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Teaching
The course is entirely research-based, so there are no taught elements. However, students are encouraged to attend the various seminars and courses run within the Institute and the wider University. Students at the Institute 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. Visit the PSLS website's Researcher Development page for more information, i.e. for the University Core Skills Training Programme, which includes sessions on Time Management, Presentation and Performance, and Scientific Writing.
All students studying at the Institute will be required to undertake some essential induction training when they first start. This includes various safety inductions, facility introductory courses on Imaging, Flow Cytometry, and Bioinformatics, and centrally run Statistics courses.
| One to one supervision | During their MPhil, students are based in a research group, supported on a day-to-day basis by their Principal Supervisor and often a senior postdoc within the research group. Discussions are held daily at the bench and weekly during lab meetings. On average, supervisors meet with their students every two weeks to discuss progress. More widely, students are supported by the Institute's Postgraduate Education Committee and Postgraduate Student Committee. 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 | All first-year postgraduate students at the Institute are encouraged to participate in the 'Stem Cell Discussion Course', which occurs weekly during term time. Student/PostDoc seminars are held each Monday, at which one Postgraduate student and one PostDoc present their work to other members of the Institute. MPhil students present at a seminar towards the end of their course. The student seminars are an essential part of the MPhil and PhD journeys and a chance to hear about the wide range of research within the Institute. Other Institute-wide seminars are generally held weekly, with talks delivered by researchers within the Institute as well as visiting speakers. All students in the Institute are expected to attend these internal and external seminars held within the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, including the 'Research Culture and Integrity' seminar series. The Institute Postgraduate Student Committee organise further student-led seminars and events for students within the Institute. Students are also encouraged to attend the various research seminars, talks, and workshops held across the wider Biomedical Research Campus and elsewhere within the University. |
| Small group teaching | Weekly lab meetings within the research group. |
| Journal clubs | This varies according to the research group that the student has chosen. |
| Posters and Presentations | MPhil students are expected to present their work in one of the Institute-wide weekly 'internal seminars' during the Easter Term. Depending on the research group, there are often opportunities to attend and present at external conferences. |
| Taught/Research Balance | Predominantly Research |
Feedback
All CSCI Postgraduate students attend regular lab meetings with their research group, have one-on-one meetings with their supervisor, and give a seminar presentation to the Institute, after which audience feedback is given.
The CSCI Postgraduate Education Committee members are available at any time to discuss any matters arising.
Students receive formal feedback regarding their progress in the form of online termly reports (Postgraduate Feedback and Reporting System (PFRS)) completed by their Principal Supervisor.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
The MPhil in Stem Cell Biology is examined via submission of an MPhil thesis and a subsequent oral examination (viva).
The thesis must be no longer than 20,000 words, excluding tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices. It must satisfy the examiners that the candidate can design and carry out an original investigation, assess and interpret the results obtained, and place the work in the wider context of the subject.
Other
The MPhil in Stem Cell Biology is a predominantly research-based course, so no other formal assessment takes place during the MPhil.
MPhil students will, however, be required to give research talks/poster presentations at Institute events.