Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2024). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas. This Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) course provides a solid grounding in the study of oncology and cancer biology through the provision of advanced level seminars in the first year and subject specific training in your host department. This course is for non-clinical scientists who want to undertake advanced study in the field of cancer research. Applications are accepted from finalists or graduates in biological, medical, or chemical science, as appropriate for the project(s) selected (see Entry requirements for further details). As a doctoral student on this course, you will carry out research for four years on a full-time basis. All students are admitted directly to work under the supervision of a Principal Investigator who is formally appointed as the doctoral supervisor. Your first year will consist of two six-month periods in different research groups. This provides students with a broad base of experience and the opportunity to explore different aspects of research prior to selecting a single project to focus on in years two to four. In your second, third and fourth years, you will undertake a selected research project from the list advertised in the course's "Non-clinical Rotations" project booklet. For details of potential projects, please consult the project booklet on the department's website. All doctoral students develop their skills through a range of research training and skills development in their first year of full-time study, by attending compulsory and optional courses and lectures in laboratory techniques and generic skills, including scientific writing and statistics, while also carrying out your research project. You will be encouraged to attend lectures and seminars related to your programme of research and make the most of the doctoral training and research methods provision available across the University. The aim is to tailor this training to individual needs and bring all students up to an advanced level in background knowledge. Later training is focused on the skills required for a successful career in independent research and for clinicians, to successful re-integration into clinical training.