Postgraduate students applying to undertake a doctoral degree at Cambridge will no longer have to pay a fee to submit their application to study at Cambridge. This will come into effect from the 2022/23 application cycle, for admissions in 2023/24. The University will also reduce the application fee for non-doctoral postgraduate study to £50.
I feel strongly that the Collegiate University should remove barriers to talented students
Professor Graham Virgo
The change has been made in consultation with the Cambridge Students’ Union, and is intended to remove barriers to students who wish to undertake doctoral degrees. It is one of a number of recent initiatives that the University is undertaking to improve the diversity of students applying to undertake research degrees at the University.
The University is also working in collaboration with the University of Oxford to assess how best to consider the context and background of postgraduate applicants when selecting students to receive offers, and with UCL and City University to identify ways to develop interest in undertaking advanced study for students currently studying for their first degree.
Professor Graham Virgo, Senior Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), said “I am pleased we are able to announce this change for postgraduate applicants. I feel strongly that the Collegiate University should remove barriers to talented students who want to study and research at Cambridge. We know there is more we can do in this respect, so this work continues.”
Amelia Jabry, Postgraduate Access, Education, and Participation officer for Cambridge Students’ Union, said “Cambridge SU, having lobbied for this change, welcomes the University’s commitment to scrap the doctoral application fee and reduce the master’s fee. This will remove a significant barrier to postgraduate study at Cambridge and allow talented prospective students, both domestic or international, to apply. This commitment is certainly a positive step, but there is still further work to be done from Cambridge SU and the University to make postgraduate study more accessible.”
The above changes do not apply to applications for courses admitted by the Judge Business School (MBA, eMBA, Global MBA, MFin, MAcc).
