondering what I was going to do with my life,” Orozco said. “I wanted to continue my education. I had earned my associate degree years before and wanted to go back and get my bachelor’s degree.” And she always wanted a KU degree.

The years of balancing kids, school, and work have eased for Orozco. She graduated in May with a bachelor’s degree in health sciences. 

“It was a struggle sometimes, but being able to complete my coursework online to earn the degree has been great for me,” she said.

She also cited the support she received from her instructors.

“I found everyone to be extremely helpful, available, and always ready to answer my questions, even if it was a little late in the evening.”

Faculty strives to be supportive and available to students in the program.

“It’s not unusual for me to get an email or a text with a question late in the evening or on a weekend,” Jakubauskas said.

Now that she’s graduated, Orozco will put her health sciences degree to work in clinical oncology. 

Learn more about our Bachelor in Health Sciences degree today .   

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Researchers show promising material for solar energy gets its curious boost from entropy

Wed, 07/10/2024

Brendan M. Lynch

LAWRENCE — Solar energy is critical for a clean-energy future. Traditionally, solar energy is harvested using silicon – the same semiconductor material used in everyday electronic devices. But silicon solar panels have drawbacks: For instance, they’re expensive and hard to mount on curved surfaces.

Researchers have developed alternative materials for solar-energy harvesting to solve such shortcomings. Among the most promising of these are called “organic” semiconductors, carbon-based semiconductors that are Earth-abundant, cheaper and environmentally friendly.

“They can potentially lower the production cost for solar panels because these materials can be coated on arbitrary surfaces using solution-based methods — just like how we paint a wall,” said Wai-Lun Chan, associate professor of physics & astronomy at the University of Kansas. “These organic materials can be tuned to absorb light at selected wavelengths, which can be used to create transparent solar panels or panels with different colors. These characteristics make organic solar panels particularly suitable for use in next-generation green and sustainable buildings.”

While organic semiconductors already have been used in the display panel of consumer electronics such as cell phones, TVs and virtual-reality headsets, they have not yet been widely used in commercial solar panels. One shortcoming of organic solar cells has been their low light-to-electric conversion efficiency, about 12% versus single crystalline silicon solar cells that perform at an efficiency of 25%.

According to Chan, electrons in organic semiconductors typically bind to their positive counterparts known as “holes.” In this way, light absorbed by organic semiconductors often produces electrically neutral quasiparticles known as “excitons.”

But the recent development of a new class of organic semiconductors known as non-fullerene acceptors (NFAs) changed this paradigm. Organic solar cells made with NFAs can reach an efficiency closer to the 20% mark.

Despite their outstanding performance, it’s remained unclear to the scientific community why this new class of NFAs significantly outperforms other organic semiconductors.

In a breakthrough study appearing in Advanced Materials , Chan and his team, including graduate students Kushal Rijal, Neno Fuller and Fatimah Rudayni from the Department of Physics & Astronomy, and in collaboration with Cindy Berrie, professor of chemistry at KU, have discovered a microscopic mechanism that solves in part the outstanding performance achieved by an NFA.

The key to this discovery were measurements taken by lead author Rijal using an experimental technique dubbed the “time-resolved two photon photoemission spectroscopy,” or TR-TPPE. This method allowed the team to track the energy of excited electrons with a sub-picosecond time resolution (less than a trillionth of one second).

“In these measurements, Kushal (Rijal) observed that some of the optically excited electrons in the NFA can gain energy from the environment instead of losing energy to the environment,” Chan said. “This observation is counterintuitive because excited electrons typically lose their energy to the environment like a cup of hot coffee losing its heat to the surrounding.”

The team, whose work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences, believes this unusual process occurs on the microscopic scale because of the quantum behavior of electrons, which allow an excited electron to appear simultaneously on several molecules. This quantum weirdness pairs with the second law of thermodynamics, which holds that every physical process will lead to an increase in the total entropy (often known as “disorder”) to produce the unusual energy gain process.

“In most cases, a hot object transfers heat to its cold surroundings because the heat transfer leads to an increase in the total entropy,” Rijal said. “But we found for organic molecules arranged in a specific nanoscale structure, the typical direction of the heat flow is reversed for the total entropy to increase. This reversed heat flow allows neutral excitons to gain heat from the environment and dissociates into a pair of positive and negative charges. These free charges can in turn produce electrical current.”

