Information for applicants

2024 Open Days for Postgraduate Study

  • The main event takes place online during Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th November. Many of our supervisors and their research groups will be available for drop-in Teams meetings on Wednesday 6th November, for you to talk to them about their current research.
     
  • There will also be an Admissions Talk, given by Dr Martin Galpin (Associate Head of Department for Teaching). This will be live-streamed at 2.00pm on Tuesday 5th November, and a recording will be made available afterwards.
    You can also drop-in to Q&A sessions with our graduate admissions team:
    Tuesday 5th November     at 4.00-4.45pm with Aga Borkowska (Graduate Studies Administrator), Dionne Offord (Graduate Studies Assistant), and Maitane Fernandez Chento (IMAT CDT Programme Manager).
    Thursday 7th November at 10.00-10.45am with Aga Borkowska (Graduate Studies Administrator) and Szilvia Bajkan (Taught MSc Administrator).
     
  • The Inorganic Materials for Advanced Manufacturing EPSRC CDT (IMAT) will provide a live-streamed informative talk on Tuesday 5th November at 2.45pm delivered by the CDT Director, as well as drop-in Q&A sessions with the CDT team and current students.
     
  • There will be also a drop-in / Q&A session with the MSc in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry Course Director and Course Administrator on Wednesday 6th November at 2.00-2.30pm.
     

To register to attend any of these events and receive details of the full programme, please complete the short registration form available here.

The Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet EPSRC CDT will hold a virtual open day on Tuesday 5th November 11.00am-1.00pm, with talks from the CDT Directors, followed by Q&A sessions with the CDT team and departmental students. More information and the link to register for this event is available here.
 

There will also be in-person open day activities as follows:

Tuesday 29th October: Organic Chemistry and Chemical Biology Open Day
Held at the Chemistry Research Laboratory, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3TA
There will be a chance for you to find out more about our research programmes including the Chemical Synthesis for a Healthy Planet EPSRC CDT, plus opportunities to meet some of the supervisors and have a tour of the laboratory. To register for this in-person event please follow this link.

Tuesday 26th November: Physical & Theoretical Chemistry Open Day including the taught MSc in Theoretical & Computational Chemistry. Further details are available here.

You are also very welcome to reach out to potential supervisors and arrange an individual visit to Oxford.

Application deadlines

The application deadlines for 2025 postgraduate entry are 12 noon (UK time) on:

  • Friday 15 November 2024
  • Wednesday 29 January 2025
  • Tuesday 4 March 2025

Note that you must apply by the January deadline if you wish to be considered for most of the University's funding opportunities.

Later applications may be considered if places are still available.  Please note that we do not offer the November deadline for the MSc(Res) in Chemistry programme.

Before you apply to a research degree

If you are considering applying to one of our research degrees, i.e. a DPhil or an MSc(Res), you are strongly encouraged to make informal contact with potential research supervisors before submitting a formal application. This will help you to decide whether the course is the right choice for you, and it will provide an opportunity to discuss potential research projects. The potential supervisor(s) may also be able to offer advice on completing the formal application, and they may suggest possible sources of funding or scholarships.

Submitting your application

The University provides extensive guidance on submitting your application. You are advised to read this carefully before submitting your application. Course-specific information is available for each of our programmes of study.

Please note the following in particular:

  • When applying for a research degree in Chemistry, you are strongly advised to list potential supervisors. Assessment of your application may be delayed if no proposed supervisors are listed.
  • A detailed research proposal is not required for application to our research degrees; instead, you should submit a Statement of Purpose, which explains your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you.
  • If English is not your first language, you will be required to fulfill the University's English language requirement before your place on the degree programme is confirmed. However, it is not required to submit language test results at the time of application.

Application fee waivers

Application fee waivers are available for applicants from certain low-income countries, refugees and displaced persons, and for UK applicants from low-income backgrounds. For more information, see the 'Application Fee Waivers' section of the University's Declaration and Payment page. 

Any questions?

Applicants should contact the Graduate Studies Team (graduate.admissions@chem.ox.ac.uk) with any queries regarding the application process.