If you have applied for a research degree, you may be able to request to start in another term of the academic year. Find out what your options are and how to request a change.
Starting in a different term
Our terms start in October, January, or April. At Cambridge, these terms are called Michaelmas, Lent and Easter.
You can only request an alternative start date if your department accepts entries in other terms. Check the Course Directory for the start dates available for your course.
Most of our MPhil courses start in October so you cannot choose a different start date.
Deferring to another academic year
You cannot request to defer to another academic year.
Instead, you will need to make a new application and pay the application fee. You are not guaranteed an offer of a place in another academic year.
You should let your department know if you are planning to reapply.
Delaying admission because of a disability, pregnancy or maternity leave
Talk to your department if you need to delay admission to the next year because of:
- a disability
- pregnancy or maternity leave
Where appropriate, the University, your College and your funder will work with you to change your start date.
How to change your start date
If you haven't received an offer yet, contact your department or faculty to make the request.
If you have received an offer, request a deferral via your Self-Service account. The option to defer will only appear if your course accepts deferrals. You should also contact your department for further advice.
If your admission has already been confirmed, submit a request form. You should select ‘deferral’ as the topic. For your deferral request to be processed, we will need to unconfirm your place. If your deferral is approved, you will be re-confirmed once updates have been made.
Deadlines for requesting a change
Your request must be submitted before the following dates:
- 11 October 2024 - deferring from October (Michaelmas) 2024 to January (Lent) 2025 or April (Easter) 2025
- 17 January 2025 - deferring from January (Lent) 2025 to April (Easter) 2025
Approval process
Your deferral will only be approved after agreement from the:
- department/faculty
- degree committee
- College
- Postgraduate Admissions Office
If your request is approved, you will not usually have to resubmit any academic documents.
You may need to provide an updated passport, ATAS certificate or language test, if any you have submitted will expire before your new start date.
Scholarships that you have been awarded will usually remain valid for the later start date. But, you will need to consult your sponsor if you wish to defer your offer. You will not automatically be considered for any other scholarships.
If your request is rejected by the University, your place to study will be withdrawn. If the College rejects your request, your application will be sent to another College for consideration.
Visa applications
It is not possible to use the same visa to start your course at a different time.
If you've already been issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), visa sponsorship will need to be withdrawn.
We will issue a new CAS once the deferral is approved and you have met the conditions of your offer.
If your visa has already been granted, it will be curtailed. Your visa fees, including the immigration health surcharge, are not refundable.
If you have applied for your visa but the decision is pending, you will likely need to withdraw your visa application. Email international.students@admin.cam.ac.uk for further guidance.