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Application process for PhD and EdD

You are required to identify a potential supervisor before submitting your PhD/EdD application. When you contact potential supervisors, you should discuss their availability to supervise and the fit between your proposed PhD project and the area of their research. Indication in principle that the supervisor is willing to supervise your project does not guarantee an offer of admission. This is because potential supervisors cannot independently make a final decision on admission to the PhD/EdD. Potential supervisors will only indicate if, pending a successful application, they would in principle be able to supervise you. This is because the fit between your doctoral research proposal (see below) and the specific research field of the potential supervisor is an essential component of doctoral studies.

Time and interest permitting, the potential supervisor may advise on how a research proposal might be developed or improved. Such advice does not guarantee an offer of admission.

► You can find academic staff profiles, including supervision availability, in the research section on the Faculty website.  ► A list of potential supervisors for the 2024 admission cycle is available here .

Further information about how and when to apply for the PhD/EdD  is available from the Postgraduate Admissions Office.

Progression from Masters to the Doctoral programme

If you are a student on the Faculty Masters programme and you intend to proceed straight onto the doctoral programme, please note that continuation is not automatic and must be preceded by an application to the doctoral programme, regardless of funding arrangements, as well as meeting the academic requirements for continuation.

Supervisors

All applicants are required to name a potential supervisor on your application because they will be the first person to review your application after you submit it. This is the potential supervisor whom you would have contacted ahead of submitting your application.

If the potential supervisor would like to take the application further, you may be contacted for an interview.

If the potential supervisor is not available, your application will be reviewed by the doctoral admissions team to determine whether another supervisor may be identified.

Given the range of areas of research and fields of expertise represented in the Faculty, not identifying a supervisor at the point of application is unlikely to result in a match being identified through this route.

Applicants are strongly encouraged therefore to contact supervisors ahead of submitting their application. If you have not identified a supervisor at the point of application, we may not be able to identify any supervisor with aligned research interests and therefore we may not be able to make an offer of admission.

Admissions decisions

Upon submission of the application, the named potential supervisor reviews the full application and makes a recommendation to the Faculty of Education doctoral admissions team. The doctoral admissions team further reviews the full application and makes a final decision as to whether an offer of admission will be made, and what conditions for admission may apply.

Please note that this final decision normally takes up to 12 weeks to reach the applicant, but may on occasion take longer.

Applicants who have applied for funding, applied by the appropriate funding deadline, and have an offer of admission (even if this has not yet been communicated to the applicant) will be considered for funding. 

Consideration for funding starts with a ranking of all eligible applications, undertaken by a panel convened by the Faculty of Education doctoral admissions team. This panel include academics working in a range of fields and research areas and applying a large variety of methods in their own work. The panel generates a full set of funding recommendations on behalf of the Faculty. 

Funding recommendations are then forwarded from the Faculty of Education to the University's central Postgraduate Funding Committee, who review all applications across the University and make recommendations for funding allocations. Decisions about funding for doctoral places are communicated to applicants starting in February, and can be announced as late as the summer before entry.

Unfortunately, there is limited funding and we cannot therefore promise to fund every applicant who receives an offer of a place. You may receive an offer to study on our doctoral programme, without receiving any funding.

The Faculty of Education doctoral admissions team, the Cambridge Trust, the ESRC DTP and the AHRC DTP are all committed to supporting scholars from diverse backgrounds to join our doctoral programmes. When it comes to funding, we consider applications holistically, weighing up the research proposal, prior academic record, references, and evidence of resilience and other relevant personal circumstances.

The Research Proposal

All doctoral applicants are required to submit a research proposal of up to 1,500 words (exclusive of bibliography/reference list) outlining their proposed research project.

Please read Guidance for research proposal

Important note

It is very important that the area you want to work in is broadly compatible with our research interests and that you name a potential supervisor on your application

The Personal Statement

All doctoral applicants are required to submit a personal statement of up tp 1,500 words providing a holistic account of their reasons for applying and their educational and professional experiences that have led them to this point.

Contextual information you provide in the personal statement allows the admissions team to make recommendations for funding in the most equitable way possible, based on the information we receive from applicants.

Please read Guidance for personal statement .

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PhD in Chemistry

Entry requirement:   2.1 Masters degree or equivalent . 

Please check international qualifications equivalence guidelines here .

Coming to Cambridge for a PhD in Chemistry means you will be joining a community of over 50 academics, 350 PhD students and more than 200 postdoctoral researchers. The research opportunities are vast and career development is second to none. 

The route to a PhD takes up to four years of full-time research, culminating in a substantial thesis of up to 60,000 words which is examined by viva. Along your journey to a PhD, you will be absorbed in the laboratory life of your chosen research group. The postgraduate chemistry lecture series we offer aims to bring everyone up to the same high-level of foundational knowledge; irrespective of prior educational background at Masters level. You will present your research at seminars and conferences as you progress. Most PhD students go to at least one international and national chemistry conference in the course of their studies.

HOW TO APPLY

We strongly recommend that you correspond with potential supervisors early and well in advance of submitting your application. This is also important for maintaining oversight of which project you could be working on. Prospective projects may not always reflect groups publications therefore, we encourage you to discuss this with your potential supervisors to avoid disappointment. 

