History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 29.8 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 42.7 k / Year(s) Deadline: Jun 14, 2024
6 place StudyQA ranking:3919 Duration:1 year

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Our MPhil 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.

Coming to Cambridge from all over the world and with very diverse backgrounds, students discover our Department to cover the depth and breadth of this large research area spanning centuries, cultures and sciences. They get to work closely with leading academics in the Department and the University at large. The sheer number and diversity of potential supervisors means that students can find experts on most areas of history and philosophy of science and medicine. These experts 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.

There is a great deal of flexibility about the topics of the essays and the dissertation. This room for independent growth in different directions regularly gathers praise from our students and distinguishes our programme from those at other universities. There are no courses or modules to complete, all assessment is based on submitted writing. Some students come with a specific list of topics and work on them throughout the year, others adjust or completely 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 of our students research objects in the Whipple Museum of History of Science, making discoveries and publishing their work afterwards.

Whatever their path, students interact with members of the Department – academics, PhD students, postdocs, visitors – in an intense and packed schedule of talks, lectures, seminars, reading groups and supervisions. In these interactions students get a great deal of feedback on their writing and acquire a broad set of skills for how to be an academic researcher, writer and colleague. The 15,000-word dissertation is the culmination of the year. It allows students to explore a topic in depth and to build an extended argument. This piece of work, closely and thoroughly guided by a specially appointed and supremely qualified supervisor, often becomes the basis of a PhD thesis or academic article. By the end of their time in our programme, students have a good idea about their own future interests and the best way to realise their individual talents and newly acquired skills either within our field or outside it.

The MPhil programme is administered by the MPhil Manager, who meets all new MPhil students as a group in early October, then sees each of the students individually to discuss their proposed essay and dissertation topics. The Manager is responsible for finding appropriate supervisors for each of these topics; the supervisors are then responsible for helping the student do the research and writing needed for the essays and the dissertation. Students will see each of their supervisors frequently; the MPhil Manager sees each student at regular intervals during the year to discuss progress and offer help and advice.

Supervisions are designed to provide students with the opportunity to set their own agenda for their studies. The supervisor's job is to support the student's research, not to grade their work – supervisors are formally excluded from the examination process.

   
One to one supervision

13 hours per year.

Seminars & classes

30 hours per year.

Feedback

Students receive independent reports from two examiners on each of their three essays and the dissertation.

Assessment

Thesis

MPhil students submit a dissertation of up to 15,000 words at the end of Easter Term. Examiners may request an oral examination but this is not normally required.

Students are also assessed by three essays of up to 5,000 words each, on a subject provided by the Degree Committee.

Students are permitted to write their dissertation in the same general area as one of their essays. In such cases the dissertation and essay have to address different questions, and the dissertation must give evidence of a substantial new research effort.

Essays

Students submit three essays, each of up to 5,000 words each.

  • 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) 7.5
  • TOEFL Internet Score 110
  • £50 application fee
  • First Academic Reference
  • Second Academic Reference
  • Transcript
  • Statement of Interests. The statement of interests, of about 600 words, should indicate which subject areas you would pursue in the MPhil. Please tell us about possible essay and dissertation topics you might pursue on the course, why you are interested in them, and some preliminary ideas about how you might carry them out. We will not treat the statement as a formal proposal but it will help us understand your motivations for taking the MPhil and how well prepared you are for graduate-level research. You may also include a preliminary PhD research proposal if you are planning to continue to the PhD after completing the MPhil course.
  • Sample of Work.You should submit one or more examples of your written work, such as essays or a dissertation, in areas relevant to the graduate study you wish to pursue. An essay written specially for the Cambridge application is acceptable, but you should indicate if this is the case. The writing samples must be entirely your own work, fully referenced and in English. There is no word limit.
  • Personal Reference. This is only required if you are applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
  • Global Education
  • Gates Cambridge Scholarships
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