Graduate Studies - Oxford Physiology About the Dept. The Department has about sixty graduate students at any one time, who come from a great number of countries, and a variety of backgrounds. Although Oxford has recently started an integrated one-year taught M.Sc. course in Neuroscience to which this department contributes, the great majority of graduate work is research based, and leads to the D. Phil. Students identify a supervisor working in the area they wish to study, and the supervisor and student work out a programme of research.
All students have a second supervisor, to whom they can also turn for guidance and advice.
Students are admitted initially as probationers, from which position they transfer to M.Sc. or D.Phil.status, after between one or two years, by writing a short report, and having an interview with two assessors. Three years is the usual time taken to complete the D.Phil. As well as belonging to a department, graduate students in Oxford are admitted to a college, which provides a broader academic environment, as well as a domestic and social centre. Choice of college is up to individuals, who may have particular interests associated with individual colleges. The department is always happy to provide guidance on colleges, and Professor Richard Vaughan-Jones, the member of staff acting as Graduate Studies Adviser, welcomes enquiries about any aspect of graduate work.