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Postgraduate Study

The Department of Plant Sciences is an outstanding University Centre for research in plant and microbial sciences. It offers excellent research and training opportunities in the following areas of plant and microbial science:

  • Cell function & responses to the environment
  • Developmental biology & signalling
  • Genetics and epigenetics
  • Ecosystem function and conservation
  • Evolution and diversity
  • Microbiology & biotic interactions
  • Plant pathology and epidemiology
  • Mathematical biology
  • Enhancing photosynthesis
  • Biotechnology and engineering

The Crop Science Centre is an alliance between the University of Cambridge's Department of Plant Sciences and the crop research organisation NIAB. The Centre will serve as a global hub for crop science research and a base for collaborations with research partners around the world. 

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is the University's principal research degree. A PhD in Plant Sciences takes three to four years of full-time study to complete and consists of research and courses as required under academic supervision. Applicants should contact a potential supervisor before proceeding with their PhD application. You can browse the personal/group pages of the Research Group Leaders to check details of their research.

The aim of PhD training is to develop a deep theoretical and practical understanding through research into aspects of Plant Sciences, augmented by appropriate lecture courses delivered within the department or, more generally, across the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences.

The course provides training in a wide range of disciplines, including plant genetic engineering, plant development, plant molecular biology, plant biochemistry, plant-microbe interactions, microbiology, plant ecology, crop biology, plant virology, plant epigenetics, epidemiology, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, eco-physiology, and bioinformatics.

Having identified a research area of interest and contacted the appropriate Supervisor, the first stage in developing an application should be to draft an appropriate research summary of the training to be undertaken.

Full-time PhD students must submit a thesis for examination by the end of their fourth year of study, although we encourage students and their supervisors to complete the thesis and submit it within the period of funding support, which, depending on the programme, may range from three to four years.

All postgraduate students attend induction and safety training courses in the department.  

In addition to undertaking their research, students will attend relevant courses and lectures, for example, instrumentation, sequencing and database use, statistics, experimental design, analysing data, writing reports and a thesis, and how to give effective scientific presentations. Students are expected to take part in the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences' Researcher Development Programme

Students receive termly reports on their work.

Learning Outcomes

The primary outcomes from successfully completing a PhD include expertise in:

  • specialist training in experimental or theoretical methods
  • an ability to analyse relevant literature and apply it to the development of innovative research
  • capacity to develop and apply data abstraction and analytical procedures with an appropriate level of statistical validation
  • independence in designing and conducting original research and preparing that data in a format suitable for publication in peer-reviewed journals
  • enhanced organisational skills in terms of time management, good laboratory practices, safety and planning a specific programme of research

The overall outcome should ensure that a PhD candidate is well-prepared to undertake additional independent research, whether as a continuation in their existing research field or applying their expertise and understanding in a new field. PhD candidates will also have a good grounding in the collation and organisation of research for reports or peer-reviewed papers, and so should be prepared either for a career in academia or more applied fields.

To assist in delivering these learning outcomes, an individual PhD candidate's progress is assessed via a standard series of review protocols, including drafting a project proposal after four weeks, delivering a seminar, and preparing a thesis plan and outline four months before the due submission date.

As a PhD student, candidates must keep a separate training log in which they will record all seminars and lectures attended and given, training undertaken, the highlights of their research work, and notes of discussions with their Supervisor(s). This log will be quite distinct from your laboratory notebook(s) which should contain all the details of your research work.

The PhD thesis has a word limit set at 60,000 words (80,000 by special permission), exclusive of tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices.


Open Days

The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options:

  • Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars - these Spring events provide practical information about applying for postgraduate study.

  • Postgraduate Virtual Open Days - taking place in November each year, the Open Days focus on subject and course information.

For more information about upcoming events visit our events pages.

Apply Now

Key Information


3-4 years full-time

4-7 years part-time

Study Mode : Research

Doctor of Philosophy

Department of Plant Sciences

Course - related enquiries

Application - related enquiries

Course on Department Website

Dates and deadlines:

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2023
Application deadline
Oct. 2, 2024
Course Starts
Jan. 5, 2025

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2023
Application deadline
Jan. 14, 2025
Course Starts
April 17, 2025

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Michaelmas 2025

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2024
Application deadline
May 13, 2025
Course Starts
Oct. 1, 2025

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2024
Application deadline
Oct. 2, 2025
Course Starts
Jan. 5, 2026

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2024
Application deadline
Jan. 14, 2026
Course Starts
April 17, 2026

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Course Funding Deadline
Jan. 7, 2025
Gates Cambridge US round only
Oct. 16, 2024

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2025, Lent 2026 and Easter 2026.


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