Life as an ELAC MPhil Student

Introductory meeting

The course starts with an introductory meeting at the beginning of the first term, at which time you will be told about the structure of the course and be given a pack of useful information.

Supervision 

Normally students will have the MPhil Course Director as their initial supervisor. Once the dissertation topic has been decided in Lent Term, a subject-specific supervisor will be allocated. For equity, there are norms for the amount of supervision each student can expect to receive. It is expected that a student will be capable of largely independent work.

Faculty support

For MPhil students the key contact for advice and guidance on academic matters is the MPhil Course Director; for PhD students this is the Graduate Teaching and Examining Officer. The MMLL Postgraduate Secretary is available for help and support on administrative and non-academic matters. In addition, the Chair of the Degree Committee has overall responsibility for postgraduate affairs in the Faculty, and the Faculty Postgraduate Office Team are also on hand for guidance on Faculty-wide matters.

College and other support

Colleges provide a range of social and sporting facilities, as well as varying levels of accommodation and of computing support. Colleges usually have a tutor for postgraduates, who can offer advice with personal or financial difficulties. If for any reason students find it difficult to discuss a problem with their supervisor, a college Graduate Tutor can often provide an additional level of support. Some Colleges may also have some funds available for attending conferences and similar academic needs. The University Counselling service also offers confidential support to graduate students.

Postgraduate Guide 2023-24

The digital Postgraduate Guide provides useful information about the Cambridge postgraduate application process and is a useful document for prospective applicants.