cambridge philosophy phd students

• PhilArchive
• Find Philosophers
• Departments

Cambridge University Faculty of Philosophy

Department members.

• 19 Regular faculty
• 35 Other faculty
• 1 Retired faculty
• 88 Graduate students
• 97 Undergraduates

Department Activity

•  News and Updates
•  Publications
• MA program offered
• PhD program offered
• Contact administrative assistant

Also at Cambridge University

• Department of History and Philosophy of Science
• Faculty of Classics
• All departments
• Other departments

• Graduate student

• Doctoral student
• College : St Edmund's College
• Immanuel Kant, Meta-Ethics, Epistemology

• History of Western Philosophy

• Masters student
• Meta-Ethics

• College : Pemproke College

• Philosophy of Gender, Race, and Sexuality, Metaphysics, Metaphilosophy, Epistemology

• College : Robinson College
• Aesthetics, Metaphysics, Philosophy of Mind

• College : Magdalene College
• Moral Psychology, Ethics, Normativity

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught
• Postgraduate examinations
• Higher degrees
• Cambridge students
• New students overview
• Pre-arrival courses
• Student registration overview
• Information for New Students overview
• Step-by-step guide for new students
• Information for Continuing Students overview
• Step-by-step guide for continuing students
• Frequently Asked Questions overview
• Who needs to register
• When to register
• Received registration in error/not received registration email
• Problems creating an account
• Problems logging in
• Problems with screen display
• Personal details changed/incorrectly displayed
• Course details changed/incorrectly displayed
• Accessing email and other services
• Miscellaneous questions
• Contact Form
• Citizenship Correction Document Upload
• First few weeks
• Manage your student information overview
• Student record overview
• Camsis overview
• Extended Self-Service (ESS)
• Logging into CamSIS
• What CamSIS can do for you
• Personal information overview
• Changing your name
• Changing Colleges
• Residing outside the University's precincts
• Applying for person(s) to join you in Cambridge
• Postgraduate students overview
• Code of Practice for Master's students
• Code of Practice for Research Students
• Postgraduate student information
• Requirements for research degrees
• Terms of study
• Your progress
• Rules and legal compliance overview
• Freedom of speech
• Public gatherings
• Disclosure and barring service overview
• Cambridge life overview
• Student unions
• Extra-curricular activities overview
• Registering societies
• Military, air, and sea training
• Food and accommodation
• Transport overview
• Bicycles and boats
• Your course overview
• Undergraduate study
• Postgraduate study overview
• Changes to your student status (postgraduates only) overview
• Applying for a change in your student status (postgraduates only)
• Changing your mode of study
• Withdrawing from the University
• Allowance/exemption of research terms
• Withdrawal from Study
• Reinstatement
• Changing your course registration
• Changing your department/faculty
• Changing your supervisor
• Exemption from the University composition fee
• Confirmation of Study: Academic Verification Letters
• Extending your submission date
• Medical intermission (postgraduates)
• Non-medical intermission (postgraduates)
• Returning from medical intermission
• Working away
• Working while you study
• Postgraduate by Research Exam Information
• Research passports
• Engagement and feedback
• Student elections
• Graduation and what next? overview
• Degree Ceremonies overview
• The ceremony
• Academical dress
• Photography
• Degree ceremony dates
• Eligibility
• The Cambridge MA
• Degree certificates and transcripts overview
• Academic Transcripts
• Degree Certificates
• After Graduation
• Verification of Cambridge degrees
• After your examination
• Exams overview
• Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught overview
• All students timetable
• Undergraduate exam information overview
• Postgraduate examinations overview
• Examination access arrangements overview
• Research programmes
• Taught programmes
• Writing, submitting and examination overview
• PhD, EdD, MSc, MLitt overview
• Research Best Practice
• Preparing to submit your thesis
• Submitting your thesis
• Word limits
• The oral examination (viva)
• After the viva (oral examination)
• After the examination overview
• Degree approval and conferment overview
• Final thesis submission
• Examination allowances for certain Postgraduate degrees (except PhD, MSc, MLitt and MPhil by thesis degrees)
• Requesting a review of the results of an examination (postgraduate qualifications)
• Higher degrees overview
• Higher doctorates
• Bachelor of divinity
• PhD under Special Regulations
• Faith-provision in University exams
• Publication of Results
• Exam Support
• Postgraduate by Research
• EAMC overview
• Annual Reports of the EAMC
• Dates of meetings
• Frequently asked questions
• Guidance notes and application forms
• Resources overview
• Build your skills overview
• Skills Homepage
• What skills can I develop? overview
• Digital, technology use and technical skills
• Entrepreneurship & Enterprise
• Interpersonal, communication and social skills
• Leadership & Management
• Learning, thinking, and reasoning skills
• Planning and organisation skills
• Presentation, negotiation and influencing skills
• Self-management skills
• Writing, analytical and reporting skills
• Development activities overview
• Academic study
• Community and Volunteering
• Entrepreneurship
• Professional Development
• Societies & Committees
• Theatre, Film & Arts
• Research students
• Fees and financial assistance overview
• Financial assistance overview
• General eligibility principles and guidance
• Cambridge Bursary Scheme funding overview
• What you could get
• Scottish students
• EU students
• Clinical medics and vets
• Independent students
• Extra scholarships and awards
• The Crane Fund
• The Realise Fund
• Undergraduate Financial Assistance Fund
• Postgraduate Financial Assistance Fund
• External Support 
• Support from your Funding Sponsor
• Guidance for Academic Supervisors and College Tutors
• Fees overview
• Funding overview
• Mosley, Worts, and Frere Travel Funds
• Support for UKRI Studentship Holders
• Student loans overview
• US loans overview
• Application procedure
• Entrance and Exit Counselling
• Cost of attendance
• What type of loan and how much you can borrow
• Interest rates for federal student loans
• Proof of funding for visa purposes
• Disbursement
• Satisfactory academic progress policy
• In-School Deferment Forms
• Leave of absence
• Withdrawing and return to Title IV policy
• Rights and Responsibilities as a Borrower
• Managing Repayment
• Consumer information
• Submitting a thesis — information for PhD students
• Private loans
• Veteran affairs benefits
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Student support
• Examination access arrangements
• Writing, submitting and examination
• After the examination

Who can apply for a PhD under Special Regulations?

An application can be made by:

A graduate of the University of Cambridge, of not less than six years standing from admission to their first degree (to qualify as a graduate, a candidate must have a  degree  - qualifications such as diplomas and certificates are not degrees) ; and who

• (a) is of not less than six years’ standing from admission to his or her first degree of the University of Cambridge
• (b ) is of not less than six years’ standing from admission to his or her first degree of some other university and has been admitted (i) to some office in the University of Cambridge or to a Headship or a Fellowship of a Cambridge College, and is in the said office at the time of application, and (ii) to the degree of Master of Arts under Statute B II 2 or to a degree of the University by incorporation.

