The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) is among the leading environmental research centres in the world. It is an institute of the UK Research & Innovation - Natural Environment Research Council (UKRI-NERC) and is responsible for the UK's national scientific activities in Antarctica.

Its skilled science and support staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic work together to deliver research that uses the Polar Regions to advance our understanding of Earth and our impact on it.

Through its extensive logistic capability and know-how, BAS facilitates access for the British and international science community to the UK polar research operation. Numerous national and international collaborations, combined with an excellent infrastructure, help sustain a world-leading position for the UK in Antarctic affairs. The UK is one of over thirty countries operating scientific research facilities in Antarctica.

In partnership with the University of Cambridge, BAS offers a PhD in Antarctic Studies. Students undertake a research project under the joint supervision of a research scientist at BAS and a University supervisor in a relevant partner Department. Students are usually based at BAS in Cambridge but will be registered for their degree at the University of Cambridge under one of the partnering departments: Archaeology, Plant Sciences, Zoology, Earth Sciences, Geography and Scott Polar Research Institute, Applied Mathematics & Theoretical Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, or Computer Science & Technology.

Our seven Polar Science for a Sustainable Planet teams consist of Atmosphere, Ice & Climate; Biodiversity, Evolution & Adaptation; Ecosystems; Ice Dynamics Palaeoclimate; Palaeo Environments, Ice Sheets & Climate Change; Polar Oceans; Space Weather & Atmosphere.

We welcome research enquiries from those working for first degrees or Masters in earth science subjects, physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology and related areas. BAS is a UKRI institution, hence, our students will undertake research within the areas of the NERC funded CREATES Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA).

All research students registered at the institution have a BAS supervisor and a University supervisor in a cognate department; progression and examination requirements are as for research students in the partner department.

The MPhil in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic (ASNC) is designed for students who have already undertaken a first degree incorporating work in some of the subjects encompassed by the Department. Our MPhil programme provides a nine-month course (October to June) in the scholarly methods and disciplines relevant to the study of the history, languages, literatures, and material culture of the peoples of Britain and Ireland, Brittany and Scandinavia in the earlier Middle Ages.

The course enables candidates to achieve an understanding of early Insular culture as a whole, as well as specialising in aspects of particular interest, whether historical, palaeographical, literary, or linguistic. Training is given in scholarly methods and practices, complemented by instruction in the candidate's particular fields of interest.

Educational aims of the programme

• To give students with relevant experience at a first-degree level the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision in one or more of the following areas: Anglo-Saxon history; Old English language and literature; medieval Scandinavian history; Old Norse language and literature; the histories of the Brittonic- and Gaelic-speaking peoples; Medieval Irish language and literature; Medieval Welsh language and literature; Insular Latin language and literature; palaeography; Germanic philology, Celtic philology, and textual criticism.

• To give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills in the unique range of subjects offered by the Department.

• To provide students with an overview of important texts in the major subject areas listed above and related areas.

• To prepare students for doctoral research in one or more of the ASNC subject areas.

These aims are achieved by:

1. Giving students the guidance necessary to formulate a plausible research proposal and produce written work based on such a proposal within a strict timetable.

2. Broadening their appreciation of the principal issues which shape the field of their dissertation topic, and encouraging them to develop insights which might form the basis of an original contribution to the field.

3. Developing students' competence in bibliographical searching (including the use of information technology) and in the critical assessment of research in the field.

4. Providing teaching in a range of specialist linguistic, literary, historical, and palaeographical topics and giving students the opportunity to prepare written exercises for assessment in two of these areas.

5. Developing students' competence in contributing to a weekly text-based seminar, and in presenting their own work and discussing the issues arising from it with an audience of peers and senior members of the Department.

