Intelligent Earth (UKRI CDT in AI for the Environment)
About the course
The Intelligent Earth CDT is a doctoral degree, available in both full- and part-time modes, designed to equip a new generation of students with advanced AI skills to tackle some of the most pressing environmental issues.
The Intelligent Earth CDT will train a new generation of quantitative environmental data scientists to make substantial contributions in environmental and data sciences.
The course is intrinsically interdisciplinary. You will be advised by both an environmental science supervisor and an AI supervisor from two different departments, as well as a non-academic partner who also serves as host for a secondment. This course is suitable for quantitative applicants from data science, mathematical, physical and environmental science backgrounds.
Course structure
An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory and optional elements of the course are provided in the Course components section of this page.
Key components of the teaching programme:
- Induction week
- Core courses in foundations of AI/ML and foundations of the four environmental themes
- Responsible AI training
- Computational skills training
- Advanced cross-cohort courses will focus on specific areas of AI applied to grand challenges and associated datasets from the four environmental themes
- Professional skills training
- Teaching skills training
After introductory lectures, you will be introduced to the corresponding AI tools, frameworks and environmental datasets to apply the taught material in tutorial-based project work. You will work in interdisciplinary groups tackling grand challenges in environmental science of increasing complexity with AI. The course will be individually tailored to your needs.
In addition to the formal teaching programme, student experience and training will be enriched by:
- Weekly Intelligent Earth seminars
- Annual hackathon
- Annual two-day CDT conference
Following the initial training period, you will undertake a three-month research project supervised by one of the potential DPhil supervisors. In year two (years three to four if studying part-time), you will transition to your primary department and supervisors, and you will start your DPhil research. In year four (years seven to eight if studying part-time), you will finalise your DPhil research and complete your thesis writing. Professional training will focus on career development, job/fellowship applications and interviews.
To learn more about the research topics you’ll have the opportunity to explore, please refer to the Research areas section on this page.
Attendance
The course can be studied full-time or part-time with both modes requiring attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements. Part-time students are required to attend course-related activities in Oxford for a minimum of 30 days each year.
If you are studying part-time you will be required to commit to allocating an average of 20 hours per week (50% full time equivalent) to doctoral study. As a part-time student you will follow an individually-tailored training programme that is adjusted to suit your work pattern, with the opportunity to undertake additional training as needed during the later years of your studies. Where possible you are encouraged to allocate additional time to your studies at the beginning of your first year of study to fully benefit from induction processes, cohort interactions and foundational training. If you are part-time you will be assessed at milestones that are adjusted to take your working hours into account (eg 12 terms for transfer of status for a student working at 50% FTE).
One of the following departments will serve as your primary department from year two onwards, when you will begin your DPhil research:
- Department of Biology
- Department of Computer Science
- Department of Earth Sciences
- Department of Engineering Science
- School of Geography and the Environment
- Department of Physics
- Department of Statistics
Provision exists for students on some courses to undertake their research in a ‘well-founded laboratory’ outside of the University. This may require travel to and attendance at a site that is not located in Oxford. Where known, existing collaborations will be outlined on this page. Please read the course information carefully, including the additional information about course fees and costs.
Resources to support your study
As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.
The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.
The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students to support with learning and research, as well as guidance on what technology to bring with you as a new student at Oxford.
The Intelligent Earth CDT is resourced by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) with contributions from the University and partners. It is integrated in Oxford's Doctoral Training Centre and training may take place in a number of locations across the University. Students will often work together on problem sets, or in groups, with the support of demonstrators.
You will have access to computational facilities as well as a laptop. When you move out to your department you will also have access to the facilities provided by that department. You will remain a member of the CDT and be able to return to the CDT facilities, based within the Doctoral Training Centre, on Keble Road, to use the facilities there.
You will have access to seminars in all seven departments as well as across the wider university. In addition to the training modules offered by the CDT, you will be able to sign up for a wide range of training courses and modules offered by departments across the university via the University's Researcher Training Tool.
You will also have access to Oxford's wide library network, including the recently refurbished Radcliffe Science Library.
Supervision
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Intelligent Earth CDT and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Intelligent Earth CDT.
During your first year (first two years if studying part-time), you will have a supervisor from the academic leadership of the CDT. Meetings with your supervisor will serve to monitor academic progress as well as to discuss any academic issues or questions arising. When you transition into one of the participating departments to commence your research project in year two (three to four if studying part-time), you will be co-advised by two supervisors, one from an environmental science department and one from an AI department. First-year supervisors will act as mentors throughout the programme, providing academic and pastoral guidance.