Please note that the term 'admission' to a degree means the date on which the degree was conferred on the candidate, not the date the candidate began the degree.

Graduates who have already been approved for a PhD degree from the University of Cambridge are not eligible to apply.

What evidence is needed?

In order to qualify for the PhD degree under Special Regulations you will need to demonstrate that your published work:

• comprises a significant contribution to scholarship through the creation and interpretation of new knowledge, connection of previously unrelated facts or the development of new theory or revision of older views;
• provides evidence of the acquisition of knowledge and a detailed understanding of applicable techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry;
• is of a quality and quantity equivalent to three years of full-time postgraduate study; and
• you meet the eligibility criteria for the degree. In order to check this do please see the regulations below.
• University of Cambridge Ordinances: Doctor of Philosophy : Special Regulations (Chapter VII)
• Guide for Applicants : PhD Degree under Special Regulations

Please check the eligibility criteria very carefully.  

How do I apply?

If you meet the eligibility criteria and would like to make an application for a PhD degree under Special Regulations, you will need to submit the following documents to Student Registry at the address on the application form:

• Application Form: PhD under Special Regulations
• Declaration Form: PhD Degree under Special Regulations
• Introductory summary of 1,000-5,000 words
• Two copies of the published supporting works
• Application fee

How is my application considered?

The Student Registry will acknowledge the receipt of your application, check your eligibility, forward your application to the relevant Degree Committee for consideration (provided you are eligible), and communicate their decision to you regarding whether there is, prima facie , a case for further examination of your work. If so, you will have an oral examination (viva voce) with at least two examiners appointed by the Degree Committee.

The viva will normally take place in-person in Cambridge, but you may choose to be examined remotely by video conference. If you wish to request adjustments for your viva on the grounds of disability, you should contact your Degree Committee. There is no set duration for a viva, although it will normally last for 1.5-3hrs. The viva cannot be recorded.

Following the oral examination, examiners are asked to make one of two recommendations to the Degree Committee: either that the degree is awarded or it is not.

Examiners submit their pre- and post-viva reports to the Degree Committee who will consider your candidature for the degree at the next available meeting. If further opinion is required, the Degree Committee may appoint further examiner(s).

You will receive confirmation of the official result, and copies of your examination reports, by email from Student Registry shortly after the Degree Committee makes its decision,

Please note that consideration of an application may take longer than a year.

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

• [email protected]
• 01223 765832

• David Khalonyere Baraza
• Ralph Afghan
• Enow Micheal Agbor
• Shaka Ashcroft
• Memory Chikosi
• Elsie Etaka Eyong
• Mary Huycke
• Jerry Kulah
• Wan Yin Lim
• Kirsteen Macaulay
• Ijeoma Mbubaegbu
• Ngome Mbwoge
• Simphiwe Mthembu
• Stella Mwiti
• Maudy Muchanyereyi
• Trista Soendker Nicholson
• Jonathan Oppong
• Emmanuel Shu
• Sophirina Sign
• Luvuyo Sifo
• Racheal Stuff
• Obusitswe Tiroyabone
• Allison Waterhouse

Doctor of Philosophy

• Master of Philosophy
• Professional Doctorate in Practical Theology
• Research profiles
• Research seminars
• Africa University
• Why take the DMin at Wesley House?
• The Wesley DMin fees and charges
• DMin Track E: For the sake of the world; Church transformation in Wesleyan perspective
• DMin Track F: Ministry in a Turbulent World
• Track A & B Commencement May 2019
• Track A & B Commencement Address
• Kenya Methodist University

Most of Wesley House’s PhD students apply for the Anglia Ruskin PhD programme through the Cambridge Theological Federation.  Details of the Cambridge University PhD programme can be found here .

Is a PhD for me?

Study toward a PhD is for the person who wants to do in-depth research and has a project in mind. PhD students need to be self-motivated and possess both good time management skills and a keen interest in a specific area of Theology. Studying for a PhD culminates in a dissertation of no more than 80,000 words, based on original research on a focused topic.  The thesis is marked by two examiners and there is an oral examination of thesis (vice voce) at which the outcome is decided. The award is particularly suitable for potential/existing theological educators and for those wanting to create original research that extends knowledge in a particular field.

How long does it take?

Full time the ARU PhD normally takes 3-4 years. Part time the ARU PhD normally takes 5-6 years. Part time students need to be able consistently to spend 15-20 hours per week working on their dissertation.  This includes independent reading, writing, attending skills based learning sessions online, attending research seminars, making presentations and preparing for and attending monthly (full time) or bi-monthly (part time) supervisions.

Who will supervise me?

Wesley House has a team of full time and part time supervisors with a range of expertise. Their profiles and subject specialisms are listed on the staff page . Each ARU PhD student is allocated a supervisory team with experience of supervising and subject relevant expertise. Full time students receive 24 hours of supervision per year and part time students receive 12 hours.

Can Wesley House supervise my topic?

This will depend on your topic and on supervisor availability.  We work only in the field of theology and in interdisciplinary work involving theology.  As a college we focus in the areas of Global Wesleyan Theology, Leadership and Ministry Development and Faith and Public Life about which more detail is given below, but staff specialisms also make some other topics possible.  If you want to explore the feasibility of our supervising your topic, please contact our Director of Research .

• Global Wesleyan Theology: possible fields include Methodist doctrine and practice in a variety of global contexts, Wesley Studies, Methodist ethics, Methodist education, Methodist ecclesiology, post-colonial theology, Methodist approaches to a range of social, public and practical issues.
• Leadership and Ministry Development: possible fields include practical theology, interdisciplinary studies involving psychology, social anthropology, sociology and theology; leadership studies, gender studies, faith development studies, ethnography, ecclesiology, ministry, fresh expressions of church, pastoral supervision
• Faith in Public Life: possible fields include: contextual theology, social issues, disability theology, queer theology, public and political theology, ecumenical and contextual ethics, Christian social ethics, ecotheology and climate change, faith-based activism

Why choose to pursue a PhD through Wesley House?

• We a have track record of successful completions
• We provide skills seminars and a research seminar for the support of PhD students in addition to the support provided by Anglia Ruskin University itself
• We are a community of prayer that takes the life of the spirit seriously as well as the life of the mind.
• We offer targeted resources for learning for those working primarily online and for those living in college.
• We are experienced in equipping church leaders and those who want their work to serve the church as researchers and educators
• We have an inclusive ethos and a diverse study body that provides an environment for intercultural learning and exchange.
• We collaborate ecumenically within the Cambridge Theological Federation and with partner institutions across the globe.

What qualifications do I need to apply to ARU?

• A first or upper second-class honours degree, or equivalent, to be admitted to an MPhil with progression to a PhD.
• A Masters degree, or equivalent, that includes training in research, to be admitted directly to PhD study.
• Either English as a first language or an IELTS score of 6.5 or above.

