Department of German and Dutch
GERMAN COURSE INFORMATION For full information about DUTCH courses and staff please CLICK HERE
The PhD
Outline
If you already have a Master's Degree, or are able to start research without one, the Cambridge Department of German has an outstanding range of facilities and expertise to guide you through these years of research to the PhD. If you wish, you are likely to be given the opportunity of gaining experience in small-group teaching for colleges. A two year research degree, the MLitt, is also available. 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. 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. The completion of a PhD dissertation is standardly expected to take three years, and most funding for PhD students is based on this assumption. The Department welcomes applications for the part-time PhD course and enquiries should be directed to the Head of Department (Prof. Andrew J. Webber, e-mail: ajw12@cam.ac.uk) in the first instance. There is a regular Graduate Seminar and a Research Colloquium which brings together all members of the Department. Back to topTopics and supervisors
The Department welcomes PhD students, particularly those who wish to work on topics which fall within the specialist intersts of teaching members of the Department (see staff details). Back to topWho should apply
The requirement for admission to any graduate course is a good honours degree in German or Modern Languages. The standard normally required of PhD applicants is that of a first class degree, or its equivalent. Applicants will also normally have or expect to obtain a masters degree, but applications to register for PhD on completion of a first degree will also be considered. Back to topHow to apply
The University of Cambridge Graduate Prospectus provides information on many aspects of postgraduate study at Cambridge, including fees and procedures for applying.UK applicants for the PhD usually seek funding from the AHRC (Arts and Humanities Research Council), or the equivalent sources of grants for postgraduate humanities courses in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Applicants from abroad normally seek funding in their home countries or from the various Trusts and College sources listed in the University of Cambridge Graduate Prospectus. PhD registration most commonly begins in October, but may do so at other times of the year. All applicants should note the Application Schedule and the information on the College system.
Applicants for the PhD will, wherever possible, be interviewed by members of the Department in the Lent Term of the year in which they wish to begin their graduate studies. The interview will seek to establish not only the suitability of the candidate, but the most appropriate procedure for supervision and library work. Back to top
