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Teaching
The course is exclusively by research. The project and Supervisor are usually determined during the application process. The Department of Chemistry takes very seriously the provision of excellent and relevant postgraduate education, which will allow students to:
- develop relevant transferable skills through a number of compulsory courses during the first year of their studies
- choose their own bespoke series of optional academic lectures and workshops from our extensive and evolving range, directly supporting both research and a broader chemistry knowledge base
- select from many researcher development opportunities to enhance their transferable skill set and ultimate employability
- attend careers sessions given by alums of the department
Applicants interested in learning more about our training should see the Training pages on the Department of Chemistry's website.
| One to one supervision | The University of Cambridge publishes an annual Code of Practice which sets out the University's expectations regarding supervision. Our Department also has numerous mentoring and tutoring support structures in place, which students may also choose to take advantage of. |
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| Posters and Presentations | Presentation is an integral and expected part of every PhD student's experience within the Department of Chemistry, from first-year peer-to-peer presentations to departmental symposia at which our second- and third-year students present. Opportunities also exist for students to attend national and international conferences within their field of enquiry. |
Placements
If you are funded by an industrial sponsor, you may be required to undertake an industrial placement during your course. You will be advised if this is required.
Feedback
Supervisors will provide informal feedback during one-to-one supervision sessions and during lab or research interest group meetings.
In addition, all postgraduate students receive termly online reports written by their supervisors.
Students are also assigned an academic mentor within their research interest group. During the first year of their PhD studies, all students are required to present their project to their academic mentor for additional academic feedback. Additionally, during their second-year poster presentation, they will receive feedback from their academic mentor.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
Submission of a thesis not exceeding 60,000 words, including summary or abstract, tables, and footnotes, but excluding table of contents, photographs, diagrams, figure captions, list of figures and diagrams, list of abbreviations, bibliography, appendices and acknowledgements. The thesis is examined by two examiners and includes an oral examination. The thesis shall provide evidence to satisfy the examiners that a candidate can design and carry out investigations, assess and interpret the results obtained, and place the work in the wider perspectives of the subject.
Other
All PhD students are probationary in the first year and progression to the second year (and registration for the PhD) depends on a successful first-year review.
The first-year probationary review involves submitting a written progress report at the end of nine months. In addition to covering the research work completed during this time, it should also contain a review of appropriate literature and a clear indication of how the PhD will develop in the second and third years (i.e., future work). The report is assessed by two assessors, and an oral examination of the report will be undertaken.