Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
CHAPTER VII
DEGREES, DIPLOMAS, AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

The Ordinances contained in this Chapter are Ordinances of the General Board

In this section

MASTER OF STUDIES

GENERAL REGULATIONS

M.St. Degree.

1. The M.St. Degree shall be awarded for postgraduate study. A subject of such study, and the special regulations for each subject, shall be approved by the General Board on the recommendation of the Faculty Board or other body concerned, after consultation with the appropriate Degree Committee, and after submission to, and approval by, the Board of Graduate Studies and the Management Board of the Institute of Continuing Education.

Application for admission.

2. Applications for admission to a course of study leading to the M.St. Degree shall be sent to the Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning. The Director shall communicate each application for admission to the Secretary of the Degree Committee concerned with the applicant's proposed course, having first ascertained that appropriate accommodation, if required, is available in a laboratory or elsewhere. The Degree Committee shall consider the application and shall communicate their opinion thereon to the Director. If the Degree Committee decline the application it shall fail, and the Director shall so inform the applicant. If the Degree Committee agree to recommend approval of the application, their recommendation shall be considered by the Management Board of the Institute, who shall decide upon the application, subject to the approval of the Board of Graduate Studies. Before declining an application recommended by a Degree Committee for approval the Management Board shall give a representative appointed by the Degree Committee an opportunity of explaining the Committee's reasons for their recommendation.

3. Any person may be approved for admission to a course leading to the M.St. Degree who has satisfied the Management Board of the Institute, the Board of Graduate Studies, and the relevant Degree Committee that by reason of previous study he or she is qualified to engage in postgraduate work for the degree. The Management Board shall determine the conditions, if any, of each applicant's admission and shall assign to him or her a date of commencement of candidature. The Director shall maintain a register of persons who have been approved as candidates for the M.St. Degree; when an applicant has been approved for admission, his or her name shall be entered on the Register.

Approved course.

4. A candidate for the M.St. Degree shall pursue, under a Director of Studies appointed by the Management Board of the Institute, an approved course of postgraduate study comprising a number of course units, which shall include not less than 240 hours of formal instruction and shall extend over a period of two years. Every course of study for the degree, and any amendments of it, shall be approved by the Management Board, the Board of Graduate Studies, and the General Board, on the recommendation of the Faculty Board or other body concerned.

Intermission.

5. After considering a recommendation by the Degree Committee concerned, the Management Board may allow a candidate for the degree on account of illness or other sufficient cause to intermit his or her course of study for such period as they may think fit.

Supervisors.

6. For each course unit the Degree Committee concerned shall appoint a Supervisor for every student. Each Supervisor shall send to the Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, at such intervals as may be specified by the Management Board, a written report on the work of each student who is studying for the M.St. Degree under his or her direction; such reports shall be communicated to the Degree Committee concerned, to the Board of Graduate Studies, and to the student's Tutor.

Prizes or Scholarships.

7. A student who is registered as a candidate for the M.St. Degree shall not be admitted as a candidate for any University Studentship, Scholarship, Exhibition, Prize, Medal, or other such award, which is open only to undergraduates. For the purpose of any regulation which governs the standing of candidates for any other emolument, a candidate for the M.St. Degree who is not a graduate of the University shall be deemed to have kept by residence the nine terms next preceding the first term of his or her candidature for the M.St. Degree.

Fees.

8. While following a course of study leading to an examination for the M.St. Degree, a student shall pay the appropriate University Composition Fee for each year of such study.

Examination.

9. The examination for the M.St. Degree shall include

  1. (a)the submission of a thesis, of such length as shall be prescribed in the appropriate special regulations for the subject as appended to these regulations;
  2. and
  3. (b)either (i) written examination papers or (ii) the submission of essays, project reports, or other exercises, or (iii) any combination of these, as prescribed in the special regulations.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination may include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls as prescribed in the appropriate special regulations. Each candidate shall submit his or her thesis to the Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning by a date to be determined by the Management Board, on the recommendation of the Degree Committee concerned.

Submission of thesis.

10. In submitting a thesis a candidate shall state, generally in a preface and specifically in notes or in a bibliography, the sources from which information has been derived, the extent to which use has been made of the work of others, and the portions of the thesis which are claimed as original.

The Management Board shall not accept a thesis that is substantially the same as one that the candidate has submitted, or is concurrently submitting, for any other degree, diploma, or similar qualification at any university or similar institution, but they may accept a thesis which the candidate has submitted or is concurrently submitting for some other purpose. In submitting a thesis the candidate shall declare for what purpose, if any, other than for the M.St. Degree, the whole or part of it has already been or is concurrently being submitted. The thesis, apart from quotations, shall be written in English.