For information about funding please click here .

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Supervision

Candidates work closely with their supervisor who is assigned to them after a candidate has been accepted and before the commencement of their studies. The supervisor will be a specialist in the general field in which you propose to work, although they may not be an expert on your particular topic of research. Your supervisor will assist you in refining your research topic, oversee the general direction of your work, and ensure that what you are doing is up to the standard expected for the degree towards which you are working. You can expect to meet your supervisor on average once a month to report on your progress, and more frequently than this if necessary. How much you write in a given period will vary, but as a rule of thumb you will usually be expected to produce at least one substantial piece of written work each term.

Prospective PhD students should research the Faculty thoroughly before applying to ensure that there is a Faculty member with appropriate expertise to oversee the proposed project. The Faculty’s research map might be of use as a starting point here, as will the Faculty academic staff profiles .

In addition to their supervisor, PhD students are assigned an advisor, who is a member of the Faculty with expertise in the student’s field. The student has a formal advisory meeting with the supervisor and the advisor once a year. The advisor is also available for less formal consultation from the outset.

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PhD in Economics

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This is the most advanced programme of graduate studies in Economics at Cambridge. Upon its completion, candidates are awarded a PhD degree for producing a thesis of high-quality, original, and publishable research over a period of four years (full-time) and seven years (part-time).

A good number of our PhD students receive full or partial funding for their studies, from a variety of funding bodies, such as the ESRC and the Gates Foundation .

Our PhD students receive high quality training on a variety of research methods and are exposed to cutting edge research conducted by our own Faculty members, as well visitors to the Faculty (via the Cambridge-INET Institute , seminars, PhD workshops, locally organised conferences, etc.). Faculty members can supervise a wide range of topics from six broadly defined research areas: microeconomic theory, macroeconomics, econometrics, applied microeconomics, economic history and alternative approaches to economics.

PhD students in Cambridge benefit from a high faculty-to-student ratio and therefore form close relationships with many Faculty members. They also forge strong links with our post-doctoral researchers, and they actively participate in the Faculty’s vibrant research life. They have access to a wide range of facilities, such as their own desk/office space in the same building as regular Faculty members, computing equipment, a variety of software and access to a wide range of databases.

PhD students are encouraged to attend academic conferences and showcase their research work in a variety of ways. Upon completions of their studies, many of our PhD students become academics, or researchers at international or government research institutions (see recent job market placements here ).

Explore here the profiles of our current PhD students.

To obtain the degree of PhD in Economics, students need to:

1. Obtain the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (CPGS) . If accepted for the PhD degree, you will be registered initially for the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (CPGS) in Economics. Students registered for the CPGS are required to:

• Attend the 'How to do Economics' lecture course. Other postgraduate courses in research methods are organised by the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Physical Sciences, and are available to all PhD students.  
• Undertake a minimum of four courses from PhD or MPhil Modules from at least two subject areas. You must achieve a pass mark (60%) on each component of the coursework. Students who fail any examinations will be called for a viva on the coursework.

• Write a research proposal (maximum length 10,000 words) that should include a review of the relevant literature, a research question, and outline of a research design and methods. The expectation is that this proposal will be for a piece of research that could form the basis of one chapter of a PhD dissertation. You will be given an oral examination on this piece of work and must perform to a satisfactory standard.  
• Attend (a) one of the three research workshops (on microeconomics, macroeconomics or econometrics) at which research students present both their own work and recent papers in the literature - assessment of workshops will be arranged by course organisers; (b) attend at least one of the Faculty's general seminars in which papers are given both by outside speakers and Faculty members;  
• To be registered for the PhD submit an acceptable piece of research (first year chapter) of not more than 20,000 words. The piece of research submitted must be of a standard that would enable it to form the basis of one-third of your eventual PhD thesis. This means that it must contain research that could be expanded upon to constitute one-third of the PhD thesis.

2. Once upgraded to PhD status, a student concentrates on her or his PhD dissertation. In general the thesis format is either in the form of a book divided into chapters, or of three or more connected articles; in either case, the Faculty has a strict limit of 60,000 words. As research progresses, there will be opportunities to present work in progress at research workshops attended by Faculty members and research students. PhD students will also be required to attend research seminars given by outside speakers and Faculty members. 

Upon completion and submission of the PhD thesis, students do an oral examination (viva) with two examiners, one internal to the University of Cambridge (not the supervisor or research advisor), and one external (from any other University in the UK or the rest of the world).

After a successful thesis defence, the examiners recommend awarding the degree of PhD.

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We’re excited to welcome you into our research programmes and we appreciate that applying for the right PhD can be a challenging process. Find out all you need to know to apply to a Cambridge Judge Business School PhD and successfully navigate the application process.

You will need to gain admission to your PhD via a Cambridge Judge Business School research masters degree. This means you need to already hold or be currently studying for one of the following degrees:

• MPhil in Strategy, Marketing and Operations (SMO)
• MPhil in Innovation, Strategy and Organisation (ISO)

Funding deadlines

Previous PhD Director Jennifer Howard-Grenville offers advice on applying to the doctoral programme.

