Postgraduate Degree Courses in Oncology
We offer both PhD and MPhil postgraduate degree courses designed for highly motivated and talented students. Our applicants are typically recent postgraduates or final-year undergraduates who hold or expect to achieve at least a 2:1 class honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant subject from a world-leading university.
Our research spans from basic cancer biology and computational biology to translational research and clinical applications. With world-leading researchers and state-of-the-art facilities, we provide an excellent environment for groundbreaking research.
Postgraduate students are integral to the success of our research programmes. Studying with our department offers an exceptional opportunity to launch a research career in an environment dedicated to training the next generation of outstanding cancer research scientists.
Our Degree Programmes:
Please note: Prospective applicants must secure a postgraduate student supervisor before applying. Contact potential supervisors to:
- Confirm if they are accepting students for your intended start year.
- Ensure they have the resources to support your application.
- Verify that their research interests align with yours.
Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre
We also collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Centre, which offers an MRes & PhD (1+3) programme in Cancer Biology. For full details, visit:
Virtual Postgraduate Open Days
The 2025 Open Days have now finished. If you couldn’t join us live or just want a refresher, you can view the recording of our Open Day session, delivered by Dr Siddhartha Kar here (available until 14th May 2026).
Introduction to cancer biology lectures
Dr Paul Edwards, emeritus Reader in Cancer Biology at the University of Cambridge, has created a series of four films introducing the science of cancer. These films are based on the lectures that Paul gives in the Cancer Biology and Medicine series for postgraduate students at the University, providing a general introduction to the subject. The four topics are 1: An introduction to cancer biology; 2: Genes and Genetics; 3: Call Biology and 4: Drivers - The mutations that drive cancer.
Paul has been lecturing on cancer biology since he joined the Department of Pathology in 1984. His primary research interest has been in the molecular and cell biology of breast cancer, focusing since 2000 on genomics, with a recent digression into oesophageal adenocarcinoma in collaboration with Prof Rebecca Fitzgerald.
The films provide an excellent introduction and are available publicly so do take a look.
Video 1: An introduction to cancer biology
1. An introduction to cancer biology