Outline
If you already have a Master's Degree, or are able to start research without one, the Cambridge German Section 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.
The German Section is the only one in the UK which has always been placed in the top grade in research assessment exercises and can fairly claim to be the best in the country. The collegiate structure of the University also makes for a supportive environment.
The Section has an officer responsible for postgraduate matters, currently Dr Mark Chinca, with Dr Martin Ruehl as interim officer in Michaelmas Term 2021 (email: gteogerman@mmll.cam.ac.uk).’You may consult him for advice on any aspect of your postgraduate course.
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 Section welcomes applications for the part-time PhD course and enquiries should be directed to gteogerman@mmll.cam.ac.uk in the first instance.
There is a regular Graduate Seminar and a Research Colloquium which brings together all members of the Section.
Topics and supervisors
The Section welcomes PhD students, particularly those who wish to work on topics which fall within the specialist interests of teaching members of the Section (see Teaching and Research Areas of German Staff).
Who should apply
The requirement for admission to the PhD is a strong honours degree in a relevant field, with clear evidence of research potential, and a distinction or equivalent in Masters / MPhil.
How to apply
Prospective applicants should consult our graduate webpages for information on entry requirement, application deadlines, fees, funding opportunities, and further information relating to graduate study in MMLL.
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 various Trusts and College sources, information on which is provided on the Faculty graduate website. PhD registration begins in October, with funding deadlines in October, December and January for a start the following October.
The Section also has some sources of funding for PhD students working in relevant fields.
Applicants for the PhD will, wherever possible, be interviewed by members of the Section in the Lent Term of the year in which they wish to begin their postgraduate studies. The interview will seek to establish not only the suitability of the candidate, but the most appropriate procedure for supervision and library work.