Fees & Costs

Further information on fees and costs involved can be found here

• All rights reserved Wesley House © 2024
• Cookie Policy

Another successful partnership for websites that work by Granite 5 and TAG Design

Privacy Overview

Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge University PhD Scholarship in Philosophy

The Boustany Cambridge Pembroke Scholarship in Philosophy is offered at the Faculty of Philosophy in the University of Cambridge, one of the world’s leading institutions for teaching and research.

Scholarships will be awarded only to candidates taking a PhD degree in philosophy at Cambridge University and recipients become members of Pembroke College, the third oldest and one of the most highly regarded colleges.

The Boustany Cambridge Pembroke Scholarship is granted once every three years to an applicant in philosophy.

The Scholarship offers the following: • Tuition fees for the three-year course • Accommodation and living expenses at Pembroke College • Travel and accommodation expenses related to the internship.

The next Scholarship will be awarded for the class commencing Autumn 2027.

Eligibility Criteria

The Scholarship is offered to an outstanding and highly-meriting candidate of any nationality who must have an excellent academic background.

Candidates must show exceptional ability and promise and may apply for the Scholarship only after receiving an offer of admission from the Cambridge University Faculty of Philosophy.

Application Process

If shortlisted, you will be invited to one or more interviews with the Foundation and one candidate will be awarded the Scholarship.

Deadline for the submission of candidacy: end of March 2027.

The Scholarship will be awarded by the end of May 2027.

The Boustany Foundation Internship

Over the summer, scholars are expected to complete a two-month unpaid internship in at our office in Monaco. Travel, food, and accommodation expenses related to the internship will be covered by the Foundation. The dates of the two-month period may be determined on a case-by-case basis between the scholar and the Foundation.

During the internship, scholars will work on either increasing awareness about the Foundation, designing or proposing new Scholarships, or working on other initiatives that further the vision of the Boustany Foundation. The exact project scope will be determined on the first day of the internship and can be driven by scholar interests as well.

The philosophical community is enhanced by the contribution of philosophers from other departments and Faculties who provide additional teaching and research links.

Postgraduate programmes have trained philosophers now working all over the world.

Faculty of Philosophy, Cambridge University www.phil.cam.ac.uk

Pablo Hubacher Haerle

Previous scholars >.

© 2024 Boustany Foundation

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Student blogs and videos
• Why Cambridge
• Qualifications directory
• How to apply
• Fees and funding
• Frequently asked questions
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Visiting the University
• Term dates and calendars
• Video and audio
• Find an expert
• Publications
• International Cambridge
• Public engagement
• Giving to Cambridge
• For current students
• For business
• Colleges & departments
• Libraries & facilities
• Museums & collections
• Email & phone search
• Study with Us
• Prospective Postgraduate Students
• Department of Archaeology
• About Us overview
• Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity overview
• Statement on Addressing Racism in Archaeology
• Athena SWAN
• Environmental Sustainability & Green Impact
• Building and Facilities Access Guide
• Study with Us overview
• Prospective Undergraduate Students overview
• Degree Structure overview
• Your Learning Environment
• How to Apply
• Accessibility and Support
• Online Resources for Prospective Archaeology Students
• For students in other Triposes overview
• Papers Offered in 2024/2025
• Archaeology Tripos
• Human Social and Political Sciences Tripos
• Medical and Veterinary Sciences Triposes
• Natural Sciences Tripos
• Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos
• Prospective Postgraduate Students overview
• Prospective MPhil Students overview
• Available MPhil Degrees overview
• MPhil in Archaeological Research
• MPhil in Archaeological Science
• MPhil in Egyptology
• MPhil in Biological Anthropological Science
• MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies
• MPhil in Archaeology overview
• MPhil in Assyriology
• MPhil in Heritage Studies
• MPhil Modules
• Prospective PhD Students overview
• Funding for Postgraduate Students
• Archaeological Review from Cambridge
• Information for Visiting Postgraduate Students
• Prospective Biological Anthropology Postgraduates
• Student Funding
• Careers for Archaeologists
• Subjects overview
• Archaeology
• Archaeological Science
• Assyriology and Mesopotamian Archaeology overview
• Ancient Mesopotamia - an overview overview
• Mesopotamian Languages
• Mesopotamian Archaeology
• Studying Mesopotamia at Cambridge overview
• Undergraduate study
• MPhil study
• Teaching Collection
• Mesopotamian Research at Cambridge overview
• The Cambridge Mesopotamia Diary
• Mesopotamian Films
• Online Resources for Mesopotamia overview
• Ancient Sumer - Resources for Primary School Teachers
• Biological Anthropology overview
• Egyptology overview
• Heritage Studies overview
• Cambridge Heritage Research Centre
• Studying Heritage at Cambridge
• Institutes and Facilities overview
• McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research overview
• Annual Reports
• Cambridge Archaeological Journal
• McDonald Institute Monographs overview
• 2021 - 2025
• Duckworth Laboratory overview
• Application Instructions
• Policies and Procedures
• Contact the Duckworth
• Cambridge Archaeological Unit overview
• Archaeological Science Laboratories overview
• Pitt-Rivers Laboratory for Archaeological Science overview
• Computational and Digital Archaeology Laboratory overview
• Laboratory Facilities
• Computational Archaeology Resources
• Glyn Daniel Laboratory overview
• Dorothy Garrod Laboratory for Isotopic Analysis overview
• Research Examples
• Henry Wellcome Laboratory for Biomolecular Archaeology overview
• Ancient Parasites Laboratory
• Charles McBurney Laboratory for Geoarchaeology overview
• Grahame Clark Laboratory for Zooarchaeology overview
• Sample Preparation Laboratory
• Material Culture Research Hub overview
• Material Culture Forum
• Palaeoanthropology Laboratory overview
• Bruker Skyscan 1273 microCT scanner
• Our People overview
• Senior Academic Staff
• Affiliated Academic Staff
• Research Staff
• Professional Staff
• PhD Students
• Honorary Staff
• Our Research overview
• Research Themes overview
• Environment, Landscapes and Settlement
• Rethinking Complexity
• Human Evolutionary Studies
• Material Culture
• Science, Technology and Innovation
• Current Projects
• Recently Completed Projects
• Archived Projects
• Research Ethics
• FAIR Research Statement
• Work with Us overview
• Join our Community
• Postdoctoral Opportunities
• Laboratory Fees and Charges
• Events overview
• McDonald Annual Lectures
• Conferences and Workshops
• Distinguished Visitor Lectures
• Departmental Seminar Series
• Other Cambridge Events
• Outreach Events
• Events Search overview
• Past Events Search
• Festival of Neolithic Ideas
• International Women's Day
• Intranet overview
• General Information
• Contacts & Support
• Information for Staff
• Facilities & Spaces
• Computing & IT
• Health & Safety
• Travel & Risk Assessments
• for Undergraduates
• for MPhil Students
• for PhD Students
• for Research Staff
• Research (Intranet)
• Prospective PhD Students
• Prospective MPhil Students
• Prospective Undergraduate Students
• For students in other Triposes

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Department of Archaeology offers 2 PhD programmes: the PhD in Archaeology and the PhD in Biological Anthropology. We provide an outstanding environment for independent research leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The Archaeology Programme at Cambridge has been ranked number one overall in the UK for the fifth year in a row by the independent  Complete University Guide , and number one in the world for several years in a row by the QS Research Ranking guide. As a place to learn, Cambridge is remarkable – one of the largest and most active archaeological communities in the world, with staff, post-docs and graduate students from around the world working in all areas of the field and an abundance of discussions and events where you can learn about cutting edge work from the people doing it.  

