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Teaching
The course is exclusively by research. The project and supervisor are determined during the application process. Prospective students must identify a potential supervisor (or supervisors) in the Department and discuss their potential project before applying. Supervisors and their research areas are listed on the Department of Genetics website on the Research Groups and Group Leaders pages.
All students on this programme will be members of the University’s Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS) who 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 can expect to have regular lab meetings with their supervisor and with 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 phases, but should normally be once every one or two weeks. All students should have the opportunity to seek formal feedback from their Supervisor, and Supervisors are expected to give such feedback. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University’s expectations regarding supervision. |
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| Seminars & classes | Weekly departmental seminars |
| Posters and Presentations | Students have an opportunity to participate in the annual Research in Genetics day with a poster session. Students also have an opportunity to present their research orally to the department before their Viva examination; however this presentation is not a formal component of the Viva or the assessment. |
Feedback
Students will receive regular oral feedback and advice from their supervisor about performance and research direction throughout the course, in addition to formal feedback on their proposed project via an independent advisor at six weeks and regular meetings with their advisor. Students can also expect to receive termly formal feedback reports via the online feedback and reporting system.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The examination for the degree of PhD consists of a thesis, of not more than 60,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices. The assessment also includes an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.