Application details

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Please check our FAQ and email leadup-course-admin@eng.cam.ac.uk if you have any further queries.

This page will describe the materials you will need to supply in your application; it will be helpful to you to prepare those materials now.

Potential applicants are advised to consider carefully their capacity for balancing personal and professional commitments before submitting an application.

Your application will require the following documentation:

  1. A curriculum vitae.
  2. A transcript* of all the courses you have taken during previous programmes of study, with the result you obtained, and with the credit value if applicable. If your documents are not in English, you must also upload a full translation of each document, prepared by a registered translator.
  3. An official copy of your academic degree and any chartership certificates*.
  4. If English isn’t your first language, you will be required to submit evidence that you meet the University’s English language requirements. Further information can be found below.

*Note: If you do not have these available at the time of application, you will have to produce an official copy once you have been accepted to the course. Acceptance will remain conditional until official copies of your transcripts and degree certificates have been received.

Additionally, you will be asked the following questions:

  1. Tell us about your professional background, including any relevant experience in - but not limited to - city management, technology provision, digitalisation initiatives for the creation of connected places in the urban built environment, and its relevance to the LeadUP programme. (1200 characters)
  2. Please explain why you are interested in the course. (1000 characters)
  3. Please tell us what you hope to gain from the course, and how you think that will help you in your work/organisation (1000 characters)
  4. Please indicate how you intend to fund your course fees. Tick as many as applicable if your fees are to be part funded from different sources: (a) Employer, (b) Self-funded, (c) Other funding/bursary, (d) Other.

Selection Process

Applications will be considered as two gathered fields. Applicants who have applied by 12 January 2024 and who pass the first stage of the scrutiny process may be interviewed in the week beginning 4 March 2024. Applicants at this stage will be notified of the outcome by late March 2024. Applicants who are not shortlisted for these interviews may be waitlisted for interview in the second phase in May (application deadline 19 April).

Applicants who have applied after 12 January 2024 but before 19 April 2024 and who pass the first stage of the scrutiny process may be interviewed in May. Applicants at this stage will be notified of the outcome by late June 2024.

Interviews are usually online and are conducted by one or two members of the team of course advisers. You will normally be asked to give a short presentation as part of the interview process. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email. Candidates applying for the earlier deadline, if successful, will receive an early offer.

Successful applicants will be given a Conditional Offer of a place on the course. Conditions include the provision of acceptable references, meeting any language requirements and the provision of funding.

Language Requirements

You should be able to read, write and speak English fluently. The University of Cambridge believes that it is in the student's interest that their language skills are at a very high level before they embark on a course, and adherence to this requirement is strict. Evidence of competence in the English language will be assessed at the point of offer and, if it is relevant, an English Language condition may be set.

If you are made a conditional offer and have not already met our language requirements, one of the conditions of your offer will be that you pass a test at the required level. If you have neither taken an approved language test and achieved the minimum required score, nor recently studied for 3 years (ending within the last 2 years) at a level equivalent to a UK Bachelor degree in a List A country*, then you should make arrangements to take a test as soon as possible as there can sometimes be long waiting times for a test place.

To study on our course we will accept any of the following as proof of English language skills:

  • IELTS Academic: an overall band score of 7.0 with not less than 7.0 in speaking, listening and writing, and 6.5 in reading.
  • TOEFL iBT: Overall score of 100, with no less than 25 in each element
  • Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English – at grade A
  • Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English – at grade A or B

* List A countries can be found at: https://www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/files/language_country_list.pdf

References

You will need to provide the details of two referees who are senior people acquainted with your work and who are able to comment on your academic and/or professional suitability to undertake the course. You will be asked for your referees' details on application, so it is important for you to ensure that your referee is able to provide a reference for you before you submit your application form.

You should try to advise your referees to include the following information:

  • how long they have known you and in what capacity;
  • their opinion of your experience, achievements, professional interests and the capabilities that you will bring to the course;
  • whether they believe you have the academic rigour to successfully complete a postgraduate PGCert level course;
  • whether they consider you have the enthusiasm, commitment and determination necessary to complete the course successfully;
  • whether they can comment on your suitability for engaging in the particular challenges of part-time study.

You may also advise your referees to read this website in order to learn about the course.

For this course one academic and one professional reference is preferred. In particular, a letter from your current employer would be welcomed.

Transcripts

A transcript is a list of all the courses you have taken during a programme of study, with the result you obtained, and with the credit value if applicable.

If you are currently studying, you will be asked to provide a transcript listing the courses taken during your programme of study, with the results or grades obtained for each.

If you have previously completed degree-level study, you will be asked to provide a transcript or degree certificate for each degree-level programme you have studied, showing the date the degree was awarded and the final class or grade obtained.

If your documents are not in English, you will additionally be required to provide a full translation of each document, prepared by a registered translator.

Professional Qualifications

To support the application, applicants are encouraged to provide relevant professional qualifications or memberships with documentary evidence, stating the date the qualification or membership was obtained.

Research Proposal

A research proposal is not required for application to the PGCert. However, students who wish to continue from the PGDip to the MSt will be asked to provide a research proposal at that time. Support on writing the writing research proposal will be provided during the PGDip programme.

 

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