Students will have the opportunity to meet their supervisors on a regular basis to discuss their progress. For full- time students, these meeting are usually at least once every two weeks, averaged across the year and once a month for part-time students.
Assessment
You will be assessed continually throughout the first-year training courses modules. In the second half you will undertake a four-month research project and will be required to deliver a written report that will be assessed.
At the end of the second year, you will be required to write a report and give a presentation on your research, and to present a detailed and coherent plan for the research-intensive phase in the third and fourth years of your doctoral studies. Progress towards completion is again formally assessed some way into the final year of study.
If studying part-time, you will be assessed over the first two years. Timings will differ for the presentation for part-time students.
You will carry out your DPhil project in the department of your primary supervisor and will gain your DPhil from the department in which you carry out your research project.
You will follow the same milestones and assessments as a standard DPhil, so you will have Probationer Research Student (PRS) status until you confirm your status as a DPhil student by term six. By term nine you will confirm status and you will submit your thesis for assessment by the end of term 12. If studying part-time the milestones will differ to a full-time student.
Graduate destinations
The CDT will train a new generation of quantitative environmental data scientists equipped to make substantial contributions in environmental and data sciences as well as being prepared for a wide range of career paths in academia, research and industry, supported by the CDT's extensive partnership network.
The CDT anticipates Intelligent Earth Graduates to drive innovation and found their own start-ups, supported by the programme’s dedicated training in enterprise, impact, and responsible AI.
Changes to this course
The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.
Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.
For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.
Course components
Compulsory study
In year one (first two years if studying part-time), you will take:
- Core courses
- Computational skills training courses
- Advanced cross-cohort courses
- Responsible AI training
- Professional skills training modules
This will culminate in a four-month research project followed by the annual hackathon and conference. The teaching model for all courses will be tailored towards training students to become independent researchers.
In year two (years three to four if studying part-time), you will transition to your primary department and supervisors, and you will start your DPhil research. You will take also take:
- Advanced cross-cohort courses
- Professional skill training modules
- Computational skill training modules
Secondment
A secondment with non-academic partners may take place in year three (years five to six if studying part-time), if it was not undertaken previously.
Options
In year three (years five to six if studying part-time), alongside your research you will have the opportunity to take the following, based on your individual needs:
- Optional advanced courses
- Professional skills training modules
- Computational skills training modules.
Research areas
You’ll have the opportunity to undertake research within the specialised themes of this course, which include:
- Climate
- Biodiversity
- Natural hazards
- Environmental solutions
- Core AI/ML research on complex environmental data.
Following the initial training period, you will undertake a three-month research project supervised by one of the potential DPhil supervisors. Course free periods will be used for consolidation, supervisor matching, and DPhil proposal development.
In year two (years three to four if studying part-time), you will transition to your primary department and supervisors, and you will start your DPhil research.
Further information
Information about academic and research staff can be found on the centre's website.
Entry requirements for entry in 2026-27
Proven and potential academic excellence
The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our guidance to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
We know that contextual factors can make it difficult for candidates to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background. For further details, please refer to the information about improving access to graduate study in the How to apply section of this page.
Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships.
Degree-level qualifications
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours
The above qualification should be achieved in one of the following subject areas or disciplines:
- biology
- chemistry
- computer science
- engineering
- earth sciences
- environment sciences
- geography
- geology
- geophysics
- mathematics
- meteorology
- oceanography
- physics
- statistics; or
- other related disciplines such as data science, mathematical, physical and environmental science
For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
GRE General Test scores
No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
- The course aims to develop and apply AI and candidates should have strong quantitative skills. Therefore, as a minimum applicants should have maths skills equivalent to UK A-level or to have done maths as part of their course.
- Candidates will need to demonstrate a broad interest in some or all of the five Intelligent Earth themes: Climate, Biodiversity, Natural Hazards, Environmental Solutions, and Core AI Research in their personal statement and interview.
- Applicants whose previous degree was not explicitly quantitatively based should be able to demonstrate the ability to learn the necessary skills required for successful completion of the course.
- Although it is not required to have a master’s degree, in practice most applicants with a ‘physical science’ background will have completed a four-year integrated master's course.
- Professional experience, especially research experience, is valuable and will be taken into consideration as a substitute for an academic qualification.
- Publications are not expected, but should be included if present.