Based on their experimental findings, the team proposes that this entropy-driven charge separation mechanism allows organic solar cells made with NFAs to achieve a much better efficiency.

“Understanding the underlying charge separation mechanism will allow researchers to design new nanostructures to take advantage of entropy to direct heat, or energy, flow on the nanoscale,” Rijal said. “Despite entropy being a well-known concept in physics and chemistry, it’s rarely been actively utilized to improve the performance of energy conversion devices.”

Not only that: While KU team members believe the mechanism discovered in this work can be utilized to produce more efficient solar cells, they also think it can help researchers design more efficient photocatalysts for solar-fuel production, a photochemical process using sunlight to convert carbon dioxide into organic fuels. 

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KU planning to offer new types of graduate degrees that give college credit for life experience; system may reduce time, costs of higher ed

photo by: AdobeStock

The School of Hard Knocks — sometimes known as life– is good at teaching a multitude of lessons.

It stinks, though, at issuing degrees.

The University of Kansas, however, is undertaking a multimillion-dollar project that is creating new types of degree programs that indeed will give students actual college credit for life experiences, and may allow them to earn degrees in a fraction of the normal time.

You may well know people who would take advantage of the new degrees. They’ve gained so much on-the-job experience that they very likely have as much knowledge as people who have degrees in the same field. But those on-the-job pros don’t have a diploma to hang on the wall, which often can be a hole in their resumés that hinders career advancement.

When classes begin in 2025, KU believes it will be one of the first — if not the first — major research university to begin offering these new, alternative degree programs alongside its traditional degrees. The new offerings also will put KU among a group of less traditional but much-talked-about universities — maybe you have seen the TV ads for Southern New Hampshire University — that have been using the new degree programs to become among the fastest growing universities in the country.

The new degree programs are not designed to replace all traditional degrees at KU, but university leaders are counting on them being a game-changer nonetheless.

“It is a remarkable moment in the history of KU,” Provost Barbara Bichelmeyer said last month as the Kansas Board of Regents gave technical approvals to the first two new degree programs.

photo by: Mike Yoder

University of Kansas Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Barbara Bichelmeyer speaks during an interview March 4, 2020.

Changing time

Even if you are not in a theory of relativity class, time has often been the most important concept in any American classroom.

Time has been the constant. You have ‘X’ number of weeks to complete a class. How much students learn in that set time period varies. A person who receives an ‘A’ grade likely learned more than a person who received a ‘C’ grade.

But the new degree programs at KU will use a concept called Competency Based Education, and it basically socks time in the mouth.

“Competency Based Education really switches that model,” Bichelmeyer said in a brief interview with the Journal-World. “It says we are going to hold competencies constant and let time vary.”

The results of that switch could have some significant real-life impacts that members of the Regents are wrapping their minds around. Blake Flanders, president and CEO of the Regents, recently talked through scenarios for two different types of students — one who learns quickly and one who learns more slowly.

For the fast learner, Flanders noted that today’s system doesn’t do much to reward students who learn all the materials in a class quickly. It is not like you get to graduate out of the class early.

“I still have to wait the time,” he said.

It is even worse, though, for those who learn more slowly.

“If I don’t complete (the lessons) in a specific amount of time, I just fail,” he said.

With CBE, neither one of those scenarios has to be true.

Take the example of someone who learns quickly. Say a class has six competencies that must be mastered in order to graduate from that class. If by week seven of the 16-week class, you can prove to the instructor that you have mastered all six of the competencies, you are done. You’ve graduated the class. You are no longer required to show up.

You could use your newfound time for a minor in beachside reading or bar stool sitting, for example. Or, you could move onto an entirely new class needed for your real major. KU plans to offer a pricing model that is a bit like an all-you-can-eat buffet. One option will be to pay a flat fee — amount to be determined — that allows you to earn as many competencies as you can in a single 16-week period.

Now, for the slower learner, the benefit is a bit different. Say you are in that same class that has six competencies that must be mastered in order to graduate. If by the end of the 16-week class period you have only mastered four of them, all hope is not lost. You could sign up for the class again, and you wouldn’t have to start all over. You’ve already proven that you know the first four competencies, so essentially you would be picking up where you left off.

KU plans to have a different pricing plan that may appeal to those students. Instead of paying for an entirely new 16-week class period, you could just pay a fee for each competency that you learn. Basically an a la carte instead of an all-you-can-eat pricing model.

