Research Courses
Our planet and its life are undergoing unprecedented changes. The >7 million specimens which make up the Museum’s collections offer an unrivalled archive of life evolution alongside environmental changes. At Oxford, we are always looking for talented and motivated postgraduate students. The Museum partners with the Department of Earth Sciences to offer postgraduate supervision.
Application Process
General information on graduate admissions for the University of Oxford can be found on the main University webpages.
Of these courses, only one (the DPhil in Earth Sciences) involves a direct application to the Department of Earth Sciences. The remainder involves a transfer to the Department after completion of programme-specific training and project selection.
Normally, prospective students apply to the fully-funded BBSRC/NERC Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Sciences Landscape Award (ILESLA).
We encourage you to apply to the DPhil in Earth Sciences in addition to your Intelligent Earth/ILESLA application (you will need to apply separately to each course).
More information about applying to multiple courses and application fee waivers can be found on the main University webpages.
The Department of Earth Sciences also accepts applications for Masters study via the MSc by Research.
Apply
Funding
Funding for graduate study in the Department of Earth Sciences can come from a number of sources. We also welcome applications from self-funded students.
Please note that funding deadlines can be sooner than the course deadlines and most are in December or January. If you are looking to seek funding to support your study please apply by the earlier deadline.
The following courses are associated with funded studentships. By applying to these programmes you are automatically considered for a funded place.
Applications to the DPhil in Earth Sciences will automatically be considered for the majority of internal Oxford Scholarships, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant scholarship deadline (usually December or January). You may also wish to apply for this course if you have alternative funding, including scholarships, industry, or government backing.
Some projects have attached funding, often from an external party or existing grant; this will be noted in the project advert.
A variety of support is available for UK/home and international students. Information on funding, scholarships and bursaries, living costs and other financial considerations can be found on the University Fees and Funding webpages - including information on Oxford funding, college funding and external funding. We encourage you to explore all your options before making an application.
Collaborative doctoral studentships
Oxford University Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM) co-supervise a number of collaborative doctoral studentship projects which are funded by UKRI collaborative doctoral award and doctoral training partnership schemes, by funders including the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).
Find out more on the GLAM website
Doctoral Projects
This section will be updated in due course.
