The Churchill Scholarship is for one year of study at the University of Cambridge for one of two Master’s degrees: the MPhil (Master of Philosophy) or MASt (Master of Advanced Study). The standard MPhil is a research degree that entails full-time research in a lab and culminates in a thesis and a viva (an oral examination). The MASt is a taught degree course comprised of lectures and written examinations. A list of eligible and ineligible courses can be found below.
Some MPhil courses involve a mixture of taught courses and a research paper, and most MASt courses provide the opportunity to write a research paper. The research-only MPhil is a rare opportunity to be able to spend a full year on a single research project. In the hybrid part-lecture and part-research MPhils, students can pursue a shorter research project, while the lectures expose them to a greater breadth of topics. Former Churchill Scholars have said that lectures in Cambridge move quite quickly and tend to be less engaging and interactive in comparison to lectures in US universities.
For students in the research-only MPhil courses, you may need to search far and wide in order to find the right lab for you. The Cambridge structure is different from many American universities, and labs in closely related fields can be found in a wide variety of different departments. Just as the list of courses here may be incomplete, the University of Cambridge website may omit courses or entire research institutes. We welcome suggestions of courses that may not be listed below. Feel free to contact the Foundation with any questions.
MPhil in Archaeological Research (Only eligible for a scientific research project.)
MPhil in Biological Anthropological Science
MPhil in Astronomy
The following Departments offer the MPhil in Biological Science:
Babraham Institute (NOTE: Babraham is independent of the University, so to take this option, you must check with a research supervisor that you can pursue research there as a Cambridge student and you must apply to a Cambridge department and find a supervisor willing to support your plan.)
Biochemistry
Cambridge Stem Cell Institute
Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Genetics
Mitochondrial Biology Unit
Molecular Biology
Pathology
Pharmacology
Physiology, Development and Neuroscience
Plant Sciences
Psychology
Wellcome Trust / Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute
Zoology
MPhil in Computational Biology†
MPhil in Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology
MPhil in Advanced Chemical Engineering†
MPhil in Biotechnology† (Mainly for non-bio majors)
MPhil in Chemistry
MPhil in Advanced Computer Science†
MPhil in Earth Sciences
MPhil in Engineering
MPhil in Energy Technologies†
MPhil in Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence†
MPhil in Nuclear Energy†
MPhil in Structural Engineering
MPhil in Geography
MPhil in Polar Studies (Polar Physical Sciences only)
MPhil in Materials Science and Metallurgy
MPhil in Micro- & Nanotechnology Enterprise† (Only eligible if the research project undertaken is scientific, rather than business-related)
(The three MASt courses are also called Part III of the Mathematical Tripos. Before you apply to Part III, please read the Foundation’s guide, Part III Mathematics for Churchill Scholars.)
MASt in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics†
MASt in Pure Mathematics†
MASt in Mathematical Statistics†
MPhil in Biostatistics
The following Departments offer the MPhil in Medical Science:
Cambridge Institute for Medical Research
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute
Clinical Biochemistry
Clinical Neurosciences
Haematology
Medical Genetics
Medicine
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Oncology
Paediatrics
Psychiatry
Radiology
Surgery
MPhil in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics (Language Technology Laboratory)
MPhil in Music Studies (Only the Music and Science option is eligible)
MPhil in Physics
MPhil in Scientific Computing†
MPhil in Population Health Sciences† (Only eligible if the dissertation is on a medical, as opposed to a policy topic)
MPhil in Epidemiology†
MPhil in Veterinary Science
Please be aware that the Foundation does not accept applications for the following:
MASt in Astrophysics
MPhil in Basic and Translational Neuroscience
MPhil in Bioscience Enterprise
MPhil in Computational Methods
for Materials Science. Students should instead apply for the MPhil in Scientific Computing, which is essentially the same.
MPhil in Conservation Leadership
MPhil in Developmental Biology
MASt in Earth Sciences
MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development
MPhil in Environment, Society and Development
MPhil in Genomic Medicine
MPhil in Genomic Science
MPhil in Industrial Systems, Manufacturing and Management
MASt in Materials Science
MASt in Physics
MPhil in Primary Care Research (Note that this course mainly caters to NHS doctors and shares much of its curriculum with the MPhil in Public Health and MPhil in Epidemiology)
MPhil in Social and Developmental Psychology
Part III in Systems Biology
MPhil in Technology Policy
MPhil in Therapeutic Sciences
MPhil in Translational Biomedical Research