Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
CHAPTER V
B.A. DEGREE AND M.A. DEGREE

In this section

BACHELOR OF ARTS

By Honours

Amended by Grace 3 of 8 July 2009

How obtained.

1. A candidate shall obtain honours in an Honours Examination by the inclusion of his or her name in one of the classes, or under the heading ‘Declared to have deserved honours’, in the class-list of that examination, or by being allowed the examination by the Council; provided that honours in Part Ia of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos, if not obtained by an allowance from the Council, shall be obtained only as is laid down in the regulations for that Tripos.

2. On completing the requisite number of terms, a student shall be qualified to proceed to the degree of Bachelor of Arts if not earlier than the last but one of the terms that the student needs for that degree he or she has obtained honours as follows:

  1. (a)in Part II of any Tripos, but not in Part II (General), provided that, if in an examination for Part II of a Tripos different requirements are specified for candidates taking the examination one year and two years respectively after last obtaining honours, the student has satisfied the requirements for two-year candidates:
  2. or(b)in Part IIa or Part IIb of any Tripos;
  3. or(c)in the Linguistics Tripos (Old Regulations), or the Management Studies Tripos, subject to the same proviso as in sub-paragraph (a) if the requirements differ for candidates taking the examination one year and two years after last obtaining honours;
  4. or(d)in any two Honours Examinations, provided that no student shall count for this purpose
  5. (i)two Parts Ia;
  6. (ii)Part Ia and Part Ib of the same Tripos or of different Triposes;
  7. (iii)two of the following examinations: Part I of the Archaeological and Anthropological Tripos, Part I of the Economics Tripos, Part I of the History of Art Tripos, Part I of the Politics, Psychology, and Sociology Tripos, Part I of the Social and Political Sciences Tripos, Part I of the Theological and Religious Studies Tripos;
  8. (iv)one of the examinations specified in sub-paragraph (iii) above together with either Part Ia or Part Ib of another Tripos;
  9. (v)Part I of the Chemical Engineering Tripos together with either Part Ia or Part Ib of another Tripos;
  10. or(e)in any three Honours Examinations;
  11. or(f)as is otherwise provided for Affiliated Students in the regulations for Affiliated Students or in the regulations for any Tripos.

3. On completing the requisite number of terms,1 a student who has obtained honours as prescribed in Regulation 2 earlier than the last but one of the terms needed for the degree of Bachelor of Arts shall be qualified to proceed to that degree

  1. (a)if not earlier than the last but one of the terms needed for the degree he or she has passed one of the following examinations:
  2. (i)the LL.M. Examination, provided that a student who elects to proceed to the LL.M. Degree shall not also be entitled to proceed to the B.A. Degree;
  3. (ii)the Mus.B. Examination, provided that a student who elects to proceed to the Mus.B. Degree shall not also be entitled to proceed to the B.A. Degree;
  4. (iii)an examination for the M.Phil. Degree (one-year course), provided that a student who elects to proceed to the M.Phil. Degree shall not also be entitled to proceed to the B.A. Degree;
  5. Certificate of diligent study.
    or(b)if it is certified by the Head of the student's College and by her or his Tutor that they have satisfied themselves, on the evidence of one or more University or College teachers who have had direct knowledge of the student's work during the time in question, that he or she has been engaged in appropriate academic studies, and has been regular and diligent therein during all the terms kept since he or she last obtained honours; provided that such a certificate shall not apply to more than four terms, and that it shall not be valid if it is signed earlier than the tenth day before the end of Full Term in the last term which the student must keep for the degree.

4. For the purpose of Regulation 2, notwithstanding that the class-list for the examination in which a student needs to obtain honours in order to complete the qualifications for the B.A. Degree has not been published before the first day of General Admission to Degrees, he or she shall be deemed to be qualified to proceed to that degree at the appropriate Congregation if the Chairman of the Examiners for that examination, after consulting the Examiners concerned, has informed the Registrary sufficiently in advance of the Congregation that it is certain that the name of the student will be included in the class-list either in one of the classes or under the heading ‘Declared to have deserved honours’.

5. A certificate submitted for the purpose of Regulation 3(b) shall be sent to the Registrary so as to arrive not later than the end of Full Term in the last term to which it relates. A student whose certificate reaches the Registrary later than the last day of Full Term shall, if the certificate is accepted, incur a fine of £1.

