Admissions information for prospective students

Undergraduate courses

• At Cambridge, the undergraduate (or Bachelor's) course is called the Computer Science Tripos. It is a three-year or four-year course. Students graduating after three years receive the BA honours degree. Students who achieve a high standard in the third year can continue their studies for a fourth year and receive a Master of Engineering (MEng) degree.

Undergraduate Open Days

• Open Days take place every year. The main in-person Open Days are in July. (In 2025, they are on Thursday 10 and Friday 11 July.) They offer an opportunity for students interested in applying to Cambridge to visit this Department, meet current students and staff, hear a presentation about the Computer Science course and attend a sample lecture. Alongside these Open Days, the University runs webinars on topics such as applying to Cambridge, how to pick your College, and financial support for studying at Cambridge. You can see the recordings of these webinars here. There is also a smaller College-focused Open Day on Friday 12 September 2025. You must register in advance to attend Open Days.

Masters course

• The one-year MPhil in Advanced Computer Science is a general Masters degree, preparing students for PhD study in Computer Science.

Doctoral course

• The PhD in Computer Science is a three-year programme of individual research on a topic agreed by the student and this Department. PhD students work under the guidance of a supervisor who is a member of the academic staff. There is no compulsory coursework. PhD students are expected to complete the substance of their research by the end of their third year and submit their thesis then or within a few months.

Postgraduate Open Day

• Cambridge Open Days for postgraduate students will take place in autumn 2025. We will add more details about our own Open Day session closer to the time. This will interest those considering applying for the MPhil in Advanced Computer Science and/or the PhD in Computer Science. It’s a great opportunity to put your questions to admissions staff and academics, explore the Colleges virtually, and to find out more about courses, the application process and funding opportunities.

Contact us

• General admissions enquiries should be sent to any of the Admissions Offices in the Colleges who admit all undergraduate students and will be able to advise you on their entry requirements. If you have any further questions concerning the undergraduate degree please contact undergraduate.admissions@cl.cam.ac.uk or cst-graduate-admissions@cst.cam.ac.uk for postgraduate admissions) after you have checked the information on these pages.