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Postgraduate Study

The course introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge. Its main aims are:

to give students with relevant experience at a first-degree level the opportunity to carry out focused research in the discipline under close supervision; and

to give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests.

Please ensure you check the Department of Clinical Neurosciences website for up-to-date information on projects and funding.

Postgraduate training is very different from undergraduate courses. It is based on individual needs and abilities and is designed to help you to think clearly, originally and practically, and to prepare you for leadership in science. We teach our postgraduate students how to plan and carry out cutting-edge research. Cambridge is an amazing place to learn how to do research. Visiting speakers and collaborators come from all over the world, and there are simply too many seminars for one person to attend!  We have a careful system of monitoring the individual progress of each student; everyone has both a principal supervisor and associated advisor, and there are weekly student-led seminars.

Research training within the Department has several essential components, the first and foremost being the research project itself, to which you will make a significant contribution. This will give you experience and training in a variety of experimental and clinical research techniques, but will also teach you how to organise research, plan experiments, and read and digest the scientific literature relevant to your research work. Most research groups have weekly or fortnightly meetings in which all members discuss each other's work.

However, other skills are also important. You will be required to attend seminars and round-tables, and you may have the opportunity to go to scientific meetings both in the UK and abroad. These bring you into direct contact with prominent and active scientists in your field from around the world.

You will also give scientific talks yourself and will also be expected to attend courses, that either directly relate to your research (for example, they might teach you a specific skill or expand your theoretical knowledge) or teach you general skills that are important for a well-qualified scientist to know (for example, how to write a scientific paper, use databases, or interact with the media). There are a large number of these courses, many of them run by the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences. The Department also has its own series of seminars.

We expect our postgraduate students to publish in high-quality journals, and nearly all of them do so.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, students will have:

a comprehensive understanding of techniques, and a thorough knowledge of the literature, applicable to their own research;

demonstrated originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in their field;

shown abilities in the critical evaluation of current research and research techniques and methodologies;

demonstrated some self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and acted autonomously in the planning and implementation of research.


Continuing

Those who wish to progress to a PhD after completing an MPhil will be required to demonstrate to their potential supervisor, Head of Department and the Faculty Degree Committee that they have the skills and ability to achieve the higher degree. They will also need to have funding in place.

Further information on continuing can be found here


Open Days

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of November. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the Postgraduate Open Day page for more details.

See further the Postgraduate Admissions Events pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

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Key Information


12 months full-time

2 years part-time

Study Mode : Research

Master of Philosophy

Department of Clinical Neurosciences

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. 15, 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
April 30, 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
Dec. 3, 2024
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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