Ordinary B.A. Degree

Primary condition.

1. No student shall be a candidate for the Ordinary B.A. Degree under these regulations without having first been a candidate for an Honours Examination, a Preliminary Examination, or a Tripos Qualifying Examination.

Requirements for degree.

2. A student who is deemed to have passed three Ordinary Examinations and who has kept nine terms by residence shall be entitled to supplicate for the Ordinary B.A. Degree.

Restriction.

3. No student shall be deemed to have passed more than one Ordinary Examination before the end of his or her third term of residence or more than two Ordinary Examinations before the end of his or her sixth term of residence.

Accumulation of Ordinary Examinations.

4. The following shall be deemed to have passed one Ordinary Examination:

  1. (a)a student who has been classed among the successful candidates for a Preliminary Examination or a Qualifying Examination;
  2. (b)a student who has been classed in one language in Part Ia of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos;
  3. (c)a student who has obtained honours in an Honours Examination either in the first, second, or third term after the first term of residence or, if the student already has an Ordinary Examination to his or her credit, in the first, second, or third term after the fourth term of residence;
  4. (d)a student who, as a candidate for an Honours Examination, has been granted by the Examiners an allowance towards the Ordinary B.A. Degree after failing to obtain honours
  5. (i)in the first, second, or third term after the first term of residence;
  6. or(ii)in the first, second, or third term after the fourth term of residence if the student has one Ordinary Examination to his or her credit;
  7. or(iii)in the first, second, or third term after the seventh term of residence if the student already has two Ordinary Examinations to his or her credit.

5. The following shall be deemed to have passed two Ordinary Examinations:

  1. (a)a student who does not already have an Ordinary Examination to his or her credit and who has obtained honours in an Honours Examination in the first, second, or third term after the fourth term of residence;
  2. (b)a student who, as a candidate for an Honours Examination, has been granted by the Examiners an allowance towards the Ordinary B.A. Degree after failing to obtain honours
  3. (i)in the first, second, or third term after the fourth term of residence if the student does not already have an Ordinary Examination to his or her credit;
  4. or(ii)in the first, second, or third term after the seventh term of residence if the student does not already have two Ordinary Examinations to his or her credit.
Allowances on Preliminary or Qualifying Examination.

6. On the application of a candidate's Tutor, and if the Examiners have so recommended, the Council may allow one Ordinary Examination to a student who has failed in a Preliminary Examination or a Tripos Qualifying Examination. If the Preliminary Examination pertains to Part Ia of the Classical Tripos or Part I of the Oriental Studies Tripos, the Council shall specify the language in which the candidate's work has deserved the allowance.

7. A student shall be deemed to have passed one Ordinary Examination if he or she has attained at least the standard for an allowance towards the Ordinary B.A. Degree in any Honours Examination which, under Regulation 2 for allowances to candidates for examinations, the Council have permitted him or her to take in candidature for the Ordinary B.A. Degree, or in any combination of papers from an Honours Examination which the Council have approved for that purpose for a particular student on the recommendation of the Faculty Board or similar authority concerned; provided that such a performance may, in accordance with conditions determined by the Council, be deemed to be equivalent to passes in two Ordinary Examinations.

Publication of allowances; by Examiners,

8. The names of candidates to whom Examiners make allowances under Regulations 4(d) and 5(b) above shall be appended to the class-lists of the examinations concerned under the heading:

Granted an allowance towards the Ordinary B.A. Degree.

To the names of candidates for the Classical Tripos, the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos, the Oriental Studies Tripos, the Natural Sciences Tripos, or the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos published under that heading shall be added in brackets the subject or subjects in which the candidate's work has deserved the allowance.

by the Council.

9. The names of candidates to whom the Council make allowances under Regulation 6 shall be published separately by the Registrary.

Footnotes

  1. 1. [See Statute B, III, 5, 7–9.] 〈See the regulations for the Precincts of the University and residence (p. 179).〉 This amendment of the footnote is subject to the approval by Her Majesty in Council of the amendments of Statute approved by Grace 4 of 11 March 2009 and the wording in angular brackets will replace the wording in square brackets with effect from the date of the approval.a