Applying for Allowance of Terms
Candidates who have been carrying out research in the University of Cambridge prior to starting a course of research (for example, having worked as a Research Assistant) may seek to have up to three full-time terms or five part-time terms allowed to count towards the minimum number of research terms required for the PhD, MSc or MLitt.
How to apply
Instructions on how to submit an application can be found on the 'Applying for a change in your student status' page.
Please note that if your application is approved, approval will initially be provisional. Full approval will be granted upon submission of the thesis for examination, provided this is before the first day of the 9th term full-time or 15th term part-time.
For further information please contact the Student Registry (student.registry@admin.cam.ac.uk).
Applying for Exemption of Terms
The pattern of study will, for full-time study for the PhD, be 3 (or, in some cases, 4) years. For the part-time PhD it is a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 7 years. However, a student who has completed an MPhil, MSt or one of the Diplomas in Economics, Legal Studies or International Law at the University of Cambridge may seek to incorporate some of the work carried out for their Masters/Diploma dissertation into the PhD degree providing the status of the work is clearly acknowledged in the PhD thesis and there is sufficient additional work at doctoral level to warrant the awarding of a further degree.
Applications for an exemption of terms on the strength of research done for the masters degree or diploma should be made retrospectively at the point of submission of the PhD thesis. Such applications will be considered only if the thesis is ready to submit before the first day of the term required to complete the minimum number of research terms for the degree (eg earlier than the first day of the 9th term of a full-time PhD, or the 15th term of a part-time PhD). The maximum exemption is three full-time terms or five part-time terms.
The only exception to this will be:
a candidate who has begun a PhD at another institution and is seeking to transfer to Cambridge with a supervisor taking up a post in the University may apply, on admission or at any stage thereafter, for an exemption of up to three full-time or five part-time terms of research on the strength of the work done in the previous institution. A candidate transferring with a supervisor and who has paid fees at the other institution will not be expected to pay fees for a period exempted at Cambridge. Please note that if your application is approved, your End of Registration Date will be brought forward by the amount of terms you have applied for.
How to apply
Instructions on how to submit an application can be found on the 'Applying for a change in your student status' page. If transferring from another institution with a supervisor taking up a post in the University of Cambridge, it is possible to apply for exemption of terms during the process of applying for the PhD. In this case your prospective Department and the Postgraduate Admissions Office will process the request for exemption as it will not be possible for you to access the application form used by current students.
Fee for course and consideration for exemption of fees
A fee for course was introduced for students admitted to a new course of study with effect from the Michaelmas Term 2010. With effect from Michaelmas Term 2010, when applying for continuation/readmission via the Postgraduate Admissions Office, all students are required to supply a financial guarantee to confirm they have the funds available to them to cover fees for the whole of their course. Admission is not agreed without this guarantee in place. If an exemption of terms is later requested and agreed to enable early submission of a thesis for examination, students are still liable for the full fees for their course. Further information can be found here.
For further information please contact the Student Registry (student.registry@admin.cam.ac.uk).