Postgraduate Study
Our planet and its life are undergoing unprecedented changes. The fossil record provides a rich but relatively untapped data source for how biodiversity has previously responded to environmental changes, from the emergence of the modern biosphere in the Ediacaran–Cambrian to major crises at mass extinctions. Understanding the interplay of environmental change and biodiversity in the past is critical to predicting how life will respond to modern climatic changes.
At Oxford, we are always looking for talented and motivated postgraduate students. The primary pathway to a doctoral degree in palaeobiology is through the Department of Earth Sciences.
Normally, prospective students apply to the fully-funded NERC Environmental Research Doctoral Training Partnership.
However, it is also possible to apply for the DPhil in Earth Sciences which may be funded by other means, e.g., external scholarships.
NERC Environmental Research Doctoral Training Partnership
Researchers in the DTP work across disciplines and at the cutting edge of environmental research, to advance knowledge and find solutions to pressing environmental challenges in collaboration with outside partners. You will carry out your research project in one of eight departments after an initial training period. The three streams of the NERC-Oxford DTP are as follows:
- Biodiversity, ecology, and evolutionary processes
- Physical climate system
- Dynamic Earth, surface processes, and natural hazards
For more information, visit: environmental-research.ox.ac.uk
During the first two terms, you will have access to a training programme during which you will have the opportunity to develop your research skills and acquire an understanding of how researchers in other disciplines operate, while also writing your own research proposal in collaboration with your supervisor(s).
You will be offered training in 'hard' skills such as scientific computing, statistics and numerical modelling, as well as being offered a broad-brush understanding of the Earth system across all disciplines of the DTP. There will also be course modules in softer transferable skills such as project design, proposal writing, communication and problem solving to underpin the exploration of research methodologies.
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours.
The qualification above should be achieved in one of several subject areas.
Although it is not required to have a master’s degree, in practice most applicants with a ‘physical science’ background will have completed a four-year integrated master's course.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
For more details on requirements, see our admissions page.
To apply, visit our admissions page.
Applications are now closed for admission in 2024.
DPhil in Earth Sciences
The Earth sciences are the focus of scientific understanding about this and other planets, embracing a large range of fundamental topics including the evolution of life, how climate has changed in the past and will change in the future, the nature of planetary surfaces and interiors and the processes underlying natural hazards like earthquakes and volcanoes.
The DPhil is an advanced degree by research that will take between three to four years to complete. You will typically join a research group and work alongside other research students, postdoctoral researchers and academics in the same general research area – all of whom provide additional support and advice for DPhil students. Academic activity across research groups is also strongly encouraged.
While the focus of the DPhil is on your development to conduct independent research, there are formal courses available both within the Department of Earth Sciences and other departments in the Maths, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division. Formal courses are organised through the MPLS Graduate Academic Program and include generic skills such as advice on science writing, as well as subject specific specialist courses. These allow the structured course components to be tailored to your individual research project needs.
The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Department of Earth Sciences 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 Earth Sciences. You will have at least two (and sometimes more) supervisors, who are experts in their field, and who provide the project research framework, guidance and mentoring throughout the program. You should expect to meet with your lead supervisor at least once a term, and have meetings with any member of the supervisory team at least once every two weeks averaged across the year.
As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:
- a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in science or mathematics.
However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a minimum of an upper-second or first-class degree or the equivalent.
Most candidates have a master's degree or the equivalent.
For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.
If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.
For more details on requirements, see our admissions page.
To apply, visit our admissions page.
