Reporter 3/12/97: Regulations for Examinations: Notice by the General Board - Natural Sciences Tripos, Parts II and III, Biochemistry

Natural Sciences Tripos, Parts II and III, Biochemistry

The General Board have approved a proposal put forward by the Faculty Board of Biology for the introduction of Biochemistry as an additional subject in Part III of the Natural Sciences Tripos with effect from the year 1999-2000. The Board are satisfied that there are strong educational grounds for the introduction of a four-year course in this subject; the proposal has the support of the Committee for the Natural Sciences Tripos and the Senior Tutors' Committee. Confirmation has been received from the DfEE that under present arrangements the four-year course in Biochemistry will qualify for mandatory LEA awards.

Entry to the Biochemistry course in Part III will be restricted; in order to be accepted for the four-year course students will be required to have attained a specified standard either in Part IB of the Natural Sciences Tripos or in Parts IA and IB of the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos.

The General Board have amended the regulations for the Natural Sciences Tripos (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 358) as follows:

With effect from 1 October 1998:

Regulation 32.

By amending the paragraph relating to Biochemistry so as to read:

Biochemistry. The scheme of examination shall be as follows:

(i) Each candidate shall offer four written papers, three papers (Paper 1, 2, and 4) of three hours each and one paper (Paper 3) of three and a quarter hours (the first quarter of an hour of which shall not be used for writing answers to questions).

(ii) Each candidate shall submit to the Examiners, not later than the division of the Lent Term, a thesis of not more than 5,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography), giving an account of an investigation undertaken by the candidate, the subject of which shall be chosen by the candidate from a list of approved subjects announced by the Head of the Department; each candidate shall inform the Head of the Department of the subject chosen before the end of the first quarter of the Michaelmas Term.

(iii) Each candidate shall submit to the Examiners, not later than the tenth day of the Full Easter Term in which the examination is to be held, two essays, each of not more than 2,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography), on subjects chosen by the candidate from a list of approved subjects announced by the Head of the Department; each candidate shall inform the Head of the Department of the subject chosen before the end of Full Lent Term.

In assigning marks for the examination the Examiners shall take account of candidates' theses and essays. The Examiners shall have power

(a)	if they consider that a thesis or an essay is not sufficiently legible, to require that it be resubmitted in typescript;
(b)	at their discretion to examine a candidate viva voce on the subject of the thesis or the essay and on the general field of knowledge within which the subject falls.

With effect from 1 October 1999:

Regulation 34.

By amending the first sentence of the regulation so as to read:

In Part III the examination shall be in the following subjects: Biochemistry, Chemistry, Experimental and Theoretical Physics, Geological Sciences, Materials Science and Metallurgy.

Regulation 35.

By inserting the following paragraph relating to Biochemistry:

Biochemistry. The scheme of examination shall be as follows:

(a) Each candidate shall offer two written papers, one paper of three and a quarter hours (the first quarter of an hour of which shall not be used for writing answers to questions) and one paper of three hours.

(b) Each candidate shall submit to the Examiners, not later than the third Thursday of the Full Easter Term in which the examination is to be held, a report of a research project of not more than 8,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography). The subject of the research project may be either proposed by the candidate and approved by the Head of the Department, or chosen by the candidate from a list of approved subjects, which shall be announced by the Head of the Department not later than the end of the Easter Term in the year next preceding the examination. Each candidate shall, not later than 31 August in that year, either obtain the approval of the Head of the Department for the subject proposed or notify the Head of the Department of the subject chosen from the list.

(c) Each candidate shall submit to the Examiners, not later than the eighth day of Full Lent Term, an essay, of not more than 3,000 words (excluding footnotes and bibliography), on a subject chosen by the candidate from a list of approved subjects announced by the Head of the Department; each candidate shall inform the Head of the Department of the subject chosen before the end of Full Michaelmas Term.

In assigning marks for the examination the Examiners shall take account of candidates' research reports and essays. The Examiners shall have power

(i)	if they consider that a report or an essay is not sufficiently legible, to require that it be resubmitted in typescript;
(ii)	at their discretion to examine a candidate viva voce on the subject of the report and on the general field of knowledge within which the subject falls.

The Faculty Board of Biology have defined the standard required for entry to the Biochemistry course in Part III of the Natural Sciences Tripos (see Regulation 5(a) for the Tripos, Statutes and Ordinances, p. 359), as follows:

In order to be a candidate for honours in Biochemistry in Part III of the Natural Sciences Tripos a student should:

(1)	either (a)	have been placed in a class not lower than class II.2 in Part IB of the Natural Sciences Tripos, having also attained class II.2 standard or better either in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology or in Molecular Cell Biology in that examination;
	or (b)	have been placed in a class not lower than class II.2 in Part IB of the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos, having also attained class II.2 standard or better in Biochemistry in Part IA of that Tripos;

and

(2)	have obtained honours in Biochemistry in Part II of the Natural Sciences Tripos.

Consideration of special cases

A student who has not met the required standard, or who has not offered the required subjects, as specified above, may request consideration as a special case. A request for special consideration should be forwarded by the student's Tutor, at the earliest opportunity, to the Secretary of the Faculty Board of Biology; the Tutor should state the reasons for requesting dispensation, and should provide evidence (including copies of supervision reports where possible) that the student will be capable of undertaking the Part III course successfully.

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