Biological Science (Plant Sciences) by thesis Master of Philosophy - MPhil

The Department of Plant Sciences is an outstanding University Centre for research in plant and microbial sciences. It offers unrivalled research and training opportunities in the following areas of plant and microbial science:


• Cell function & responses to the environment



• Developmental biology & signalling



• Genetics & epigenetics



• Ecosystem function & conservation



• Evolution & diversity



• Microbiology & biotic interactions



• Plant pathology & epidemiology



• Systems & mathematical biology



• Enhancing photosynthesis



• Biotechnology & engineering



The Crop Science Centre is an alliance between the University of Cambridge’s Department of Plant Sciences and the crop research organisation NIAB. The Centre will serve as a global hub for crop science research and a base for collaborations with research partners around the world.

The research MPhil degree essentially follows the format of the PhD but is compressed into one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study. The work consists of research and courses as required under academic supervision. Applicants should contact a potential supervisor before proceeding with their MPhil application. You can browse the personal/group pages of the Research Group Leaders to check the details of their research.

The aim of the course is to provide Masters-level training in practical aspects of Plant Sciences, augmented by appropriate lecture courses delivered within the Department.

The course provides training in a wide range of disciplines, which can include plant genetic engineering, plant development, plant molecular biology, plant biophysics, plant biochemistry, plant-microbe interactions, algal microbiology, plant ecology, crop biology, plant virology, plant epigenetics, epidemiology, plant taxonomy, plant physiology, eco-physiology and bioinformatics.

Having identified a research area of interest and contacted the appropriate supervisor, the first stage in developing an application should be to draft an appropriate research summary of the training to be undertaken.

MPhil students must submit a thesis for examination within the maximum period of their study.

All postgraduate students attend induction and safety training courses in the Department.

As well as undertaking their research, students will attend courses and lectures on some of the following: instrumentation, sequencing and database use, statistics, experimental design, analysing data, writing reports and a thesis, and how to give effective scientific presentations. Students are expected to take part in the Postgraduate School of Life Sciences' Researcher Development Programme.

Students receive termly reports on their work.