Teaching

This course is exclusively in research. The project and supervisor are determined prior to the application process. The student will receive one-on-one supervision for all aspects of their project. The Babraham Institute runs an extensive set of Transferrable Skills Training Courses annually for students during their studentship.

All students in this programme will be members of the University's Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS), which offers a wide variety of core skills and professional development training. For more information, visit the PSLS website's Researcher Development page.

One to one supervision	Students at the Babraham Institute can expect to have regular lab meetings with their supervisor and other lab members. The regularity with which postgraduate students meet with their supervisor varies throughout the year, but meetings are likely to be more frequent to start with, during the planning stages, and during the writing-up phase. All students should have the opportunity to seek formal feedback from their supervisor, and supervisors should have the opportunity to give such feedback. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision.
Seminars & classes	The Institute runs an extensive seminar programme which all students are encouraged to attend. They are also encouraged to attend University-wide seminars in other departments.
Journal clubs	The Institute runs a number of regular journal clubs, including a student journal club.
Posters and Presentations	The Institute runs an Annual Student Poster Day, during which all students in their first, second, and third years present posters. This is run in conjunction with our Annual Laboratory Talks.
Taught/Research Balance	Entirely Research

Placements

None are required except for certain Research Council studentships that require a Professional Internship for PhD Students (PIPS) or specific details mentioned in other studentships.

Feedback

Students will receive feedback and advice from their supervisor about performance and research direction throughout the course. They can also expect to receive termly formal feedback reports via the online feedback and reporting system. In addition, students should expect oral feedback from the supervisor and other group members on their group presentations, student performance and research direction.

Assessment

Thesis / Dissertation

The PhD is examined by submission of a thesis and a subsequent viva.

The thesis should not exceed 60,000 words (80,000 by special permission) exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices. All students have to defend their thesis by attending an oral examination (viva voce) conducted by two examiners.

Although the thesis must be the work of the student, the supervisor is allowed to give suggestions, critical advice and feedback on content and any draft version(s) of the thesis.

Other

Each student has their own Personal Committee to mentor them through their studies, and there is a system of formal reviews and assessments throughout their study to ensure continued advancement towards a successful final examination.

All PhD students are required to undergo formal assessment by written report and viva within 12 months (or part-time equivalent) after starting their PhD project (the 'First Year Assessment'). If successful, the student moves from being 'probationary' to being registered for the PhD and can proceed with their thesis project.

Students are required to write a number of reports after 2, 8, and 18 months in order to assess their progress. Students also write a thesis plan after 24 or 36 months. Each report is assessed by their Personal Committee, which reports on the student's progress to the Babraham Postgraduate Committee. Student progress is also assessed by the presentation of their results at various seminars and by the filling in of termly Self-Assessment forms.