Hello, I’m Professor Jennifer Howard-Grenville, and I’m the Director of our PhD programme here at the Cambridge Judge Business School We’ve prepared this short video to give you some tips on how our application process works.

Apply via a research masters First, please do not apply directly to the PhD. We only consider applicants who already hold or are studying on one of our Research Masters degrees, the MPhil in ISO, SMO, or Finance. Or the MRes. In extremely rare cases, when a prospective student has already published in top journals in their field, we may consider a direct application.

Ensure you meet our minimum requirements Second, please ensure you meet the minimal requirement for the masters degree to which you are applying. Since it is a competitive process to apply to the PhD from our MPhil programmes, you should also ensure that you’re a strong contender for continuation. This means you have, at a minimum, a first class equivalent in your undergraduate degree. Please look under the International Qualifications tab on the University Admissions website to see what this equates to in your system.

Do you already hold a graduate degree? Our MPhil degrees are designed for students without a graduate degree who are interested in exploring business and management research.

The MRes is for those who already hold a research-oriented graduate degree, and who will then immerse themselves in the topics, literatures and methods for conducting research in a business school setting. To apply for the MRes, you must have been within the top 5% of your class on a prior research-oriented masters degree.

Navigating the admissions process I hope this helps you navigate our process. And we’re excited to welcome new students into our research programmes. Since it is a complex application process, please rest assured that if you apply for a programme that is not the right match and you’re within our minimum qualifications, we will redirect your application internally to make sure you’re considered for the most appropriate programme.

View video with transcript

Admission via a standard research MPhil

Our MPhil degrees are designed for students without a graduate degree who are interested in exploring business and management research. You will need to meet the minimal requirements for the masters degree to which you are applying. Since it is a competitive process to apply to the PhD from our MPhil programmes, you should also ensure that you’re a strong contender for continuation. This means that you have, at a minimum, a first-class equivalent in your undergraduate degree. Please look under the International Qualifications tab on the University Admissions website to see what this equates to in your system. 

To gain admission to Cambridge Judge Business School’s PhD programme via one of the our research MPhil programmes, you will need to take a particular MPhil and specific modules within the programme in order to be eligible to continue to the PhD programme on your desired pathway. 

About the MPhil in Finance

Application deadline

Admissions requirements

MPhil in SMO

About the MPhil in SMO

MPhil in ISO

About the MPhil in ISO

Progress to the PhD programme, after your MPhil year

You need to: 

• submit an application for the PhD programme, which includes a research proposal, paper or literature review that will be assessed for quality and strong references
• perform well in the first term of MPhil modules
• perform well at an interview with a panel of faculty members
• demonstrate a fit between the proposed research and the research expertise in the subject group (resulting in the interview panel recommending supervisors)
• be ranked sufficiently highly by the panel in order to receive an offer (admissions offers are usually conditional on overall performance in the MPhil or parts thereof, and the usual conditions are an overall mark of 70% and 70% in any dissertation). 

We automatically shortlist all PhD applicants from the above 3 research MPhil programmes for interview (applicants currently studying for the MPhil or those who previously completed the MPhil with a grade ≥70% overall and ≥70% in the dissertation). 

Admission via the Master of Research 

The Business School’s Master of Research (MRes) programme offers you another route to the PhD for all pathways except Finance.  To apply for the Cambridge Judge Business School MRes, you will already hold a research-oriented graduate degree, and want to immerse yourself in the topics, literatures and methods for conducting research in a business school setting. 

Students who obtain 70% overall (modules and dissertation combined) and at least 70% in the dissertation component in the School’s Master of Research programme will progress automatically to the PhD programme – no further application is necessary.

Master of Research

About the MRes

Admission directly to the PhD 

All applicants must apply for one of the 3 research MPhils or the MRes in the first instance, or in exceptional cases a Cambridge MPhil in Economic Research.

In very rare cases, outstanding MRes applicants who have exceptional prior research experience (as evidenced by journal publications in reputable management journals) and substantial relevant research methodology training may be considered for entry to the PhD programme directly (without taking the MRes year in the first instance). In this case their MRes application would be transferred to the PhD.

Learn more about the application process and deadlines

Explore fees and funding options

Contact the admissions team

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The Department has a large community of around 80 PhD students working on their own projects. The PhD students at Geography and the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) study a broad range of topics that reflect the diverse interests of the academic staff in the Department.

1. Before making an application

Before applying, you should satisfy yourself that advanced study in your chosen research topic can be supervised by an academic at Geography or SPRI. Acceptance of any applicant will be dependent on specialist supervision being available. Unfortunately, if we cannot supervise your topic, we will decline your application regardless of its academic merit. Please check the research groups then look through the online staff list .

Identification of a potential supervisor does not imply a guarantee of admission and the full admissions procedure must be followed in all cases. If your potential supervisor’s details are available from our website, you may e-mail the person with a draft research proposal (maximum 2,000 words). If contact details are not available, kindly e-mail the Postgraduate Office Administrator with your research proposal and the name(s) of whom you are trying to contact.