The different types of pricing models — and the speed at which some classes can be completed — had Regents excited about the idea that CBE degrees could be an antidote to the high cost of higher education. They pressed Bichelmeyer for estimates on how much students might be able to save.

Bichelmeyer said that is a tough number to estimate. KU hasn’t yet decided on the actual amounts it will charge for the two degree programs — a master’s in organizational performance and effectiveness, and a master’s for high school math and science teachers. In material presented to the Regents, KU is projecting that it will charge about $14,000 per year in tuition for both programs.

But, remember, time is now variable. Will it take a student one year, two years, or somewhere in between? There has been anecdotal evidence at other universities of some students with lots of life experience needing only a few months to earn a degree.

“That really shrinks the cost curve,” Bichelmeyer said.

But how often does that quick graduation really happen? Bichelmeyer said CBE degrees are still unique enough that the data and research are not yet robust. But Bichelmeyer said there are still lots of reasons to think the new degrees will positively impact the finances of students.

“You will be able to save not only money, but most importantly time,” she said. “You will be able to get out there and get a job a lot quicker.”

Test, test, test

If time is the constant in today’s traditional classes, tests are what you can’t get away from in a CBE course. They are always waiting around the corner for you, sometimes more than once.

In a CBE course you might take the same test, or a version of it, multiple times. A key concept of CBE is that you ultimately must pass every test. You can’t simply fail to learn one competency. That’s the trade-off. The university is going to give you as much time as you need, but you have to learn every competency.

The tests are a key aspect of instructors figuring out whether you have mastered a competency. But the importance of the test goes beyond the pass-fail nature of it. The feedback a student gets from the test — especially a failed test — is critical in the CBE system. That feedback largely plays the role of class lectures in today’s traditional format.

“The vast majority of your time is turning in assignments and getting feedback about why I have mastered this or haven’t mastered this competency,” Bichelmeyer said of the CBE style of learning. “There is not so much face-to-face lectures … The engagement is not in the dialogue but is in the practice and the feedback.”

It makes sense that lectures would be less common in a CBE class. It would be difficult for a professor to prepare a lecture when at any given time, for example, one-third of the class is trying to master competency No. 2, one-third competency No. 4 and one-third competency No. 6.

Instructors, though, might film some lectures or presentations that students can watch at the appropriate time, depending on their own pace of learning. Technology improvements, whether they be as simple as YouTube channels or more complicated data management systems, are a big part of CBE.

It is also where a lot of costs pile up for a university implementing CBE. Bichelmeyer on multiple occasions told Regents that KU had received “multiple millions” in funding from the KU Endowment Association to begin implementing a strategy for a CBE program, which KU officials are calling Jayhawk Flex. It wasn’t immediately clear from Bichelmeyer’s comments how much money has been invested to date, but during the pandemic, KU Endowment confirmed that it provided KU a $7.6 million grant to create innovative courses and “deliver HyFlex instruction.”

KU has been working on developing the Jayhawk Flex idea for the better part of three years. The two CBE classes are scheduled to launch in the fall of 2025, with the organizational master’s program based at KU’s Edwards Campus in Overland Park, while the secondary education masters will be based at the School of Education in Lawrence. Both programs will be fully accredited, and eligible for federal financial student aid. KU is working to complete those processes now.

Such regulatory matters are also a major part of launching a CBE program, Bichelmeyer said. However, the challenges stretch beyond regulatory paperwork and expensive technology. You also have to have faculty members who are willing to sign on to a new type of teaching system. That work hasn’t begun on a large scale yet/ at KU. Bichelmeyer said KU currently is drawing faculty members from a “coalition of the willing.” Faculty members haven’t been forced to adopt the system.

But as the number of CBE offerings grows, the need to get more faculty members interested in the process likely will too. KU does expect the number of CBE degrees to increase. Bichelmeyer specifically mentioned the School of Nursing as a candidate for some CBE programming, but said there would be other possibilities too.

“We have lots of ideas for other ways we can use this programming,” she said.

photo by: Mike Yoder/Journal-World

University of Kansas graduates sit on the field at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Sunday, May 14, 2023, during commencement ceremonies for the class of 2023.

Don’t look for a day where every class at KU will be taught using a CBE model. The traditional method seemingly has a long future, especially for undergraduate courses. The CBE model takes advantage of life experience, and the typical student coming out of high school may not have enough of it to make CBE effective.

“For a typical 18-year old who needs life experience and needs a network and needs to have some solid education, this probably isn’t the program for them,” Bichelmeyer said.

