Part-time MPhil
The MPhil PHS can be taken part-time over 22 months (2 years). Part-time students will be taught with the full-time MPhil students in the same classrooms with the same materials and the same teachers. The only differences are the length of the course, and the planned pathways for part-time students.
Applicants should note that due to pre-requisites and dependencies, and constraints of timetabling, the pathways followed by part-time students will be dependent on which of the specialisation themes they are following. An indication of how the modules can be spread over 2 years for each specialisation theme is provided in this part-time pathways document.
Applications for part-time MPhil study should follow our standard course application process.
International students
International students who require a student visa to study in the UK are expected to apply for the full-time programme. This is owing to the restrictions of a part-time student visa. The University will only sponsor a student visa for the part-time option if the reason for studying part-time is due to a disability. Further information is outlined on the International Students webpages.
Single MPhil PHS Module Study for Continuing Professional Development [CPD]
Applications to study single modules are now closed for 2024-25 academic year, and will re-open in September 2025 for applications for the next Academic Year.
Applicants may apply to attend individual MPhil PHS modules, with preference for the limited number of spaces given to Cambridge University staff and students.
Studying a module for CPD (i.e. fully participating, but not for credit) will be free for Cambridge students and for staff in the three PHS partner departments. People not affiliated to the university are not allowed to attend modules for CPD , except by prior arrangement with their institution.
The fee for other applicants attending a single module of the MPhil in Population Health Sciences is £1215 per module for the academic year October 2025 to July 2026. (equivalent to 1/12 of the home course fee)
You may apply for a maximum of 2 modules.
For module dates please see the timetable for ACY 2025-26 (key to use on first tab). Please note that modules dates may occasionally be subject to change
Acceptance onto a module depends on a number of conditions:
- There is sufficient capacity (number and room)
- The module leader approves the application
- The number of module study applicants may be limited to no more than 10% of the number of students taking the module
- Preference will be given to students within the three PHS departments (DPHPC, MRC Biostatistics, MRC Epidemiology), then staff within the three departments, then to others.
- Applicants must have the necessary pre-requisite knowledge for the module
- Applicants agree to abide by all rules and policies governing students on the MPhil PHS pertaining to module participation
- Applicants agree to attend and participate fully in the whole module, with the same commitment and courtesy expected of all students
- Applicants should not ask questions beyond the scope of class
To apply to study an individual module for CPD, please complete an online application form. (available from 3rd September 2025 for core modules and 1st December 2025 for optional student selected modules)
To note: A separate application form should be completed for each module that you wish to audit, as each module application must be considered and approved by the individual module leader(s).
Application deadlines:
Applications for CPD module study are open in the following strict windows:
- For attendance at a core statistics module, submit between 1st and 31st September 2025. (Note, other core modules are not available for CPD study due to classroom capacity limitations.)
- For attendance at a student-selected module, submit between 1st December and 10th January 2026.
Applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application within 3 weeks of the closure of the above application windows.
Acceptance to participate in a module is not guaranteed and is dependent on the conditions listed above. If the number of qualified applicants exceeds the number of places acceptable, then we will use a simple lottery system.
Opportunities to participate in other Cambridge courses can be found at:
Postgraduate School of Life Sciences, https://www.postgradschl.lifesci.cam.ac.uk/
Cambridge Postdoc Academy, https://www.postdocacademy.cam.ac.uk/