11. Two copies of the thesis, accompanied by three copies of a summary, shall be sent to the Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning, who shall forward two copies of the thesis and two copies of the summary to the Secretary of the Degree Committee concerned. In special circumstances the Management Board, after consultation with the Degree Committee concerned, may allow a candidate to submit only one copy of the thesis.

Examiners and Assessors.

12. The Degree Committee concerned shall appoint such number of Examiners and Assessors as they shall deem sufficient to conduct the examination. The Assessors shall undertake such duties as the Degree Committee may decide. The Secretary of the Degree Committee shall communicate to the Director of Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning the name of the Senior Examiner and the names of the Examiners and Assessors.

13. Each candidate's thesis shall be referred by the Degree Committee to two of the Examiners, each of whom shall make an independent report thereon to the Degree Committee. Where the examination includes an oral examination, the two Examiners shall both be present at the oral examination, and shall sign a joint certificate of the result of that examination. If the Examiners do not agree in their recommendations, or if for any other reason the Degree Committee or the Board of Graduate Studies need a further opinion on the merit of a candidate's thesis, the Degree Committee may appoint additional Examiners, provided that not more than one additional Examiner shall be appointed without the leave of the Board. Each additional Examiner so appointed shall make an independent report on the thesis to the Degree Committee.

Approval for degree.

14. If after considering the reports of the Examiners the Degree Committee are satisfied that a candidate's performance in the examination is of sufficient merit to entitle him or her to the M.St. Degree, a resolution of the Committee to that effect, with the names of those present and of those voting, together with the reports of the Examiners, shall be communicated to the Board of Graduate Studies. If the Board, after receiving such communication at a meeting at which not less than three members are present, are of the opinion that the degree should be conferred, the Secretary of the Board shall publish a notice of the candidate's approval for the award of the degree of Master of Studies, and shall communicate the Board's decision, together with the reports of the Examiners, to the Management Board of the Institute.

15. The Board of Graduate Studies shall be the deciding authority on all recommendations communicated to them by Degree Committees under Regulation 14. The Board shall not approve a candidate for the award of the degree under these regulations unless the Degree Committee have recommended such an award; before refusing an award so recommended they shall give a representative appointed by the Degree Committee an opportunity of explaining the Committee's reasons for their recommendation.

Failure.

16. If the Degree Committee, after considering a candidate's performance in the examination, are of the opinion that the candidate's work is not of sufficient merit to entitle him or her to the degree, their resolution to that effect with the names of those present and of those voting, together with the reports of the Examiners, shall be communicated to the Board of Graduate Studies and to the Management Board of the Institute of Continuing Education. The Secretary of the Board of Graduate Studies shall communicate this decision to the candidate. After such a resolution has been passed, the student shall not be eligible to take the examination for the degree again.

17. If the Tutor of a candidate for the degree supplies the Board of Graduate Studies with satisfactory evidence that the candidate has been hindered by illness or other grave cause in preparing for or taking the examination or any part of the examination for the degree, the Board shall have power, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the relevant regulations,

  1. either(a)to approve the candidate for the degree or other qualification without further examination, provided that no candidate shall be so approved unless the Degree Committee concerned judge him or her to have performed with credit in a substantial part of the examination,
  2. or(b)to allow the candidate to be examined or re-examined under such conditions and at such time as may be determined by the Board after consultation with the Degree Committee concerned.

The Secretary of the Board shall communicate any decision by the Board under this regulation to the Management Board of the Institute of Continuing Education.

Payments to Examiners.

18. The fees payable to Supervisors (Regulation 6) and to Examiners and Assessors (Regulation 12) shall be determined from time to time by the General Board on the recommendation of the Management Board of the Institute of Continuing Education, who shall consult the Board of Graduate Studies before making such a recommendation.

Expenses of Examiners.

19. Payment of travelling expenses and a subsistence allowance may be claimed by Examiners in accordance with Regulation 10 of the regulations for the Ph.D., M.Sc., and M.Litt. Degrees.

SPECIAL REGULATIONS

Applied Criminology and Police Management

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Applied Criminology and Police Management for the degree of Master of Studies shall be as follows:

  1. (a)four essays, each of not more than 3,000 words in length, which shall be chosen by the candidate from a list of topics announced by the Examiners;
  2. (b)an exercise in designing a proposal for, or in critically evaluating, a research project on a subject chosen by the candidate from a list announced by the Examiners; a candidate's report on such a research exercise shall not exceed 3,000 words in length, including notes and appendices;
  3. (c)a thesis of not more than 18,000 words in length, including notes and appendices, on a subject proposed by the candidate and approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Law.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls; such an oral examination may include questions relating to one or more of the other pieces of work submitted by the candidate under (a) and (b) above.

