Admissions

Plant Sciences

Research programmes

DPhil in Plant Sciences

Course Code | 001620

MSc by Research in Plant Sciences

Course Code | 001630

Oxford's Department of Plant Sciences is one of the few in the United Kingdom covering the breadth of Plant Science. Fundamental research is carries out in three interlinked areas:

Biochemistry and systems biology
Cell and developmental biology
Ecology, evolution and systematics

Research in each area depends to a greater or lesser extent on the use of four major technology platforms - spectroscopy, imaging, computational biology and high-throughput sequencing.

The Department currently has 26 academics and senior research fellows, around 45 research staff and some 35 research students, as well as support staff.

How to Apply

The deadlines for the DPhil and MSc (R) courses are 22 November 2013, 24 January 2014 and 14 March 2014. Later applications may be considered if places are available.

Candidates seeking funding from an Oxford scholarship must apply by the January deadline at the latest. Later applications may be considered for candidates with funding from external sources.

The standard set of materials you should send with any application to a research course comprises:

A research proposal,
CV/résumé,
Three (3) academic references, and
Official transcripts detailing your university-level qualifications and marks to date.

Applicants to the DPhil and MSc (R) in Plant Sciences do not need to submit a detailed research proposal. Instead, please provide a short statement of the proposed research area, and a cogent personal statement explaining why you wish to take the proposed course, and how the degree might be of long-term benefit.

The personal statement will also be assessed for evidence of motivation, of understanding of the proposed field of study (broad or narrow according to the level applied for), and of ability to present a reasoned case in English.

Please follow the detailed instructions in the *Application Guide***, and consult the Plant Sciences website for any additional guidance.**

Academic resources

The Plant Sciences Department is centrally situated in the University Science Area. All the laboratories have recently been refurbished and are excellently equipped for modern cell and molecular technologies.

In addition, students in the Department have access to a range of unique facilities comprising the living collections and arboretum of the University Botanic Gardens and, on site, two herbaria of international standing and an extensive Plant Science Library. Specialist facilities available to research students include confocal and electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, analytical NMR, and new extensive transgenic plant growth facilities (glasshouses and controlled-environment rooms).

Academic staff profiles

Information on academic staff profiles

Graduate destinations

The Department is committed to conducting internationally competitive research and to the scientific training of undergraduate and graduate students.

Over 70% of Plant Sciences DPhil students move to post-doctoral research positions, both industrial and academic, and subsequently most continue in university, institute or industrial research.

dps.plants.ox.ac.uk

+44 (0)1865 275070
graduates@plants.ox.ac.uk

Funding/awards

Graduate students accepted for graduate study within the department are eligible to apply for funding from a number of scholarships, including:

Christopher Welch
Newton Abraham
Clarendon Fund
Sylva Foundation
Ditchley Foundation
Louis-Dreyfus Weidenfeld Scholarship and Leadership Programme*

The department is also part of the Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) and the Systems Biology Doctoral Training Centre (DTC)

Other funding sources can be found via the Oxford Funding Search

* Only available to a defined list of overseas countries

Number of applicants

2012/13

Number of places available

2013/14

c. 10

Statement of Provision

Plant Sciences - Research