Our supervision expertise in archaeological topics ranges in time from the Palaeolithic to the modern day, and in space from the Americas to the UK and Europe, Africa, the Ancient Near East (including research in the languages, texts, history, and archaeology of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia), South Asia, South East Asia and Australia. We also offer PhD supervision in archaeological theory, archaeological science, human evolution, material culture studies and museum and heritage studies.

PhD students are required to submit a dissertation of up to 80,000 words. This work will represent a significant and novel contribution to the fields of Archaeology, Assyriology, Biological Anthropology, Egyptology or Heritage Studies.

Return to the top of the page

If you are interested in applying for admission as a PhD student in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge, you are strongly encouraged to email your potential supervisor(s) about your research topic before applying. The PhD programmes are three years in duration (five if undertaken part time), so it is important that applicants have a well-developed project at the point of application.

General queries about the PhD programmes should be addressed to the Department's Postgraduate Admissions Administrator . A searchable list of PhD courses at the University of Cambridge can be found in the Postgraduate Admissions Course Directory.

To apply for admission to PhD research in the Archaeology Department, you should visit the Postgraduate Admissions Office website and consult the information on the application procedure found in the University of Cambridge  Postgraduate Studies Prospectus .

Applicants for this course should have done a Masters course, and to have achieved a level equal to a UK Merit on both the overall course average and the dissertation. If your degree is not from the UK, please check International Qualifications to find the equivalent in your country. Current MPhil students in Assyriology or Egyptology at the University of Cambridge wishing to continue to the PhD with an ancient language-based research topic must achieve a Merit in relevant language exams (as well as a Merit in the MPhil course) in order to be permitted to continue. Admission for the PhD is not automatic on achieving a Merit; other factors, including the availability of appropriate supervision and relevant research experience, are taken into consideration. All applicants for the PhD will be contacted to arrange a brief interview prior to any offer of a place being made; this interview may be in person, by telephone, or over video conferencing as appropriate.

All PhD students are assigned a supervisor and an advisor and may have additional co-supervisors and/or advisors who make up their ‘supervisory team’. You will have frequent meetings with your supervisor and other team members, either together or individually.  PhD students receive regular progress reviews throughout the course of their programme.

During the first year, we provide training in research skills and appropriate research methods (e.g., GIS, lab skills, advanced languages).

Our facilities for supporting PhD research are excellent, and our postgraduate community is vibrant and stimulating. The Haddon Library is conveniently located within the main Archaeology building and houses a wide range of specialist archaeological and anthropological literature, journals, access to online catalogues and wireless internet access.

Our Archaeological Science Laboratories support specific scientific research projects, including Geoarchaeology, Bioarchaeology, Computational Archaeology, Archaeogenetics, Zooarchaeology, Isotopic Analysis and Material Culture.

The Department of Archaeology hosts an official student society, the Archaeological Field Club, which runs a speaker series and organizes other events. Students in Archaeology publish their own academic journal - the Archaeological Review from Cambridge .

The postgraduate community also organises subject-specific discussion groups which run events throughout the academic year; please see the Departmental Seminar Series calendar for examples of current events.

All colleges admit postgraduate students in Archaeology, whether or not they have fellows in the subject. Some considerations might be whether you want a historic or a newer college; a college in a central location or a more spacious outlying one; or a college with a large or small student body. Some colleges also have strengths in particular activities you may be interested in (often sport, drama or music). We recommend visiting various colleges, either in person or virtually, and picking one you like the feel of. Some colleges may also offer studentship funding; check the individual colleges' webpages for information.

There are many different sources of funding available to support UK and international students at the Department of Archaeology but full scholarships are highly competitive. The Department of Archaeology enters exceptionally strong candidates for Gates Cambridge, AHRC and ESRC scholarships and scholarship schemes administered by the Cambridge Trust.

The Department of Archaeology also administers several funds which aim to support archaeological fieldwork and will endeavour to support students in obtaining funding from University and external sources.

Students may have to bear additional costs in relation to PhD-associated data collection, research visits or fieldwork. These costs will be specific to the individual student and project. The Department considers the intellectual merit of proposed projects as well as the availability of appropriate supervision and resources.  Applicants must discuss any potential costs for all aspects of their research with their potential supervisor prior to application.  You should include with your research statement a listing of specific resource needs for your research (such as travel requirements, likely budgets, laboratory equipment, fieldwork etc).  

Once students are in the Department there are limited Department funds for which students can apply to cover such additional costs. However, this is likely to be insufficient to cover substantial costs, so students are likely to have to find additional funding elsewhere, e.g. University/College or external funding.

Suggestions for successful graduate applications to Archaeology

We strongly encourage you to answer all the questions on the GRADSAF and to use the full character count allowed for each question. Acceptance to our courses is competitive, and giving us the maximum information gives you the best chance.

Research Experience:

This is the most important question. Examples of research experience might be your BA or Master’s thesis, a long research paper submitted as coursework, work on an excavation or in a lab as part of a team, or development of a database within an internship. This research does not have to be archaeological in nature. Be as descriptive and detailed as possible—what were the research questions, methods and outcomes? What was your role?

Reason for Applying

This section should describe your research project or interests (e.g., theoretical approach, regional culture, archaeological science application, heritage issues) and why you think these interests will be best supported in Cambridge (for instance, by a particular supervisor, by Department or McDonald Institute facilities, or by participation in seminar groups). Please do not quote sections of our website back to us, but do read through it and find where you would fit.

Career Goals

An ambitious Plan A is great (e.g., university professorship, head of UNESCO). You might also reflect on a more accessible Plan B. This question does not need to identify a particular target employment position—instead you might describe the kind of impact you would like to have: e.g.engaging with refugee communities about heritage, writing the Best Book Ever on Mayan headrests. For MPhil applicants, would your degree with us be a step on a trajectory to a PhD in the same subject or might it provide a turning point to a different career—such as a move to heritage law or conservation?

Additional Information to Support Application

This question is not mandatory but it is an opportunity to tell us about how you became interested in archaeology, or a little about your background or challenges you have overcome.

