MPhil: FAQ

This course is very popular and a high volume of applications are received every year. If you have not achieved, or are not predicted to achieve, the required academic grades, it is very unlikely you will be offered a place on the course. If you do not achieve the required English Language scores you will not be admitted.

A fluent command of written and spoken English is essential. Adherence to this requirement is strict, especially for candidates on one-year courses. Students must be able to demonstrate that they can communicate in English at a level and using terminology and discourse suitable for the subject. More information can be found on the MPhil in POLIS: Admissions page.

Cambridge does not use the GRE system for admissions. Our admissions panel will be looking at a combination of your research proposal, references and academic grades.

The University of Cambridge is a collegiate university and each college offers an extra dimension to student life.  All students are required to be members of a college. Cambridge colleges are not associated with particular academic disciplines.  All teaching for graduate students is provided by the department or faculty, not by the college. You are therefore free to apply to any college you choose.

Please refer to the Colleges pages on the Postgraduate website for more information.

The academic decision on whether to recommend you for a place on your chosen course is made by the department to which you apply, not the college. Your application papers will be sent to the colleges only after a formal academic offer of admission has been made by the Postgraduate Admissions Office.

All courses start in Michaelmas Term (beginning of October). Unfortunately it is not possible to start mid-year.

Whilst we welcome applicants to visit the University, we hope to have provided all necessary information on the website.  Therefore we do not encourage applicants to visit the Department as we do not want to prejudice the application process.

The Department does not conduct interviews for this course.  Your application will be considered solely on the strength of your academic grades, references and research proposal.

It is possible to apply for more than one of the MPhil courses that the University offers. However, you will need to submit a separate set of application materials for each programme that you apply for.

The Department has a number of mature students, and there are no age restrictions.

Decisions on applications are made on a rolling basis until the Department has made all of the offers available. 

Although applications will be considered on a rolling basis, it may be several months before the Department makes a decision on your application.

The funding bodies are separate to the Department. Your eligibility will be subject to your own circumstances and to the terms under which each body award their scholarships.

The University holds two main funding rounds for all graduate applicants with deadlines in October and December for admittance the following academic year.

Further details can be found in the Funding section of the Postgraduate Admissions website.

The University does not allow students to undertake paid work while they are studying full-time, and you should not expect to accrue additional income in this way.

It is a requirement of the University that all full-time graduate students have their funding fully in place before they start their course. 

As a postgraduate student at the University you are liable to pay the University Composition Fee (UCF) and you are also expected to have 'maintenance' funds to support your living costs whilst you are studying. The value of the UCF is dependent on your 'fee status', which is determined according to your nationality and place of permanent residence.  There is more information on Postgraduate Funding on the Postgraduate Study website.

If you are made a conditional offer of admission to Cambridge, you will need to obtain sufficient funding for the full duration of your course. Evidence of funding is required before your admission to the University can be confirmed. This is known as a financial undertaking. 

Please click here for further information. 

There may be other external funding opportunities, please consult the Cambridge Funding Search for further details.

If your application is successful, we will search for an appropriate supervisor. Please do not approach potential supervisors yourself.

We make approximately 140 offers each year.

If you have a dependent partner or children, you can bring them with you to Cambridge, but you should think through the implications before you do so. There will be financial considerations and you will also have to plan your time very carefully so that no aspect of your life suffers. For more information see the Postgraduate family portal.

If you are accepted for full-time graduate study at the University, you will be required to live in or close to Cambridge for at least the minimum period of study.

• This means living within ten miles of the city centre for research students and those taking most other graduate courses.

The colleges are able to house many of their full-time graduate students, either in the colleges themselves or in graduate hostels or purpose-built flats. However, few colleges can house all their student members. You may prefer to find your own living accommodation independently of the college, or may have to do so. This can be the case if you come to Cambridge with a partner or children as there is only limited college accommodation for couples and families. If your college is unable to provide accommodation for you, you can get help from the Accommodation Service and the Student's Union. The Accommodation Service is responsible for letting 360 University-owned properties. These are a mixture of furnished and unfurnished one-, two- and three- bedroom flats and houses located at different sites across the city. Demand for these is high and priority is given to those who are new to Cambridge.

The University year consists of three terms. Term dates are published on the University's website. No full-time student can be a candidate for a Cambridge degree unless he or she has spent at least three terms resident in Cambridge. For a term to be 'kept' a student has to reside in Cambridge for a minimum number of nights (59 for the Michaelmas and Lent Terms and 56 for the Easter Term).

The most common outcomes for students on this course are the fields of media and journalism, research and consultancy, the Civil Service and other diplomatic careers such as the Foreign Office, NATO or the UN, human rights and developments (including NGOs), further academic study, or careers in the law.

Additional figures on University wide student outcomes can be found at careers.cam.ac.uk.