Graduate MSc by Research

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About

As an MSc by Research student, your primary focus will be your research, which will be conducted with one or more of the existing research groups. The majority of your time will be spent in independent self-directed research and will involve a mixture of experimental, computational, and observational activities. Research projects must be original and rigorous, and can be based on fieldwork (sometimes in remote places), laboratory experiments, analysis of existing data sets, or mathematical theory.

Training and development

You will have regular meetings with your supervisors, and you will work in their research group. Depending upon your research, you may work with different research groups within the Department of Biology and with collaborators in other departments or institutions. Most students have the opportunity to meet with their supervisor weekly or fortnightly to discuss their progress and developments in the field. However, this frequency may vary depending on the area of research, the nature of your project, and the stage of your studies.

You will be encouraged to make the most of the doctoral training and research methods provision available across the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division, which covers both research and professional skills.

Life at Oxford Biology

You will be part of a vibrant educational research community that includes an active set of graduate student-led events, seminars and workshops. You will have the opportunity to present and discuss your work in progress with your supervisor, other faculty members and peers, informally day-to-day and by attending a variety of seminars and workshops in the department and at conferences elsewhere.

We have a friendly graduate community which provides a welcoming network to new students. The graduate student community offers a supportive environment, both social and scientific, allowing new graduates to develop into well-rounded and confident scientists. Graduates are a valued part of the department's research community and their work is showcased at our Graduate Symposiums.

Assessment

All students will be initially admitted to the status of Probationer Research student (PRS). Within a maximum of four terms as a PRS student (and normally by the third term), you will be expected to apply for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student to MSc by Research status. A successful transfer of status from PRS to MSc by Research status will require a report that will consist of an introductory part that could eventually become the introduction to the thesis, one rather well-worked analysis of preliminary data representing roughly the equivalent of one thesis chapter’s effort, and a reasonably detailed plan for the other chapters in the thesis. The transfer of status milestone will normally involve a structured discussion with two assessors (not your supervisor(s)) that will also provide you with formative advice and a useful experience for the final oral (viva voce) examination.

You will be expected to submit a substantial thesis of up to 25,000 words after two years from the date of admission.

To be successfully awarded a MSc by Research in Biology you will need to defend your thesis orally (viva voce) in front of two appointed examiners.

Admissions

The first step in applying to do an MSc by Research at Oxford is to reach out to the principle investigator (PI) who you would like to supervise you. This is usually because they run a group you are interested in joining, whose work closely matches the subject you would like to undertake a project in.

Most Biology faculty members run active research groups and supervise MSc students. Faculty members will often be looking to recruit new graduate students, and this is typically initiated by applicants contacting potential supervisor(s).

We want to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities when starting the MSc by Research application process, so we have outlined some basic guidance to consider when contacting a potential supervisor below, and the entry requirements for the programme.
 

Contacting a supervisor

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The first step in the application process is to identify the areas of research that interest you and the named potential supervisor(s) within the department. 

The research in the Department of Biology is split into five main themes. Within these themes, there are a diverse number of lab groups exploring many different subjects.

You will need to research the profiles of the department's academics. If you know what theme your subject of interest falls into, start by checking out the academics who fall within those themes via the links above. If you don’t know what theme your research interest falls into, you can also see a full list of staff here: Department of Biology - People. 

Most lab groups will also have a dedicated website about their work which can be found on the profile of the PI.
 

Supervisors want to know why you chose their group in the first place. It’s good idea to research the group in depth before making contact. One way to do this is to read through recent publications from prospective supervisors and see if their work is the kind of research that interests you.

Once you have identified a potential supervisor(s), you should contact them to discuss potential projects and funding routes.
 

Emails to the prospective supervisor is an opportunity to introduce yourself in a casual and concise manner. The email should include:
•    A clear description of your research interests
•    How your research interests fit in with the supervisor’s expertise
•    A CV outlining your education, job experience and any other expertise you think will help you as a graduate student

This doesn’t have to be a long email, just enough to demonstrate that your interests fit well with theirs and to initiate a conversation.

We encourage you not to send mass or generic emails – the key is to make a good impression with the supervisor and to build quality relationships, rather than lots of contacts. We encourage you to avoid phrasing that suggest you use a blanket email, for example “Dear Professor”.
 

Once you have built a relationship with a supervisor they will be able to explain the application process further. You can find all the details of the MSc by Research in Biology application process at the University's graduate admissions page.

Entry requirements

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Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the equivalent of the following UK qualifications:

  • a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in subjects appropriate to the DPhil project. Examples include, biology, natural science, and environmental science, but research in the department is very broad so the department is not prescriptive regarding previous degree subjects. Instead, you should make a case for why your  background makes you suitable for the research you plan to undertake.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought 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

  • Evidence of genuine interest in biology and sometimes other relevant fields of research (eg mathematics, engineering, and statistics) will also be taken into consideration. This might be demonstrated by, for example, having undertaken independent field work or research, relevant vacation employment, or having already made research publications or presentations.
  • Publications are not required.
  • It would be expected that graduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor.

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.

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.

Minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level requirement
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

*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.

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application, including references and an official transcript. See 'How to apply' on the central university website for instructions on the documents you will need and how these will be assessed.

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.

Applicants will be selected for interview based on the aforementioned criteria.

Interviews will normally be held within four weeks of the application deadline and will either be in person or by remote video conferencing. 

The interview will be up to 30 minutes and will involve a ten minute presentation by the applicant on a suitable topic. Interviewees will be expected to answer questions based upon their presentation but potentially covering other relevant topics. Answers should demonstrate general knowledge, understanding of and enthusiasm for a particular area of research, competence in presentation skills and the English language, and where appropriate, numeracy in the treatment of biological data.

Other indicators will include suitability in terms of skill base and academic background for the MSc in question, ability to discuss fundamental aspects of the relevant field in adequate depth, and reasoning ability when answering biological questions.