How and when can I apply?

Applicants wishing to be considered for a place on an MPhil or PhD course in the Department of Land Economy are required to submit a formal application.  An application can be made online or on paper.  Applicants will be charged a non-refundable application fee per application.  Applications are accepted by the Board from September onwards for candidates wishing to start the following October.  All candidates are advised that they should apply as early as possible once applications have opened.

More on applications

What are my chances of getting a place to study at Land Economy?

How many candidates do you accept and how many applications do you receive?

The Department currently has approximately 100 MPhil students and 90 PhD students.  The following table sets out the number of applications the Department received for entry in October 2010 for its Graduate courses, together with the number of conditional offers made and places confirmed.  For most courses the Department operates on an approximate take up ratio of between 50-60% on offers to confirmed students.  Please note that the numbers here are approximate and may vary from year to year.

Does it matter if I don’t upload all my documents straight away?

Does it matter if my references do not arrive by the specified deadline?

It is important to note that the Department does not consider an application until all the necessary documents are received (see Applications).  Delay in supplying your supporting documents will therefore necessarily delay consideration of your applications.  It is also important to note that after a period of inactivity on an application (approx 4 weeks) the Board of Graduate Studies may automatically remove your application from the system.  Please note that your application is not considered as complete without the supporting documentation required (including the references), and that all documentation should be provided by any relevant course or funding closing dates.

What is the minimum academic requirement for entry to this course?

The minimum academic requirement for MPhil applicants to Land Economy is a 2:1 honours degree from a UK University or equivalent.  Applicants for the PhD in Land Economy are also required to meet this standard.  In addition, they will be expected to have successfully completed a Masters degree or equivalent, and to have achieved an equivalent standard in this degree. It is important to note that these academic requirements are minimum requirements.  The Department may therefore require an applicant to achieve a higher standard.  It is not unusual for the Department to set an academic condition of a first class degree from a UK University or equivalent.

What is the minimum language requirement for entry to this course?

I have previously studied in the UK do I still need to meet the language requirement?

English is not my first language, do I need to take an English language test?

At what stage do I need to show that I have met my language condition?

Applicants are expected to have a fluent command of the English Language.  If English is not your first language you may be required to meet a language condition.  The minimum language requirement for both MPhil and PhD applicants to Land Economy is:

IELTS: Overall 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each element
TOEFL ibT: Overall 110, with a minimum of 25 in each element
TOEFL paper based: 637 overall, 5.5 in TWE

Applicants are not required to prove their language skills at the time of initial application but may wait to see if they are offered a place before taking an IELTS or TOEFL test.  The language condition is set by the Board of Graduate Studies dependant on a candidate’s background.  If you are set a language condition it will clearly stated on your offer letter/self-service page. 

If you are set a language condition but you believe you have the required standard, you may be able to contact the University Language Centre for an assessment.  The Language Centre will only assess candidates who have narrowly missed the standard set above or who clearly have skills beyond those required but are unable to take a test for specific reasons. (www.langcen.cam.ac.uk).

I have been in full-time employment and have not studied recently. Will the University accept references from my employer?

You will need to provide your first reference from a member of the academic staff from the most recent higher education course you have undertaken and your second reference from your employer or another person who can testify to your academic ability in a formal context.

I have answered the questions about my personal interests and reasons for taking the course on the application form. Do I still need to provide a separate statement of interests?

I am not applying for funding. Do I still need to provide a personal statement/ statement of interests?

What should I put in my statement of interest and rationale for wanting to take the course?

The Department requires all candidates to provide either a separate statement of interests to support their application or a research proposal dependant upon the course for which they are applying.  This is in addition to any information included on the application form.  The Department will not process an application until all the documents, including the statement of interests or research proposal, have been received as appropriate.  See Applications.

Where a statement of interests is required, this should be a maximum of 2 pages A4 and provides an opportunity for candidates to expand in more detail on the answers given to questions on the application form.  This is required before the Department will consider an application

Can I apply to start a course in the Lent Term (January) or Easter Term (April)?

I have a conditional/confirmed offer of a place. Can I defer my place to another year?

All Land Economy MPhil courses have a once yearly start date of early October (Michaelmas Term entry).  MPhil applicants cannot defer an offer of a place and will be required to reapply for the following year, for re-consideration.  All applications are assessed as new applications and are considered alongside applicants for entry in the same year.  Where an offer has previously been made, there can be no guarantee that an offer will be made again.

Ideally, PhD candidates should apply to start their course in Michaelmas Term.  However it is sometimes possible for PhD students to defer their research to the beginning of the Lent or Easter Terms.  Any such deferral is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, in consultation with the Supervisor.  An offer of a place can not, however, be deferred to the next academic year and candidates must instead reapply for a place.  Deferral requests can be made online via your self-service page.

