- Address:
- Faculty of Education (map)
184 Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 8PQ - Telephone:
- +44 (0)1223 332888
- Fax:
- +44 (0)1223 767602
- Email:
- educ-inst-tutorial@lists.cam.ac.uk
- Website:
- http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/
- See also:
- Graduate Studies Prospectus Entry.
The Faculty of Education has experienced many changes over the past few years. These changes include: the amalgamation of the School of Education with Homerton College, to create the new Faculty of Education in 2001; a new Head of Faculty; new senior administrators; an increase in the number of Professors; and a brand new purpose built home for the Faculty. The New Faculty Building brought together staff, students and activities from the three previous sites: Shaftesbury Avenue; Brooklands Avenue and Trumpington Street.
This series of changes has presented some challenges, but, it has also brought a lot of opportunities. With all staff and students based in the same building, it is much easier to convene meetings, to collaborate and to organise projects. Collections from the two old libraries are combined into one impressive new facility and the renowned faculty cafeteria maintains its reputation for providing excellent food. The Faculty is settling into and developing a stronger more cohesive identity and it seems likely that the changes will continue to bear fruit.
The Graduate student cohort is a wonderfully international bunch of people. There are about 90 new graduate students each year, so, there are many opportunities to learn from colleagues. Students are encouraged to contribute to the faculty and recent student-led initiatives include a series of lunchtime seminars, where individual students volunteer to present their work for discussion with fellow students and staff. An annual student run academic conference offers further opportunities, with 30 students presenting at the 2005 conference. The faculty regularly hosts international conferences as well as extensive series of seminars run by different academic interest groups with experts coming to speak from all over the world.
Relationships between faculty members and students are generally very good and there is a strong sense of collegiality. MPhil and PhD students usually have one supervisor. However, PhD students have further assistance from two advisers who are appointed for the examination that precedes full registration for the PhD. The wealth of expertise in Cambridge means that it is often possible to get helpful advice from experts in different departments. There are very limited opportunities for third and fourth year PhD students to undertake supervision of undergraduate students.