- Address:
- Research Centre for English and Applied Linguistics (map)
3rd Floor, English Faculty Building
West Road
Cambridge CB3 9DA - Telephone:
- +44 (0)1223 337733
- Email:
- graduatesecretary@rceal.cam.ac.uk
- Website:
- http://www.rceal.cam.ac.uk/
- See also:
- Institution admissions pages, Graduate Studies Prospectus Entry.
The Research Centre offers one of the best taught Masters in Applied Linguistics in the UK, and accepts no more than 10 students in any year. Lectures and seminars are very well organised and integrated. Staff are friendly, helpful and supportive, but they do expect a lot from the students, and you have to work hard for your marks! Very good marks are needed for entry into the PhD programme and success with scholarship applications. The administrative side is impressive too, staff are thoughtful and always anticipating students’ needs (no kidding!).
The MPhil programme can be counted as part of the three year residential requirement of the PhD programme. In principle you can therefore complete your PhD after only two further years. In practice this has never been done by anyone we know of. The upside is that you do not have to pay tuition fees beyond your third year, even though you are still writing up your dissertation. There are currently 17 research students in the Centre, and the environment is lively, stimulating and informal, with weekly seminars led by students and visiting Fellows/scholars.
On the social side, the Centre organises parties for staff and students. A highlight is the Christmas buffet prepared by everybody, for everybody and their guests. On other occasions, staff members open their homes to students for parties. If you have energy left, organise more of these amongst yourselves.
Perhaps the major drawback is a lack of working space for students. The computer room is small, considering that 14 PhD and 7 MPhil students use it. Some testy old computers and rambling printers occupy valuable space. There are usually better facilities in the Colleges to compensate, and the Graduate Union is next door, but it would really help students to develop a stonger sense of belonging if we have more work space. The Centre does, however, have a sizable collection of excellent books and a cozy kitchen for warming cooked food and preparing hot drinks.
Whatever the quirks and perks, we think you’ll like the “family” atmosphere as much as we do. If you need further information, do write to the Centre’s secretary, Mrs Susan Rolfe at the address above, or visit the centre’s website.