Making an Application
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Identify a supervisor
Contact with the prospective supervisor is a key part of the admissions process in order to ensure there is a good fit between the student and the lab. Before you make an application, you need to identify an academic member of staff who is willing to supervise you and has the resources to support the proposed research project. Once you have identified them, please consult our People pages to find their contact details.
Some supervisors receive many enquiries from prospective students, so please contact them as soon as possible, allow time for a response and keep your message brief and to the point.
A supervisor will either let you know that they cannot support your application or contact you to discuss the project further. After this discussion, they will let you know whether they can support your application. Please note that conversations with potential supervisors are not part of the final selection process.
If you do not manage to contact your prospective supervisor, you can still submit an application and, if shortlisted, you will be able to make contact with them prior to the interview.
Please download and complete this form, and send it to your preferred supervisors with a covering email.
Make an application
Before starting your application, please read the University of Oxford Graduate Application Guide.
All applications must be made using the University's online application form.
Please note that there is a cap on the number of applications that can be made to Oxford. For further information, please refer to the University's Application Guide.
You are advised to submit your application form and all your supporting documents at least a week before the December deadline to avoid any last-minute problems with the submission process. An application will show as complete only once two of the three required references have been uploaded. However, we will still require the third reference before we consider the application to be fully complete and ready for assessment.
Specific details required in the application form
- Programme description - MSc by Research in Medical Sciences
- Course Code - RM_MD1 (full-time) and RM_MD9P1 (part-time)
- Proposed Field and Title of Research: Insert 'Not applicable'
- Supervisor: List up to three supervisors from MSc by Research Opportunities
- CV: You should complete the standard CV included in the online application form. If you have contributed to any publications or journals, please include the full reference.
- Research Proposal: A research proposal is not required.
- Statement of Purpose: All applicants must submit a personal statement with their application (500 words max; any statements exceeding this limit will not be considered).
- Make sure that you upload a copy of your undergraduate degree transcript as well as those for further degrees.
- Please refer to the MSc by Research in Medical Sciences course page.
References
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.
In exceptional cases, professional references can be accepted, but only when an academic reference is not available.
Your references will support your:
- intellectual ability
- academic achievement
- motivation and interest in the subject area
- ability to work effectively both in a group and independently.
Application fee
For information about the application fee and fee waivers, please refer to the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions application guide and the How to Apply section on the MSc by Research in Medical Sciences course page.