Who is the course for?

The course is aimed at anyone with existing Undergraduate experience (a degree or FHEQ level 5 qualification) and who wishes to take their individual research interests further out of general interest or in preparation for Postgraduate study.

Structure of the programme

The Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Arts/Sciences is the second part of a two-year Advanced Diploma programme. It is expected that applicants for the course will have successfully completed the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Research Theory and Practice, however it may be possible to take the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in the Arts/Sciences as a stand alone course depending on previous academic qualifications. Separate course fees apply for both courses.

Students who successfully complete both years of the programme will be awarded the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Research Theory and Practice in the Arts/Sciences worth 120 credits at FHEQ level 6.

What will I be studying ?

During the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Arts/Sciences you will work directly with a subject-specialist supervisor on an independent research project of 10,000-12,000 words.

Subject specialisms to be supported in 2019-20:

• Archaeology
• Education Studies
• English Literature
• Film
• History of Art and Architecture
• History
• Natural Sciences (predominantly life sciences)
• Philosophy, Religion and Ethics
• Politics and International Studies
• Social Sciences (predominantly Sociology and Politics)

If your chosen research specialism is not listed above please do still get in touch with the Course Director to discuss whether your research interest can be supported.

The course is taught through 2 day schools and 3 hours of individual supervision in each of the 3 termly units and is organised in the following structure:

Unit 1 – Michaelmas term 2019

Day school 1 – Wednesday 2nd October 2019. All students on course to attend (Induction)

Supervision 1 - Face-to-face

Supervision 2 - Face-to-face or remote

Unit 2 – Lent term 2020

Day school 2 – Wednesday 22nd January 2020. All students on course to attend (Student presentations)

Supervision 3 - Face-to-face

Supervision 4 - Face-to-face or remote

Unit 3 – Easter term 2020

Supervision 5 - Face-to-face

Supervision 6 - Face-to-face or remote

Supervision dates are arranged individually between supervisor and student with the suggested format being 2 x 1.5 hour supervisions per termly unit. At least one of the termly supervisions must take face-to-face; the second can be face-to-face or take place remotely. 

It is expected that the first supervision of unit 1 and unit 2 would take place around the date of the day school for the relevant unit meaning that for those students who are coming some distance they would only be required to travel to the Institute once per termly unit.

Please note that credit awarded by the Institute can in some cases be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However the amount of credit which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.

Additional information

Closing date: All completed applications must be received by midday (12 noon) on 4 June 2019. All applications will be considered together after the application closing date. If you are offered a place on the course we will ask you to complete your booking within a limited time period and to pay the fees (£3,750 - or if paying fees by instalments, the first instalment of fees) to secure your place.

This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by 6 September 2019 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Cancellation policy).

Entry requirements

The Undergraduate Advanced Diploma level in the Arts/Sciences (FHEQ level 6) is designed for those students who have successfully completed the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Research Theory and Practice, however it maybe possible to take the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in the Arts/Sciences as a stand alone course depending on previous academic qualifications.

Applicants with evidence of the following will be considered:

• Successful completion of the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in Research Theory and Practice.
• A relevant FHEQ level 6 qualification ( i.e. an undergraduate degree) in a relevant cognate subject
• Academic study relevant to your proposed subject specialism, i.e. for students seeking to specialise in an Arts subject the above qualification should be in an Arts-related subject, e.g. English, History, Philosophy

If you have none of the above but feel that this Advanced Diploma course is right for you please contact the Course Director: Dr Alexander Carter (Alexander.Carter@tutor.ice.cam.ac.uk) in advance of making an application. Acceptance onto this course will be entirely at the discretion of the Institute. One of the criteria for a successful application for this course is the availability of a suitable supervisor. Please be aware that the course is taught at university level (FHEQ 6) and you should be able to read, write and speak English fluently.

English language requirement: If English is not your first language, you need to be able to prove you meet the University of Cambridge English language requirements on application. Please refer to our international students' pages for further information.

International Students: If you are not a UK resident please visit our international students' page to read about visas for part-time students. Please make sure you have investigated your visa requirements in advance of booking as we cannot offer a refund if you find you are unable to take up the place due to visa constraints after you have booked your place on the course.

