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.
Applications will be considered after 2 December deadline, and the outcome will be communicated to applicants from January 2026 onwards. The funding deadlines for some sources of funding may be well before the application deadline, so be aware of the separate deadlines if you wish to be considered.
Selection Process
Applications are considered on a rolling basis (as they are received) throughout the application window and usually take up to 8 weeks to process. The funding deadlines for some sources of funding may be well before the application deadline, so be aware of the separate deadlines if you wish to be considered.
During peak periods, applicants should expect a longer wait for the outcome of their application.
Please be aware that places on the MPhil in Politics and International Studies are limited and that the course may fill up before the published deadline. We welcome and encourage early applications where possible, as this is in your best interests.
For further information on how to apply, please visit the course page on the course website.
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.
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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. - Core - Research Proposal (document upload) (mandatory)
About 500-800 words, one to two pages, on any area of the syllabus and should indicate some familiarity with the context of the proposal and research methods to be employed. You can include a bibliography and references that will NOT be included in the word count. This proposal should include: -a clear, well-thought-out title -explicit details of the methods of research to be used (e.g., archival, discourse-analytical, empirical, whether quantitative, interview, or survey) -references to be relevant literature of which you are already aware or which you expect to be able to consult -reasons why Cambridge is, in your view, a particularly appropriate research institution within which to carry out this research, including the presence of specific individual scholars with expertise in the field of your proposed dissertation and whose supervision you would welcome - Core - Reasons for Applying (1000 characters) (mandatory)
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
Applicants will be asked in their research proposal to nominate 1-3 possible supervisors from within the department that they believe to be a good fit for their research question. The full list of academic staff and their research interests can be found here.
Applicants are asked not to contact potential supervisors themselves. The department will allocate supervisors once an applicant has met their offer conditions. Applicants are not guaranteed their first choice of Supervisor, and individual supervisors may be unavailable during a given year due to research leave or lack of capacity.