Opportunities for PhD study at Cambridge
Funding for PhD studentships at Cambridge
Cambridge has a number of internal funding schemes for PhD students, all of which are highly competitive. However, around 80% of PhD students in the Humanities and Social Sciences at Cambridge succeed in securing full funding for their PhD studies. Many of the internal funding schemes require your Department to nominate those applicants they think are most suitable. The timelines on these funding schemes can vary widely. For some schemes, you may have to provide extra materials, whereas for others, you will be automatically considered and do not have to do anything additional. You should be aware that studentships are awarded entirely on merit, though they are sometimes restricted to certain characteristics, such as nationality. There is no specific advantage gained if you are already a Cambridge student; however, the availability of funding at Cambridge is much greater than most other Universities, which benefits both continuing and incoming students.
Timelines for application to continue
You will need to consider carefully how to manage an application for continuation alongside the programme of study in your first term – your MPhil will be a demanding programme so you will need to balance your time. Speak with your supervisor about this. There are two deadlines for each PhD programme:
- (i) Early deadline – for applicants requiring funding. There will be a deadline either in early December or in early January (check with your Department), around the time you will be submitting your first written work for MPhil and sometimes before you have received any graded work. If you apply for this deadline, you should have a funding outcome by April – although note that several funding schemes continue to make offers quite late into the year.
- (ii) Later deadline – all courses close on 15 May each year. If you apply close to this deadline, it is much less likely that you will be considered for any University studentship funding for your PhD. Seeking advice In the first instance, you should discuss your intentions with your MPhil supervisor. Your College tutor will also be able to advise you. This will be an opportunity to discuss your research interests and to get advice on how to prepare an application. It’s also a good idea to seek out some 1st year PhD students in your Department, to get their advice and tips, especially if they have continued from a Cambridge MPhil.
Seeking advice
In the first instance, you should discuss your intentions with your MPhil supervisor. Your College tutor will also be able to advise you. This will be an opportunity to discuss your research interests and to get advice on how to prepare an application. It’s also a good idea to seek out some 1st year PhD students in your Department, to get their advice and tips, especially if they have continued from a Cambridge MPhil.