Academic Awards

These should be university/college and external, but not high school/secondary school. Include both financial awards/prizes and non-financial awards that are markers of esteem (e.g., Dean’s List, medal for best performance in a subject).

Other applications made

We understand that you must apply widely to maximise your chances of funding. But we strongly discourage you from applying to more than one faculty or department at Cambridge (e.g., to Archaeology and also to History and/or Classics). Your interests should be strong enough and the fit good enough that one course and faculty/department at Cambridge is best.

Supporting Documents

It should go without saying, but please scan any transcripts or certificates clearly and with the top of the page at the top of your scan. Blurry documents uploaded sideways will not help your case for admission.

It is important that your referees know you and can address your recent or current work and research abilities as well as your future potential. Good options are your thesis supervisor, or a lecturer from whom you have taken several courses/classes and to whom you have submitted several pieces of written work.

If you are a Cambridge MPhil student applying to continue to a PhD, in some cases, it may be appropriate to ask your current Cambridge supervisor or a lecturer for a reference. But be aware that if you are applying in the first term, in order to make deadlines for funding, that your local supervisor is unlikely to know you well enough to provide a strong and well-informed reference. You should seek an additional reference from someone at your prior institution.

The Gates application asks for a third ‘personal’ reference. Ideally, this should be a different person than your two academic referees. If you wish to use one referee for two letters, please let them know that they should address different aspects of your career in each letter—one regarding your academic abilities, the second (personal reference) addressing your leadership qualities.

Application Process

Applications are considered on a rolling basis throughout the period that the admissions window is open but quotas are in place so you are encouraged to submit your application as early as possible. Always take note of any funding deadlines that affect you when making your application.

Your application will be reviewed by a small panel of staff members, including your probable supervisor. The time taken for your application to be fully reviewed and a decision made can vary depending on the time of year and the panel involved but we aim to move things along as quickly as we can. It is possible that the panel may request further information to support your application or ask that you attend an interview either in person or via Skype. In this situation, you will be contacted with the relevant details by the Postgraduate Admissions Administrator.

Once a decision has been made your self-service account will be updated. If an offer has been made to you, the details and any conditions will follow in a letter from the Postgraduate Admissions department. Do make sure that you read any documentation they send you thoroughly and address any associated questions directly to them.

PhD Enquiry to the Department

Contact the Postgraduate Admissions Administrator

Doctor of Philosophy at Cambridge

Postal Address: Department of Archaeology Downing Street CB2 3DZ Cambridge

Information provided by: 

[email protected]

Site Privacy & Cookie Policies

athena_swan_bronze_logo.png

accredited_degree_rgb_no_background.png

UIS Websites

• Service Status Notifications
• Help and Support
• High Performance Computing Service

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• University A-Z
• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Terms and conditions
• Undergraduate
• Spotlight on...
• About research at Cambridge

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Postgraduates
• Information for prospective postgraduates

Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)

• About us overview
• The Centres
• Aaron Rapport Teaching Prize
• The R.A Butler Prize
• News overview
• The POLIS Newsletter
• Events overview
• 2024 PhD Fieldwork Photography Competition
• Annual Lectures
• Contemporary Political Theory Seminar Series
• POLIS Political Economy Seminar Series
• History and Politics Seminar Series
• Cambridge Historical International Relations Conference
• Public Policy Annual Lecture overview
• Annual Public Policy Lecture 2022 - video available
• Gender & Tech
• Privacy statement: Registering for an event
• Application Guide
• Ethics, Risk and Fieldwork (ERF) overview
• Ethical Approval
• Risk Assessment
• Fieldwork and Leave to Work Away (LTWA) 
• Witwatersrand-Cambridge Exchange Programme
• CamPo: Cambridge - Sciences Po, Paris Exchange Scheme overview
• Collaborative Research
• Faculty Exchange
• Doctoral Exchange
• Interview with Louis Baktash, CamPo Visiting PhD Candidate
• Pathways from Disorder to Order
• People overview
• Head of Department - Professor Jude Browne
• Deputy Head of Department - Dr Glen Rangwala
• University Teaching Officers (UTO) and Fixed-Term Lecturers (FTL)
• Other Teaching Staff and Affiliates
• Professional Staff
• Research Associates/Postdocs
• PhD Students
• Emeritus Staff
• Visiting Scholars overview
• Become a Visiting Scholar
• Prospective undergraduates overview
• Course Details
• Course information
• First Year Students
• Second Year Students
• Third Year Students
• One-year Part II
• Information for prospective postgraduates overview
• Prospective PhD in Politics and International Studies overview
• How to Apply
• Fees and Funding
• Information for current postgraduates overview
• Research Best Practice
• Postgraduate Hardship Fund
• Information for supervisors
• PhD in Politics and International Studies overview
• POLIS Carers fund
• The Lisa Smirl PhD Prize
• Fieldwork Funding
• PhD in Development Studies
• PhD in Latin American Studies
• PhD in Multi-disciplinary Gender Studies
• MSt in International Relations
• MPhil in Politics and International Studies overview
• What Our Students Say
• Current MPhil in Politics and International Studies overview
• MPhil Hardship Fund
• MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History
• MPhil in Public Policy overview

Programme Description

• Course Structure overview
• MPP Podcast
• Work Placements
• What our students say
• MPhil in African Studies
• MPhil in Development Studies
• MPhil in Latin American Studies
• MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies
• MPhil in Multi-disciplinary Gender Studies
• MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History (co-taught with History and Classics)
• Intranet (Staff only)

Work with us

Prospective phd in politics and international studies.

The application and funding portal for October 2025 entry is now Open. The application deadline for this course and consideration for funding is 3rd December 2024.

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  
• Fees and Funding  

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

More Information

The Department of Politics and International Studies, The Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DP

Contact: [email protected]

Site privacy & cookie policies, university privacy policy, follow us on twitter, follow us on linkedin, sign up for our weekly news and events.

