- Address:
- Department of Zoology (map)
Downing Street
Cambridge CB2 3EJ - Telephone:
- +44 (0)1223 336600
- Fax:
- +44 (0)1223 336676
- Website:
- http://www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/
- See also:
- Institution admissions pages, Graduate Studies Prospectus Entry.
Being in the largest zoo department in the UK is not as daunting as it might sound! Despite its size it is certainly not an unfriendly place: with over 80 graduate students the social scene is lively and well supported. Our tea room is undeniably the best in the university and offers tempting morsels to accompany a mug of Val’s legendary tea. The Zoology cricket team trains as hard for the post-match pint as for the matches, and occasional summer rounders is another option.
The social highlight of the week however, is undoubtedly Friday evenings. Postgrads, postdocs and lecturers can unwind at the by now legendary Zoology Happy Hour, which offers an impressive selection of ice-cold beers at cost price. During the summer months, we are able to hold this on the Museum lawn, regularly accompanied by barbecues. Other events such as punting trips and brewery visits are not uncommon and are enthusiastically supported.
The department’s research interests are extremely diverse and this is complemented by a broad range of facilities on offer for the hard working graduate student (when not engaged in busy socialising). The departmental Balfour library is particularly well stocked with all things zoological and location on the New Museums Site means that the resources of the Scientific Periodicals Library and the Computing Department are close to hand. The impressive University Museum of Zoology is a treasure-house of specimens from around the world (including much of Darwin’s original material from his Beagle voyage), and is available to students at all times. Good relations with local institutions such as Wellcome/CRC and the British Antarctic Survey also provide additional valuable resources that can be tapped. Throughout the year, the department is visited by an impressive procession of speakers, most of them constituting the great-and-good of their fields. There is also a term-time seminar programme specifically for graduates, enabling them to present the fruit of their recent labours to colleagues in an informal setting (known for some reason as Beer Talks – although this surely has nothing to do with alcohol again…)
With its outstanding academic reputation, wealth of facilities and enviable social scene, the department undoubtedly provides a unique and friendly atmosphere in which graduate students can thrive.