Modes of Study
- On this page
- Full-Time and Part-Time Study
- Terms of Residence
- Studying While Employed by the University
- Pre-Sessional Courses
- Visiting Students
- Higher Degrees
Full-Time and Part-Time Study
Most graduate courses at Cambridge are full-time courses. However, all MSts are part-time, and a number of departments offer part-time PhDs or research MPhils.
Unlike part-time degrees at many universities, the Cambridge part-time research degree is not a distance learning degree. There are attendance requirements and you will need to live close enough to Cambridge to fulfill these. As a minimum, you will have at least two formal supervisions per term as well as training sessions, and your department may require more than this. You can expect the same standard of research facilities as a full-time student and you will be expected to play a full part in the academic life of the department. You will also be a member of a college, although not all colleges accept part-time students.
- Further information
Terms of Residence
See 'Terms of Study' for more information on the minimum number of terms you need to be resident in Cambridge, and the restrictions on the distance of your accommodation from the city centre.
- Further information
Studying While Employed by the University
If you are employed by the University and wish to study for a research degree, you can apply to do so as long as your research will overlap almost entirely with your paid work. If you wish to apply for a part-time research degree, your research would need to contribute directly to your paid employment. You may also be eligible for a reduced rate of University fee (course fee). For more information please see the link below.
Pre-Sessional Courses
Please note that some one-year courses include a compulsory introductory stage. If your offer is for one of these, the start date will normally be in mid-September. Your offer email will show the start date for the introductory or pre-sessional stage separately from the first day of the full course. In accepting your offer, you must agree to attend at this earlier date.
Visiting Students
A small number of students each year come to Cambridge as 'visiting students' for up to one year, to undertake a period of study or supervised research. These are students who do not intend to become candidates for any Cambridge qualification, but who in many cases, are registered students at another institution either in the UK or abroad. You will not normally be permitted to continue for more than one year without registering for a Cambridge qualification.
Candidates are generally invited by a department or a faculty, and do not need to apply through the Board of Graduate Studies. Please note that this means that visiting students will not have college affiliation, unless the department is able to arrange this. If visiting students are interested in obtaining college membership for the duration of their visit, they should apply formally for admission as a visiting student through the Board of Graduate Studies. The admissions process in these cases is identical to that for all other new graduate applicants.
Departments may charge a fee, and if the student obtains college membership/affiliation, a college fee may also be charged. Visiting students who apply through the Board of Graduate Studies will have the same financial liability as all other graduate applicants - for more information, see 'Course Costs and Fee Status'.
Higher Degrees
Information on higher degrees can be found in the 'Examinations' section. This includes Higher Doctorates (DD, LLD, ScD, LittD, MusD), Bachelor of Divinity and PhD by special regulations.
- Quicklinks
- Frequently Asked Questions