Medical Sciences (Research)

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.

DPhil
The DPhil in Medical Sciences is a research-based course aimed at basic scientists and clinicians with an interest in pursuing research in a scientific field related to medicine.

You will be based in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine (RDM) and admitted directly onto a research project with one of the department's world-leading scientists, who will act as your supervisor. In most cases, students choose a project from our advertised project list, but in some cases, students design their own project in collaboration with their proposed supervisor. In either case, you will be expected to play an active role in shaping your project over the course of the DPhil. Graduate students are a valuable part of the department and they are encouraged to be involved with the scientific and social life of the department at all levels.

Your project and development during your DPhil studies will be guided by a specialised team led by your academic supervisor.

Your training will be tailored to your particular needs, drawing from the vast range of training available at Oxford and covering both specialist scientific methods and techniques and transferable skills. Please note that there is no formal taught component of the DPhil in Medical Sciences.

Much of your training will take place in the lab, where you will be trained by your supervisor or members of the lab team in the variety of techniques and protocols used. A brief statement of the training you will receive in the lab is included in the training description of your chosen project.

As a member of the Medical Sciences Graduate School you will be entitled to enrol on courses run by the Medical Sciences Skills Training programme. You will be able to attend the wide variety of sessions covered through the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM) Methods and Techniques course.

MSc by Research
The MSc by Research in Medical Sciences is aimed at basic scientists and clinicians with an interest in pursuing research in a scientific field related to medicine.

As an MSc by Research student in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine you will be part of one of the largest departments in the University whose mission is to improve health through cross-disciplinary research to understand shared mechanisms of disease and to accelerate the transition from scientific discovery to clinical care.

The MSc by Research will develop your skills through a range of research and practical training in a wide range of research interests that span the translational spectrum from basic biology through to clinical application.

The full-time MSc by Research in Medical Sciences is normally two-years in duration, though if you have an appropriate background in research and a suitable project, you may complete it in one year. If studying part-time, the course will normally be four to six years in duration.

You will be admitted directly to a particular research area and your research will be guided by a specialised team led by your academic supervisor.

There are no taught courses examined by written papers but there is a wide range of courses and workshops available across the Medical Sciences Division and you will be encouraged to attend regular departmental and divisional seminars.