Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
CHAPTER II
pp. 177–183
MATRICULATION, RESIDENCE, ADMISSION TO DEGREES, DISCIPLINE

In this section

ADMISSION TO DEGREES

Supplicats

1. Every Supplicat, that is to say, every Grace for a complete degree not conferred under Statute B II 2, shall be in the form prescribed from time to time by the Council, and shall be signed by the Head or Praelector or the deputy for the Head or Praelector of the applicant's College; provided that, if the applicant is a University officer who is not a member of any College, the Supplicat shall be signed by the Chair of the Faculty Board or the Head of the Department or other institution to which the applicant's office is assigned.

2. Except as hereinafter provided no degree shall be conferred unless a Supplicat and certificate of terms (if necessary) have been sent to the Registrary so as to arrive not later than 10 a.m. on the morning of the day next but seven before that on which the degree is to be conferred, or, if a degree is to be conferred on a day of General Admission, not later than 10 a.m. on the morning of the day next but ten before that day.

3. Notwithstanding that the provisions of Regulation 2 have not been satisfied, a degree may be conferred at any Congregation provided that the necessary documents have been received by the Registrary in time for proper consideration, and provided that a fine of £1 shall be paid in addition to the degree fee, if any. A fine shall not be charged in respect of a candidate who needs to keep the current term in order to qualify for the degree but has not done so on the day preceding the day on which the Supplicat is due to be received by the Registrary; provided that the Supplicat has been received at the proper time together with a statement of the reason for the delay in submitting the certificate of terms.

4. No degree shall be conferred upon any person unless either

  1. (a)a Grace has been approved by the Regent House authorizing the conferment of the degree, of which due notice has been given in accordance with Regulation 20 of the regulations for Graces and Congregations of the Regent House; or
  2. (b)a Supplicat in the prescribed form has been sent to the Registrary in accordance with Regulation 2 or 3 of these regulations and the conferment of the degree has been approved in the manner hereinafter provided.

No person shall be admitted in absence to the title of a degree, nor shall any person be admitted to a complete degree in absence unless this has been requested in the Supplicat or in the application for a degree conferred under Statute B II 2.

5. No degree for which residence is required as a qualification shall be conferred on any person unless the Head of the person's College or the deputy for the Head has certified to the Registrary that that person has kept the residence required.

6. No Grace for a degree or for the title of a degree shall be in force longer than one calendar year from the date of its approval.

7. One hour and a half before the time appointed for each Congregation at which any degree is to be conferred (other than a degree for whose conferment a Grace has been approved by, or will at that Congregation be submitted to, the Regent House) the Registrary shall cause to be posted on a board in the Schools Arcade a list of names of persons whose Supplicats have been received and who are certified by the Registrary to have done all that is required of them by the Statutes and Ordinances and to be qualified to proceed on that day to the degrees for which they have applied. If any member of the Regent House informs the Vice-Chancellor in writing, not later than an hour after the posting of the list, that he or she intends to non placet the conferment of a degree upon any person named in the list, the Vice-Chancellor shall cause that person's name to be struck out from the list. At the Congregation the conferment of the degrees set out in the Registrary's list upon the persons named therein shall be proposed to the Regent House in the following collective formula:

Supplicant reverentiis vestris viri mulieresque –––––8quorum nomina juxta senaculum in porticu proposuit hodie Registrarius nec delevit Procancellarius (or Procancellaria) ut gradum quisque quem rite petivit assequatur.

8. Where the Vice-Chancellor, having received written notice of non placet, has, in accordance with Regulation 7 above, caused the name of the person in respect of whom that notice is given to be struck out from the Registrary's list, the degree in respect of which notice of non placet has been given shall not be conferred upon that person unless a Grace to that effect has been submitted to and approved by the Regent House after the giving of due notice in accordance with Regulation 20 of the regulations for Graces and Congregations of the Regent House.

9. The following are exceptions, in whole or in part, to the above regulations:

  1. (a)(i)Women upon whom, before 27 April 1948 the title of a degree has been conferred shall be deemed to have been admitted to the corresponding degree on the date of the diploma conferring the title of the degree, provided always that any such woman who shall apply through her College to the Registrary to be admitted to the degree in person shall be so admitted on payment of a fee to be determined by the University.
  2. (ii)Any woman qualified before 27 April 1948 to receive the title of a degree who has not received it shall be entitled to be admitted to the corresponding degree.
  3. (iii)Residence kept by members of Girton College or of Newnham College before 27 April 1948 shall be deemed to be residence kept for the purposes of Statute or Ordinance.
  4. (b)Any person who satisfied the Examiners for the LL.B. Examination before 1 October 1982 may,
  5. (i)if he or she has already proceeded to the degree of Bachelor of Law, apply to the Registrary through her or his College for the redesignation of the degree as Master of Law,
  6. or
  7. (ii)if he or she has not already proceeded to the degree of Bachelor of Law, supplicate instead for the degree of Master of Law.

