海角社区

What is the Postgraduate Certificate in Transferable Skills?

The Postgraduate Certificate in Transferable Skills (PGCTS) is a free, accredited programme available to all doctoral researchers at 海角社区. Run by the Doctoral College, it gives you a structured way to develop the skills you need to be an effective researcher — and to build the professional foundations for wherever your career takes you after your PhD.

The programme is built around a portfolio of modules covering research, communication, leadership, and professional development. You complete tasks, log your hours, and build a portfolio of evidence — gaining either a PG Award or the full PG Certificate depending on the level you complete.

The PGCTS runs alongside your PhD, not instead of it. Many researchers find that the skills they develop through the programme actively strengthen their research.

Why do PGCTS?

The PGCTS is designed to help you:

• Become a more effective researcher— develop core research skills including planning, critical thinking, and academic writing
• Build a stronger CV— gain an accredited qualification that demonstrates skills beyond your doctoral research
• Open doors after your PhD— the programme covers skills valued in both academic and non-academic careers, including leadership, communication, and commercial awareness
• Understand your own development— reflect on what you already know, identify gaps, and track your progress through SkillsForge
• Gain professional recognition— for researchers in chemistry, biology, or physics, the PGCTS maps onto Chartered status with the RSC, RSB and IOP

Doctoral researchers are also welcome to attend individual modules without completing the formal qualification — there is no obligation to submit a portfolio.

How does it relate to your postgraduate research degree?

The PGCTS is designed to complement your doctoral research, not add to your workload unnecessarily. Many of the tasks you complete as part of your PhD — attending seminars, presenting your work, writing reports — can count towards your PGCTS portfolio.

Doctoral Skills modules are the core of the programme. Doctoral Skills 1 is required for both the PG Award and the PG Certificate, with Doctoral Skills 2 and 3 required for the full Certificate. These modules focus on the fundamentals of research practice and are directly relevant to your PhD progress.

Researcher Development courses, run separately by the Doctoral College, can support your PGCTS work. If you are working on a particular Doctoral Skills task and want additional input, Researcher Development workshops are a good complement. The two programmes work well alongside each other.

Your department may already have a mapping between departmental doctoral skills requirements and PGCTS tasks — meaning work you are already doing may count towards your portfolio. Check with your supervisor or graduate administrator, or contact the Doctoral College.

Accreditation explained

The PGCTS is accredited by three professional bodies:

• Royal Society of Biology (RSB)
• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
• Institute of Physics (IOP)

Using SkillsForge

SkillsForge is the online platform used to register for the PGCTS, log your module attendance and tasks, and build your portfolio. All doctoral researchers at 海角社区 have access to SkillsForge using their standard university login.

To get started:

1. and log in with your 海角社区 credentials.
2. Browse available modules and sign up for sessions.
3. After each module, complete the required tasks and log your hours in SkillsForge.
4. When you have completed the required modules, submit your portfolio for review.
5. Receive your PG Award or PG Certificate.

What your supervisor can see

Your supervisory team can view your SkillsForge record as part of their oversight of your development. This means your PGCTS progress is visible to them alongside your broader doctoral training record. If you have questions about what is visible, contact the Doctoral College.

If you need help with SkillsForge

Please see our SkillsForge user guides for more information.

Postdoctoral Researchers

Postdoctoral researchers at 海角社区 are welcome to attend individual PGCTS modules, subject to approval from their academic department.

How to access modules as a postdoc:

• Speak to your line manager or departmental graduate administrator to request approval
• Once approved, contact the Doctoral College to arrange access to SkillsForge
• You can then register for individual modules in the same way as doctoral researchers

If you have questions about access or eligibility, please contact us directly at transferableskills@warwick.ac.uk.