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Description Contents Requirements Funding

In British universities the PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) is traditionally awarded solely on the basis of a dissertation, a substantial piece of writing which reports original research into a closely defined area of enquiry. The completion of the PhD dissertation is generally expected to take three years, and most funding is based on this assumption. It's also possible to take a part-time route through research degrees, and the expected timeframe would be five years.

During your research, you will have the opportunity to work closely with a Supervisor who is a specialist in your research area. In addition to your Supervisor, you will normally also be able to draw on the help and support of two other lecturers, who will form part of your supervisory team. You might reasonably expect to see your Supervisor fortnightly or at least three times per term.

In addition to providing specialist supervision, the Faculty runs a programme of professional training for the benefit of all research students. The programme includes seminars and workshops on library resources, giving conference papers, publishing, applications and interviews, teaching skills, specialist linguistics training, and film-making. The School of Arts and Humanities runs a central programme covering a range of topics from PhD skills training, to language training and writing and editing skills. If you wish, you are likely to be given the opportunity of gaining experience in small group teaching from colleges. There may also be opportunities to gain some experience in language teaching in the Faculty.

Continuing

For those applying to continue from the MPhil to PhD, the minimum academic standard is a distinction on the MPhil.

One to one supervision	Students might reasonably expect to see their supervisor fortnightly or at least three times a term. Supervisors normally take care to provide written comments on written work, and to give constructive criticism; but students should not expect actual marks. There is no need for written work to be provided for every meeting: general discussion and planning is vital, too. The length of a supervision can vary, depending on the stage a student is at and on the nature of the written work, if any, to be discussed. As a rule, however, such meetings generally last between 30 and 60 minutes. Generally, a student could expect no more than 11 hours of supervisions over the course of each academic year.
Seminars & classes	Students are encouraged to attend the Department's graduate research seminars, as well as other relevant research seminars taking place across the wider University.
Lectures	Attending lectures is optional but students are encouraged to take advantage of lectures offered across the university which are relevant to their research.

One to one supervision

Students might reasonably expect to see their supervisor fortnightly or at least three times a term. Supervisors normally take care to provide written comments on written work, and to give constructive criticism; but students should not expect actual marks. There is no need for written work to be provided for every meeting: general discussion and planning is vital, too. The length of a supervision can vary, depending on the stage a student is at and on the nature of the written work, if any, to be discussed. As a rule, however, such meetings generally last between 30 and 60 minutes.

Generally, a student could expect no more than 11 hours of supervisions over the course of each academic year.

Seminars & classes

Students are encouraged to attend the Department's graduate research seminars, as well as other relevant research seminars taking place across the wider University.

Lectures

Attending lectures is optional but students are encouraged to take advantage of lectures offered across the university which are relevant to their research.

Feedback

Feedback on progress is provided through regular meetings with the Supervisor. Termly supervision reports are written and are made available to the student online. Yearly progress interviews are held for which written work is submitted.

Assessment

Thesis

There is a normal word limit for the thesis of 80,000 words (including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography). The thesis should represent a significant contribution to learning through the discovery of new knowledge or through the connection of previously unrelated facts, or the development of new theory, revision of older views or some combination of these. In writing the thesis you are expected to take account of previously published work on the subject and the thesis should be clearly and accurately written, paying due attention to English style and grammar. Candidates for the PhD in Cambridge are guided by a supervisor, though they will normally also discuss their work with a number of other experts in their field.

Following submission of the thesis, an oral (viva) examination is held.

Other

Annual progress interviews for all PhD students should normally take place between the start of the Easter term and the end of the academic year. The annual interviews constitute a system for the formal monitoring by the Degree Committee of the progress of all students working towards a PhD.

Graduate students are admitted in the first instance for a probationary period during which they are not registered as a candidate for the PhD degree. The first-year interview is the context in which registration as a candidate for the PhD is formally considered. Candidates for registration submit a piece of written work, usually of around 10,000 words, for consideration by their interviewers. Satisfactory progress is a condition for being registered as a doctoral student and for remaining on the register.

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
Research Proposal. 500-1000 word research proposal
Sample of Work. A sample of recent research writing of approximately 5,000-10,000 words. The sample can be either an essay produced during masters-level studies or a section of a dissertation, and must be a single-authored work. This work can be submitted in English or Italian.
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