Applied Criminology, Penology, and Management

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Applied Criminology, Penology, and Management for the degree of Master of Studies shall consist of:

  1. (a)four essays, each of not more than 3,000 words in length and each on a topic approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Law;
  2. (b)course-work in research methods, as prescribed by the Degree Committee;
  3. (c)a thesis, of not more than 18,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls; such an oral examination may include questions relating to one or more of the other pieces of work submitted by the candidate under (a) and (b) above.

Clinical Effectiveness

Rescinded by Notice (Reporter, 2007–08, p. 583)

Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Interdisciplinary Design for the Built Environment for the degree of Master of Studies shall be as follows:

1. For the purpose of the general regulations for the degree, the Degree Committee concerned with this examination shall be the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Architecture and History of Art.

2. The examination shall consist of:

  1. (a)a thesis, of not more than 15,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee;
  2. (b)a case study, of not more than 5,000 words in length, of a project approved by the Degree Committee concerning design for the built environment;
  3. (c)two essays, each of not more than 3,000 words in length, on topics approved by the Degree Committee.

3. At the discretion of the Examiners the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

International Relations

1. The scheme of examination for the course of study in International Relations for the degree of Master of Studies shall consist of:

  1. (a)a thesis of not more than 25,000 words in length, including tables, footnotes, and appendices, but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee for International Studies;
  2. and
  3. (b)four essays, each not exceeding 2,000 words in length and on a set topic falling within one of the following fields, provided that not more than one topic shall be chosen from any particular field:
 

1.

International relations theory

 

2.

International history

 

3.

International politics

 

4.

International security

 

5.

International law and economics

2. The arrangements for announcing the set topics for essays shall be made by the Degree Committee. One of the four essays required under Regulation 1(b) shall constitute a three-hour examination paper and shall be written under examination conditions; candidates shall have a free choice of the essay to be treated in this way, provided that the Degree Committee shall have power in a particular case to restrict a candidate's choice.

3. The examination may include, at the discretion of the Examiners, an oral examination on the thesis, or on the general field of knowledge within which this falls, or both.

Jewish-Christian Relations

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Jewish-Christian Relations for the degree of Master of Studies shall consist of:

  1. (a)four essays, each of not more than 4,000 words in length and each on a topic approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Divinity;
  2. (b)a thesis, of not more than 15,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

Latin-American Studies

Rescinded by Notice (Reporter, 2007–08, p. 960)

Local and Regional History

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Local and Regional History for the degree of Master of Studies shall consist of:

  1. (a)three essays, each of not more than 4,000 words in length, and each on a subject approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of History;
  2. (b)a practical test in palaeography;
  3. (c)a thesis of not more than 20,000 words in length, including footnotes, appendices, and bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

Manufacturing38

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Manufacturing for the degree of Master of Studies shall consist of:

  1. (a)course-work, as prescribed by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of Engineering;
  2. (b)three case studies, each of not more than 5,000 words in length and each on a project approved by the Degree Committee;
  3. (c)a thesis, of not more than 15,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

Modernism (English Literature, 1890–1939)

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Modernism (English Literature, 1890–1939) for the degree of Master of Studies shall consist of:

  1. (a)a bibliography of an approved area of study, containing not more than 100 items;
  2. (b)three essays, each not exceeding 2,500 words in length, and each on a topic approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty of English;
  3. (c)a thesis, not exceeding 15,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

At the discretion of the Examiners the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

Primary and Community Care

Rescinded by Notice (Reporter, 2007–08, p. 583)

Public Health

Rescinded by Notice (Reporter, 2007–08, p. 583)

Social Enterprise and Community Development

Amended by Notice (Reporter, 2007–08, p. 961)

The scheme of examination for the course of study in Social Enterprise and Community Development for the degree of Master of Studies shall consist of:

  1. (a)four essays, each of not more than 3,000 words in length and each on a topic chosen by the candidate from a list of topics announced by the Examiners and approved by the Degree Committee for the Faculty Board of Business and Management;
  2. (b)the submission of a report of not more than 2,000 words in length together with an oral presentation of the report of not more than twenty minutes which shall include the use of PowerPoint slides;
  3. (c)a thesis of not more than 18,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on a subject approved by the Degree Committee.

If the Examiners deem it necessary, the examination shall include an oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls.

Footnotes

  1. 38. This course is suspended until further notice.(Refs: 1)