On receipt of an application under (i) above the Registrary shall issue a certificate of redesignation and shall amend the University’s records accordingly.

Presentation and Admission of Candidates for Degrees

10. Recipients of titular degrees conferred under Statute A II 14 and candidates for complete degrees, if they are admitted to their degrees after presentation in person, shall be presented in the order prescribed in Regulations 11–13 by the persons specified in the following sub-paragraphs (a)–(g); provided that

  1. (i)no one shall be presented by a person who is not a member of the Senate;
  2. (ii)in exceptional circumstances the Vice-Chancellor or other person presiding at the Congregation may authorize presentation by a deputy for the person specified in the appropriate sub-paragraph below.
  1. (a)Recipients of titular degrees shall be presented by the Orator, who shall make a speech in presenting each person.
  2. (b)Candidates for the degree of M.A. conferred under Statute B II 2(a), or for the degrees of Ph.D. or M.A. by incorporation, who are not members of Colleges, and candidates for the degrees of Sc.D. or Litt.D. by incorporation, shall be presented by the Head of the Department or by the Chair or Secretary of the Board, Syndicate, Faculty Board, or other body under whose supervision they are working, or, if they hold a University office assigned to one of the central administrative offices, by the Registrary.
  3. (c)Candidates for the degrees of D.D. or B.D., LL.D., Med.Sc.D., and Mus.D., shall be presented by the Regius Professors of Divinity, Law, and Physic, and the Professor of Music, respectively, or by their deputies, the deputy being required to be a Doctor in the same Faculty as the Professor, or, for the degree of Mus.D., the Chair of the Faculty Board of Music.
  4. (d)Candidates for the degrees of Sc.D. or Litt.D. (other than candidates for those degrees by incorporation) shall be presented by the Chair of the Degree Committee which has recommended them for the degree, or by a Doctor of Science or of Letters (as the case may be) deputed by the Chair.
  5. (e)Candidates for the degree of M.Chir. shall be presented by the Regius Professor of Physic, or by a Doctor of Medicine or Master of Surgery deputed by the Professor.
  6. (f)Candidates for the degrees of M.D. and Vet.M.D. shall be presented by the Chair of the Degree Committee for the Faculties of Clinical Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, or by a Doctor of Medicine, Science, or Veterinary Medicine deputed by the Chair.
  7. (g)Candidates for other degrees shall be presented by the Praelectors of their Colleges.

In any case of doubt the Vice-Chancellor shall decide by whom a candidate is to be presented.

11. At each Congregation for the conferment of degrees the various degrees shall be conferred, subject to the provisions of Regulation 15, in an order corresponding to the order of seniority of graduates; provided that

  1. (a)every titular degree shall be conferred before any complete degree is conferred;
  2. (b)all degrees for which candidates are presented under Regulation 10(b)–(f) shall be conferred before any candidates are presented by Praelectors of Colleges under Regulation 10(g);
  3. (c)candidates for the degree of M.A. under Statute B II 2(a) or for any degree by incorporation under Statute B II 2(b), whether they are presented under Regulation 10(b) or under Regulation 10(g), shall be presented before other candidates are presented under the same regulations for the same degree;
  4. (d)the approval at a Congregation of the collective formula prescribed in Regulation 7 shall, in the case of each person referred to in the formula who is not presented in person at that Congregation, constitute the conferment of the degree and admission to the degree for which he or she is a candidate (other than a title of a degree).

12. All the candidates to be presented for degrees under Regulation 10(g) who are members of the same College shall be presented by the Praelector of that College before any candidate for a degree is presented by the Praelector of any College which follows it in the order of Colleges prescribed in Regulation 13; provided that the Vice-Chancellor shall have power to order that, at any Congregation other than a Congregation for General Admission to Degrees, all the candidates for the same degree shall be presented by the Praelector of each College in turn before any candidate is presented for the degree which next follows it in the order of seniority of graduates.

13. Except as provided by Regulation 16, the order of Colleges shall be King's College, Trinity College, St John's College, followed by the other Colleges specified in Statute G I 1 in order of their foundation, followed by the Colleges recognized under Statute G in order of their recognition.

14. Every year the Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in the week next but one following the last week of Full Easter Term shall be days of General Admission to Degrees. On each day of General Admission there shall be one or more Congregations for General Admission to Degrees at such hours as the Vice-Chancellor shall appoint.