The fee for the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma in the Arts/Sciences is £3,750. This covers supervision tuition as well as a 2 course lunch, course dinner and refreshments at each of the 2 day schools. You can pay in one of two ways:

1. in full on enrolment (by cheque payable to the University of Cambridge or by credit or debit card)

2.    in four equal instalments (credit/debit card only): the first on enrolment, and the second, third and final instalment being taken 1 month, 3 months and 5 months after the course start date. The exact dates will be confirmed in the student’s individual booking details

Please note, your place on the course is not secured until payment is received by the Institute of Continuing Education accompanied by any necessary documentation, i.e. proof of English language proficiency.

ICE fees and refund policy

For information on bursaries for this course, please see https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/info/bursaries

For information on a loan from Student Finance England for course fees and maintenance costs, please see https://www.ice.cam.ac.uk/info/student-loans

This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by 6 September 2019 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Cancellation policy).

When you are ready to make your application to the Undergraduate Advanced Diploma level in the Arts/Sciences please click on the "Apply now" button at the top right hand corner of this page. You will need to fill in some contact details and give some additional information in support of your application and also submit a research proposal. For applicants that have not studied on the Advanced Diploma in Research Theory and Practice a Curriculum Vitae will also be required.

Additional information required on the application form

• In the “Education” box please list all your qualifications and education background starting with the highest level qualification gained (title/level/date). You will be asked to give more detail about qualifications and experience relating to your chosen field of interest in your Curriculum Vitae.
• In the “Personal Statement” box please include in here a statement of around 500 words in length explaining why you wish to enrol on the course and how it fits into your long term career plans.

Documents to submit with your application

Research Proposal (All Applicants)

In order to help us assess your application please can you upload with your application a research proposal. This should be no longer than a side of A4 (roughly 500 words) and include:

1. The working title.  This can change later on, but it should, at this stage, describe the project you hope you research.  The title, like the project, should be problem-oriented rather than descriptive.
2. Introduction / rationale.  The proposal should start with at least a couple of paragraphs of discussion of the subject of the dissertation.  It should include a brief outline of the main debates as they currently stand, and should state how your research will relate to the wider literature / debates.
3. Research questions. You should follow this with your key research question. This can be broken down into three sub-questions or steps which will make the key question easier to answer.
4. Research methodology. A description of how you will attempt to answer the questions that you have set yourself. What sources will you examine? What is available? Your methodology should be directly related to your research questions.
5. Bibliography

Further details and a template for the research proposal (should you wish to use one) are available in the attached word document "Research proposal guidance" below.

Curriculum Vitae (Only applicants that have not studied on the Advanced Diploma in Research Theory and Practice)

Please include in your CV the following:

1. the full list of your qualifications and/or prior study within your chosen field of interest. This list should include the name of the course provider, the course dates, the module/unit titles studied, the qualification awarded and the mark/grade achieved.
2. relevant information about your career and experience to date. This could include: membership of relevant academic societies, any non-credit courses you might have taken relevant to your chosen field of interest, any relevant practical work, any relevant work experience or volunteering relevant to your chosen field of interest.

Some applicants may also be asked to provide additional information or a writing sample in order to help assess applications. If you are asked to submit a piece of writing but have nothing prepared the Course Director will be able to set you a question to answer in a short essay.

You may also be asked for a personal interview (usually remotely rather than in person) so the Course Director can discuss your application with you.

Acceptance onto the course will be entirely at the discretion of the Institute.

Closing date

All completed applications must be received by midday (12 noon) on 4 June 2019. All applications will be considered together after the application closing date. If you are offered a place on the course we will ask you to complete your booking within a limited time period and to pay the fees (£3750) or if paying fees by instalments, the first instalment of fees to secure your place.

You are strongly recommended to discuss your research plans with the Course Director: Dr Alexander Carter prior to making your application. Applications close to the deadline without prior discussion might lead to you being asked to apply for the following intake instead.

This course will require a minimum number of students in order to run. Applicants for this course will be notified by 6 September 2019 if the course is not going to be running at which point students will be offered a refund of the fees they have paid so far (please see our Refund and Cancellation policy).