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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:
- you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal
- you have paid the application fee if applicable. For further information on application fees, and which courses require an application fee, see here.
- your referees have provided their references.
If you miss the deadlines specified in this section, you will not be able to submit your application.
You are strongly advised to apply as early as possible. We consider and process applications on a rolling basis (as they are received) and supervisors can only take on limited numbers of students. For this reason, courses sometimes close to applications earlier than the stated deadline.
Selection Process
We consider and process applications on a rolling basis (as they are received).
While we try to process your application as quickly as possible, it may take between 6 and 8 weeks. More than 90% of applications are processed within 12 weeks. If you have not heard anything from the Faculty after this time, please get in touch as it is likely that your application has been placed on a waiting list.
Applications are considered first by the Director of the MPhil who will make an initial recommendation and nominate a potential supervisor for a second opinion.
Where the Faculty wishes to admit an applicant, a suitable supervisor must be found who has expertise in the proposed area of research. In some cases, applications will be sent to multiple supervisors before an appropriate match can be found. On rare occasions, the Director may propose your application is transferred to a more appropriate course within or outside the department (the Faculty will seek your permission from you before this is done). Sometimes good candidates cannot be admitted because an appropriate supervisor is not available, especially towards the end of the application cycle.
Interviews
While interviews are not generally required for MPhil students in the Faculty of History, they may be held at the discretion of the Faculty or supervisor.
Further information on How To Apply
Things You'll Need
In order to apply for this course you'll need to think about getting a few things ready before you apply.
- Two academic references
- Transcript
- CV/resume
- Evidence of competence in English
If required - you can check using our tool - Personal development questionnaire
- Sample of Work (2) (document upload) (mandatory)
You must provide a sample of your written work, in English. This can be a thesis, or one or two long essays, which best represents your writing style. It is sensible (but not obligatory) to choose a piece of work which is in the broad subject area in which you plan to do research. There is no minimum or maximum word count for this writing sample. - Research Proposal (document upload) (mandatory)
You should provide a research proposal of 600–1,000 words which includes the following: a simple and descriptive title for the proposed research; a rationale for the research; a brief historiographic context; and an indication of the sources likely to be used. Sample research proposals from recent successful applicants can be found here: https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/course/mphil-economic-and-social-history Please title this document ‘Statement of Intended Research’.
Gates Cambridge Scholarships
If you wish to be considered for a Gates Cambridge Scholarship you will also need to provide the following:
See Gates Cambridge for more information.
How to Find a Supervisor
It is recommended that before you apply, you identify and contact a potential supervisor whose research interests align with your own. A sensible place to start would be the Faculty's Academic Staff Directory, which lists staff by Subject Group. https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/people
We understand that identifying a potential supervisor will not always be possible, but we do recommend you try contacting at least one before you apply. Supervisors are very used to receiving enquiries from prospective students and are well-placed to recommend a colleague who may be a better fit if they themselves are unavailable or unsuitable to the project.
Please allow time for supervisors to respond to your query (as they are often very busy). They will not be able to give you detailed feedback on a research proposal but they can normally give general guidance and advice on a proposed project.
Nominating a supervisor does not guarantee your acceptance on to the course, nor that you will be allocated to that supervisor if you are accepted to the course.