15. The following provisions shall apply to Congregations for General Admission to Degrees:

  1. (a)except with the approval of the Vice-Chancellor, no degree other than that of LL.M., M.Eng., M.Sci., M.Math., B.A., Mus.B., Vet.M.B., or B.Th. may be conferred at a Congregation for General Admission to Degrees;9,10
  2. (b)a candidate proceeding to the degree of M.Eng. or M.Sci. or M.Math., and to the degree of B.A. at the same Congregation shall be presented for the two degrees together.

16. The assignment of Colleges to each of the several Congregations for General Admission shall be determined by the Council from time to time in consultation with the Colleges; provided that, except with the consent of the Colleges concerned, the assignment shall not be such as to change the order of Colleges which is prescribed in Regulation 13.

Forms of Presentation for Degrees

1. Subject to the provisions of Regulation 2 concerning shortened forms of presentation, the following formulae shall be used by Praelectors and other persons in presenting candidates for degrees:

For the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Medicine, Music, Surgery, Theology for Ministry, or Veterinary Medicine

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

hunc virum, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum12

or

 

(for a woman)

hanc mulierem, quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneam12

ad gradum assequendum...;13 idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

For the degree of Master of Arts, Advanced Study, Business Administration, Corporate Law, Education, Engineering, Finance, Law, Letters, Mathematics, Music, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Research, Science, Studies, or Surgery

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

hunc virum, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum12

or

 

(for a woman)

hanc mulierem, quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneam12

ad gradum assequendum...;13 idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

For the degrees of Master of Engineering or Natural Sciences or Mathematics and Bachelor of Arts when candidates are presented for the two degrees together

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

hunc virum, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum12

or

 

(for a woman)

hanc mulierem, quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneam12

ad gradus assequendos Magistri in Ingeniaria (or Scientiis Naturalibus or Mathematica) necnon Baccalaurei in Artibus; idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

For the degree of Master of Arts under Statute B II 2

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

hunc virum, ut, habita officii ad quod admissus est ratione, co-optetur in ordinem Magistrorum in Artibus.

or

 

(for a woman)

hanc mulierem, ut habita officii ad quod admissa est ratione, co-optetur in ordinem Magistrorum in Artibus.

For the degree of Bachelor or Doctor of Divinity

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

reverendum hunc virum, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum

or

 

(for a woman)

reverendam hanc mulierem, quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneam

ad gradum assequendum...;13 idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

For the degree of Doctor of Education, Engineering, Law, Letters, Medical Science, Medicine, Music, Philosophy, Science, or Veterinary Medicine

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

hunc virum, quem scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneum

or

 

(for a woman)

hanc mulierem, quam scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneam

ad gradum assequendum...;13 idque tibi fide mea praesto totique Academiae.

For a degree by incorporation

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

hunc virum, ut in nostra Academia incorporetur et sit eodem gradu quo est apud suos...14

or

 

(for a woman)

hanc mulierem, ut in nostra Academia incorporetur et sit eodem gradu quo est apud suos...14

For the title of a degree, honoris causa

Dignissime domine, Domine Procancellarie,11 et tota Academia, praesento vobis

{

(for a man)

egregium hunc virum, ut honoris causa habeat titulum gradus...13

or

 

(for a woman)

egregiam hanc mulierem, ut honoris causa habeat titulum gradus...13

2. When presenting two or more groups of candidates for the same degree, a Praelector shall use one of the following formulae for each group after the first:

(for a man)

Hunc etiam praesento et de hoc idem vobis praesto.

(for two or more men)

Hos etiam praesento et de his idem vobis praesto.

(for a woman)

Hanc etiam praesento et de hac idem vobis praesto.

(for two or more women)

Has etiam praesento et de his idem vobis praesto.

Forms of Admission to Degrees

1. Subject to the provisions of Regulation 2, the following formulae shall be used by the Chancellor, or by the Vice-Chancellor, or by a duly appointed deputy, in admitting candidates to degrees or to the titles of degrees:

For the degree of Master of Arts under Statute B II 2

Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te in ordinem Magistrorum in Artibus, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

For a degree by incorporation

Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te ad gradum...13 ut in nostra Academia incorporeris et sis eodem gradu quo es apud tuos...,14 in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

For the title of a degree honoris causa

Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te honoris causa ad titulum gradus...,13 in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

For the degrees of Master of Engineering or Natural Sciences or Mathematics and Bachelor of Arts when the two degrees are conferred together

Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te ad gradus Magistri in Ingeniaria (or Scientiis Naturalibus or Mathematica) necnon Baccalaurei in Artibus, in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

For all other degrees

Auctoritate mihi commissa admitto te ad gradum...,13 in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti.

