Teaching
The course is exclusively by research. The project and supervisor are determined during the application process. The following support and training opportunities are available:
| One to one supervision |
The student meets their Primary Supervisor regularly throughout the PhD (and Secondary Supervisor, if one is appointed). The Supervisor's role is to provide guidance on the planning and execution of the student’s research and to provide oral and written feedback on progress. The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University's expectations regarding supervision. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes |
The Department runs an internal series of seminars in the Michaelmas and Lent terms, aimed specifically at PhD students. The seminars cover the PhD process and transferable skills such as presentation, career development and publications. The department runs a research seminar and public lecture programme with invited speakers from outside the department, and PhD students are strongly encouraged to attend. Whilst there are no mandatory taught elements in the PhD programme or for completion of the PhD degree, candidates may be required to undertake specific additional research training as recommended by their supervisor. Students may draw upon modules offered by the Cambridge Research Methods (CaRM) Training Programme. The university offers other training opportunities open to PhD students, from the Language Centre, the Postgraduate Researcher Development Programme and the Cambridge Open Research Programme. |
| Lectures |
PhD students can audit relevant postgraduate modules from the Departments taught Master’s programmes, if there is capacity and with the agreement of the module coordinator. |
| Posters and Presentations |
PhD students are given opportunities to present their work internally in various settings. Each student has to present their work as part of the first-year registration assessment process (see below). The Department runs an occasional internal brownbag seminar, which provides an opportunity for members of the Department to share and discuss their research in an informal and supportive environment. Departmental support is also available each year for PhD students to organise an annual Early Career Researchers’ Conference. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Entirely Research
|
Feedback
Regular oral and written feedback on students’ work is provided by the Supervisor through regular meetings with the student, and through termly supervision reports submitted online.
Detailed written feedback will also be provided by the two assessors as part of the first-year registration exercise (see below).
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
Examination for the PhD is by submission of a thesis and oral examination. The departmental Degree Committee will usually appoint one internal and one external examiner to undertake the examination, although there may be two external examiners for highly specialised theses.
A successful thesis will represent a substantial contribution to knowledge and will also represent a realistic amount of work for three years of study (or four to seven years part-time). The thesis is not to exceed 80,000 words including footnotes, references and appendices but excluding bibliographies. The final submitted thesis must be a connected account of the research written by the candidate. In general, the thesis format is either in the form of a book divided into chapters, or of three or more connected articles, which with relatively little editing might be submitted to academic refereed journals. The connected articles format should include an introductory chapter explaining the themes or ideas that link the research papers and a concluding chapter drawing conclusions and any implications for research and policy.
Other
All PhD students are probationary in the first year (or part-time equivalent). Students are required to submit a 10,000-word progress report in their third term (the fifth term for part-time students), and have an oral assessment based on it to assess whether satisfactory progress has been made. The report will be examined by two assessors. Progression to the second year and full registration for the PhD is subject to successfully completing this assessment.
Early in the seventh term of a PhD (around the start of the third year), there will be a further formal assessment of progress. This assessment follows a similar format to the first-year assessment.