Graduate studies

How to apply

Application form

All applicants must complete the GRADSAF (Graduate Admission and Scholarship Application Form). You can do this online.

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Make sure you select the correct options when completing the 'programme of study' section of the form. HPM1 is the course code for the MPhil in History, Philosophy and Sociology of Science, Technology and Medicine; HPHP21 is the course code for the PhD in History and Philosophy of Science.

Supporting documents

The online service tells you what supporting documents, such as transcripts and references, you need to submit.

In addition to the standard documents, the Department requires you to submit the following supporting documents, which should also be submitted online or sent to the Board of Graduate Studies as paper documents:

1. Statement of purpose or research proposal

If you are applying to take the PhD, you must submit a research proposal: a detailed description of the project of your doctoral thesis, of at least 600 words.

If you are applying for the MPhil, you should submit a statement of purpose of about 600 words, indicating which subject areas you would pursue in the MPhil. Please tell us about possible essay and dissertation topics you might pursue on the course, why you are interested in them, and some preliminary ideas about how you might carry them out. We will not treat the statement of purpose as a formal proposal but it will help us understand your motivations for taking the MPhil and how well prepared you are for graduate-level research. You may also include a preliminary PhD research proposal if you are planning to continue to the PhD after completing the MPhil course.

2. Writing samples

You should submit one or more examples of your written work, such as essays or a dissertation, in areas relevant to the graduate study you wish to pursue. An essay written specially for the Cambridge application is acceptable, but you should indicate if this is the case. The writing samples must be entirely your own work, fully referenced and in English. There is no word limit.

When to apply

We will accept applications from 1 September 2011 for admission in October 2012.

The final deadline for applications is 30 June 2012. We will not accept any applications submitted after this date.

However, it is likely that we will allocate all our places before 30 June. We therefore strongly recommend that you apply no later than 15 February 2012 to ensure that we can consider your application.

You will need to apply earlier than 15 February if you wish to be considered for funding from certain schemes. See the table below:

The dates shown are deadlines for submitting a complete application, including references and all other supporting documents.

We receive a large number of applications each year, so early submission is advisable.

The application process

Your application will be assessed by the Department's Degree Committee.

Admission is subject to an interview – in person, by phone or online – with one or two senior members of the Department.

You can follow the progress of your application online using the self-service facility on the Board of Graduate Studies website.

Academic qualification requirements

We will not normally admit anyone to graduate work unless they have a first class honours degree from a university in the UK, or a degree of an equivalent standard from an overseas university. If you have not yet completed your degree you may be made an offer conditional on obtaining a particular class in that degree.

While a background in history and philosophy of science may be helpful, applicants for the MPhil with a background in humanities, social sciences, medicine or natural sciences are welcome. Applicants from the European Union and overseas are encouraged.

Fees and funding

To be admitted to Cambridge you must give evidence that you can meet the fees and maintenance costs as a graduate student for the entire period of your studies.

Course costs and fee status

Prospective PhD students should note that all expenses, including fees, can be expected to rise substantially over a three year period of research. Students from overseas should also allow for fluctuations in currency exchange rates and take steps to fix the amount available to them in sterling.

Please note that it is not possible to take paid work while you are studying full-time at Cambridge, and you must not expect to provide additional income in this way. The only exception to this is that PhD students can earn some money by giving supervisions to undergraduate students, but you should not rely upon this as a significant source of income as no more than six hours a week may be spent in teaching activities.

Colleges

Graduate admission to Cambridge is a two-stage process. First you must be accepted by the Department, then by a College.

The GRADSAF form allows you to specify the two Colleges that you prefer. If you are accepted by the Department you will definitely be offered a place at a College, but not necessarily at one of your preferred Colleges.

Students do not have to be, and often are not, in the same College as their supervisor, nor need your College choice be determined by your field of study. All Colleges are open to both men and women, except for three – Murray Edwards (formerly New Hall), Newnham and Lucy Cavendish – that are for women only.

There are five graduate Colleges – Clare Hall, Darwin, Hughes Hall, St Edmund's and Wolfson – which admit only graduate students and mature undergraduates. Because of the increasing number of graduate students, we strongly urge you to include at least one graduate College among your College options since these Colleges are more likely to accept you.

The Colleges

Links

Board of Graduate Studies: how to apply

Board of Graduate Studies: the Colleges