2. Go to the University’s Postgraduate Admissions Pages

Go to the University’s Postgraduate Admissions pages which has all the information you need to make a formal application. Applicants should plan well in advance to ensure their papers can be processed in time. The deadline for all PhD applicants is March 26th 2024.

Please note this deadline does not apply to applicants for the Cambridge ESRC DTP Interdisciplinary Studentship , who should contact graduate.enquiries @ geog.cam.ac.uk before making an application.

When making the formal application PhD applicants will need to provide a statement (maximum 2,000 words) detailing your research proposal, including aims and methods, sources and the location of the proposed research. Your proposal should include a list of specific resource needs for your research such as travel budget, fieldwork, laboratory equipment, chemical and IT needs. Please state in your application which academic in the Department your believe has interests that are closest to your own and therefore might supervise your research. It is advisable to approach the Academic identified in advance to discuss your proposal.

Physical Geography applicants choosing from the list of topics do not need to include a research proposal but should include information about why you have chosen a topic and the relevant experience you have for the chosen topic.

If you are applying for a PhD programme, and have only recently started a masters degree at a new institution, we understand that it may be more suitable for you to request references from your prior academic and/or professional environment.

Cambridge Funding Competitions deadlines:

GATES (US) – 11th October 2023;

GATES (non-US), Trusts and Research Councils – 5th December 2023;

NERC DTP ( home and international students ) – 5th January 2024 (although you are encouraged to apply by 5th December to be considered for other funding sources too).

Applications must be made in advance of these dates to be considered for funding, please note these deadlines are earlier than the final admissions deadline. Please also note these deadlines include submission of all your references which must have been submitted by your referees in advance of these funding deadlines.

Doctoral work in the Department is funded through Research Council funding ( ESRC , AHRC and NERC ), studentships from the Cambridge Trust , the Gates Foundation and other funding agencies. While the Geography Department has modest funds for fieldwork or conference attendance, it does not fund PhD studentships.

• Overseas applicants should look in particular at scholarships available through the Gates Foundation and scholarships administered by the Cambridge Trust . You should apply for these by the advertised deadline when you complete your formal application. Information can be found and eligibility can be checked via the University’s Postgraduate Admissions page.
• UK students should look in particular at the Research Council studentships and funding available via the Cambridge Trust .

It is advisable to complete a Funding Search to help you find the most suitable funding options from those listed above.

Finance information for PhD courses run by the Department is to be found from the University’s Postgraduate Admissions pages .

In addition to fees and maintenance, you will need to ensure you have funds to cover all fieldwork, laboratory work, access to data, archives and travel needs for the length of your study. You should ensure that you have sufficient funds or that your funding body provides sufficient support.

Apply now for entry in 2024

See more videos about Postgraduate study at the Department of Geography

PhD in Geography: Full course details

PhD in Polar Studies: Full course details

Funding opportunities

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The PhD programme

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Finance overview    Funding    How to apply

The PhD is awarded after three to four years of full-time research (or five to seven years of part-time study) on the basis of a dissertation of 80,000 words (exclusive of footnotes, appendices and bibliography, but subject to an overall word limit of 100,000 words exclusive of bibliography, table of contents and any other preliminary matter). Examination for the PhD involves an oral examination (viva) by two examiners.

Research students who intend to undertake PhD research are in the first instance automatically registered for a one-year research training programme leading to the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (CPGS) in Legal Studies. They are assigned a supervisory team by the Degree Committee of the Faculty, ordinarily consisting of a supervisor (who is principally responsible for directing and assisting the research) and an advisor (who provides a second point of contact for academic advice). At the end of the first year, the Degree Committee decides whether students should be registered for the PhD. This decision is taken on the basis of the student’s personal progress log, first-year dissertation of 15,000 words, viva conducted by two assessors from within the Faculty, and outline of plans for the full research project. Candidates who successfully complete the requirements of the CPGS and the first-year progress review are retrospectively registered for the PhD.

All full-time PhD students are ordinarily required to be resident in Cambridge for the duration of their research (save where given leave to work away from Cambridge for academic reasons or whilst undertaking fieldwork), and during the first year in particular must attend weekly research training sessions in the Faculty.

This overview of the PhD programme must be read in conjunction with the detailed information available under the 'Courses' section (see, in particular, the Course Directory) of the Postgraduate Admissions website . Further information on postgraduate admission to research courses in the Faculty of Law is available from [email protected] or +44 (0)1223 330039.

The Faculty of Law The David Williams Building 10 West Road Cambridge CB3 9DZ United Kingdom

Telephone: +44 1223 330033 Email: [email protected]

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Prospective phd in politics and international studies.

The application and funding portal for October 2024 entry is now closed.

Our PhD in Politics and International Studies is structured as a three-year programme. With the expectation that PhD students will submit a full draft of their thesis at the end of the third year or soon after.

This is a research degree and is completed through the submission of a thesis of up to 80,000 words. As a full-time programme, it is completed in a period of between three and four years – that is between nine and twelve university terms. 

The First Year

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 literature, 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, who discusses your progress and reviews your written work, usually fortnightly. You are also appointed a second supervisor who can be drawn upon for additional advice.