But for somebody who spent a few years in the military right out of high school, CBE might be a feasible option. Those individuals have perhaps received special training but don’t have a degree to match it.

Regent Neelima Parasker, the CEO of a Johnson County information technology firm, predicted the business world will come up with many more applications for CBE programs. She said universities have a real need to add CBE to their offerings because the business world is coming up with its own version of training systems — industry certifications, for example — that move much quicker than traditional degree programs.

“We are bringing education up to what they already are doing on the other side of the coin,” Parasker said of the CBE movement.

Bichelmeyer agreed that there was good opportunity for KU to create new CBE-based degrees that meet the needs of industry.

“Throughout history, formal education has been built on credit hours and time-based programming,” Bichelmeyer said. “That is not what workforce leaders need at this point in history.”

There are many universities that have been stepping into the void, although major research universities with large in-person campuses haven’t been leading the way. Western Governors University — a Utah-based, private, nonprofit university — generally is considered the largest provider of CBE degrees in the U.S. The university, founded by a group of governors in western U.S. states, has been around only since 1997. It uses only the CBE model, and offers all its classes online. Today, its enrollment is more than 150,000 students.

Southern New Hampshire University is another leader in the CBE field. That private university has a history that dates back to the 1930s, and has a campus in New Hampshire with about 3,000 students. However, it has about 130,000 online students seeking CBE-style degrees.

Both Western Governors and Southern New Hampshire are two of the fastest growing universities in the country. Enrollment growth of any kind is an eye-opener for traditional universities. KU — which has about 25,000 students — could face enrollment declines in the future due to a “demographic cliff” that university leaders across the country are preparing for. The cliff is the result of lower birth rates during the 2008-2009 Great Recession producing fewer high school-age children.

Regents last month were eager to learn how much CBE degrees could help with that problem. Bichelmeyer said there is likely no single solution to that issue. She stressed that the future of KU’s Lawrence campus still would be as a place for students to live and experience college, surrounded by in-person research enterprises.

When one regent asked whether CBE could perhaps provide a 5% or 10% bump in enrollment — meaning about 1,000 to 2,000 students per year — Bichelmeyer pushed back on that assumption. She didn’t think that was aggressive enough.

“I would say it is more than 5% or 10%,” Bichelmeyer said. “I don’t think I would have asked the chancellor and the endowment association to invest what we have invested if it was that number.”

She said if the university can adequately market the Jayhawk Flex program, KU can tap into a very large pool of students that it really struggles to reach today. That pool is students who attended college but dropped out before graduating.

“You can’t bring people back who dropped out of college with the same type of program they dropped out from,” Bichelmeyer said, quoting what many researchers currently believe.

The CBE style of instruction is expected to be different enough to give those former college students reason to believe college is worth another try. If that theory is true, KU would have a new ocean of recruits to reach.

“That’s a significant number in the hundreds of thousands of adults,” Bichelmeyer told the Regents.

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LAWRENCE — For the second year in a row, the University of Kansas has landed a spot on the National Academy of Inventors' top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents list.

The 2023 list showcases universities that play a pivotal role in advancing the innovation ecosystem within and beyond the United States.

“Patents are incredibly important to promoting innovation, with proprietary rights to an invention often being the foundation upon which a new opportunity or business is built,” said Clifford Michaels, executive director of the KU Center for Technology Commercialization. “The repeated inclusion of KU on this year’s NAI list of top 100 U.S. universities demonstrates our institution’s sustained investment and commitment to supporting innovation and commercialization.”

A utility patent, which is typically referred to as a patent for invention, is a type of intellectual property protection granted by a government authority for a new or improved product, process, machine or composition of matter. Utility patents are a fundamental tool for inventors and companies to protect their ideas and inventions, giving them a competitive edge in the marketplace, encouraging innovation and contributing to technological progress — which ultimately drives economic growth. From 2021 to 2023, KU filed 376 new patent applications and had 165 patents issued. This activity came from a diverse group of academic schools and departments across all campuses and includes research and innovations in biotechnology, engineering, therapeutics, digital technologies, physical science, education, software and medical devices.

The Top 100 U.S. Universities list is the NAI’s newest ranking and is meant to provide a more focused view of the national innovation landscape, featuring contributions by U.S. academic institutions. NAI’s Top 100 lists are created using calendar year data provided by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Top 100 placement includes all named assignees listed on the patent.