English language proficiency
This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.
| Test | Minimum overall score | Minimum score per component |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) | 7.5 | 7.0 |
| TOEFL iBT* including the 'Home Edition' (Institution code: 0490) | 110 | Listening: 22 Reading: 24 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 |
| C1 Advanced† | 191 | 185 |
| C2 Proficiency‡ | 191 | 185 |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 165 | 155 |
*Changes to the TOEFL iBT test are being introduced on 21 January 2026. The University will not accept TOEFL tests taken from that date to meet the English language condition until a review of the revised test has been completed. Our Application Guide provides full details of the tests we accept.
†Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
‡Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)
Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.
Declaring extenuating circumstances
If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.
References
You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Supporting documents
You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.
Performance at interview
Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process and are expected to be held in the second half of February.
Offer conditions for successful applications
If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions.
In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:
Financial Declaration
If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.
Disclosure of criminal convictions
In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.
Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
This course may require you to obtain an ATAS certificate before you can apply for a visa/immigration permission. If you are offered a place, the academic department will confirm whether an ATAS certificate is required. If so, they will also send you the information you need to apply for one. You can apply for ATAS whilst your offer is conditional and before the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) is issued. Further information about ATAS is available on the student visa webpages.
Evidence of ability to study for employed part-time applicants
If you are applying for part-time study and are currently employed, you may be asked to provide evidence that your employment will not affect your ability to study and that you can commit sufficient time to fulfil all elements outlined in the course description. You may be asked to provide details about your pattern of employment and provide evidence to show how you will fulfil your commitment to make time available to study, eg to complete coursework, and attend course and University events and modules.
Other factors governing whether places can be offered
The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:
- the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
- the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
- minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.
Funding
All applicants who are offered a place on this course will be offered a fully-funded scholarship, covering all course fees for the duration of their course and a living stipend.
Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the Intelligent Earth CDT website.
Costs
Annual course fees
The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.
Fees for the 2026-27 academic year at the University of Oxford
Full-time study
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £10,470 |
| Overseas | £34,700 |
Part-time study
Fee status | Annual Course fees |
| Home | £5,235 |
| Overseas | £17,350 |
What do course fees cover?
Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional costs information below.
How long do I need to pay course fees?
Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year fees will usually increase annually, as explained in the University’s Terms and Conditions.
Graduate students who have reached the end of their standard period of fee liability will be required to pay a University continuation charge and/or a college continuation charge.
The University continuation charge, per term for entry in 2026-27 is £656, please be aware that this will increase annually. For part-time students, the termly charge will be half of the termly rate payable by full-time students.
If a college continuation charge applies (not applicable for non-matriculated courses) it will be between £150 and £500, as explained in our information about continuation charges. Please contact your college for more details, including information about whether your college's continuation charge is applied at a different rate for part-time study.
Where can I find more information about fees?
Our fees and other charges pages provide further information, including details about:
- course fees and fee liability;
- how your fee status is determined;
- changes to fees and other charges; and
- continuation charges.
Information about how much fees and other costs will usually increase each academic year is set out in the University's Terms and Conditions.
Additional costs
Full-time study
CDT funded studentships come with an additional research training support grant (RTSG) to cover costs of associated equipment, research and travel. Individual research projects come with variable research costs and students will need to discuss these with their supervisor and plan a budget for their project. In some cases students may need to apply for additional funding, either from the RTSG or other sources. Students should always involve their supervisor with such funding requests.
Part-time study
There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.
Living costs
In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.
Living costs for full-time study
For the 2026-27 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,405 and £2,105 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (if dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).
Living costs for part-time study
Your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you will still need to cover your cost of living on a full-time basis for the duration of your course, even if you will not be based in Oxford throughout your studies. While the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student living in Oxford in the 2026-27 academic year is between £1,405 and £2,105 per month, living costs outside Oxford may be different.
Part-time students who are not based in Oxford will need to calculate travel and accommodation costs carefully. Depending on your circumstances and study plans, this may include the cost of a visitor visa to attend for short blocks of time (if visitor visa eligibility criteria are met).
Further information about living costs
The current economic climate and periods of high national inflation in recent years make it harder to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2026-27 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation.
A breakdown of likely living costs for one month during the 2026-27 academic year are shown below. These costs are based on a single, full-time graduate student, with no dependants, living in Oxford.
| Lower range | Upper range | |
|---|---|---|
| Food | £315 | £545 |
| Accommodation | £825 | £990 |
| Personal items | £160 | £310 |
| Social activities | £50 | £130 |
| Study costs | £35 | £90 |
| Other | £20 | £40 |
| Total | £1,405 | £2,105 |
For information about how these figures have been calculated as well as tables showing the likely living costs for nine and twelve months, please refer to the living costs page of our website.
College preference
Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs).
If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference.
If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide.
