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For full-time students, the first year of the PhD is spent in Cambridge, with two major activities: firstly, developing a research topic with the guidance of a Supervisor, and secondly, training in research methods. The development of the topic often involves extensive reading into relevant literatures, the discovery of relevant information sources (such as archives or databases), and formulating plans for primary research, such as through making plans for fieldwork. This is done in combination with your primary Supervisor. The first year culminates in the production of a report, which serves as the basis for the registration exercise at the end of the year. This registration exercise is required to move on to official registration for the PhD degree and is conducted through a meeting with your postgraduate advisor and an independent assessor. Its purpose is to ensure that your research project is viable, that an appropriate methodology is being applied and that relevant literatures are being drawn upon.
The second major focus of the first year is research training. There is a weekly seminar on the methodological and philosophical questions that underpin research in the contemporary social sciences, which all first-year PhD students attend.
Alongside the methods course, PhD students choose two further courses to attend from a range of options, such as statistics, qualitative methods and languages. This is mandatory for the registration exercise.
For part-time students, whilst the methods training is expected to be carried out in the first year, additional training and the registration exercise may take place in the second term (Lent) of the second year.
The content of the second and third years for full-time students and the third and fifth years for part-time students varies considerably depending on the type of research being conducted. Many students spend a considerable portion of the second year (3/4th year part-time) of their PhD out of Cambridge on fieldwork, while others are resident throughout. To assist you in developing your research, we schedule an annual meeting with your primary Supervisor and postgraduate advisor, for which you produce a report for discussion.
Learning Outcomes
The PhD programme enables you, first and foremost, to develop your detailed knowledge of one specific field of knowledge and, through your original research, to contribute to this field. But it also gives you training in a broad variety of academic skills, engagement through seminars with scholars and practitioners working in a wide variety of other fields, opportunities to be involved in lecturing and teaching, and preparation for the job market.
Many of our PhD students also engage through the university in training in learning new languages or developing existing non-native language skills; presenting their work to non-academic audiences such as policy-makers, NGOs or commercial organisations; and writing for and editing POLIS's series of publications.
Continuing
Current MPhil students will need to achieve the required mark of distinction in their current programme. An early transcript revealing their current progress is not mandatory but helpful. Should the committee extend an offer, this would be on the condition of meeting the academic requirements that apply to the course. Should the condition not be met at the end of the MPhil programme, the offer will be withdrawn.
Open Days
The University hosts and attends fairs and events throughout the year, in the UK and across the world. We also offer online events to help you explore your options:
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Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD study webinars - these Spring events provide practical information about applying for postgraduate study.
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Postgraduate Virtual Open Days - taking place in November each year, the Open Days focus on subject and course information.