“As we look at the current and future state of innovation in our nation, we need to ensure that the U.S. is remaining competitive in the international innovation ecosystem,” said Paul Sanberg, NAI president. “Protecting intellectual property is a key component to this, and the Top 100 U.S. Universities list allows us to recognize and celebrate universities and their faculty, staff and students who are not only innovating at high levels but taking the additional step of protecting their IP through patenting.” 

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LAWRENCE — Panasonic Energy Co. Ltd. (Panasonic Energy) — a Panasonic Group Company — and the University of Kansas today announced that they have signed an agreement aimed at promoting the development of next-generation technologies and the cultivation of specialist expertise in the field of lithium-ion batteries.

The University of Kansas is a flagship university in the U.S. state of Kansas, where Panasonic Energy is currently constructing its second North American factory. Located in the city of De Soto, the factory is expected to commence production by the end of March 2025 and will have an annual production capacity of approximately 30 GWh. The factory constitutes a crucial part of Panasonic Energy's strategy to boost its EV battery production capacity in North America. 

The project is a significant step in realizing the commitment to reduce CO2 emissions through the widespread adoption of electric vehicles, generating employment in the De Soto area and the surrounding economic zones of Kansas, thereby contributing to the revitalization of the U.S. manufacturing sector and the overall economy.

In the wake of the 2011 University Engineering Initiative Act, Kansas has been producing engineering graduates to meet industry demand, with KU playing a key role in this initiative. As a member of the Association of American Universities, the university is equipped with an energy and battery-related research lab and high-level research capabilities. With its extensive expertise in battery development and manufacturing, Panasonic Energy will collaborate with the university to further innovate battery-related technology and nurture specialist talent. This partnership aims to help promote the regional development of Kansas and achieve a sustainable society. Further details of these initiatives will be determined through ongoing discussions between the two parties.

About Panasonic Energy Co. Ltd.

Panasonic Energy Co. Ltd., established in April 2022 as part of the Panasonic Group's switch to an operating company system, provides innovative battery technology-based products and solutions globally. Through its automotive lithium-ion batteries, storage battery systems and dry batteries, the company brings safe, reliable and convenient power to a broad range of business areas, from mobility and social infrastructure to medical and consumer products. Panasonic Energy is committed to contributing to a society that realizes happiness and environmental sustainability, and through its business activities the company aims to address societal issues while taking the lead on environmental initiatives. Learn more online .

About the University of Kansas

The University of Kansas is a major research and teaching university and a member of the Association of American Universities, a select group of public and private research universities that represent excellence in graduate and professional education and the highest achievements in research internationally. KU has more than 28,000 students across five campuses and 14 schools, including the state of Kansas’ only schools of medicine and pharmacy. The university has 48 graduate programs ranked in the top 50 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. Through its KU Medical Center, the university provides medical outreach to all 105 counties in Kansas. Each year, the university conducts more than $400 million in externally sponsored research. The university seeks to drive economic development in the Midwest through its partnership with KU Innovation Park, a nonprofit economic development organization and business incubator that is home to 72 companies employing more than 725 people and supporting an annual payroll of $48 million. The Park works toward building a more modern, resilient and diverse regional economy for Lawrence, Douglas County and the state of Kansas.

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• NEWS FEATURE
• 09 July 2024
• Correction 12 July 2024

How PhD students and other academics are fighting the mental-health crisis in science

• Shannon Hall

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Illustration: Piotr Kowalczyk

You have full access to this article via your institution.

On the first day of her class, Annika Martin asks the assembled researchers at the University of Zurich in Switzerland to roll out their yoga mats and stand with their feet spread wide apart. They place their hands on their hips before swinging their torsos down towards the mat and back up again. The pose, called ‘wild goose drinking water’ is from Lu Jong, a foundational practice in Tantrayana Buddhism.

Martin, a health psychologist, can sense that some students are sceptical. They are academics at heart, many of whom have never tried yoga, and registered for Martin’s course to learn how to deal with the stress associated with academic research. Over the course of a semester, she teaches her students about stress and its impact on the body before giving them the tools to help cope with it — from yoga, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation to journalling.

It is one of many initiatives designed to combat the mental-health crisis that is gripping science and academia more broadly. The problems are particularly acute for students and early-career researchers, who are often paid meagre wages, have to uproot their lives every few years and have few long-term job prospects. But senior researchers face immense pressure as well. Many academics also experience harassment, discrimination , bullying and even sexual assault . The end result is that students and academics are much more likely to experience depression and anxiety than is the general population.

