Changing Circumstances

If your circumstances or needs change during the course of your studies, you may need to apply for University permissions. These permissions allow you to do all sorts of different things during your time here at Cambridge University, from changing your supervisor, editing your title, transferring to another Faculty, to appointing examiners, and much more! These permissions cannot be granted retrospectively and please do apply as early as possible - there tends to be a lot of administration involved, so the earlier you apply, the quicker we can get it sorted for you!

You often apply for permissions through your CamSIS account, but please check below to see if there is a different format.

Intermission: Medical and Non-Medical

Intermission is when you are temporarily removed from the Register of Graduate Students for one, two, or three terms (as required). Please see more information here about intermission.

Changing your mode of study

This is when you change from full-time to part-time study, or vice versa. Please see more information here about changing your mode of study.

Work away from Cambridge

If you wish to be away from Cambridge working for more than two weeks, you will need to apply for this. You can work away once you are a registered student, i.e. not before you've passed your upgrade assessment, which normally takes place towards the end of your first year of study. If you're planning a trip, this video (on Moodle) will help you think through planning the risks that it might entail.

You will need to fill out either a UK risk assessment or overseas risk assessment. This should be uploaded with your leave to work away application, for the Head of Department (either DGT or DGS) to approve. Please see more information here about work away.

Withdrawing from the University

You must let us know if you wish to withdraw temporarily or permanently from the University. Read more about withdrawing here.

Extending your Submission Date

If you think that you need to extend your submission date, please read all the information found here.

Changing your course registration

In exceptional circumstances, you can change your course registration.

Allowance/exemption of Research Terms

If you want some terms to be either allowed or exempt, you need to read the information found here.

Removal from the register

Should you wish to be removed from the register, please see here.

Reinstatement to the register

Read more here if you would like to be reinstated to the register.

Changing your department/faculty

We'll be sorry to see you go! Alternatively, you can also transfer to us from another Faculty. Please see more information here about changing your department.

Changing your supervisor

Sometimes your research interests may change so much that a different supervisor would suit you better. Find out more here about changing your supervisor.

Exemption from the University Composition Fee

To find out more about exemption from the UCF.

Confirmation of study verification letters

Read more here if you need to request and access verification letters.

Working while you study

Find out more about employment while a student.

Changing your name

Find out more here if your name has been recorded incorrectly or you need to change it.

Changing Colleges

Find out how to change your college here.

Residing outside the University precincts (more than 10 miles outside the centre of Cambridge)

Sometimes you might need to live outside the University precincts, which means you are more than 10 miles outside the centre of Cambridge. Find out more about residing outside the University precincts.

Applying for person(s) to join you in Cambridge

if you would like your wife, husband, partner and/or children to join you here in Cambridge, you need to formally apply.

Change email or mailing address

If you are not resident in College or do not visit College regularly to pick up mail (i.e. at least once a week), it would be extremely helpful if you could inform (by email/post) the following people of your current correspondence address:

• Graduate Studies Office (phd-firstyear@hist.cam.ac.uk)/ Degree Committee Office (degree-committee@hist.cam.ac.uk),
• Faculty of History, West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9EF;
• Your Supervisor;
• Your College;
• and make sure you update your CAMSIS Self-Service webpage.

Please also update us of any address changes.

Research Best Practice

In order to avoid plagiarism, understand copyright, find out about access to your dissertation, Intellectual Property, and more.

Preparing to Submit

Read about the appointment of examiners, extending your end registration date, approval of the dissertation title, and more.

Submitting dissertations

Find out more about submitting your dissertation, how to include CDROMS or other items, and restricting access to your thesis here.

Word Limits

Read more information about word limits, including extending the word limit.

The oral examination (viva) and corrections

Information on the viva voce, corrections, revising and resubmitting, and reinstatement to the register can be found here.

Change title

The Student Registry now only records the title of a PhD student’s topic at the following points in the student’s study, all are activated by CAMSIS:

• At the point of admission/continuation,
• 1st year registration,
• submission for examination.

Therefore, unless a change of topic necessitates a change of supervisor (see above), changes of title will now only be approved by the Degree Committee as part of its consideration of applications for:

• leave to continue,
• registration of first year probationary students,
• appointment of examiners.

Students are advised to ensure that the title that appears on their leave to continue application form, registration assessment report, and appointment of examiners form is correct and has the approval of their supervisor.

Terms of study, terms of research, and holiday entitlement

Find out more here about terms of study.

Appoint Optional Additional Advisor (RAE or Third Year Assessment)

You do not need to have an additional advisor, however, if you feel there is a need for this (for example, interdisciplinary work), please complete the relevant form found on the PhD Moodle page and send to your proposed additional advisor. They fill it in, send it on to your supervisor, who will then return this to the Degree Committee Office.

After the examination

Please see here for further information about getting your degree approval and conferment, and pother post-examination advice.