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 second supervisor and an independent assessor. Its purpose is to ensure that your research project is viable, that an appropriate methodology is applied and that relevant literature is 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 this, PhD students choose two further courses to attend from a range of options, such as statistics, qualitative methods and languages.

As the induction process and training courses start at the beginning of October, entry to the PhD programme must also begin then. We cannot therefore accept applications to begin at other points during the academic year.

The Second and Third Years

The content of the second and third years varies considerably depending on the type of research being conducted. Many students spend a considerable portion of the second year of their PhD out of Cambridge on fieldwork, while others are resident throughout. To assist you in the development of your research, we schedule an annual meeting with your primary and secondary supervisor, for which you produce a report for discussion.

In the second year and onwards, many of our PhD students contribute to the Department's teaching programme, principally in small-group teaching of undergraduates (supervisions).

There is also the opportunity to deliver a lecture if your research interests align with the taught courses. There is no obligation to be involved in this, but many of our PhD students consider this valuable experience, particularly for those considering academic careers.

Dissertations are assessed through an oral examination with two senior academics, of whom at least one must be external.

Supervision

Full-time candidates on the course are expected to devote themselves fully to their studies . Full-time students must spend at least three terms resident in Cambridge.  Part-time students are required to attend Cambridge and undergo formal supervision with their supervisor at a frequency agreed upon between the supervisor and student and determined by the nature of the research project. Generally, we would expect part-time students to be resident in Cambridge for around 45 days per year, spread throughout the year, for supervision and training.

• How to apply  
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Testimonials from current students

"POLIS’ unparalleled array and quality of resources have remained crucial to my growth as a researcher. Diligent research experts like my supervisor and advisor have guided me through fine tuning my academic voice, acquainting myself with my ontological outlook, and even confronting some of my political inclinations. The depth and rigor of the PhD modules around methodology and professional development have rooted my thesis design and helped me envision longer term applications for my work. Above all, navigating this PhD with my POLIS peers, alumni, faculty, and staff has fashioned an intellectual home for me, contributed to my confidence, and steadied my sense of belonging at Cambridge. Whether it’s forging through top tier research conferences, teasing out field studies in foreign countries, or navigating everyday challenges like illness or impostor syndrome, I can always count on a member of the POLIS community to see me, hear me, and stand with me. And that has almost always been the determining factor in my success."

Abii-Tah Bih -  PhD Student POLIS  (April 2022)

"A PhD at POLIS has been a fantastic choice. Graduate students have the opportunity to be connected to faculty researching across a wide range of issues and approaches. There are many opportunities to broaden intellectual horizons by attending workshops or talks, and I encourage anyone considering applying to do so!"

Say Jye Quah -  PhD Student POLIS- 2022

“A wonderful place to carry out independent research, POLIS paves the way for serendipitous and life-changing opportunities, within and beyond the world of academia. The PhD community is truly phenomenal, filled with passionate and driven students who bring a diverse range of perspectives and approaches to their study. I have found POLIS to be a rewarding research environment and have been privileged to find much support and inspiration from my peers and academic staff. “ 

Elizabeth Paradis - 2022

"Coming to the programme with a different intellectual background, I was immediately made to feel at home at POLIS by the sheer diversity of research carried out and the varied kinds of approaches people bring to the PhD programme. The openness and friendly support, the in-depth and challenging discussions, as well as the encouraging process of developing your own project in constructive exchange and collaboration with other PhD students make the programme an intellectually stimulating and deeply enriching experience."

Carl Pierer PhD Student POLIS  2021

"The structure of the PhD course, amazing staff, the events and workshops organised by the different centres at POLIS all provide a fertile ground for one to thrive. The diversity of research topics means you are always learning something different from your colleagues. I am grateful to be part of the POLIS family."

Edward Murambwa, PhD Student POLIS  - 2019

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Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

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617-253-3381 [email protected]

Website: Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Application Opens: September 1

Deadline: December 1 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Fee: $75.00

Terms of Enrollment

Interdisciplinary programs, areas of research.

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All students admitted to our doctoral programs are provided with full funding that includes a stipend, tuition, and health insurance. This may be in the form of a fellowship or research assistantship. At some time in your graduate career, you will be asked to serve as a teaching assistant so that you gain that experience. Research assistantships are the primary support for students beyond the first year.

Funding may vary by program, and newly admitted students are encouraged to apply to outside government and private agencies for fellowship support. Please see the  EAPS website  for more information.

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• General test not required for Fall 2024 admissions cycle
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• Minimum score required: 7
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• 600 (paper-based)
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IELTS is preferred, though both IELTS and TOEFL will be accepted. A waiver of the TOEFL/IELTS requirement may be available for those who have completed a four-year bachelor’s program taught exclusively in English.

Application Requirements

• Online application
• Statement of objectives
• Three letters of recommendation
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Special Instructions

Deadline for September admission is December 1st.

Do not try to convert your university grading scale or GPA to MIT’s scale. Enter the grades/GPA as granted by your school.

An original copy of your transcript from each college or university, translated into English, should be uploaded as an attachment in PDF format to your application. No other attachments will be accepted. Hard copies sent via post by an applicant will not be accepted. Only those applicants who are accepted for admission will be required to submit a hard copy of their transcripts. Any discrepancy between the scanned transcripts and official transcripts may result in a rejection or withdrawal of our admission offer.