But some universities and institutions are starting to fight back in creative ways.

The beginning of a movement

The University of Zurich now offers academics several popular courses on mental health. Beyond Martin’s class, called ‘Mindfulness and Meditation’, one helps students learn how to build resilience and another provides senior researchers with the tools they need to supervise PhD candidates.

The courses are in high demand. “We have way more registrations than we have actual course spots,” says Eric Alms, a programme manager who is responsible for many of the mental-health courses at the University of Zurich. “I’m happy that my courses are so successful. On the other hand, it’s a sign of troubling times when these are the most popular courses.”

Several studies over the past few years have collectively surveyed tens of thousands of researchers and have documented the scope and consequences of science’s mental-health crisis.

In 2020, the biomedical research funder Wellcome in London, surveyed more than 4,000 researchers (mostly in the United Kingdom) and found that 70% felt stressed on the average work day . Specifically, survey respondents said that they felt intense pressure to publish — so much so that they work 50–60 hours per week, or more. And they do so for little pay, without a sense of a secure future. Only 41% of mid-career and 31% of early-career researchers said that they were satisfied with their career prospects in research.

The International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems run bootcamps involving activities such as painting. Credit: Alejandro Posada

A survey designed by Cactus Communications , a science-communication and technology company headquartered in Mumbai, India, analysed the opinions of 13,000 researchers in more than 160 countries in 2020 and found that 37% of scientists experienced discrimination, harassment or bullying in their work environment. This was especially true for researchers from under-represented groups and was the case for 42% of female researchers, 45% of homosexual researchers and 60% of multiracial researchers.

Yet some experts are hopeful that there is change afoot. As well as the University of Zurich, several other institutions have started to offer courses on mental health. Imperial College London, for example, conducts more than two dozen courses, workshops and short webinars on topics as diverse as menstrual health and seasonal depression. Most of these have been running for at least five years, but several were developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “At that time, the true dimension of the mental-health crisis in science was unveiled and potentially exacerbated by the lockdowns,” says Ines Perpetuo, a research-development consultant for postdocs and fellows at Imperial College London.

Desiree Dickerson, a clinical psychologist with a PhD in neuroscience who leads workshops at the University of Zurich, Imperial College London and other institutes around the world, says she has a heavier workload than ever before. “Before COVID, this kind of stuff wasn’t really in the spotlight,” she says. “Now it feels like it is gaining a solid foothold — that we are moving in the right direction.”

A mental-health crisis is gripping science — toxic research culture is to blame

Some of this change has been initiated by graduate students and postdocs. When Yaniv Yacoby was a graduate student in computer science at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for example, he designed a course to teach the “hidden curriculum of the PhD”. The goal was to help students to learn how to succeed in science (often by breaking down preconceived ideas), while creating an inclusive and supportive community. An adapted form of that course is now offered by both Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and the University of Washington in Seattle. And Yacoby has worked with other universities to develop single-session workshops to jump-start mental-health advocacy and normalize conversations about it in academia.

Similarly, Jessica Noviello, a planetary scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, built a workshop series designed to target a key stressor for academics’ mental health: job insecurity, or specifically, the ability to find a job that aligns with career plans and life goals. She argues that most advisers lack experience outside academia, “making it hard for them to advise students about other career options”, and most institutes don’t have the resources to bring in outside speakers. Yet it is a key issue. The 2020 Wellcome survey found that nearly half of the respondents who had left research reported difficulty in finding a job.

So Noviello established the Professional Advancement Workshop Series (PAWS) in August 2021. The programme has run workshops and panel discussions about careers at national laboratories and in science journalism and media communications, science policy, data science, NASA management and more. And it has hosted two sessions on mental-health topics. “PAWS isn’t a programme that specifically set out to improve mental health in the sciences, but by building a community and having conversations with each other, the experts, and ourselves, I think we are giving ourselves tools to make choices that benefit us, and that is where mental health begins,” Noviello says.

Beyond the classroom

Although these courses and workshops mark a welcome change, say researchers, many wonder whether they are enough.

Melanie Anne-Atkins, a clinical psychologist and the associate director of student experience at the University of Guelph in Canada, who gives talks on mental health at various universities, says that she rarely sees universities follow through after her workshops. “People are moved to tears,” she says. “But priorities happen afterward. And even though they made a plan, it never rises to that. Because dollars will always come first.”