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Faculty of Philosophy
• About Us overview
• Academic Visitors
• Accessible Documents Checklist
• Cambridge Women Philosophers
• Non employee expenses form Word
• Disability Access Guide
• Health and Safety
• How to find us

Important Dates

• Job Opportunities
• Newsletters
• Philosophy Green Team overview
• Waste & Recyling
• Green Team Events
• Welfare overview
• Welfare for Students
• Welfare for Staff
• People overview
• Teaching & Research Staff
• Director of Studies Area overview
• Director of Studies Part 1B
• Director of Studies Part II
• Postgraduate Advisors Area
• Support Staff
• Current Academic Visitors
• Academic Staff Administrative Roles
• Paper Co-Ordinators
• Research overview
• Research Projects and Networks
• Seminars and Discussion Groups
• Employment destinations of recent Faculty PhD students
• Research Funding Opportunities
• Recent Faculty books
• Open access at Cambridge
• Course Outlines and Reading Lists (for Philosophy Students and Staff)
• Prospective Students overview
• Prospective Postgraduates
• Prospective Undergraduates
• Suggested Preliminary Readings
• Prospective Undergraduate students - Frequently asked questions
• Prospective Postgraduate students – Frequently asked questions
• Events overview
• Past Events overview
• Past Events - Conferences, Workshops and Special Lectures
• The Roles of Knowledge
• The Roles of Knowledge Abstracts
• Limits of Duty programme
• The Limits of Duty
• Decision Theory Seminar
• No-platform and Hate Speech
• What is Domination?
• 6th Cambridge Graduate Conference on the Philosophy of Logic and Mathematics
• Universals_v2.pdf
• JohnSearle Lecture
• Immateriality, Thinking and the Self in the Long Middle Ages
• Papers Heal Metaphysical atomism and the attraction of materialism
• Oelze Summary of Talk
• WIP Conference Poster
• GoodmakersandgoodtakersTextsHO2.pdf
• Minorities and Philosophy (MAP) Cambridge Conference 2018
• Shyane Personal Identity handout 6th form conf 2019
• Richard Holton Handout 6th form conf 2019
• Library overview
• Accessibility
• Joining the library
• Borrowing from the library
• Philosophy eresources (via Philosophy LibGuide)
• IT, printing and copying facilities
• Resources for undergraduates
• Resources for researchers (Via Philosophy LibGuide)
• Contact the Philosophy Library Team
• Intranet overview
• Undergraduate Teaching and Support Arrangements (including exam updates)
• Director of Studies Area
• Samples for MPhil Examiners
• Student Feedback & Support overview
• Student Representation & Student-Staff Committee
• Philosophy Student-Staff Committee Meeting Minutes
• SSC minutes 1May18
• Final SSCMinutes 30Oct18
• SSC Unconfirmed minutes 05 Feb 19
• SSC unconfirmedminutes 7May19
• Student Complaints Procedure
• SSC unconfirmed minutes 5Nov19
• SSC minutes 04 Feb 2020 4
• SSC minutes 5May2020 1
• Current Students overview
• Postgraduates overview
• MPhil Course Information (Includes examination protocols)
• PhD Course Information
• Organisational Matters
• Supervision
• Lectures and Seminars
• Faculty Resources
• Advice and Support
• PG Training Guide
• Room Booking Guidance
• Working Away
• Working While Studying
• Financial Support
• Postgraduate Calendar
• Deposit of Electronic PhD Theses
• Postgraduate Forms overview
• Appointment of PhD Examiners Form
• Risk assessment form RA1
• Risk assessment examples
• Conference expenses funding application form
• Postgraduate hardship funding application form
• MPhil Essays and Dissertations (Raven Login)
• MPhil Data Retention
• Undergraduate Tripos Students Information overview
• Lecture List
• Course Outlines and Reading Lists (for auditors)
• Undergraduate Writing Skills overview
• Tackling the Philosophy Essay Guide
• Tackling the Philosophy Essay Guide (mobi version)
• Tackling the Philosophy Essay Guide (epub version)
• Tackling the Philosophy Essay Guide (Word version)
• 09 Plagiarism 2018revJuly18
• Faculty Course Outlines and Reading Lists (for Philosophy students and staff)
• Student Feedback and Support.

People Overview

• Prospective Students
• Student Feedback & Support
• Current Students

There is a variety of teaching and research staff in the Faculty. Some members of staff are based in the colleges, others in the Faculty itself.

Here is a list of current postgraduate students .

The contact details for administrative and support staff can be found here .

Each college which accepts undergraduate students has a director of studies i n philosophy. Information for directors of studies (password protected) may be found here . 

The Faculty welcomes academic visitors from all over the world. Here is a list of current academic visitors . Here is information about how to apply to be an academic visitor .

Quick links

All News Items

Moral Sciences Club

Philosophy Lecture List

Philosophy Podcasts

Moodle Undergraduate Site

Intranet Teaching and Examining Arrangements

Follow the Faculty on Twitter/X

Tweets by @CambridgePhilos

Information

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Photos by Ben Colburn displayed with his permission
• Philosophy Contact Details
• [email protected]
• Map of Sidgwick Site
• University Map

Other Links

• Email & Phone Search

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections

Postgraduate study

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

• About the Department overview
• How to find the Department
• Annual Report
• HPS Discussion email list
• Becoming a Visiting Scholar or Visiting Student overview
• Visitor fee payment
• Becoming an Affiliate
• Applying for research grants and post-doctoral fellowships
• Administration overview
• Information for new staff
• Information for examiners and assessors overview
• Operation of the HPS plagiarism policy
• Information for supervisors overview
• Supervising Part IB and Part II students
• Supervising MPhil and Part III students
• Supervising PhD students
• People overview
• Teaching Officers
• Research Fellows and Teaching Associates
• Professional Services Staff
• PhD Students
• Research overview
• Research projects overview
• Digitising Philippine Flora
• Colonial Natures overview
• The Challenge of Conservation
• Natural History in the Age of Revolutions, 1776–1848
• In the Shadow of the Tree: The Diagrammatics of Relatedness as Scientific, Scholarly and Popular Practice
• The Many Births of the Test-Tube Baby
• Culture at the Macro-Scale: Boundaries, Barriers and Endogenous Change
• Making Climate History overview
• Project summary
• Workstreams
• Works cited and project literature
• Histories of Artificial Intelligence: A Genealogy of Power overview
• From Collection to Cultivation: Historical Perspectives on Crop Diversity and Food Security overview
• Call for papers
• How Collections End: Objects, Meaning and Loss in Laboratories and Museums
• Tools in Materials Research
• Epsilon: A Collaborative Digital Framework for Nineteenth-Century Letters of Science
• Contingency in the History and Philosophy of Science
• Industrial Patronage and the Cold War University
• FlyBase: Communicating Drosophila Genetics on Paper and Online, 1970–2000
• The Lost Museums of Cambridge Science, 1865–1936
• From Hansa to Lufthansa: Transportation Technologies and the Mobility of Knowledge in Germanic Lands and Beyond, 1300–2018
• Medical Publishers, Obscenity Law and the Business of Sexual Knowledge in Victorian Britain
• Kinds of Intelligence
• Varieties of Social Knowledge
• The Vesalius Census
• Histories of Biodiversity and Agriculture
• Investigating Fake Scientific Instruments in the Whipple Museum Collection
• Before HIV: Homosex and Venereal Disease, c.1939–1984
• The Casebooks Project
• Generation to Reproduction
• The Darwin Correspondence Project
• History of Medicine overview
• Events overview
• Past events
• Philosophy of Science overview
• Study HPS overview
• Undergraduate study overview
• Introducing History and Philosophy of Science
• Frequently asked questions
• Routes into History and Philosophy of Science
• Part II overview
• Distribution of Part II marks
• BBS options
• Postgraduate study overview
• Why study HPS at Cambridge?
• MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine overview

