PhD Programme
The PhD in Education can be taken on either a full- or part-time basis. The PhD is a research degree, the main purpose of which is to prepare a substantial piece of original research, designed to be completed within three years of study (or five years part-time). Students wishing to apply for the part-time PhD should live within four hours travelling time of Cambridge. Those living at a greater distance than this are unlikely to be admitted to the part-time programme.
Opportunities for research
The Faculty of Education in Cambridge is one of the UK's key centres for educational research, carrying out an extensive range of externally funded research projects. Our graduate students, from all over the world (currently over 40 different countries), make an important contribution not only to the vitality of the Faculty's research culture but also to its outstanding reputation internationally. The Faculty has long established relationships with both national and international agencies and institutions, while most supervisors of graduate students have contacts with regional schools and other institutional settings.
The Faculty's doctoral research training programme is accredited by the ESRC and we have several fully funded ESRC PhD studentships and a Faculty funded studentship for Home/EU students for award each year. There are many other funding opportunities available to overseas students wishing to pursue a doctorate at Cambridge and further details can be found on the Board of Graduate Studies website.
Supervision
One of the great strengths of studying at Cambridge is the level of individual support you will receive from an expert in your field. The Faculty assigns all doctoral students a personal supervisor to guide them through their course. You will meet with them regularly to discuss progress and submit written work for scrutiny and comment at appropriate times. Doctoral students are also allocated an advisor who will offer additional, but less regular, support and with whom you can discuss your progress.
Your supervisor, who will report on your progress termly, will help you to clarify your ideas, keep you on target and help you to meet and understand the standard of work required. He or she will direct you to information and resources, and should help you to produce research at a very high level. However, he or she will not write your assignments or do your literature searches for you, but simply help you to take advantage of all the excellent opportunities available.
Some other instruction in specialist disciplines and appropriate training is offered (in addition to the various Graduate Training opportunities in which students in all three years are encouraged to participate). The final award of the degree is decided solely on the results of the candidate's research presented in the PhD dissertation and on the candidate's performance in the oral examination.