‘Where should I apply?’, ‘What kind of programme is best for me and my interests?’, ‘I definitely cannot afford to pay tuition fees for a master’s degree, I wonder if there’s any funding available for which I’m eligible?’
These are just a few of the questions that student representatives often get from undergraduates looking to progress into postgraduate studies. Yet, advising transitioning students is not always easy: degree structures vary considerably from department to department, information about research clusters and specialised tracks is scarce, and funding opportunities are often poorly advertised. So, students end up having a really hard time making informed choices about their future academic path. The Transition Facilitation Initiative (TFI) constitutes BIPPA’ s first and principal enterprise to tackle this often-overlooked area of concern. In brief, the initiative, managed by our recently created Transition Office, consists of a summative database of information, incorporating in the same place all the main features of the major philosophy departments in the UK and Ireland — including placement records, research and teaching strengths, and funding schemes for underrepresented categories. The database is paired with a rich network of selected mentors, who work in loco to offer to transitioning students targeted guidance, based on their individual interests and personal circumstances.
If you are a postgraduate student in a philosophy department in the UK and Ireland, and want to contribute to the TFI, fill out our (very brief) form (link here: https://forms.gle/8Jeo4Xbo7npcTF5H6). Note that contributing to the TFI by filling out the form gives you the opportunity, if you wish, to be considered for the position of TFI Mentor — which, given BIPPA’s national and international reputation, looks very good on the CV.
If you would like to hear more about the Transition Office at BIPPA or about the Transition Facilitation Initiative (TFI), just drop us a message at https://bippa.uk/contact/!