Postgraduate Taster Presenters

Taster Presenter recruitment is currently paused. Register your interest using the link on the right-hand side of this page to receive a notification when applications reopen.

What is a Taster Presenter?

Taster Presenters are UCL postgraduate students. They are recruited to deliver academic sessions to groups of prospective students to explore both familiar and new subjects. The sessions should give students a flavour of what it's like to study your subject. It can be your undergraduate or postgraduate subject, and you can do a broad introduction or very specific topic, depending on your subject area. Taster sessions should however be linked to one or more academic subjects taught at UCL. The session should be adaptable to suit a variety of audiences, from Years 7 – 13 (aged 10 to 18).

What should my Taster Session include?

Taster sessions usually consist of a 45-60 minute presentation to a group of students, though some activities may include longer workshops with a smaller group. Most sessions are delivered on campus or may involve going to a local school. The session should be interactive, rather than a lecture, and fun and engaging. We recommend you include interactive content such as group discussions, debates, quizzes, demonstrations, or videos.

Why become a Taster Presenter?

Working as a Taster Presenter is an excellent way to develop teaching skills, practice communicating research, and inspire young people to study your subject. Being a Taster Presenter will give you the opportunity to understand the UK education system, experience widening participation within Higher Education, and gain transferable skills.

What commitment is required?

There is no minimum commitment required. The Access & Widening Participation Office will contact Taster Presenters via email about opportunities that match your subject and you sign up for those you are available for. Work opportunities are available throughout the year, with some programmes running on a Saturday or into the early evening. Taster Presenters are paid at an hourly rate of £22.12 (UCL grade 7 point 30) for every hour of teaching, plus an additional 1-2 hours of pay for any further preparation you are required to do.

 

How can I get involved?

If you are interested in becoming a Taster Presenter, register your interest using this online form. Once we reopen applications, everyone who has registered an interest will receive an email with full information about how to apply.

At time of application, you will be asked to submit a proposal for the session you are interested in delivering by completing. This proposal will need to include a session title, the aims and objectives of the session, and an outline of the session. 
Once you have submitted your proposal, it will be reviewed by the Schools Engagement team and, if successful, you will be asked to attend an ‘audition’ in which you will further explain your session to a few members of the Access & Widening Participation Office. If it is suitable for our activities, you will be added to our Taster Presenter database and contacted when opportunities become available.

What is a UCL Expand Taster Presenter?

Applications to become a UCL Expand Taster Presenter have now closed.

UCL Expand is a pilot sustained programme, aimed at Year 12 students from backgrounds underrepresented in higher education. The cohort will consist of 30 students per 4 subject strands.

UCL Expand is a subject focussed programme, structured around key academic skills students aspiring towards university would like to develop. The programme aims to expand the participants learning beyond the school curriculum.

The goals of UCL Expand are:

• To provide students with a hands-on experience of super-curricular engagement in a subject area of interest to inform course choice decisions and to be used in personal statements.
• To provide students with transferable academic skills taught in a problem-based learning framework to positively impact their attainment at A-level and to support the transition to Higher Education.
• To increase underrepresented students’ sense of familiarity & belonging in universities prior to application.

UCL Expand allows participants to choose a subject strand relating to their interests. Subject strands are broad, and not aimed towards giving students a ‘subject taster’, rather so that students can build on academic skills through an area of subject interest. The strands are:

• Creativity and Imagination
• Societies and Cultures
• Life and Health Sciences
• Technologies and the Physical World

The programme will consist of 5 weeks of online academic session delivery, sandwiched between two in-person events on the UCL Bloomsbury Campus. Expand Taster Presenters will be responsible for creating and delivering 4 out of the 5 weeks of online sessions, as well as an in-person topic introductory session, and hosting an in-person project/poster presentation session at the end of the programme. For full information on the role, click here. 

Current UCL postgraduate students who will be studying during 2023-24 and will be on the UCL Campus were able to apply. Please note that this role isn’t open to UCL alumni, students attending other institutions, or inter-collegiate and study abroad students taking modules at UCL.

There is one Expand Taster Presenter per subject strand.

We are always keen to hear from applicants who are considerate of the needs of cohorts who might not traditionally enter higher education are who are interested in furthering their academic experiences.

 

UCL Expand Programme Timeline

October 2023	Applications for Participants Open
	Taster Presenter Recruitment Begins
November 2023	Taster Presenter Interviews
December 2023	Taster Presenter Content Creation
January 2024	Taster Presenter Content Creation
	Participant Shortlisting
14th February 2024	Programme Begins – Welcome Event (in-person)
21st February 2024	Online Session 1 (Research & Analysis)
28th February 2024	Online Session 2 (Critical Thinking)
6th March 2024	Online Session 3 Project Work Week (SE + SAs)
13th March 2024	Online Session 4 (Academic Writing)
20th March 2024	Online Session 5 (Presentation & Debate)
27th March 2024	Programme Ends – Graduation Event (in-person)

UCL Expand Committed Hours and Payment

UCL Expand Taster Presenter applications have now closed.

Expand Taster Presenters will be paid the standard Taster Presenter rate of £22.12* per hour (grade 7 spinal point 30). Hours include:

• 3 hours of training.
• 16 hours to create the online content and plan sessions (4 hours per 1-1.5-hour session).
• All in-person and online delivery time.
• 2 hours for check-ins about the project during the content creation process.

For full information on the role, click here.