Medical Science (CRUKCI)

Entry requirements

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK 2:1 Honours Degree.

The undergraduate degree must be in a related or relevant subject. While not essential, many successful PhD applicants have relevant research experience, gained either as part of a research Masters degree or during laboratory placements.

Months of entry

January, April, October

Course content

The PhD programme in Medical Science in CRUK CI is designed to train biomedical researchers of the future. Over the immersive study period students will develop a deep understanding of their project, learning the complete set of skills required to make a valuable contribution to the knowledge of their field. They will also be exposed to a wide variety of interactive lectures and teaching exposing them to wider fields of interest.

The student is expected to take ownership of their project and to drive it forward with assistance from other members of the Institute, such as colleagues and core facility staff. The student is supported to submit their thesis within four years of commencing the study, and to prepare their research findings for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

In detail, students will gain the following skills:

• In discussion with their research team, reading and critically evaluating scientific papers in their field of interest and using this as a basis to identify a critical question suitable for PhD study
• Understanding research integrity, and its paramount importance in the research environment
• Establishing a hypothesis and identifying the most appropriate experimental techniques and design to test it
• Designing and carrying out suitably controlled experiments, followed by data analysis and interpretation
• Precisely documenting their experimental aims, details and results and also presenting their findings to their colleagues at weekly lab meetings
• In addition to the necessary scientific skills, successful research students also learn about time-management, collaboration and communication.

Information for international students

Language Requirement

IELTS (Academic)

Element Score

Listening 7.0

Writing 7.0

Reading 6.5

Speaking 7.0

Total 7.0

TOEFL Internet Score

Element Score

Listening 25

Writing 25

Reading 25

Speaking 25

Total 100

CAE

Score: Grade A & B (overall score of 193, with no element lower than 185 plus a Language Centre assessment)

CPE

Score: Grade A, B, or C (with at least 200 with no element lower than 185).