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Research Assistant/Associate in Minimising Energy in Construction 2024

A position exists, for a Research Assistant/Associate in the Department of Engineering, to work on a research grant that looks to advance our understanding of embodied carbon and design in the built environment. This role will see the successful candidate working with Professor Orr to advance research in the field of construction and structural engineering. The post will focus on efforts to reduce whole life embodied carbon of built assets. The work undertaken will build on Professor Orr's previous grants, in particular "MEICON" (www.meicon.net).

The post holder will be located in West Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, UK.

The key responsibilities and duties are

Research and scholarship.

• To analyse results of the second "MEICON" survey and prepare a report on their results. See www.meicon.net.
• Assist in the preparation of proposals and applications to external bodies.
• Write up research for presentation and publications
• Manage own research and administrative activities

Liaison and networking

• Liaise with colleagues and students
• Build internal and external contacts and participate in networks for the exchange of information and to form relationships for collaboration

Planning and organising

• Plan and manage own research activity in collaboration with others
• Contribute to planning of joint research projects led by the principal investigator

The skills, qualifications and experience required to perform the role are a PhD (or close to obtaining) in a relevant subject, or equivalent experience; Understanding of embodied carbon and design; Evidence of interdisciplinary working that covers structural engineering, architecture, and construction; Ability to analyse survey data and draw conclusions; Ability to lead workshops and prepare workshop materials; Ability to engage with industrial partners in a collaborative manner; Excellent written English skills.

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MIT scholars will take commercial break with entrepreneurial scholarship

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Two MIT scholars, each with a strong entrepreneurial drive, have received 2024 Kavanaugh Fellowship awards, advancing their quest to turn pioneering research into profitable commercial enterprises.

The Kavanaugh Translational Fellows Program gives scholars training to lead organizations that will bring their research to market. PhD candidates Grant Knappe and Arjav Shah are this year’s recipients. Knappe is developing a drug delivery platform for an emerging class of medicines called nucleic acid therapeutics. Shah is using hydrogel microparticles to clean up water polluted by heavy metals and other contaminants. Knappe and Shah will begin their fellowship with years of entrepreneurial expertise under their belts. They’ve developed and refined their business plans through MIT’s innovation ecosystem, including the Sandbox, the Legatum Center, the Venture Mentoring Service, the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps Program, and Blueprint by The Engine. Now, the yearlong Kavanaugh Fellowship will give the scholars time to focus exclusively on testing their business plans and exercising decision-making skills — critical to startup success — with the guidance of MIT mentors.

“It’s a testament to the support and direction they’ve received from the MIT community that their entrepreneurial aspirations have evolved and matured over time,” says Michael J. Cima, program director for the Kavanaugh program and the David H. Koch Professor of Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Founded in 2016, the Kavanaugh program was instrumental in helping past fellows launch several robust startups, including low-carbon cement manufacturer Sublime Systems and SiTration, which is using a new type of filtration membrane to extract critical materials such as lithium.

A safer way to deliver breakthrough medicines

Nucleic acid therapeutics, including mRNA and CRISPR, are disrupting today’s clinical landscape thanks to their promise of targeting disease treatment according to genetic blueprints. But the first methods of delivering these molecules to the body used viruses as their transport, raising patient safety concerns .

“Humans have figured out how to engineer certain viruses found in nature to deliver specific cargoes [for disease treatment],” says Knappe. “But because they look like viruses, the human immune system sees them as a danger signal and creates an immune reaction that can be harmful to patients.”

Given the safety profile issues of viral delivery, researchers turned to non-viral technologies that use lipid nanoparticle technology, a mixture of different lipid-like materials, assembled into particles to protect the mRNA therapeutic from getting degraded before it reaches a cell of interest. “Because they don’t look like viruses there, the immune system generally tolerates them,” adds Knappe.

Recent data show lipid nanoparticles can now target the lung, opening the potential for novel treatments of deadly cancers and other diseases.

Knappe’s work in MIT’s Bathe BioNanoLab focused on building such a non-viral delivery platform based on a different technology: nucleic acid nanoparticles, which combine the attractive components of both viral and non-viral systems. Knappe will spend his Kavanaugh Fellowship year developing proof-of-concept data for his drug delivery method and building the team and funding needed to commercialize the technology.

A PhD candidate in the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChemE), Knappe was initially attracted to MIT because of its intellectual openness. “You can work with any faculty member in other departments. I wasn't restricted to the chemical engineering faculty,” says Knappe, whose supervisor, Professor Mark Bathe, is in the Department of Biological Engineering.

Knappe, who is from New Jersey, welcomes the challenges that will come in his Kavanaugh year, including the need to pinpoint the right story that will convince venture capitalists and other funders to bet on his technology. Attracting talent is also top of mind. “How do you convince really talented people that have a lot of opportunities to work on what you work on? Building the first team is going to be critical,” he says. The network Knappe has been building in his years at MIT is paying dividends now.