Full-time study
The following colleges accept students for full-time study on this course:
Part-time study
The following colleges accept students for part-time study on this course:
Before you apply
Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application, including advice to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.
If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.
Application fee waivers
An application fee of £20 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
- applicants from low-income countries;
- refugees and displaced persons;
- UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
- applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.
You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.
Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students
If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission.
Application fee waivers for eligible associated courses
If you apply to this course and up to two eligible courses during the same application cycle, you can request an application fee waiver so that you only need to pay one application fee. We recommend that you use your application fee waiver to apply only for eligible courses that are closely related in research area to this one.
To be considered eligible for an application fee waiver, each additional course must be:
- doctoral level eg a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) or Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) course; and
- offered by one of the departments in the MPLS Division or one of the departments in the Medical Sciences Division.
If you apply to Intelligent Earth (UKRI CDT in AI for the Environment) and/or the DPhil in Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Science, one of the following courses offered by the Social Sciences Division will also be considered eligible:
This special arrangement is possible due to the close association between these courses. No other exceptions to the eligibility criteria will be considered.
If this is the first eligible course that you are applying to, you can request an application fee waiver for an additional course after you have submitted your application for this course. If you have already applied to another course that the meets the eligibility criteria shown above, you should request an application fee waiver before starting an application to this course.
Remember to state clearly in your request which course(s) you intend to apply to. If your request is successful, you will receive an application fee waiver code that is valid for this admission cycle (ie for entry in the 2026-27 academic year). Our Application Guide provides instructions for entering your application fee waiver code.
Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?
Informal enquiries should be made to the Intelligent Earth CDT administrator in the first instance.
You are encouraged to communicate with academics working in your area of interest to discuss potential research topics and the possibility of being offered supervision but this does not affect the admissions process. Profiles of academics with whom you might wish to study can be found on the CDT website.
Improving access to graduate study
This course is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are assessed fairly.
Contextual data (where it has been provided in the application form) and your contextual statement (if you choose to provide one) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process. When academic shortlisting takes place, we will use also information on ethnicity as part of an initiative to ensure that applicants who identify as Black British and meet the relevant criteria are invited to interview.
Completing your application
You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.
For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.
If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.
Proposed field and title of research project
If you are not applying for a specific project, you do not have to specify one at this stage. Instead, you should indicate your preferred CDT Research theme under 'Proposed field and title of research project'. If there are pre-defined projects or topic areas of interest to you, you can indicate this in your statement of purpose.
Proposed supervisor
It is not necessary for you to identify a potential supervisor in your application.
Students will be matched with supervisors and partners throughout the first year of training. Nonetheless, you are encouraged to make contact with potential supervisors throughout the application process. This may lead to the development of a project idea, but there is no commitment on either side, nor does it affect the admissions process.
Referees:
Three overall, of which two academic are preferred
Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.
Academic references are preferred. However, up to two professional references can be accepted if you have relevant work experience.
Your references will support proven and potential academic excellence in terms of intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, communication skills and ability to work in a group.
Official transcript(s)
Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.
More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.
Contextual statement
If you wish to provide a contextual statement with your application, you may also submit an additional statement to provide contextual information on your socio-economic background or personal circumstances in support of your application.
It is not necessary to anonymise this document, as we recognise that it may be necessary for you to disclose certain information in your statement. This statement will not be used as part of the initial academic assessment of applications at shortlisting, but may be used in combination with socio-economic data to provide contextual information during decision-making processes.
Please note, this statement is in addition to completing the 'Extenuating circumstances’ section of the standard application form.
You can find more information about the contextual statement on our page that provides details of the continuing pilot programme to improve the assessment procedure for graduate applications.
Statement of purpose:
A maximum of 500 words
Your statement should be written in English and should focus on your motivation, research interests and career ambitions in the area of the CDT, rather than on other personal achievements, interests and aspirations. It should refer directly and specifically to one or more of the themes of the CDT.
It will be normal for your ideas and goals to change in some ways as you participate in the programme and you are not committed to work in the specific subject area. You should nevertheless make the best effort to demonstrate your current interests and aspirations.
If you are applying for part-time study, you should provide evidence of your ability to commit sufficient time to study and fulfil all elements outlined in the course description (eg completing coursework, assessments, and attending course and University events and modules).
Your statement will be assessed for:
- your reasons for applying
- your ability to present a coherent case
- your commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course
- your preliminary knowledge of the subject area and research techniques
- your reasoning ability
- your ability to absorb new ideas
Start or continue your application
You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.
Apply full-time Apply part-time Continue application
After you've submitted your application
Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.
Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.