A typical day for an MPhil student

• MPhil in Health, Medicine and Society
• PhD in History and Philosophy of Science overview
• Part-time PhD

PhD placement record

• Funding for postgraduate students
• Student information overview
• Timetable overview
• Primary source seminars
• Research methods seminars
• Writing support seminars
• Dissertation seminars
• BBS Part II overview
• Early Medicine
• Modern Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
• Philosophy of Science and Medicine
• Ethics of Medicine
• Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine
• Part III and MPhil
• Single-paper options
• Part IB students' guide overview
• About the course
• Supervisions
• Libraries and readings
• Scheme of examination
• Part II students' guide overview
• Primary sources
• Dissertation
• Key dates and deadlines
• Advice overview
• Examination advice
• Learning strategies and exam skills
• Advice from students
• Part III students' guide overview
• Essays and dissertation
• Subject areas
• MPhil students' guide overview
• Essays and dissertation overview
• How to choose the topic of your essays and dissertation
• PhD students' guide overview
• Welcome to new PhDs
• Registration exercise and annual reviews
• Your supervisor and advisor
• Progress log
• Intermission and working away from Cambridge
• The PhD thesis
• Submitting your thesis
• Examination
• News and events overview
• Seminars and reading groups overview
• Departmental Seminars
• Coffee with Scientists
• Cabinet of Natural History overview
• Publications

History of Medicine

• Purpose and Progress in Science
• The Anthropocene
• Measurement Reading Group
• Teaching Global HPSTM
• Pragmatism Reading Group
• History of Science and Medicine in Southeast Asia
• Atmospheric Humanities Reading Group
• Science Fiction & HPS Reading Group
• Values in Science Reading Group
• Cambridge Reading Group on Reproduction
• HPS Workshop
• Postgraduate Seminars overview
• Images of Science
• Language Groups overview
• Latin Therapy overview
• Bibliography of Latin language resources
• Fun with Latin
• Archive overview
• Easter Term 2024
• Lent Term 2024
• Michaelmas Term 2023
• Easter Term 2023
• Lent Term 2023
• Michaelmas Term 2022
• Easter Term 2022
• Lent Term 2022
• Michaelmas Term 2021
• Easter Term 2021
• Lent Term 2021
• Michaelmas Term 2020
• Easter Term 2020
• Lent Term 2020
• Michaelmas Term 2019
• Easter Term 2019
• Lent Term 2019
• Michaelmas Term 2018
• Easter Term 2018
• Lent Term 2018
• Michaelmas Term 2017
• Easter Term 2017
• Lent Term 2017
• Michaelmas Term 2016
• Easter Term 2016
• Lent Term 2016
• Michaelmas Term 2015
• Postgraduate and postdoc training overview
• Induction sessions
• Academic skills and career development
• Print & Material Sources
• Other events and resources

MPhil in History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine

• PhD in History and Philosophy of Science

Our MPhil (Master of Philosophy) provides students with an unparalleled opportunity to explore topics across history and philosophy of science and medicine, laying deep foundations for further study, work and public involvement.

All assessment is based on submitted writing – there are no courses or modules to complete. This allows room for independent growth in different directions, a feature of the MPhil that distinguishes our programme from those at other universities and that our students regularly praise.

Choose from a wide range of topics

History and philosophy of science and medicine is a large research area spanning centuries, cultures and sciences.

Some students come with a specific list of topics and work on them through the year; others adjust or change their plans. Some specialise right away in either history (of a period or of a science) or philosophy. Others mix and match, trying out different skills in each piece of submitted work. Many students research objects in the Whipple Museum of History of Science, making discoveries and later publishing their work.

The 12,000-word dissertation is the culmination of the year. It allows students to explore a topic in depth and to build an extended argument. The MPhil dissertation often becomes the basis of a PhD thesis or academic article.

Work with leading academics

Our students work closely with leading academics.

The number and diversity of potential supervisors within the Department, and in the University at large, means that students can find experts in most areas of history and philosophy of science and medicine. These scholars then work with each student individually, guiding them in honing their research topics, finding the right literature to engage, formulating an argument, and perfecting their writing.

Join a friendly department

This is an active, friendly department that offers a packed schedule of lectures, seminars and reading groups.

By interacting with other members of the Department – academics, PhD students, postdocs and visitors from all over the world – MPhil students gain a great deal of feedback on their writing. They also acquire a broader set of skills that set them up to become academic researchers, writers and colleagues.

Plan the next step

By the end of the MPhil course, our students have a good idea about their own future interests and the best way to realise their individual talents and put their new skills to use.

More than 60% go on to further study, with many continuing to a PhD in HPS or a related subject. Beyond that, a third of our MPhil students go on to take up academic positions, generally after completing a PhD.

Others go into careers in museums and libraries, publishing, journalism, law, medicine, teaching and consultancy, while some of our MPhil alumni have started their own companies, worked for major NGOs and written prize-winning books.

If you are currently a Cambridge undergraduate student you may want to apply to take the HPS Part III course rather than the MPhil. However, you can apply for the MPhil if you prefer, or you can apply for both and decide later which course to take.

More about the MPhil

• Requirements

For current MPhil students

• MPhil students' guide
• MPhil and Part III timetable
• Programme specification (PDF)

Main image: Illustration from Thomas Huxley, Evidence as to Man's Place in Nature (1863) Image credit: Whipple Library, University of Cambridge

Email search

Privacy and cookie policies

Study History and Philosophy of Science

Undergraduate study

Library and Museum

Whipple Library

Whipple Museum

Museum Collections Portal

Research projects

Philosophy of Science

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• Terms and conditions
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...

Study at Cambridge

About the university, research at cambridge.

• Undergraduate courses
• Events and open days
• Fees and finance
• Postgraduate courses
• How to apply
• Postgraduate events
• Fees and funding
• International students
• Continuing education
• Executive and professional education
• Courses in education
• How the University and Colleges work
• Term dates and calendars
• Visiting the University
• Annual reports
• Equality and diversity
• A global university
• Public engagement
• Give to Cambridge
• For Cambridge students
• For our researchers
• Business and enterprise
• Colleges & departments
• Email & phone search
• Museums & collections
• Course Directory