Targeting “forever chemicals” in water

That network includes Shah. The two fellows met when they worked on the MIT Science Policy Review , a student-run journal concerned with the intersection of science, technology, and policy. Knappe and Shah did not compete directly academically but used their biweekly coffee walks as a welcome sounding board. Naturally, they were pleased when they found out they had both been chosen for the Kavanaugh Fellowship. So far, they have been too busy to celebrate over a beer.

“We are good collaborators with research, as well,” says Shah. “Now we’re going on this entrepreneurial journey together. It’s been exciting.”

Shah is a PhD candidate in ChemE’s Chemical Engineering Practice program. He got interested in the global imperative for cleaner water at a young age. His hometown of Surat is the heart of India’s textile industry. “Growing up, it wasn’t hard to see the dye-colored water flowing into your rivers and streams,” Shah says. “Playing a role in fostering positive change in water treatment fills me with a profound sense of purpose.”

Shah’s work, broadly, is to clean toxic chemicals called micropollutants from water in an efficient and sustainable manner. “It’s humanly impossible to turn a blind eye to our water problems,” he says, which can be categorized as accessibility, availability, and quality. Water problems are global and complex, not just because of the technological challenges but also sociopolitical ones, he adds.

Manufactured chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” are in the news these days. PFAS, which go into making nonstick cookware and waterproof clothing, are just one of more than 10,000 such emerging contaminants that have leached into water streams. “These are extremely difficult to remove using existing systems because of their chemical diversity and low concentrations,” Shah says. “The concentrations are akin to dropping an aspirin tablet in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.” But no less toxic for that.

In the lab at MIT, Shah is working with Devashish Gokhale, a fellow PhD student, and Patrick S. Doyle, the Robert T. Haslam (1911) Professor of Chemical Engineering, to commercialize an innovative microparticle technology , hydroGel, to remove these micropollutants in an effective, facile, and sustainable manner. Hydrogels are a broad class of polymer materials that can hold large quantities of water.

“Our materials are like Boba beads. We are trying to save the world with our Boba beads,” says Shah with a laugh. “And we have functionalized these particles with tunable chemistries to target different micropollutants in a single unit operation.”

Due to its outsized environmental impact, industrial water is the first application Shah is targeting. Today, wastewater treatment emits more than 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions , which is more than the shipping industry’s emissions, for example. The current state of the art for removing micropollutants in the industry is to use activated carbon filters. “[This technology] comes from coal, so it’s unsustainable,” Shah says. And the activated carbon filters are hard to reuse. “Our particles are reusable, theoretically infinitely.”

“I’m very excited to be able to take advantage of the mentorship we have from the Kavanaugh team to take this technology to its next inflection point, so that we are ready to go out in the market and start making a huge impact,” he says.

A dream community

Shah and Knappe have become adept at navigating the array of support and mentorship opportunities MIT has to offer. Shah worked with a small team of seasoned professionals in the water space from the MIT Venture Mentoring Service. “They’ve helped us every step of the way as we think about commercializing the technology,” he says.

Shah worked with MIT Sandbox, which provides a seed grant to help find the right product-market fit. He is also a fellow with the Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship , which focuses on entrepreneurship in global growth markets.

“We’re exploring the potential for this technology and its application in a lot of different markets, including India. Because that’s close to my heart,” Shah says. “The Legatum community has been unique, where you can have those extremely hard conversations, confront yourself with those fears, and then talk it out with the group of fellows.”

The Abdul Latif Jameel Water and Food Systems Lab, or J-WAFS, has been an integral part of Shah’s journey with research and commercialization support through its Solutions Grant and a travel award to the Stockholm World Water Week in August 2023.

Knappe has also taken advantage of many innovation programs, including MIT’s Blueprint by the Engine, which helps researchers explore commercial opportunities of their work, plus programs outside of MIT but with strong on-campus ties such as Nucleate Activator and Frequency Bio.

It was during one of these programs that he was inspired by two postdocs working in Bathe’s lab and spinning out biotech startups from their research, Floris Engelhardt and James Banal. Engelhardt helped spearhead Kano Therapeutics , and Banal launched Cache DNA .

“I was passively absorbing and watching everything that they were going through and what they were excited about and challenged with. I still talk to them pretty regularly to this day,” Knappe says. “It’s been really great to have them as continual mentors, throughout my PhD and as I transition out of the lab.”

Shah says he is grateful not only for being selected for the Kavanaugh Fellowship but to MIT as a community. “MIT has been more than a dream come true,” he says. He will have the opportunity to explore a different side of the institution as he enters the MBA program at MIT Sloan School of Management this fall. Shah expects this program, along with his Kavanaugh training, will supply the skills he needs to scale the business so it can make a difference in the world.

“I always keep coming back to the question ‘How does what I do matter to the person on the street?’ This guides me to look at the bigger picture, to contextualize my research to solving important problems,” Shah says. “So many great technologies are being worked on each day, but only a minuscule fraction make it to the market.”

Knappe is equally dedicated to serving a larger purpose. “With the right infrastructure, between basic fundamental science, conducted in academia, funded by government, and then translated by companies, we can make products that could improve everyone’s life across the world,” he says.

