Board of Graduate Studies

Graduate Application Forms

The Graduate Application Pack

The Graduate Application Pack should be used if you intend to submit a paper application. You should not use it if you have applied online. It consists of:

  • the Application Form (this form allows you to apply for admission and for a scholarship)
  • forms for your referees(Academic Reference Instruction forms and Personal Reference form)
  • an application packing list which sets out exactly what you need to enclose with your application.

The package includes full details for completing the form. The Prospectus entry for each course tells you if additional information, such as a research proposal or written work, is required to be included with your application.

*Please note that in general, application material should be sent to the Board of Graduate Studies. However, applications for some departments should be sent directly to those departments. Processing of your application may be delayed if you do not send it to the correct address. Please see the website below for details on where to send your application material:

Referees' Instruction Sheets

Applicants must submit two academic references with their application. If applying for funding from the Cambridge Trusts, applicants should submit an additional, ‘Personal Reference’. If necessary, it is acceptable for one of the academic referees to also write the personal reference. However, it is important that the personal reference is written by someone who can comment on the applicants non-academic abilities (particularly the applicant's leadership potential and social commitment, which are important criteria for the Gates Cambridge Scholarships) and ideally by someone who is also aware of the strong competition for places at Cambridge.

If you apply online, you should print these forms using the link below. Give one to each of your referees, each with a copy of your cover sheet. You can print the cover sheet from your self-service pages. Your referees should send the completed forms back to you. You should then include the sealed references with your application materials..

Awards offered by the Cambridge Trusts

Applicants from every country of the world (except the UK) are eligible to be considered for awards offered by the Cambridge Trusts.

Candidates who complete the GRADSAF form and submit the two academic references and the one personal reference (included in the Referees' Information Sheets above) will automatically be considered for all of the awards offered by the Cambridge Trusts for which they are eligible. Candidates who submit a GRADSAF form and three references do not need to make a separate application to the Trusts.

For further information about the Cambridge Trusts and the awards they offer please see the Graduate Studies Prospectus:

Cambridge International Scholarships (CISS)

Overseas applicants for PhDs will be considered to have applied for a Cambridge International Scholarship provided their completed Graduate Admission and Scholarship Application Form is received by the Board of Graduate Studies before 15th December 2008. 

For further information about these scholarships, please see