Other ways to do a PhD in the Dunn School

Other Oxford PhD programmes

Students who apply to and are accepted to other PhD programmes offered by Oxford University may be able to work with a group in the Dunn School. There are two main types of PhD programmes at Oxford University: direct-entry or structured.

• Direct-entry programmes

These programmes enable students to join their main supervisor’s laboratory from year one. Other direct-entry programmes that students can apply to and work with groups in the Dunn School are:

• DPhil in Cancer Science
• DPhil Biomedical Sciences (NIH OxCam) This is for students from the United States to train at Oxford and the NIH in Bethesda, USA
• DPhil in Advanced Bioscience of Viral Products

• Structured PhD Programmes

Structured PhD programmes have a first year that involves rotations through two or more labs before the main research project begins. Group leaders in the Dunn School supervise students on the following programmes:

• Cellular Structural Biology (Wellcome Trust)
• Chemistry in Cells (Wellcome Trust)
• Cardiovascular Science (BHF)
• Interdisciplinary Bioscience (BBSRC)

More information about different types of PhD programmes at Oxford can be found on this page.

Self-funded students

If you have your own funding and would like to do a PhD at the Dunn School, the first step is to contact the head of the lab you are interested in (full list here). It is best to initially contact them by email, and provide them with a CV and a personal statement. Their contact details can be found on their group page.

If the head of the lab is in a position consider an application, you need to submit an online application. Just follow the instructions on the How to Apply page, but please note:

• Please contact us before choosing a college as, depending on the time of year, not all colleges will have spaces available. We can help you find a college.
• If you are self-funded, please disregard the application deadline on the How to Apply page.
• You will hear from us in due course if you have been selected for interview. An interview will then be organised and, if selected, you will then be officially offered a place.

If you are applying to us on a self-funded basis, you will need to pay course and college fees for every term that you are studying with us, for a minimum of two years (six terms) and a maximum of three years (nine terms) at the full rate (see the University’s Fee page).

If you do not have your own funding and have missed our funded PhD programme deadline, there are other sources of funding.

Please note that we are only able to provide an offer or acceptance letter once we have received your formal online application and if you have been successful at your interview.

Self-funded studies are under the same application requirements as students applying for our funded PhD programme.

Clinicians

If you are a clinician, there are different routes through which you can do a PhD at Oxford. Please check this page for more information.