Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
Statute B
MATRICULATION, RESIDENCE, DEGREES, DISCIPLINE

Chapter III

DEGREES

1. The University may admit to any of the several degrees hereinafter mentioned a matriculated person who has done all that is required by the Statutes or Ordinances:1

  1. (a)the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Medicine, Surgery, Music, Veterinary Medicine, Education, Theology for Ministry;
  2. (b)the degrees of Master of Arts, Law, Surgery, Letters, Science, Philosophy, Engineering, Business Administration, Education, Natural Sciences, 〈Research,〉2 Studies, Finance;
  3. (c)the degrees of Doctor of Engineering, Philosophy, and Veterinary Medicine;
  4. (d)the degree of Bachelor of Divinity;
  5. (e)the degrees of Doctor of Divinity, Law, Medicine, Music, Letters, Science.

2. Degrees shall rank in such order of precedence as may be determined by Ordinance and failing any Ordinance in such order as has been customary heretofore.

3. Students may be admitted to any of the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Medicine, Surgery, Music, Veterinary Medicine, Education, Theology for Ministry, Master of Law, Letters, Science, Philosophy, Engineering, Business Administration, Education, Natural Sciences, 〈Research,〉2 Studies, Finance and Doctor of Engineering, Philosophy or Veterinary Medicine (which degrees are hereinafter called primary degrees) without having previously been admitted to any degree in the University.

4. Save as otherwise provided in the Statutes no one shall be admitted to any degree other than a primary degree without having previously been admitted to a degree in the University.

5. Save as otherwise provided in the Statutes,

  1. (a)no one shall be admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Medicine or Surgery, or Master of Law, or Business Administration having followed a one-year or two-year integrated course of study prescribed by Ordinance, or to the degrees of Master of Letters or Science, or Doctor of Philosophy having followed a full-time course, or to the degree of Doctor of Engineering, unless he or she has kept three terms at least by residence;
  2. (b)no one shall be admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Education or Theology for Ministry unless he or she has kept five terms at least by residence;
  3. [(c)no one shall be admitted to the degree of Master of Finance or of Philosophy unless he or she has complied with such conditions of residence as shall have been approved by Ordinance;]3
  4. 〈(c)no one shall be admitted to the degree of Master of Finance, of Philosophy, or of Research unless he or she has complied with such conditions of residence as shall have been approved by Ordinance;〉3
  5. (d)no one shall be admitted to the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Music, or Veterinary Medicine unless he or she has kept nine terms at least by residence;
  6. (e)no one shall be admitted to the degree of Master of Engineering or Natural Sciences unless he or she has kept twelve terms at least by residence.

6. The University may prescribe by Ordinance conditions in which the status of the degree of Bachelor of Arts and of the degree of Master of Arts may be held or may be granted by the Council. The University may on the recommendation of the Council grant admission to the complete degree of Master of Arts without fulfilment of the usual conditions to a person who has been admitted to some office in the University, or to a Headship or Fellowship of a College, or who holds a post in the University Press specially designated under Statute J, 7, or an appointment approved by the University for the purpose of Statute A, III, 7(e) in a University institution designated by the University for the purpose of this section.4

7. The University may by Ordinance prescribe conditions under which

  1. (a)a graduate of the University of Oxford or the University of Dublin (Trinity College) may be admitted by incorporation to any degree which in the opinion of the Council is equivalent to a degree to which he or she has been admitted by either of those Universities;
  2. (b)a candidate for a degree who has kept a term or terms by residence at either of the said Universities may receive an allowance of not more than the same number of terms towards the terms required to be kept in this University.

8. The University may make Ordinances under which

  1. (a)an Affiliated Student or a student of any other class that has been approved for the purpose by Grace may be granted, in respect of work done before matriculation, an allowance of not more than three terms towards the nine terms required to be kept under section 5(d) above for any of the degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Education, Music, or Veterinary Medicine, or an allowance of not more than three terms towards the twelve terms required to be kept under section 5(e) above for the degree of Master of Natural Sciences;
  2. (b)a Graduate Student may be granted in respect of work done in the University before matriculation an allowance of not more than three terms towards the three terms required to be kept under section 5(a) above for any of the degrees of Master of Letters, Master of Science, or Doctor of Engineering, or Doctor of Philosophy, and an allowance of not more than one term towards the number of terms required to be kept for the degree of Master of Philosophy which requires a two-year course of study.

9. The Council may grant allowances of terms as follows:

  1. (a)On account of illness or other grave cause, the Council may grant
  2. (i)one or two terms to any candidate for a degree who but for such allowance would be required to keep more than six terms by actual residence,
  3. (ii)one term to any candidate for a degree who but for such allowance would be required to keep six or fewer terms by actual residence.
  4. (b)On the recommendation of the Faculty Board or comparable authority concerned, the Council may allow not more than three terms to any candidate for a degree who but for such allowance would be required to keep six or more terms by actual residence and who since matriculation has pursued a course or courses of study outside the University under the direction of that Faculty Board or comparable authority.
  5. (c)In circumstances which interfere with the normal tenor of residence of a large number of students, the Council may grant allowances of terms, in addition to the allowances hereinbefore provided, to students who fulfil such conditions as the Council may specify.

10. Admission to a degree shall take place when a candidate is admitted to it in person at a Congregation of the Regent House; provided that the University may prescribe conditions under which a candidate may be admitted to a degree in absence.

11. If any person has resigned his or her membership of the University in accordance with the provisions of section 7 of Chapter I of this Statute, and if the Council has removed that person's name from the list of members of the University, any degree or degrees of the University to which the person concerned has been admitted shall be deemed to be cancelled forthwith, and shall be reinstated only by a decision of the Council which shall not be taken until a period of five years has elapsed from the date of cancellation.

Footnotes

  1. 1. See also Statute T, 23 and 24.(Refs: 1)
  2. 2. The word in angular brackets will be inserted subject to the approval by Her Majesty in Council of the amendments of Statute approved by Grace 5 of 16 July 2008.(Refs: 1, 2)
  3. 3. The subsection in angular brackets will replace the subsection in square brackets subject to the approval by Her Majesty in Council of the amendments of Statute approved by Grace 5 of 16 July 2008.(Refs: 1, 2)
  4. 4. The Local Examinations Syndicate has been designated for the purpose of Statute B, III, 6.(Refs: 1)