PhD in Psychiatry

Apply using the Applicant Portal

The Apply Now button on the right will take you to the Applicant Portal. There, you can create and submit your application and supporting documents, and you can also request your references.

An application is only complete when:

1. you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
2. you have paid the application fee if applicable. For further information on application fees, and which courses require an application fee, see here.
3. your referees have provided their references.

If you miss the deadlines specified in this section, you will not be able to submit your application.

Applicants wishing to apply for funding must ensure that they apply by the relevant funding date for entry the following academic year. Please note that funding deadlines can be significantly earlier than final course deadlines. For funding deadlines, please see the sidebar on the right.

Note: Offers made of places on this course are conditional on clearing any security checks the University deems necessary. Security checks are routinely required for all individuals involved in research activities that include working with sensitive information, working with children and vulnerable adults, working with live animals or with tissues supplied from live animals or working in an environment in which such work is pursued by others, working with dangerous pathogens or in a category 3 containment laboratory, or working with some other sensitive technologies. Where necessary the University will ensure that applicants are not disproportionately impacted by the requirement for any security checks by allowing new students to take up places and start appropriate areas of their work prior to a check in other areas being completed.

Selection Process

Applications to the Department of Psychiatry are considered as they are received (rolling admissions). Candidates are invited to submit applications to the University at any time from when applications open until the deadline. A departmental decision should be made within six weeks of receiving all supporting documentation, unless this is affected by a funding deadline. Candidates are encouraged to refer to the Applicant Portal for updates once their application has been submitted.

Further information on How To Apply

Things You'll Need

You should start preparing the things that you'll need when you apply. These will be mandatory, unless specifically flagged as optional.

• Two referees willing to give you a reference
  Either academic or professional – please see our References guidance for more information about which type you need. Your referees will need to have submitted their reference by the course deadline.
• Transcript  
• CV/resume
• Evidence of competence in English
  If required - please see our Competence in English guidance for more information.
• Reasons for Applying (1500 characters) (mandatory)
• Research Proposal (document upload) (mandatory)
  The research proposal must be between 1,000-2,000 words.
• Multiple Proposed Supervisors (200 characters) (mandatory)
  Applications with no named Supervisor will not be accepted. For more information on finding a Supervisor, see below.
• School of Clinical Medicine - Widening Participation Questionnaire
  Applicants to this course are being asked to complete an additional form to provide contextual information about their previous study. Find out more about our use of contextual information here: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/how/contextual-data

Gates Cambridge Scholarships

If you wish to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will also need to provide the following:

• Gates Cambridge Reference  
• Research Proposal (PhD applicants only)

See Gates Cambridge for more information.

How to Find a Supervisor

If you are contemplating a PhD in the Department of Psychiatry, it is important to identify a researcher who is working in an area of research of mutual interest and willing to be a Supervisor. We, therefore, encourage you to find out about the research groups within the department by visiting the Research page on our website and to conduct other background reading. You should then contact potential supervisors to find out about the possibility of working with them or someone in their group. Applications for a PhD in the Department of Psychiatry will not be accepted without a named Supervisor.

For more details on how to find a Supervisor, please visit the Find a Supervisor | Psychiatry