I am applying for an MPhil course:

Do I need to have relevant work experience?

What other evidence of my abilities do I need to supply?

Do I need to have a specific academic background?

Do I need to have GMAT or GRE?

What background do your students have?

Applicants for our MPhil courses are drawn from a wide variety of backgrounds and have a wide variety of goals. There is no stereotype and the Department has students with a mix of skills and interests.  The Department looks favourably upon applicants who can demonstrate that they have experience of or interest in areas relating to their chosen course.  Whilst work experience in a related field is not essential and the Department will consider candidates without it, it is a good example of how students can show their interest in a particular area.  There is no requirement for candidates to provide GMAT or GRE test scores with their application.  There is no requirement for candidates to provide evidence of any non-academic qualifications or qualifications prior to their undergraduate degree.  There is no requirement for students to provide samples of written work with their application.

Do you offer part-time degrees?

Do you offer distance-learning?

Can I live outside Cambridge whist studying for my degree?

All Land Economy MPhil degrees are intensive, full time degrees.  There is no part time option.  Candidates are required to be resident in Cambridge for the duration of their studies and are required to keep term as part of the conditions of their University course.

Land Economy does offer a part time route to the PhD, but this is not a route to distance learning and the Department will only accept a small number of students for part time study.  Candidates are still required to visit Cambridge at least twice a term and the process for application is slightly different. See PhD.  Students who require a visa to study in the UK are unlikely to be able to secure a visa for part time study.

Where can I find information on financial support offered by the University?

The Board of Graduate Studies provides the GradFunds database where candidates can search online for funding available within the University, both centrally and from colleges.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

How will I find out about the result of my application?

How can I get an update on the status of my application?

I can’t access my Self-service page. What should I do?

It is difficult to predict the length of time that it will take for an application to be processed from the time it is submitted to notification of the outcome.  Processing times fluctuate throughout the year dependant upon the volume of applications being received.  We may also hold applications until the closing date before making final decisions.  It can therefore take several months for decisions to be taken. 

When you apply you will be given a Self-Service account (usually within 24hrs), to enable you to upload your supporting documents and to help you follow the progress of your application(s).  Your Self-Service account will be updated at each stage of the process.  If your application is showing as ‘Papers with Department’ or ‘Papers with Degree Committee’ it means that your application is with Land Economy for review and your application is under consideration.  Your self-service page will show the outcome once a decision has been made.  If you are made an offer, your self-service will show the conditions of the offer and any other requirements you must meet before your place is confirmed.

If you have forgotten your password for your self-service, please email the Board of Graduate Studies , giving your Application Number(s) and Date of Birth in the body of your email.  You MUST enter "self-service password" in the subject field of your email.

Which College should I apply to?

Will my choice of College affect my chances of getting into Land Economy?

Where can I find information about the colleges?

We are unable to give advice about which College you should apply to. We would recommend that you have a good look at the Colleges and decide where you think you would be happiest.  This is a personal choice according to your circumstances, likes and interests. There is no special advantage to you applying to one College over another. Each year the numbers of applicants to each College is different and the number of students studying Land Economy in each College is different.  Further details of the Cambridge colleges can be found on the University website or individual college websites.

Will I need to attend an interview?

May I visit the Department and meet the administrative and academic staff?

The Department does not usually interview candidates for its courses (except in the case of part time PhD applicants). The Department receives several hundred applications for our courses each year and it is not feasible to offer each candidate the opportunity to visit the Department.  Selection is made on the basis of the quality of each application submitted and the supporting documentation, particularly previous academic qualifications, excellent references, any relevant work experience and a detailed statement of interests.

What happens if I do not receive the results of my current course until after my proposed course begins?

Applicants who are set an academic condition must provide a full transcript of marks to prove they have met the academic condition prior to being confirmed.  The Department will rarely take decisions on partial results.  If an applicant is enrolled with a different academic institution at the time of application, they must complete the course which they are currently studying before taking up their place at Cambridge, or provide written evidence from their institution that they have permission to intermit for the duration of their course at Cambridge.

I have accepted a conditional offer for a Land Economy MPhil course. When will I receive more details about the course and a reading list?

Course details and reading lists are usually sent by email to confirmed students in August/September.  It is extremely important that you notify both the Department and the Board of Graduate Studies of any changes to your active email address so that you can be contacted regarding your course without any delay.  Most problems with contacts occur when students have completed a course at another academic institution by June/July or have left their employment and have not updated their contact details.  Please change your contact details via your self-service page and also email the updated information to the Department.