Human Evolutionary Studies

Entry requirements

Applicants for this course should have achieved a UK High II.i Honours Degree.

If your degree is not from the UK, please check International Qualifications to find the equivalent in your country.

Admission to the MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies is based on high achievement in a previous or current degree, typically first class, high II.i or an equivalent. Students will normally hold an undergraduate degree in range of relevant disciplines, including:

From undergraduate degrees in anthropology, archaeology, social anthropology and cognate disciplines, students seeking to focus their learning on human evolutionary studies, and seeking accessible training in the methods and principles involved in research within one of the sub-disciplines of evolutionary anthropology;

From undergraduate degrees in natural sciences, medicine, psychology and veterinary sciences, students seeking to learn across the discipline of evolutionary anthropology, while acquiring training in the methods and principles involved in research on a topic that intersects evolutionary approaches to humans and non-human primates with their own scientific background;

Students and professionals engaged with the study and curation of human remains, who wish to learn across the discipline of evolutionary anthropology, while acquiring training in the traditional and digital methods and principles involved in the study of human and non-human primate osteology using materials from the Duckworth Laboratory.

The programme is designed to accommodate flexibly the needs of students with different backgrounds, and the mixture of students from different national, educational and professional backgrounds is a strength of the course. Applicants with other backgrounds will need to show strong reasons for applying and relevant experience where possible.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Students who come to Cambridge to do the MPhil in Human Evolutionary Studies are interested in learning the broad and interdisciplinary field of evolutionary anthropology in depth, and to carry out a research project on a topic within the discipline at postgraduate level. Because the programme includes both a taught and a research component, its scope is ideal for students who have a background in biological anthropology, evolutionary biology, zoology, archaeology, psychology, and medical and veterinary sciences. This is a demanding interdisciplinary programme of study and research that enables students to obtain in-depth knowledge across human evolutionary studies and specialist research training in an area within this field over a relatively short time frame. Students who do this course come to Cambridge from the UK and abroad.

Information for international students

Language Requirement

IELTS (Academic)

Element Score

Listening 7.0

Writing 7.0

Reading 7.0

Speaking 7.0

Total 7.5

TOEFL Internet Score

Element Score

Listening 25

Writing 25

Reading 25

Speaking 25

Total 110

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).