This research degree is usually examined after three years of research by a thesis of up to 80,000 words. The criteria for obtaining the degree are that the thesis represents a 'substantial contribution to knowledge' and that it also represents a realistic amount of work for three years of study. The department can offer doctoral supervision on topics in a variety of early medieval languages and literatures (Old English, Old Norse, Medieval Welsh, Medieval Irish, Insular Latin), in the history of a comparable range of geographical areas (Anglo-Saxon England, Scandinavia, Ireland, Wales, Brittany, and Scotland), as well as in palaeography.

Applicants for the PhD who have not previously taken an MPhil, MA, or similar research foundation course in a closely related discipline to the one in which they wish to pursue their research are usually required to take the MPhil course before registering for the PhD. Those with relevant master's qualifications admitted into the PhD programme are registered for the degree towards the end of their first year if progress has been satisfactory.

As part of a PhD student's learning and development, regular postgraduate seminars are held throughout each term, where papers are given both by current students and by guest speakers. In addition, the third term (Easter) Postgraduate Symposium is a more informal setting in which students present their research in a variety of formats (including posters and round-table discussions). ASNC postgraduate students also organise their own annual day-long conference (Cambridge Colloquium in Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic) and are involved in running two inter-university conferences. The Department and Faculty organise training and professional development sessions to supplement the University's provision.

American history at the University of Cambridge is a dynamic field which covers the history of what is now the United States, from the colonial period to the modern era. The MPhil in American History enables students to develop expertise in this ever-expanding field of historical scholarship.

The MPhil in American History combines taught and research elements over a nine-month full-time programme. The taught elements include three modules, as well as training workshops and seminars. All students will also complete a substantial piece of independent research (a dissertation of 15,000–20,000 words).

Throughout the course, students will be supervised by a dedicated member of staff, who will guide their research towards the completion of a dissertation on a subject chosen and developed by the student.

Cambridge graduates in American history have taken up posts in universities and academic-related spheres of work around the world. The MPhil in American History provides a point of entry into this rich tradition. However, the MPhil has also provided an excellent basis on which to proceed to a career in other, non-academic professions.

The programme aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge necessary to address the ethical and societal challenges arising from the use of artificial intelligence. It will provide a professionally relevant teaching and learning environment informed by the forefront of research on AI and its ethical and societal impacts.

The programme of study aims to:

● Ensure that engagement with the ethical and societal challenges of AI is thoroughly informed by the knowledge, theories and methods of relevant established academic disciplines

● Provide a critical overview of the state of current interdisciplinary research on the challenges of AI

● Develop the critical research skills and analytical abilities needed to identify and address ethical challenges as they arise in practice from applications of AI

● Instil thorough knowledge of the role that different governance approaches can play in navigating the challenges of AI, and the ability to critically analyse those approaches

● Develop experts in the ethical and societal implications of AI with the ability and initiative to identify and address the challenges of AI across sectors and society

● Create a network for such experts to collaborate and continue learning as leaders in the field of AI ethics and governance

Successful completion of the MSt at a high grade may allow students to progress to a PhD either at the University of Cambridge or another institution.

The MPhil in African Studies offers a taught course with a substantial research component and provides an excellent foundation for students wanting to develop their knowledge of Africa. It is designed for students who wish to enhance their historical and contemporary understanding of Africa’s societies, politics, economics, and cultures, as well as for those who wish to apply for advanced research degrees. The degree thus offers a highly regarded postgraduate qualification relevant to a wide range of professional careers, as well as intensive research and language training for students planning to prepare a doctoral dissertation.

The course introduces the latest research approaches and methodologies in African studies at an advanced level. Students have the advantage of developing an interdisciplinary approach to critical thinking and academic writing, the opportunity to develop skills in an African language, and also receive specialist research training.

The MPhil in African Studies is structured by four key elements: a core course, an option course, a dissertation and language training. Full details of the course can be found on the Centre’s website.

This four-year doctoral training programme in Aerosol Science is part of the multi-institutional EPSRC Aerosol Science Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) and aims to provide scientists and engineers with a broad overview of the aerosol science sector in addition to in-depth training in detailed measurements, analysis and application approaches.

