PhD in Development Studies

Daniel Rincon Machon, PhD candidate, "A fisherman casts his net into the Pacoti River at its pass by Caça e Pesca favela — in the urban periphery of Fortaleza. "A fisherman casts his net into the Pacoti River at its pass by Caça e Pesca favela — in the urban periphery of Fortaleza. These traditional practices are still vital in the survival of such communities. Location: Caça e Pesca, Fortaleza, Ceará. Brazil."

"A fisherman casts his net into the Pacoti River at its pass by Caça e Pesca favela — in the urban periphery of Fortaleza. These traditional practices are still vital in the survival of such communities. Location: Caça e Pesca, Fortaleza, Ceará. Brazil." Prize winning fieldwork photo by PhD candidate Daniel Rincon-Machon.

Programme Overview

Course Structure and Timeline

The full-time PhD is a three-year programme (nine terms). We expect students to submit a full draft of their thesis by the end of the third year. Candidates must submit their final thesis for the viva examination during their fourth year, unless truly exceptional grounds—such as a medical emergency—justify a deferral.

Participants in the three-year course must devote themselves full-time to their doctoral studies.

Fieldwork and Part-Time Study

  • Fieldwork: Most PhD students conduct fieldwork during their second year. The Department offers limited financial assistance for these research trips.

  • Part-Time Study: A part-time option follows a similar sequence over a maximum of seven years. Please note that candidates planning to conduct fieldwork as part of their doctoral research are not eligible for the part-time route.

The First Year: Training and Registration

The first year focuses on research methods and transferable skills.

  • Methodology Training: All first-year students, including those on the part-time route, must attend the compulsory Research Methods course. We also encourage attendance at seminars and other events at the Centre of Development Studies and across the University, such as those hosted by the Social Sciences Research Methods Centre.

  • Registration Exercise: All candidates begin the programme as "unregistered" for the degree. To formally register, you must pass a registration exercise toward the end of your first year. This assessment ensures your project is viable, your methodology is sound, and you are capable of successful completion. Failure to pass this exercise (which may be attempted only once) will result in removal from the course.

  • Current First Year Students: Details of First Year Assessment are found on Moodle.

Academic Supervision

The essence of the Cambridge doctoral experience is the close relationship between the candidate and their PhD supervisor. Your supervisor will help you refine your project through regular discussion and the review of draft materials.

While the supervision style will differ for each candidate, we expect the first year to be dedicated to:

  1. Completing the Research Methods modules.

  2. Developing a detailed and well thought through thesis outline and methodology.

  3. Defining your original contribution to the field through their work.

Professional Development and Career Outcomes

  • Seminar Presentations: All PhD students are invited to present their research at a Centre seminar. This is a mandatory requirement of the programme, but also a great opportunity to develop presentation skills and provides an opportunity to receive feedback from senior academics and peers.

  • Career Outcomes: By the end of the programme, candidates will possess the high-level skills, experience, and knowledge required for postdoctoral research, academic teaching, or leadership roles within the global development field.

Staff Sabbaticals

As members of a research-oriented institution, Cambridge University academic staff are entitled to sabbatical leave. As a result, it is possible that in any particular term or year one of the members of the academic staff may be away. The University always endeavours to make appropriate arrangements for substitute teaching, but occasionally one or another option may be suspended during a staff member's leave.

 

 

Dates

Applications for entry in the academic year 2026-27 are now closed. Applications for the 2027-28 academic year will open in September 2026.

Dates for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship are available on the timeline page of their website and other postgraduate dates are on the Postgraduate Study application deadlines page.

Deadlines for 2026 entry were as follows and will likely follow a similar timeline, but please check the websites above for exact timings.
  • 15 October 2025 (23:59 GMT)
    • Deadline for US citizens residing in the USA who are applying for 2026 entry.
  • 02 December 2025 (23:59 GMT)
    • Deadline for all other funding for 2026 entry, including Gates funding for eligible non-US citizens. Self-funding applicants may also submit for this deadline. 
  • 26 February 2025 (23:59 GMT)
    • Self-funding applicants final deadline.

Please see the Postgraduate Admissions webpage for more details.