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Description Contents Requirements Funding

The PhD is the primary research degree that can be taken in the Computer Laboratory. The Cambridge PhD is a three-year programme of individual research on a topic agreed by the student and the Laboratory, under the guidance of a staff member as the student's supervisor.

All research students are admitted to read for the PhD Degree on a probationary basis and most will be registered for the Certificate of Postgraduate Study (CPGS) in the first instance. During this year students may do some additional coursework and will write a research report that is likely to form the foundation of the eventual PhD dissertation. The CPGS will involve four components:

Research Skills training
Practical work
Research report of no more than 10,000 words
Attendance at a research workshops and research seminars.

At the end of the third term and on completion of the CPGS, students whose performance indicates that they would be able to complete a PhD in reasonable time will be upgraded to PhD status. A student who is not upgraded to PhD status will normally be awarded the CPGS (as will a student who is upgraded to PhD status) but will leave before submitting a PhD dissertation.

Students are expected to complete the substance of their research by the end of their third year, submitting their thesis then or within a few months.

Continuing

The minimum requirement for continuation to the PhD programme in Computer Science is that MPhil students achieve an overall Pass in the taught modules and, separately, the project. The Pass mark is 60% however higher minimum requirements may be set at the discretion of the Department and Degree Committee. Continuation to the PhD Degree is dependent on the approval of the Department and Degree Committee.

Research students in their first year will be expected to complete a series of 12 compulsory and optional units from the Research Skills Programme. The units are ungraded and the number of contact hours varies. Attendance is recorded in a logbook which is submitted at the same time as the first-year report and thesis proposal. Research students in their second and subsequent years will be expected to complete a further 8 optional units per annum from the Research Skills Programme.

At the discretion of the supervisor and to provide additional technical background for the PhD research, students may also be asked to complete successfully one or more 16-hour modules from the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science course.


One to one supervision	The Degree Committee for the Faculty of Computer Science and Technology appoints a supervisor and second adviser for each research student. In some cases, a second or co-supervisor may be appointed. Research students will have daily contact with the research group within which they are placed. In addition, they should expect a formal meeting with their supervisors at least once a month.
Seminars & classes	Research students are expected to attend research group seminars and discussion groups as well as regular Wednesday seminar series: http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/seminars/. With the permission of their supervisor, students may also attend classes in offered by the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science, Part II and Part III of the Computer Science Tripos.
Lectures	Mandatory Research Skills training: 10 hours core; optional 1 and 2-hour topics are available and are offered to research students throughout all years of their studies. Other optional courses are also available including foreign languages, small group teaching (supervising undergraduates), and lecturing.
Posters	All research students will have the opportunity to present their research regularly throughout their studies in seminars, first-year and second-year mini conferences, summer schools, and research conferences both in the UK and abroad. Students may apply for some funding to attend conferences and workshops.

Feedback

Regular feedback on progress is provided by supervisors once per term via the Graduate Supervision Report system.

Assessment

Thesis

The PhD is assessed through the examination of a dissertation, including an oral ('viva voce') examination. The dissertation must not exceed 60,000 words including footnotes, tables and equations, but excluding appendices, bibliography, photographs and diagrams.

Magistr (Master's Degree) at Pass level. Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of good or 4/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 4/5 Bologna Bachelor's from other institutions with an overall grade of 5/5, Excellent
Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of Excellent or 5/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 5/5
IELTS (Academic) 7.0
TOEFL Internet Score 100
£50 application fee
First Academic Reference
Second Academic Reference
Transcript
Sample of Work
Research Proposal
Personal Reference