Faculty of Classics - University of Cambridge

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Applying for a PhD

The majority of PhD students begin their studies in October each year, though it is possible also to begin the PhD in January or in April. Applications open on September 1^st in the previous academic year. If you are applying for specific sources of funding (e.g. from the Gates Trust or AHRC) you must submit your application by the relevant deadline (deadlines are listed on the Graduate Applications Front Page).  Even if you are not seeking funding from Cambridge sources, you are strongly urged to meet the deadline of 11 January 2013 if at all possible, since first choice College places often fill up early. Nearly all doctoral applications will be assessed in January/February 2013.

No applications for the academic year starting October 2013 will be considered after 31 May 2013.

Course requirements

(i)  Most applicants will be taking, or have completed, a Master’s level degree course (M.Phil, M.St, MA, or other research preparation programme), and we are looking for a first class/Distinction level of work on that course from a British university, or the equivalent from an overseas university. Your qualification need not be entirely in classical subjects, but we normally expect some evidence of first-class/Distinction level attainments in areas directly relevant to your proposed research.

(ii)  If English is not your first language, you will also need to satisfy the Faculty’s English language condition (as follows) prior to your admission being confirmed.  You must achieve the minimum requirements in the same sitting, and no more than two years before the start of your course.

IELTS: Overall band score of 7.5, with not less than 7.0 in individual elements.

TOEFL paper-based test: 637 with 6.0 in the Test of Written English.

TOEFL: internet-based test: 110 with no less than 25 in each element.

(iii)  The majority of research projects, with the exception of those which are strictly archaeological in character, require a high level of Latin and/or Greek. The skills which you need to strengthen during your first year can include these languages, but it is unlikely that these could reach the high linguistic standards required for the Ph.D. if you did not arrive here with at least a good grounding in them.

The application procedure

Applications are made, electronically, through the University’s Graduate Admissions website:  

http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/offices/gradstud/prospec/apply/

Applicants from outside Cambridge

If you are applying from outside Cambridge, you will need to supply the following, alongside your online application form and the appropriate payment:

-     two academic references;

-     a personal reference (if you wish to be considered for funding from the Gates Trust);

-     transcripts or degree certificates;

-     an English Language score report if available (if English is not your first language);

-     a research proposal of not more than 500 words (see note 1);

-     summary of attainments in Classics and other relevant areas (see note 2);

-     two writing samples of approx. 5,000 words each, or one of approx. 10,000 words (see note 3).

Applicants from within Cambridge

If you are applying from within Cambridge, you will need to supply the following, alongside your online application form and the appropriate payment:

-     two academic references;

-     a personal reference (if you wish to be considered for funding from the Gates Trust);

-     a research proposal of not more than 500 words (see note 1)

NB: If you are applying from inside Cambridge you DO NOT need to provide EITHER information about your attainments in Classics OR samples of written work.  Please ignore any request for this information on your self-service page.

Notes:

1:  You should give as much information as possible about your likely subject of specialization.  Please indicate this in the relevant section of the application form, and include a separate research proposal of no more than 500 words. This should outline the basis for your interest in the proposed subject (including some bibliography), detail your sense of the principal issues of current debate and where you stand with respect to them, and inform us of what exactly you hope to be able to achieve or contribute to our understanding of the field through your own research. This does not prevent you from negotiating a change in your topic later, but it does help us to decide how well we can cater for your needs, whether you are qualified to undertake the research, and who your initial main Supervisor should be. You are free, if you wish, to say on your application form who your preferred Supervisor would be, and you may find it helpful to contact possible Supervisors to discuss possible projects before applying.  (You can find on this site a list of Faculty members and their research interests).

2:  Please supply detailed information about your previous attainments in Classics (including Greek and Latin language) and in other relevant subjects; this is particularly important if your qualification is not entirely in Classical subjects.

3:  Those applying from outside Cambridge should submit samples of their work in relevant areas. The Faculty has no rigid requirements for the written work to be submitted in support of an application, though we typically receive two essays of up to 5,000 words each, or a single piece of up to 10,000 words. Ideally, this work should have been written recently and be on a subject related to that which you propose to work on in Cambridge.  It is obviously a great help if the work is written in (or translated into) English.

After your application is submitted.....

When the application reaches the Faculty, it will be reviewed by two members of academic staff with expertise in the relevant area.  Applicants based in the UK may be invited for an interview in Cambridge; those based outside the UK may be interviewed by telephone or Skype.  The Faculty’s Degree Committee then considers the application, and makes a recommendation to the Student Registry as to whether an offer of a PhD place should be made, and if so with what academic conditions. 

Please be aware that this process may take several months.  You can check the status of your application at any time via your self-service page but if you have any particular queries or concerns please contact Sarah Sheldrick, the Graduate Administrator (graduate.secretary@classics.cam.ac.uk)