Before you apply
- Familiarise yourself with the postgraduate admissions process at the University of Cambridge.
- Read our admissions and course pages in detail and make particular note of funding you may be eligible for.
- Read our entry in the course directory.
Note: The Sensor CDT offers an integrated MRes + PhD programme. The MRes is also available as a standalone course.
Submitting your application
Please submit your application to the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sensor Technologies and Applications through the online Postgraduate Admissions System. Help with the applicant system can be found here.
Before we can consider you for an interview we require a complete application, including
- academic references
- academic transcripts
- your cv
to be submitted online.
It is not necessary to suggest a project or supervisor when applying to the Sensor CDT. The Sensor CDT facilitates project and supervisor selection during the MRes year so you do not need to include a Proposed Supervisor and Project Title in your application (unless you also want to be considered for the industry studentship).
The questions in the 'course-specific questions' section are mandatory - you do not need to complete the same repeated, non-mandatory questions in the application form.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.
There are usually two deadlines. One is the funder's deadline and the other is the course deadline - you should apply for whichever is earliest.
Check the funding page to see if there are sources of funding which you can apply to (e.g. Gates, Mastercard), and their corresponding deadlines.
If you are applying for the EPSRC studentship, the funding deadline is 7 January 2026. If places remain unfilled after this first round, we will open further application rounds.
The final course deadline is 14 May 2026.
Application fee
There is an application fee of £20 per applicant, per academic year. Some applicants do not have to pay the application fee.
Interviews
If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to an interview in January or February 2026. This will be online with academics from the Sensor CDT, and you will be given more information in your invitation to attend. Offers will be made to successful applicants in the following weeks.
Application support
Are you the first in your family to do a PhD? Are you from an under-represented group or do you have a disability? Do you need information about PhDs in general? Do you just need someone to ask some questions to?
If you need help with the application process, please get in touch with Yuqi Zang (Course Coordinator) and they will provide support. They will treat your questions confidentially, and this will have no effect on your application.
