Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
CHAPTER IV
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS AND TRIPOS EXAMINATIONS

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

TRIPOS EXAMINATIONS

PHILOSOPHY TRIPOS

Amended by Notices (Reporter, 2009–10, pp. 436 and 936)

Three Parts.

1. The Philosophy Tripos shall consist of three Parts: Part Ia, Part Ib, and Part II. A separate class-list shall be published for each Part.

Examiners and Assessors.

2. The Faculty Board shall nominate such number of Examiners as they may deem sufficient to examine in each Part of the Tripos. The Faculty Board may also nominate one or more Assessors for each Part of the Tripos. Assessors shall be responsible for setting the questions in the subjects assigned to them by the Examiners, and for advising the Examiners on the performance of candidates in those questions. An Assessor may be summoned to meetings of the Examiners for the purpose of consultation and advice, but shall not be entitled to vote.

3. The questions proposed for each Part by each Examiner or Assessor for that Part shall be submitted to and approved by the Examiners for that Part collectively; and the answers to each question shall be examined, as far as possible, by two at least of the Examiners or Assessors. The Examiners and Assessors shall take account of the style and method of the candidates’ answers and shall give credit for excellence in these respects.

Part Ia.

4. The papers for Part Ia shall be as follows:

 Paper  1.

Metaphysics and philosophy of mind.

 Paper  2.

Ethics.

 Paper  3.

Logic.149

 Paper  4.

Set text or texts.

 Paper  5.

Essay.

Every candidate shall offer Papers 1–5.

Part Ib.

5. (a) The papers for Part Ib shall be as follows:

 Paper  1.

Metaphysics and the philosophy of mind (also serves as Paper O5 of Part II of the Classical Tripos).

 Paper  2.

Logic.

 Paper  3.

Ethics.

 Paper  4.

Greek and Roman philosophy (Paper 8 of Part Ib of the Classical Tripos).

 Paper  5.

History of modern philosophy.

 Paper  6.

Philosophy of science.

 Paper  7.

Political philosophy.

 Paper  8.

Experimental psychology (the subject Experimental Psychology in Part Ib of the Natural Sciences Tripos).

 Paper  9.

Essay.

(b) Subject to the provisions of sub-paragraphs (c) and (d) of this regulation, a candidate for Part Ib shall offer papers as follows:

  1. (i)a candidate who has not previously obtained honours in an Honours Examination, or who takes the examination in the year next after obtaining honours in Part Ia of the Philosophy Tripos, shall offer Papers 1, 2, and 9, and two papers from Papers 3–7; or Papers 1, 2, and 8, and one paper from Papers 3–7;
  2. (ii)if six complete terms have not passed after his or her first term of residence, a candidate who takes the examination in the year next after obtaining honours in an examination other than Part Ia of the Philosophy Tripos shall offer Papers 1, 2, and 9, and one paper from Papers 3–7;
  3. (iii)if he or she has kept at least seven terms, a candidate who takes the examination in the year next after obtaining honours in an examination other than Part Ia of the Philosophy Tripos shall offer Paper 9, and four papers from Papers 1–7; or Paper 8 and three papers from Papers 1–7.

The weighting of Paper 8 for those who offer it, shall be double that of other papers.

(c) No candidate who has previously offered Experimental psychology in Part Ib of the Natural Sciences Tripos shall offer Paper 8.

(d) In place of any one of the Papers 1–3, and 5–7 a candidate for Part Ib who has previously obtained honours in Part Ia of the Philosophy Tripos may submit two essays, each of not less than 3,000 words and not more than 4,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on two topics approved by the Chairman of Examiners, which shall both fall within the syllabus of that paper; provided that a candidate who chooses to submit essays under the provisions of this sub-paragraph shall not write in Paper 9 an essay on a subject that overlaps significantly with either of the submitted essays.

Part II.

6. The papers for Part II shall be as follows:

 Paper  1.

Metaphysics.

 Paper  2.

Philosophy of mind.

 Paper  3.

Ethics.

 Paper  4.

History of modern philosophy.

 Paper  5.

History of ancient philosophy.150

 Paper  6.

Philosophy of science.151

 Paper  7.

Mathematical logic.

 Paper  8.

Philosophical logic.

 Paper  9.

Special subject specified by the Faculty Board from time to time.

 Paper 10.

Political philosophy.

 Paper 11.

Aesthetics.152

 Paper 12.

Essay.

7. Except as provided in Regulation 8 below, a candidate for Part II shall offer papers as follows:

  1. (a)a candidate who takes the examination in the year next after obtaining honours in Part Ib of the Philosophy Tripos shall offer
  2. either (i) four papers from among Papers 1–12 and the papers specified in the Schedule to these regulations, and (ii) a dissertation offered in accordance with Regulation 9
  3. or (i) four papers from among Papers 1–11 and the papers specified in the Schedule to these regulations, and (ii) Paper 12;
  4. (b)a candidate who takes the examination in the year next after obtaining honours in an examination other than Part Ib of the Philosophy Tripos shall offer
  5. either (i) three papers from among Papers 1–12 and the papers specified in the Schedule to these regulations, and (ii) a dissertation offered in accordance with Regulation 9
  6. or (i) three papers from among Papers 1–11 and the papers specified in the Schedule to these regulations, and (ii) Paper 12;
  7. (c)a candidate who takes the examination in the year next but one after last obtaining honours in any examination shall offer
  8. either (i) four papers from among Papers 1–12 and the papers specified in the Schedule to these regulations, and (ii) a dissertation offered in accordance with Regulation 9
  9. or (i) four papers from among Papers 1–11 and the papers specified in the Schedule to these regulations, and (ii) Paper 12;

provided that a candidate who has previously obtained honours in Part II of the Classical Tripos shall not offer any paper that he or she offered in that examination.