Past Kavanaugh Fellows are credited with spearheading commercial outfits that have indeed made a difference. This year’s fellows are poised to follow their lead. But first they will have that beer together to celebrate.

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Course closed:

Chemistry is no longer accepting new applications.

The PhD is offered by the Department of Chemistry as a full or part-time period of research and introduces students to research skills and specialist knowledge. 

Please note: part-time study may not always be viable and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, so please discuss this option with your proposed supervisor before making an application for this mode of study. There are attendance requirements and part-time students will need to live close enough to Cambridge to fulfil these.

Students are integrated into the research culture of the Department by joining a research group, supervised by one of our academic staff,  in one of the following areas of chemistry:

Biological Chemistry

Life is the chemistry that goes on inside every one of us. We seek to understand this chemistry, both the physical processes occurring at the molecular level and the chemical reactions, and we also seek to control the chemistry as a way to treat diseases. Biological Chemistry at Cambridge comprises several research groups with additional contributions from many more. The major themes are biological polymers, proteins and nucleic acids - how they interact with each other and with small molecules. How do proteins fold to a defined structure and why do they sometimes not fold properly but aggregate causing neurodegenerative diseases? How do proteins catalyse the reactions that they do and can we make small molecules that inhibit these processes? What structures can nucleic acids adopt? How can we detect and what is the role of modifications of individual nucleotides? How can we target medicinally active compounds to where they are needed in the body? By addressing these questions, we seek to improve human health and the treatment of diseases.

Materials Chemistry

The technological devices we depend on, from aeroplanes to mobile phones, rely upon ever-increasing structural complexity for their function. Designing complex materials for these devices through the art of chemical synthesis brings challenges and opportunities.

Members of the Materials RIG invent new materials in view of potential applications. Modern materials chemistry is a wide ranging topic and includes surfaces, interfaces, polymers, nanoparticles and nanoporous materials, self assembly, and biomaterials, with applications relevant to oil recovery and separation, catalysis, photovoltaics, fuel cells and batteries, crystallisation and pharmaceutical formulation, gas sorption, energy, functional materials, biocompatible materials, computer memory, and sensors. 

Physical and Atmospheric Chemistry

Physical Chemistry at Cambridge has two broad but overlapping aims. One is to understand the properties of molecular systems in terms of physical principles. This work underpins many developing technological applications that affect us all, such as nanotechnology, sensors and molecular medicine. The other is atmospheric chemistry where the interactions between chemical composition, climate and health are studied using a range of computer modelling and experiment-based approaches. Together these two areas form a richly interdisciplinary subject spanning the full range of scientific methodologies: experimental, theoretical and computational. It is a research area with something for everyone.

Synthetic Chemistry

Synthetic research at the University of Cambridge is focused on the development of innovative new methods to make and use molecules of function. Our interests range from the innovative catalytic strategies to make small molecules, to supramolecular assemblies or the total synthesis of biologically important compounds and natural products. Our research is diverse, pioneering and internationally leading. The dynamic environment created by the research groups working at the cutting edge of the field, makes postgraduate research at Cambridge the best place for outstanding and motivated students.

Theoretical Chemistry

Research in Theoretical Chemistry covers a wide range of lengths and timescales, including the active development of new theoretical and computational tools. The applications include high-resolution spectroscopy, atomic and molecular clusters, biophysics, surface science, and condensed matter, complementing experimental research in the Department.

We develop new tools for quantum and classical simulations, informatics, and investigate molecules using descriptions that range from atomic detail to coarse-grained models of mesoscopic matter. This work often begins with analytical theory, which is developed into new computer programs, applied to molecules and materials of contemporary interest, and ultimately compared with experiment.

Educational aims of the PhD programme:

• give students with relevant experience at the master's level the opportunity to carry out focused research in the discipline under close supervision;
• give students the opportunity to acquire or develop skills and expertise relevant to their research interests;
• provide all students with relevant and useful researcher development training opportunities to broaden their horizons and properly equip them for the opportunity which they seek following their PhD studies.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the programme, students will have

• a comprehensive understanding of techniques, and a thorough knowledge of the literature, applicable to their own research;
• demonstrated originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in their field;
• shown abilities in the critical evaluation of current research, research techniques and methodologies;
• demonstrated some self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and acted autonomously in the planning and implementation of research; and
• taken up relevant and highly useful researcher development training opportunities to develop skills and attributes for their desired future career.

Students currently studying for a relevant Master's degree at the University of Cambridge will normally need to obtain a pass in order to be eligible to continue onto the PhD in Chemistry.

The Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the end of October. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities. Visit the  Postgraduate Open Day  page for more details.

See further the  Postgraduate Admissions Events  pages for other events relating to Postgraduate study, including study fairs, visits and international events.

The Department of Chemistry hosts a virtual open day for prospective postgraduate students comprising online laboratory tours, a chance to meet with current students and academic staff, and an opportunity to talk to professional services staff about the application process. 

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, department of chemistry, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, lent 2024 (closed).

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Easter 2024 (Closed)

Michaelmas 2024 (closed), lent 2025 (closed), easter 2025 (closed), funding deadlines.

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2024, Lent 2025 and Easter 2025.

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