Programme Types

Types of Course

There are several types of postgraduate programmes of study available in the Medical Sciences Graduate School.

  • Structured D.Phil. – these are PhDs in which the 1st year involves rotation between 2 or 3 supervisor laboratories and some relevant course work. You then choose 1 of these supervisors for your main D.Phil. project.  A structured D.Phil. programme will suit you if you want to try out different projects before committing yourself. It will also suit you if you are switching fields and require some additional background knowledge before commencing the research project.
  • Direct-entry D.Phil. – a 3-4 year PhD in which you choose your supervisor on application and go directly into their laboratory. There is usually no required coursework. Instead there are a wide range of optional courses that you are able to do throughout your PhD. The number and combination depends on your background and chosen project and is decided in conjunction with your supervisor.  A direct-entry D.Phil. will suit you if you already know what research you want to do and have the required background knowledge. An advantage of this style of programme is that you will have up to 4 years to work on your project, enabling you to achieve more.
  • M.Sc. by Research - most of the programmes that offer direct-entry D.Phil. will also award an M.Sc. by Research for work completed in 1-2 years. However this option is increasingly rare because there is little funding available and it is difficult to produce high-quality research in such a short period. Applicants who wish to do a M.Sc. by Research should contact the programme director and/or supervisor before submitting an application.
  • Taught M.Sc. – usually a 1 year course that combines coursework with 1 or more research projects.