We normally require a strong 2.1 or above in a relevant Undergraduate course, or strong performance in a relevant Masters course (which can supersede a weaker Undergraduate degree result). We do also take relevant experience gained through employment into account.

We welcome applications from students who are interested in changing disciplines and can support applicants in identifying suitable training opportunities to help with this transition during their studies. In your application you may wish to explain why you are interested in making this change and how your previous experiences demonstrate your ability to learn and give you a unique perspective. 

A list of potential projects will be provided to you after you start your studies. There will also be the opportunity to meet potential supervisors during induction, to ensure projects developed reflect recent discoveries and current supervisor eligibility. 

If you wish to propose alternate rotation projects, these must be developed in collaboration with eligible supervisors who have submitted an approved project. Such projects are subject to the approval of the directorate and the guidance provided by the programme. 

So it is certainly possible to co-develop a proposal if you are admitted to the programme and if partners are interested in doing so. You can state your current research interests, and discuss researchers you have been in contact with, but should not submit a research proposal with your application. You are also not limited to working on a research area/with a supervisor mentioned in your application.

This is possible and certain DTC courses are offered across multiple programmes, but they do often run concurrently so you will need to consider in consultation with your programme director which will serve your interests and professional development best. TTPS is itself designed as a full-time programme of activity during the training phase.

It is not required to contact potential supervisors before applying. You can do this, however. Many applicants find it interesting and useful to have a chat about potential ideas with supervisors before they apply. If you do not find any supervisor in an area you really want to work in, then it is probably unlikely that this programme is the best fit for you.

In your statement of purpose, we would like you to give an indication of alignment between research areas of interest and potential supervisors at any of our partner academic institutions.

Please note that your application will be screened out if your proposed research does not fall within the BBSRC remit of this Programme.  Please feel free to contact us at ttps-enquiries[at]dtc.ox.ac.uk if you have any concerns.

Students have reflected that they chose to apply to a doctoral programme for a number of reasons. They liked the fact that they did not have to have a project before they started and could therefore develop their project ideas over time in collaboration with their supervisors. Students often have the opportunity to complete a mini project with their potential supervisors to experience working together before starting their main project. They also found the training at the start of the programme appealing. Overall, students find this really valuable and a great preparation for their PhD. The cohort and sense of community that being on a doctoral programme provides is also a popular motivation for applying to this type of programme.

AI may be used to assist in researching application materials, but any submitted documents must be written by you and must adhere to our plagiarism policy, and any text that is not your own should be referenced. All supporting documents must be in English, unless stated otherwise on your course page. Supporting documents may not be translated into English by an AI tool, as our academic assessors need to understand your powers of expression in English. Our application assessors will be evaluating your ability to undertake critical analysis, so using AI for more than assistance with initial research is likely to reduce your chances of success. 

If academic assessors consider that inappropriate use of AI was made in application documents, they may reject your application. Please note that AI technology to assist with a disability (such as voice recognition software for transcriptions or spelling and grammar checkers) may be used. 

Accommodation will be provided by Oxford University for the six-month training phase during the first year of the TTPS Programme (i.e. from the start of Michaelmas Term to the end of Hilary Term 2027). Cambridge/Southampton will be in touch to explain what options each university can provide during the research phase of the course.

If you are admitted to the TTPS Programme to stay in Oxford for DPhil research, you will become a formal member of one of our four partner colleges.

All four colleges have an allocation of accommodation for graduates on the first full year of their programme. You are encouraged to approach your college as soon as possible after accepting a place to maximise your chances of securing a room.