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Teaching
The course is predominantly research-based. Students are based in one research group and undertake research on a topic agreed with their principal investigator (supervisor).
There is no examined taught work, but candidates must complete a short lecture-based course called the "Postgraduate Course in Biochemistry". This course involves a series of lectures and workshops covering a variety of useful experimental techniques used in biochemistry and molecular biology. Students can subsequently continue their training in many areas, choosing from the wide range of courses available within the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences and the University.
All students on this programme will be members of the University’s Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS) which offer a wide variety of core skills and professional development training. Visit the Researcher Development page on the PSLS website for more information.
| One to one supervision | Students are expected to have regular (usually weekly) meetings with their supervisor. Each research group also typically has a weekly group meeting in which the student is expected to take part in presentations of research progress and in journal clubs. In addition, all students are assigned an 'advisor'. This is a separate research group head, who is not directly involved in the student's research project, but who can provide independent monitoring of progress, provide general advice, and serve as a point of contact if any problems arise. All MPhil students also have a Postgraduate Thesis Panel (PTP) consisting of three principal investigators, one of which is the advisor, but excluding the supervisor. The role of the Postgraduate Thesis Panel is to provide additional support and mentoring for the student (through formal feedback), assess the tractability of the project and review the adequacy of supervision. All students are required to complete quarterly reports that present the key elements of the project plan, progress, and training aims and achievements. These reports include student self-assessment of progress, supervisor comments, and allow student feedback on their training resources and support. These reports are circulated to the student’s PTP. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
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| Lectures | Student will attend a compulsory advanced techniques series of 17 lectures provides a wide exposure to a range of methodologies available in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Three workshops additionally discuss research ethics, research question design, and data management. |
Feedback
Students should expect to receive oral and written feedback on an individual basis from supervisors, advisors and their postgraduate thesis panel. In addition, they may expect oral feedback from their supervisors and group members after their presentations within groups. Students can also expect to receive termly formal feedback reports via the online feedback and reporting system, and constructive oral and written feedback from their Postgraduate Thesis Panel after their presentations.
Postgraduate Thesis Panel (PTP)
The student is required to present two talks on their project to their Postgraduate Thesis Panel (a panel of three academics). These presentations are generally held in November and March. The panel receives comments on student progress also from the quarterly/annual student reports. After the presentation and a Q&A session with the student, the Postgraduate Thesis Panel gives constructive feedback about the student's progress and the nature and direction of the project.
The appointment of two members of the Postgraduate Thesis Panel (excluding the advisor who is appointed by the Postgraduate Committee), is student-driven, and staff will be invited by the student to join the Postgraduate Thesis Panel after they have consulted with their supervisor for advice about the most appropriate members. The main aim of the Postgraduate Thesis Panel is to provide independent, enhanced mentorship and advice for postgraduate students to help them make progress in their projects. It is also a mechanism for providing a further independent assessment of student progress, to supplement the views of the supervisor.
Peer Research Groups (PRGs)
Peer Research Groups (PRGs) consist of small groups of 10-15 students spanning all years of postgraduate studies. The groups provide a student support network and additional educational and training opportunities to help meet the training objectives of the postgraduate programme. The groups meet once a fortnight and are overseen by an academic member of Biochemistry and one or more postdocs.
Weekly group meetings
Most research groups run their own weekly laboratory meetings and journal clubs where the student will be expected to talk about their experimental work and review published papers. Some groups might also expect students to write reports on a regular basis (e.g. monthly) for their supervisor as one component of the monitoring and mentorship programme.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The examination for the degree of Master of Philosophy consists of a thesis, of not more than 20,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices.
The thesis is a standalone piece of writing describing the student's research. It is written as a formal scientific document and usually contains an introduction, a materials and methods chapter, one or more results chapters and a closing discussion. The examination is a viva voce examination by two examiners, who examine both on the content of the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.