Essays.

8. In place of any one of Papers 1–11 and the papers from the Classical Tripos specified in the Schedule to these regulations, a candidate for Part II of the Philosophy Tripos may submit two essays, each of not less than 3,000 words and not more than 4,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography, on two topics approved by the Chairman of Examiners, which shall both fall within the scope of that paper, provided that

  1. (i)a candidate shall not submit both a dissertation under the provisions of Regulation 7 and essays under the provisions of this paragraph;
  2. (ii)a candidate who chooses to submit essays under the provisions of this paragraph shall not write in Paper 12 an essay on a subject that overlaps significantly with either of the submitted essays.
Dissertation or essays.

9. (a) A candidate for Part Ib who chooses to offer two submitted essays under the provisions of Regulation 5(d), or a candidate for Part II who chooses to offer a dissertation under the provisions of Regulation 7 or two submitted essays under the provisions of Regulation 8 shall submit the proposed title of the dissertation or the proposed titles of the essays, together with a statement of the papers to be offered in the examination, and in the case of essays a statement of the paper which they are intended to replace, to the Chairman of Examiners so as to arrive not later than two weeks before the last day of Full Michaelmas Term. A candidate must obtain the approval of the Chairman of Examiners for the proposed title or titles not later than the last day of Full Michaelmas Term. Dissertations and essays shall be submitted to the Chairman of Examiners, in accordance with detailed arrangements approved by the Faculty Board, so as to arrive not later than the last day of the Lent Term next preceding the examination. Every candidate submitting a dissertation or a pair of essays will be required to sign a declaration that the work submitted is his or her own work, unaided except as may be specified in the declaration, and that it does not contain material that has already been used to any substantial extent for a comparable purpose. The Examiners shall have power to examine any candidate viva voce on her or his dissertation or essays.

(b) A dissertation, which shall be on a topic of philosophical interest approved by the Chairman of Examiners, shall be of not more than 8,000 words and (except with the permission of the Chairman of Examiners) not less than 6,000 words in length, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography. For a candidate who offers both Paper 12 and a dissertation, the topic of the dissertation shall not fall within the broad scope of any of the papers chosen from Papers 1 to 11, and the candidate shall not write in Paper 12 an essay on a subject that overlaps significantly with the dissertation.

Supplementary regulations and notice of variable subjects.

10. The Faculty Board shall have power to publish supplementary regulations for the topics included in the several subjects before mentioned, and to issue a list of books in relation to which questions shall be set. They shall also have power to modify or alter the supplementary regulations and the list from time to time as they see fit, due care being taken that sufficient notice is given of any change. Public notice of all the variable subjects and texts prescribed for special study shall be given by the Faculty Board before the end of the Easter Term in the year next preceding the examination to which they apply; provided that the Board shall have the power of subsequently issuing amendments if they have due reason for doing so and if they are satisfied that no student's preparation for the examination is adversely affected.

Standing of candidates.

11. A student may be a candidate for honours in Part Ia if at the time of the examination he or she has kept one term, provided that three complete terms have not passed after his or her first term of residence.

12. The following may present themselves as candidates for honours in Part Ib:

  1. (a)a student who has not obtained honours in an Honours Examination, provided that he or she has kept four terms and that six complete terms have not passed after his or her first term of residence;
  2. (b)a student who has obtained honours in Part Ia of the Philosophy Tripos or in another Honours Examination, in the year next after so obtaining honours, provided that twelve complete terms have not passed after his or her first term of residence.

13. A student who has obtained honours in Part Ib or in any Honours Examination other than Part Ia of the Philosophy Tripos may be a candidate for honours in Part II in the year next after or next but one after so obtaining honours; provided that at the time of the examination the student has kept seven terms, and that fifteen complete terms have not passed after his or her first term of residence.153

14. No student shall be a candidate for more than one Part in the same year. No student who has been a candidate for any Part shall again be a candidate for the same Part.

Class-lists.

15. In each Part, the names of the candidates who obtain honours shall be arranged in three classes, of which the second shall be divided into two divisions. The names in the first and third classes, and in each division of the second class, shall be arranged in alphabetical order. Each class-list may show, by some convenient mark, whether a candidate has passed with special distinction.

SCHEDULE

Amended by Notice (Reporter, 2009–10, p. 936)

Papers from other Triposes that may be taken in Part II

A candidate for Part II of the Philosophy Tripos may take one or two of the following papers:

Classical Tripos, Part II

Group B (Philosophy)

 B1.

Plato

 B2.

Aristotle

 B3.

A prescribed subject or period in Greek and Roman philosophy

Theological and Religious Studies Tripos, Part IIb

Group C

 C11.

Metaphysics

Footnotes

  1. 149. This paper is also available to up to six candidates for Paper B17 in Part IIa of the Theological and Religious Studies Tripos.a
  2. 150. This paper has been suspended until further notice.a
  3. 151. This paper is suspended until 1 October 2011.a
  4. 152. This paper is also available to candidates for Part II of the Modern and Medieval Languages Tripos; see p. 374.a
  5. 153. See also the regulations for Affiliated Students.a b c