The initial full-time training phase of the doctoral training programme is aimed at building skills through taking taught courses at the University of Bristol, followed by a thematic broadening research placement that allows for complementary skills building. The taught courses provide training in the underlying physical science governing the properties and transformation of aerosols. Final research projects are agreed upon at the start of the PhD and will be advertised for students to select.

Training within the initial phase will provide the student with skills enabling:

• the acquisition of a broad understanding of core aerosol topics, as well as transferable skills in a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of an academic aerosol discipline or area of aerosol professional practice;
• the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, through original research or other advanced scholarship, of a quality to satisfy peer review, extend the forefront of the discipline, and merit publication;
• the development of a PhD thesis for an examination that they can defend in an oral examination.

This CDT operates in collaboration with the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, Hertfordshire, Imperial College London, Surrey and Manchester.

This 11-month MPhil in Advanced Materials for the Energy Transition is to take students with undergraduate degrees in a scientific or engineering discipline (Physics, Chemistry, Material Sciences, Engineering, Chemical Engineering) and train them in materials growth, characterisation, device design, and related techniques and toolsets to understand, develop, and deploy the next generation of energy-efficient materials-based technologies to replace fossil fuels. This will help to meet the UK’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The diverse topics addressed in the course will prepare students for long-term careers in a rapidly growing zero-carbon energy sector where broad knowledge of flexible and agile energy materials and systems is required to deliver a secure and sustainable global energy landscape.

The course mission is “to train students to become leaders in academia and industry to address grand challenges in the science and application of energy materials to decarbonise society”.

The course offers a multidisciplinary approach to energy materials, such that graduates are well placed to work in a diverse range of energy-related areas that are in high demand from employers.

Throughout the year the students will have lectures, practicals, and research projects delivered under the guidance of experts across all relevant research areas at the University of Cambridge, as well as leaders from the energy industry.

The course encompasses different educational and societal objectives, and responds to the growing:

• demand for highly trained scientists to design and develop the new generation of energy-efficient technologies,
• societal demand to replace fuel-based technologies by zero-carbon technologies, and
• importance of interdisciplinary expertise to better respond to the complexity of challenges faced by modern societies.

The objectives of the course are to provide students with:

• deep knowledge in all scientific areas for the growth and characterization of new materials,
• knowledge and practical experience in device design to develop new technologies, and
• awareness of the wide range of industrial applications of these new technologies.

The aim of the course is to provide preparation appropriate for undertaking a PhD programme in computer science. Students select five taught modules from a wide range of advanced topics in computer science from networking and systems measurements to category theory, and topics in natural language processing. Additionally, students take a mandatory, ungraded course in research skills which includes core and optional topics.

Students also undertake a research project over two terms and submit a project report in early June. Research topic selection and planning occurs in the first term and the work is undertaken in subsequent terms. The taught modules are delivered in a range of styles. For example, there are traditional lecture courses, lecture courses with associated practical classes, reading clubs, and seminar style modules.

The course aims to:

• give students, with relevant experience at a first-degree level, the opportunity to carry out directed research in the discipline;

• give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests;

• provide preparation appropriate for undertaking a PhD programme in computer science;

• provide the Faculty with an extended period in which to train students and then to judge the suitability of students for PhD study; and

• offer a qualification that is valuable and highly marketable in its own right that equips its graduates with the computer science related research skills and expertise to play leading roles in industrial and public-sector research.

The programme is a full-time course occupying 11 months and is structured as follows:

Students come into College residence in late September/early October. During the first two terms, students take a total of ten taught modules, the choice of which includes a combination of core chemical engineering modules and elective modules based on engineering and business/management-related subjects. From March to August, students undertake a full-time research project, the results of which are submitted as a dissertation.

The objectives of the programme are to:

• provide students with advanced technical skills in chemical engineering

• enable students to solve problems within an engineering type of environment

• provide students with business and management skills

• provide training in research