Zoology

As a doctoral student at the Department of Zoology, your primary focus will be your research, which will usually be conducted within one or more of the existing research groups. In addition, you will be encouraged to make the most of the doctoral training and research methods provision available across the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division.

Doctoral research projects can be based on fieldwork (sometimes in remote places), laboratory experiments, analysis of existing data sets, or mathematical theory, but in all cases must be original and rigorous, leading to publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

You will be part of a vibrant educational research community that includes an active set of doctoral student-led events, seminars and workshops. You will have the opportunity to present and discuss your work in progress with your supervisor, other faculty members and peers, informally day-to-day and by attending a variety of seminars and workshops in the department and at conferences elsewhere.

You will first be admitted as a Probationary Research Student (PRS) and at the end of your first year you will be able to apply for transfer to the status of DPhil candidate. Conferment of the title of DPhil is conditional on submission of a thesis and success in an oral (viva voce) examination in front of one Oxford-based and one external examiner.

In exceptional cases, the department also takes students who wish to study for a MSc by Research in Zoology, which typically takes two years. Since few students are accepted to this degree, there must be a strong academic case.

The minimum time in which a student can submit their final thesis for an MSc by Research is one year, and the maximum fee liability for an MSc by Research is two years, but the overall course length is three years.

The first step in applying is to contact a potential supervisor or supervisors to discuss potential projects. For further details and to apply to the MSc by Research, please contact Heather Green.

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Zoology and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances, a supervisor may be found outside the Department of Zoology.

Zoology graduates, like DPhil graduates in biological sciences at Oxford as a whole, continue to a wide range of careers after graduating. Between 2008-13, 84% of DPhil graduates continued in bioscience-related posts, of which almost two thirds involved academic research.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

All graduate courses offered by the Department of Zoology

International Wildlife Conservation Practice PGDip

Zoology DPhil

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Entry requirements