2. The person conferring degrees is authorized, at his or her discretion,

  1. (a)to vary the formulae given in Regulation 1 by omitting the words ‘in nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti’ or replacing them with the words ‘in nomine Dei';
  2. (b)in admitting candidates to any degree, except for a doctoral degree or the degrees of B.D., M.Chir. or the M.A. under Statute B II 2, to use one of the following shortened formulae, as appropriate:
  3. In eodem nomine te etiam admitto ad gradum (or gradus)...13
  4. Te etiam admitto ad gradum (or gradus)...13
  5. Te etiam admitto ad eundem gradum (or ad eosdem gradus)

SCHEDULE

The words appropriate to the particular degree are to be inserted in the formulae for presentation for degrees and admission to degrees, as follows:

For the B.D. Degree

Baccalaurei in Sacra Theologia

For the M.B. Degree

Baccalaurei in Medicina

For the Vet.M.B. Degree

Baccalaurei in Veterinaria Medicina

For the Mus.B. Degree

Baccalaurei in Musica

For the B.A. Degree

Baccalaurei in Artibus

For the B.Th. Degree

Baccalaurei in Theologia Pastorali

For the M.Chir. Degree

Magistri in Chirurgia

For the M.A. Degree

Magistri in Artibus

For the LL.M. Degree

Magistri in Jure

For the M.Sc. Degree

Magistri in Scientiis

For the M.Litt. Degree

Magistri in Litteris

For the M.Phil. Degree

Magistri in Philosophia

For the M.Eng. Degree

Magistri in Ingeniaria

For the M.B.A. Degree

Magistri in Negotiis Administrandis

For the M.Fin. Degree

Magistri in Re Pecuniaria

For the M.Ed. Degree

Magistri in Educatione

For the M.Sci. Degree

Magistri in Scientiis Naturalibus

For the M.St. Degree

Magistri in Studiis

For the M.Res. Degree

Magistri in Arte Vestigandi

For the M.Math. Degree

Magistri in Mathematica

For the M.A.St. Degree

Magistri in Studio Ampliore

For the M.Mus. Degree

Magistri in Musica

For the M.C.L. Degree

Magistri in Jure Negotiationis Societatum

For the D.D. Degree

Doctoris in Sacra Theologia

For the LL.D. Degree

Doctoris in Jure

For the M.D. Degree

Doctoris in Medicina

For the Sc.D. Degree

Doctoris in Scientiis

For the Litt.D. Degree

Doctoris in Litteris

For the Mus.D. Degree

Doctoris in Musica

For the Vet.M.D. Degree

Doctoris in Veterinaria Medicina

For the Ph.D. Degree

Doctoris in Philosophia

For the Eng.D. Degree

Doctoris in Ingeniaria

For the Ed.D. Degree

Doctoris in Educatione

For the Med.Sc.D. Degree

Doctoris in Scientiis Medicinis

Footnotes

  1. 8. When this formula is used at each Congregation on the days of General Admission, at this point of the formula will be inserted the name of the College or names of the group of Colleges (e.g. ‘Collegii Regalis et Collegii Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis’) whose candidates are about to be presented, and the words ‘viri mulieresque’ and ‘quorum’ will be adapted as necessary.a
  2. 9. No person qualifying for the M.Eng. Degree on the basis of performance in an examination taken in 1989 or an earlier year may proceed to the degree, either in person or in absence, at a Congregation for General Admission to Degrees (see Grace 31 of 11 December 1991).a
  3. 10. No person qualifying for either the M.Math. Degree or the M.A.St. Degree on the basis of examination performance before 2011 shall be permitted to proceed to the degree, either in person or in absence, at a Congregation for General Admission to Degrees.a
  4. 11. This form of words is to be used when the person presiding at the Congregation (the Vice-Chancellor or duly appointed deputy) is a man. Other forms of words are to be used as follows:
    When the person presiding at the Congregation (the Vice-Chancellor or duly appointed deputy) is a woman:
     Dignissima domina, Domina Procancellaria,...
    When the Chancellor is presiding the word ‘Cancellarie’ (for a man) or ‘Cancellaria’ (for a woman) is used instead of ‘Procancellarie’.a b c d e f g h
  5. 12. Other forms of words are to be used as follows: a b c d e f

    (for two or more men)

     

    hos viros, quos scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneos

    (for two or more women)

     

    has mulieres, quas scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneas

    (for a group consisting of men and women)

     

    hos viros et has mulieres, quos scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneos

     

    or

    hos viros et hanc mulierem, quos scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneos

     

    or

    hunc virum et has mulieres, quos scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneos

     

    or

    hunc virum et hanc mulierem, quos scio tam moribus quam doctrina esse idoneos


  6. 13. The words appropriate to the particular degree are to be inserted here. See the Schedule to these regulations.a b c d e f g h i j k
  7. 14. The word appropriate to the candidate's previous degree is to be inserted here, as follows: a b c

      For a graduate of the University of Oxford

    Oxonienses

      For a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin

    Dublinenses