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Postgraduate Study

Teaching

We aim to provide you with the specific training required for your scientific studies and broader training in transferable skills that will be valuable in scientific and other careers and activities. A wide variety of courses in specific and transferable skills are available. In consultation with your Supervisor, you'll put together a personal portfolio of useful courses.  

All students in this programme will be members of the University’s Postgraduate School of Life Sciences (PSLS), which offers a wide variety of core skills and professional development training. For more information, visit the on the PSLS website. 

One to one supervision

All Zoology postgraduate students are supervised by at least one member of the academic staff who is an expert in the student's field of study. Supervisors support students in developing an independent and novel project in their field of interest and are there to give advice, encouragement, and constructive criticism. Students are also allocated two advisors who will help assess their progress and offer suggestions and advice during their PhD.

The regularity with which postgraduate students meet with their Supervisor varies throughout the year, but meetings are likely to be more frequent to start with, and during the planning stages and the writing-up phase. On average, students meet with their supervisors every 1-2 weeks.  All students should have the opportunity to seek formal feedback from their Supervisor, and supervisors should have the opportunity to give such feedback.

The °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï publishes an annual which sets out the University's expectations regarding supervision.

Seminars & classes

There is a wide range of talks and seminars available in the Department and elsewhere in °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï. Many research groups within the department run weekly seminars which you should attend and can contribute to. There are also departmental seminars with guest speakers from other institutions or departments. This is a chance to meet with leading researchers in your area and get together with other postgraduate students.

In addition to the departmental seminar series, we offer some seminars and events specifically for our postgraduate students:

  • Scientific Ethics Seminar Series: The biennial Scientific Ethics course is designed to give research students the chance to confront and discuss ethical issues they will face as professional scientists. Such a course is felt to be necessary in view of the sensitivity of society to the perceived misbehaviour of scientists, the complex relationship between scientific issues and society and the increasing pressure on scientists in a competitive environment.
  • Zoo Grad Tea Talks: As a postgraduate student in Zoology you will be required to give a talk to your peers. This is a seminar series run by and for postgraduate students. Students present their work to a friendly audience, composed of students and postdocs.
  • Zoology Postgraduate Symposium: The postgraduate students organise a biennial one-day symposium, where they can give a talk or present a poster and practise their presentation skills. 
  • Statistics for Zoologists course: This optional series of lectures and practicals delivers statistics training to Zoology students at the beginning of their studies here.
Taught/Research Balance Entirely Research

Placements

Depending on the funding body, some courses include a three-month professional placement.

Feedback

Postgraduate students in Zoology are expected to submit progress reports at regular intervals throughout their course. Following the submission of their reports, students receive written and oral feedback from two academic advisors. Students can also expect to receive termly formal feedback reports via the online feedback and reporting system.

You may wish to refer to the  for Research Students for more information on the University's expectations regarding feedback.

Assessment

Thesis / Dissertation

You will be expected to submit a thesis of up to 60,000 words, excluding tables, footnotes, bibliography, and appendices, within 48 months of the initial date of registration (if full-time and taking into account any periods of authorised intermission), followed by a viva voce examination.

Key Information


3-4 years full-time

4-7 years part-time

Study Mode : Research

Department of Zoology

Course - related enquiries

Dates and deadlines:

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2023
Application deadline
Oct. 2, 2024
Course Starts
Jan. 5, 2025

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2023
Application deadline
Jan. 14, 2025
Course Starts
April 17, 2025

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Michaelmas 2025

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2024
Application deadline
May 16, 2025
Course Starts
Oct. 1, 2025

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2024
Application deadline
Oct. 2, 2025
Course Starts
Jan. 5, 2026

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Applications open
Sept. 4, 2024
Application deadline
Jan. 14, 2026
Course Starts
April 17, 2026

Some courses can close early. See the Deadlines page for guidance on when to apply.

Course Funding Deadline
Jan. 7, 2025
Gates °Ç¸ç³Ô¹Ï US round only
Oct. 16, 2024

These deadlines apply to applications for courses starting in Michaelmas 2025, Lent 2026 and Easter 2026.


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