PhD in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics

University of Cambridge

This is a three to four-year research programme culminating in submission and examination of a thesis containing substantial original work. PhD students carry out their research under the guidance of a supervisor, and research projects are available from a wide range of subjects studied within the Department. Students admitted for a PhD will normally have completed preparatory study at a level comparable to the Cambridge Part III (MMath/MASt) course. A significant number of our PhD students secure post-doctoral positions at institutions around the world and become leading researchers in their fields. Prerequisites Many students in DAMTP are admitted after taking the Cambridge Part III (MMath/MASt) course and others will have completed a comparable Master-level course. Some may already have carried out a small-scale research project. All of our students, therefore, begin their PhD work with a good grasp of advanced material, on which they can build as their research progresses. Research Areas Research in DAMTP can be divided into the following broad areas: Applied and Computational Analysis, Astrophysics, Fluid Mechanics, Geophysics, Biophysics and Soft Matter, Mathematical Biology, Quantum Information, High Energy Physics, General Relativity and Cosmology, and Machine Learning (fundamentals and applications to healthcare). The boundaries between such areas are not rigid, however, and many members of staff will contribute to more than one area (this is regarded as a key factor in the continuing success of DAMTP). There are active seminar programmes across all subject areas, attendance at which is an important part of PhD student training.