Frequently asked questions

IMAT CDT Admissions – FAQs

What is a DPhil?

DPhil is the Oxford equivalent of a PhD. Both ‘PhD’ and ‘DPhil’ are abbreviations for ‘Doctor of Philosophy’.

What academic background do I need?

We are looking for people with a relevant science degree (BSc, MSc, MChem, MRes, etc.) and ideally prior involvement in a project in inorganic chemistry and/or materials science.

Do I need to select a supervisor?

Yes – as part of your application, your are asked to select a 1-2-3 choice of potential projects (with their corresponding supervisors) from the list provided for that year.

The CDT has forged partnerships with some of the colleges in the University, who very kindly reserve spaces for students in the programme. We strongly recommend that you leave the College option open during your application; these will be assigned later in the process.

How do I submit my references?

As part of your graduate application you you will be asked to register the contact details of three referees. You will need at least two references submitted in time for the deadline, so your application can be considered ready for assessment. You are still encouraged to obtain a third reference as early as possible, so that it can be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

Your references should usually be academic, but including one professional reference (e.g. from industry) is also acceptable.

Can I apply to multiple programmes?

You can apply to this course and up to two eligible courses during the same application cycle, and you can request an application fee waiver so that you only need to pay one application fee (£20). We recommend that you use your application fee waiver to apply only for eligible courses that are closely related in research area to this one. You will need to submit a full and separate application for each course.
More information on application fee waivers can be found here.

When will my application be evaluated?

Applications to the programme will be evaluated in batches, to coincide with the University's application deadlines.
Applications received by the November deadline will be evaluated all together, shortly after the deadline, and considered for our first round of interviews. Applications received later in the year, by the Late January deadline, will be assessed in early February for the second round of interviews.
Application to the March deadline and Open Field will be considered if spaces remain available.

How will applications be assessed?

Applications will be assessed against the following criteria: i) past track-record of academic achievement, ii) references, iii) motivation and aptitude/fit for the CDT programme. Each of the three categories will have an equal weight.
A 3:1 ratio of shortlisted candidates to places is targeted.

When are interviews held?

Interviews are held as part of the IMAT CDT admissions process, and these will normally occur online.
Generally, two rounds of interviews will be held – one in December for the applications received during the November deadline, and one in February for applicants to the Late January deadline.
Additional interviews later in the year may be considered if spaces remain available.

*Interviews will be held virtually this year. Interviews for applicants to the Nov deadline are planned for Fri 13th and Mon 16th Dec. Interviews for applicants to the Late Jan deadline will take place on Thu 27th and Fri 28th Feb.

What can I expect from the interview?

If shortlisted, you will be given one 45-minute technical panel interview with at least two academics of the programme, together with 25-minute meetings with potential supervisors from your selected projects.

The panel interview will consist of two brief presentations – for one of them, you will be given a topic for you to research and present, and another one will be on a scientific paper that we will provide beforehand. Questions from the panel can be expected on the topics that you present, and in general technical concepts and applications in inorganic chemistry and materials science.

During the panel interviews, you will be evaluated both on you ability to present and communicate research as well as your technical knowledge. Performance at the panel interviews will be used to create a ranking of candidates, while the meetings with potential supervisors are intended to assess your suitability for the relevant project.

When are offers made?

Offer are made throughout the year, normally a couple of weeks after each round of interviews.

How are projects allocated?

As part of the interview process, candidates will be able to meet with the supervisors of the projects they previously selected. After the interview, candidates will be allowed to modify the order of preference of their projects.

Projects will be allocated to successful applicants based on their scoring during the interview process, with the highest-scored candidates being assigned their preferred projects first. The list of projects will be updated on the website throughout the year, as offers are made and projects become no longer available.

Funding eligibility

Subject to normal EPSRC rules, UK students and Irish nationals living in the UK or Republic of Ireland are eligible for fully-funded studentships, including a stipend (currently £19,237 p.a.) and course fees throughout their 4-year course.

As a result of the UK’s decision to leave the EU, most students from the EU who start a programme of study from 2021/22 onwards will pay fees at the ‘Overseas’ rate. Students from the EU, EEA and Switzerland who have been granted settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to pay fees at the Home rate if they meet the residence requirements. More information on the implications of Brexit for the University as a whole can be found here.

We welcome applications from overseas students (this now includes EU nationals). UKRI permit up to 30% of funded places to be allocated to overseas students. The CDT is able to offer full funding for these students within the limits set by UKRI. Additionally, there are a number of funding opportunities that you can apply for separately, and it is highly recommended that you apply for these as early as possible or even before submitting your application to the programme. Moreover, there is a limited number of highly competitive University scholarships available. If you would like to be considered for one of these please click on the link below.

Scholarships