David Trang, a planetary geologist based in Honolulu, Hawaii, at the Space Science Institute, is currently working towards a licence in mental-health counselling to promote a healthier work environment in the sciences. He agrees with Anne-Atkins — arguing that even individual researchers have little incentive to make broad changes. “Caring about mental health, caring about diversity, equity and inclusion is not going to help scientists with their progress in science,” he says. Although they might worry about these matters tremendously, Trang argues, mental-health efforts won’t help scientists to win a grant or receive tenure. “At the end of the day, they have to care about their own survival in science.”

Still, others argue that these workshops are a natural and crucial first step — that people need to de-stigmatize these topics before moving forward. “It is quite a big challenge,” Perpetuo says. “But you have to understand what’s under your control. You can control your well-being, your reactions to things and you can influence what’s around you.”

PhD students compete in a team-building relay race at a bootcamp run by the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems. Credit: Alejandro Posada

That is especially pertinent to the typical scientist who tends to see their work as a calling and not just a job, argues Nina Effenberger, who is studying computer science at the University of Tübingen in Germany. The Wellcome survey found that scientists are often driven by their own passion — making failure deeply personal. But a solid mental-health toolkit (one that includes the skills taught in many of the new workshops) will help them to separate their work from their identity and understand that a grant denial or a paper rejection is not the end of their career. Nor should it have any bearing on their self-worth, Effenberger argues. It is simply a part of a career in science.

Moreover, Dickerson argues that although systemic change is necessary, individuals will drive much of that change. “My sense is that if I can empower the individual, then that individual can also push back,” she says.

Many researchers are starting to do just that through efforts aimed at improving working conditions for early-career researchers, an area of widespread concern. The Cactus survey found that 38% of researchers were dissatisfied with their financial situation. And another survey of 3,500 graduate students by the US National Science Foundation in 2020 (see go.nature.com/3xbokbk) found that more than one-quarter of the respondents experienced food insecurity, housing insecurity or both.

In the United States, efforts to organize unions have won salary increases and other benefits, such as childcare assistance, at the University of California in 2022, Columbia University in New York City in 2023 and the University of Washington in 2023. These wins are part of a surge in union formation. Last year alone, 26 unions representing nearly 50,000 graduate students, postdocs and researchers, formed in the United States.

There has also been collective action in other countries. In 2022, for example, graduate students ran a survey on their finances, and ultimately won an increase in pay at the International Max Planck Research School for Intelligent Systems (IMPRS-IS), an interdisciplinary doctoral programme within the Max Planck Society in Munich, Germany.

Why the mental cost of a STEM career can be too high for women and people of colour

Union drives are only part of the changes that are happening beyond the classroom. In the past few years, Imperial College London has revamped its common rooms, lecture halls and other spaces to create more places in which students can congregate. “If they have a space where they can go and chat, it is more conducive to research conversations and even just personal connection, which is one of the key aspects of fostering mental health,” Perpetuo says. Imperial also introduced both one-day and three-day voluntary retreats for postdocs and fellows to build personal relationships.

The IMPRS-IS similarly runs ‘bootcamps’ or retreats for many of its doctoral students and faculty members. Dickerson spoke at the one last year. The programme also mandates annual check-ins at which students can discuss group dynamics and raise any issues with staff. It has initiated thesis advisory committees so that no single academic supervisor has too much power over a student. And it plans to survey its students’ mental health twice a year for the next three years to probe the mental health of the institute. The institute has even set various mental-health goals, such as high job satisfaction among PhD students regardless of gender.

Dickerson applauds this change. “One of the biggest problems that I see is a fear of measuring the problem,” she says. “Many don’t want to ask the questions and I think those that do should be championed because I think without measuring it, we can’t show that we are actually changing anything.”

She hopes that other universities will follow suit and provide researchers with the resources that they need to improve conditions. Last year, for example, Trang surveyed the planetary-science community and found that imposter syndrome and feeling unappreciated were large issues — giving him a focus for many future workshops. “We’re moving slowly to make changes,” he says. “But I’m glad we are finally turning the corner from ‘if there is a problem’ to ‘let’s start solving the problem.’”

Nature 631 , 496-498 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-02225-8

Updates & Corrections

Correction 12 July 2024 : An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that Nina Effenberger was involved in a survey on graduate-student finances that won an increase in pay.

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