PhD in Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence

Postgraduate Study

• Why Cambridge overview
• Chat with our students
• Cambridge explained overview
• The supervision system
• Student life overview
• In and around Cambridge
• Leisure activities
• Student union
• Music awards
• Student support overview
• Mental health and wellbeing
• Disabled students
• Language tuition
• Skills training
• Support for refugees
• Courses overview
• Department directory
• Qualification types
• Funded studentships
• Part-time study
• Research degrees
• Visiting students
• Finance overview
• Fees overview
• What is my fee status?
• Part-time fees
• Application fee
• Living costs
• Funding overview
• Applying for University funding
• Doctoral training programmes
• External funding and loans
• Colleges overview
• College listing overview
• Accommodation
• Applying overview
• Before you apply
• Entry requirements
• Application deadlines
• How do I apply? overview
• Application fee overview
• Application fee waiver
• Life Science courses
• Terms and conditions
• Continuing students
• Disabled applicants
• Supporting documents overview
• Academic documents
• Finance documents
• Evidence of competence in English
• AI and postgraduate applications
• Terms and Conditions
• Applicant portal and self-service
• After you apply overview
• Confirmation of admission
• Student registry
• Previous criminal convictions
• Deferring an application
• Updating your personal details
• Appeals and Complaints
• Widening participation
• Postgraduate admissions fraud
• International overview
• Immigration overview
• ATAS overview
• Applying for an ATAS certificate
• Current Cambridge students
• International qualifications
• Competence in English overview
• What tests are accepted?
• International events
• International student views overview
• Akhila’s story
• Alex’s story
• Huijie’s story
• Kelsey’s story
• Nilesh’s story
• Get in touch!
• Events overview
• Upcoming events
• Postgraduate Open Days overview
• Discover Cambridge: Master’s and PhD Study webinars
• Virtual tour
• Research Internships
• How we use participant data
• Postgraduate Newsletter

Primary tabs

• Overview (active tab)
• Requirements
• How To Apply

This exciting PhD in Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence will train the next generation of AI researchers, technologists, and leaders in the development of human-centred, human-compatible, responsible and socially and globally beneficial AI technologies. The course offers research training in areas such as fundamental human-level AI, social and interactive AI, cognitive AI, creative AI, health and global AI, and responsible AI. Students will be educated in an interdisciplinary environment where they can get access to expertise not only in the technical but also human, ethical, applied and industrial aspects of AI.

This programme is distinct from other PhD programmes in that it takes a strongly interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach to technical AI. It will be based at the Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA) within the Institute for Technology and Humanity (ITH) where PhD students will have access to both a large community of scholars and students tackling similar questions and to the active research events programme that constitutes a key part of CHIA’s work. The course addresses the broader need for experts equipped to develop more responsible and human-centred AI as academia, industry, government and non-profit sectors increasingly recruit AI specialists and is a logical next step for students moving through AI-related master’s programmes and wishing to specialise in human-inspired AI. The interdisciplinary nature of human-inspired AI means that the programme will involve working closely also with other units of the University, including co-supervision arrangements, access to research seminars, and access to facilities.

The PhD in Human-Inspired AI aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge to contribute critically and constructively to research in human-inspired AI. It introduces students from diverse backgrounds to research skills and specialist knowledge from a range of academic disciplines and provides them with the opportunity to carry out focused research under close supervision by domain experts at the University.

The programme will train the next generation of researchers and leaders in AI by

• providing them with educational infrastructure and interdisciplinary research environment and world-leading training in human-inspired AI,
• providing them with the critical tools to engage with the forefront of academic knowledge, methods and applications in this area,
• developing the advanced skills and abilities to identify, approach and address practical interdisciplinary research challenges,
• supporting students to develop a broad and deep understanding of the technical, ethical, applied and human aspects of AI, 
• developing the ability and initiative to identify, address and approach relevant and complex challenges across sectors and society.

The course will benefit  

• students wanting to engage with human-inspired AI by enabling them to hone critical, methodological and technical skills, develop new approaches and test them out, and specialise,
• students locating themselves in other home disciplines who wish to develop advanced projects including CHIAs approaches and orientations, 
• students entering into or returning to careers in academia, tech industry, and other sectors by giving them the advanced skills, critical perspectives, and methodological insights to pursue these pathways.

Learning Outcomes

Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of the PhD programme our graduates will demonstrate:

• The ability to create and interpret 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 general ability to conceptualise, design and implement a project for the generation of new knowledge, applications or understanding at the forefront of human-inspired AI, and to adjust the project design in the light of unforeseen problems.
• A detailed understanding of applicable techniques for cross-disciplinary research and advanced academic enquiry in the field of human-inspired AI
• The ability to make informed judgements on complex issues in human inspired AI, often in the absence of complete data.
• A critical perspective on the governance and ethical challenges that arise from applications of human-inspired AI and how these sit within and interact with wider society. 
• A systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge in relation to the history, methods, and applications of human-inspired AI.

Skills and other attributes

Graduates of the course will be able to:

• Continue to undertake pure and/or applied research and development at an advanced level, contributing substantially to the development of new techniques, ideas or approaches.
• Communicate their ideas and conclusions clearly and effectively to specialist and non-specialist audiences.
• Contribute constructively within national, international and cross-disciplinary environments.
• Transfer skills and qualities acquired during the programme to successfully engage in employment requiring the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

Employability

Students of the programme will graduate with a formal qualification in the rapidly expanding area of AI. The emphasis is on human-inspired AI. The combination of specialist, technical expertise in AI and cross-disciplinary approaches involving a wide range of human-centric disciplines means that our doctoral graduates will be uniquely qualified in the sector. The PhD will, therefore, put them in a strong position to pursue careers in a variety of academic and non-academic settings, for example organisations and consultancies in diverse sectors such as tech, health, environment, education, journalism, civil service among others.

For those intending to continue into an academic career, the course will equip them with the skills, experience and qualification for applying for a postdoctoral research position.

For Cambridge students applying to continue from the MPhil to a PhD, students must achieve a pass in the MPhil by Thesis or an overall distinction in the MPhil by Advanced Study.

All applications are judged on their own merits, and students must demonstrate their suitability to undertake doctoral-level research.

The Centre for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA) will hold an online webinar 9:00-9:45am on 4 November 2024.  Please see the  CHIA website  for information on how to register for this event. 

The Cambridge University Postgraduate Virtual Open Day usually takes place at the beginning of November.  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.

Key Information

3-4 years full-time, 4-7 years part-time, study mode : research, doctor of philosophy, institute for technology and humanity, course - related enquiries, application - related enquiries, course on department website, dates and deadlines:, michaelmas 2025.

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

Funding Deadlines

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2025, Lent 2026 and Easter 2026.

Similar Courses

• Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence MPhil
• Digital Humanities MPhil
• Future Infrastructure and Built Environment (part time) EPSRC CDT PhD
• Digital Humanities PhD
• Global Risk and Resilience MPhil

Postgraduate Admissions Office

• Admissions statistics
• Start an application
• Applicant Self-Service

At a glance

• Bringing a family
• Current Postgraduates
• Cambridge Students' Union (SU)

University Policy and Guidelines

Privacy Policy

Information compliance

Equality and Diversity

Terms of Study

About this site

About our website

Privacy policy

© 2024 University of Cambridge

• Contact the University
• Accessibility
• Freedom of information
• Privacy policy and cookies
• Statement on Modern Slavery
• University A-Z
• Undergraduate
• Postgraduate
• Research news
• About research at Cambridge
• Spotlight on...