Eligibility

Eligibility criteria for the programme

Applicants must meet all the criteria in Part A and one or more of the criteria in Part B. We strongly encourage applications from undergraduates currently studying at higher education institutions where research experience may not be as readily available as in more selective institutions. 

This programme is NOT open to applicants who:

  • Are in their first or final year of undergraduate study at the application deadline.
  • Are studying (or have previously studied) at the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford or the London School of Economics.
  • Have completed, or are currently studying, a postgraduate degree (e.g. MPhil, DPhil, PhD, etc) or have an offer to start a postgraduate degree or have applied for a postgraduate degree course at the application deadline. 

Part A

To be eligible for programme, you must meet all of the following criteria: 

  • Be settled in the UK on 1 July 2026 with no restrictions on how long you can stay and have been ordinarily resident in the UK or the Republic of Ireland (but not mainly for full-time education) since 1 July 2023;
  • Be a current undergraduate student at a UK or Republic of Ireland university studying for a degree in a humanities or social sciences subject;
  • Be in the penultimate year of your course. You must be in your second year (or third year of a four-year course) at the time of application. First and final year students are not eligible;
  • Be on track to achieve a final undergraduate degree grade of a strong 2:1 or 1st.  If your transcripts demonstrate that your grades are on an upward trajectory towards the upper range of a 2:1 or above, we encourage you to apply;
  • Have a demonstrable interest in undertaking a postgraduate degree (MPhil or PhD) in a humanities or social sciences subject. 

Part B

You must also meet at least one of the following criteria: 

  • *Have been in receipt of free school meals at secondary school;
  • Be in the first generation of your family to study at undergraduate level  (i.e. if none of your parents, stepparents, or guardians attended university and obtained an undergraduate degree by the time you were 18);
  • *Have entered university at undergraduate level from a care background or as a Foyer resident;
  • Be estranged from your parents/guardians (i.e. you are studying for your undergraduate degree without the support and approval of a family network);
  • Have been a young carer under the age of 18 or have/ had caring responsibilities during your undergraduate study (providing unpaid support for an ill or disabled family member who could not manage without this help, e.g. who has a physical or mental health condition, or misuses substances)
  • Be either a single parent, or lone guardian of a young person who is aged under 18 and/or is still in full-time education.
  • *Receive the maximum Maintenance Loan for undergraduate study; (if you receive partial state support you do not meet this criteria);
  • Have refugee status;
  • Be a mature undergraduate student/would be mature postgraduate students (i.e. aged 21 or over at start of undergraduate study or 25 or over at start of postgraduate study);
  • Identify as belonging to one of the underrepresented ethnicities in social sciences:

    • Currently underrepresented ethnicities in the social sciences and humanities are: Black British, Mixed Black British, British Bangladeshi, British Pakistani, British Arab, and British Indian.  Please note that SHARE is open to students of all ethnicities.

  • Be studying at a non Russell Group university (particularly post-1992 universities)

Please note that if you select any of the starred criteria in your application form, you will be asked to upload supporting documents.

SHARE also strongly encourages applications from candidates who: 

  • Are currently studying at Anglia Ruskin University, University of Bedfordshire or University of Suffolk (one of our CAM-DTP consortium universities) 

  • Do not have significant research experience (full time, 4 weeks or more and not part of your degree course).

We consider socioeconomic background using the Social Mobility Commission’s Toolkit. 

Any information you share with us will be held securely and confidentially by our applications team but may be viewed by the reviewing panel which makes decisions on who should receive an offer.  

Primarily we are looking for evidence of academic potential within the context of your education and circumstances to date. We are also keen to support students who may not have acquired significant research experience. We will ask you to describe your circumstances in your application, and you should refer to the relevant criteria above.

The School of the Humanities and Social Sciences aims to widen participation in postgraduate education at the University of Cambridge, by using positive action under the Equality Act 2010, where appropriate, to tackle the underrepresentation of certain groups.