The aims of the course are to provide an understanding of key contemporary research problems in a range of disciplines in either the humanities and social sciences or physical sciences relating to the Arctic and Antarctica, and for students to undertake original research on a topic selected in consultation with members of staff.

The MPhil in Polar Studies consists of two Strands (Social Sciences and Humanities; and Physical Sciences), each composed of two Modules. Lecture and seminar-based teaching take place in the Michaelmas term. The remaining two terms are devoted to a research-led dissertation.

The course is examined through the submission of three essays and the dissertation. Dissertation topics are agreed with supervisors and are closely integrated with the ongoing research activities of the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI).

The outcomes of the course are achieved both through focused study of specialised aspects of research on the Arctic and Antarctic, either in terms of social sciences and humanities or the physical sciences, and through the development of research skills and methods. The following outcomes of student learning are sought: Knowledge and Understanding.

That students acquire knowledge of important contemporary polar research questions in a range of contexts. Students gain an understanding of histories, cultural transformation and governance in the Arctic and Antarctic, or of the physical processes at work in these regions, how these have changed in the past and are changing currently, and the methods and techniques for investigating them.

That students gain familiarity with an appropriate range of intellectual, theoretical and methodological traditions relevant to the study of the Arctic and Antarctic. For the Social Sciences and Humanities strand, students draw on material from disciplines such as geography, anthropology, political science and history, and understand the significance of different epistemological positions that provide the context for research. For the Physical Sciences strand, students will become familiar with theories and empirical work from, amongst other areas, the fields of glaciology, oceanography and atmospheric science, as well as with field-based, remote sensing and modelling techniques used in polar research.