Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
CHAPTER VII
pp. 542–543
DEGREES, DIPLOMAS, AND OTHER QUALIFICATIONS

The provisions contained in this Chapter are Regulations of the General Board

DIPLOMA IN THE CONSERVATION OF EASEL PAINTINGS

1. The Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Paintings shall be awarded to a member of the University who has diligently attended a three-year course of instruction prescribed by the Faculty Board of Architecture and History of Art in consultation with the Director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute and has satisfied the Examiners in the examination for the Diploma as defined in the following regulations; provided that he or she has kept at least three terms. For the purpose of this regulation graduates of the University may count previous residence in statu pupillari.

2. A candidate for the Diploma must be approved by the Degree Committee of the Faculty of Architecture and History of Art, who shall assign to each candidate a date of commencement of candidature. A candidate must also have:

  1. (i)obtained honours in a first degree, normally in one or more subjects relevant to the course;
  2. (ii)produced other evidence to satisfy the Degree Committee of his or her fitness to study for the Diploma.

3. Applications for approval must be sent, together with evidence of the qualifications required under Regulation 2, to the Administrator of the Hamilton Kerr Institute so as to arrive not later than the last day of February in the academical year next before that in which candidature is to begin.

4. The qualifying examination for the Diploma at the end of the first year shall consist of:

  1. (i)three written papers:

   Practical conservation,

   Science of materials,

   Theory of conservation;

and

  1. (ii)three areas of studio-work:

   Laboratory practical,

   Examination of painting,

   Photography practical.

A candidate whose studio-work throughout the first year is successful, but whose written work fails to satisfy the Examiners, may apply to the Degree Committee for permission to take the written examinations on one more occasion within six months of his or her first attempt. A candidate whose studio-work is deemed by the Examiners to be below standard will not be allowed to continue the course.

5. The examination for the second year of the Diploma shall consist of:

  1. (i)a portfolio of studio-work which shall be examined by continuous assessment;
  2. (ii)written work, consisting of four essays of not less than 3,000 words and not more than 5,000 words in length, on four topics of the candidate's choice and approved by the Degree Committee, selected from the following subject areas:

(a) historical aspects,

(e) studio practices,

(b) technical aspects,

(f) ethical issues,

(c) environmental impact,

(g) treatment report and technical examination;

(d) material behaviour,

 
  1. and(iii)two seminar presentations, each of 30 minutes’ duration and of comparable substance to the written essays on topics selected from (a)–(g) above.

One of the essays or one of the seminar presentations must be selected from area (g).

6. The examination for the third year of the Diploma shall consist of:

  1. (i)a Project, of no less than 5,000 words and no more than 10,000 words in length, to include a practical component, on a subject area of interest to the student and approved by the Degree Committee which shall be submitted in typewritten form by 7 July;
  2. (ii)a Copy, i.e. the examination of a painting and the reproduction of the artist's technique, accompanied by documentation of no less than 5,000 words in length and no more than 10,000 words in length, which shall be submitted by 7 July;
  3. (iii)studio-work which shall be reviewed at the end of the year;
  4. and(iv)a viva voce examination in connection with the studio-work and other written work submitted by the student.

7. The Degree Committee shall nominate such number of Examiners and Assessors for each examination as they deem sufficient.

8. A candidate who has satisfied the Examiners in the examination as a whole shall be entitled to a Diploma.

9. The Diploma shall be in the following form:

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT             having satisfied the preliminary conditions and having been admitted to the examinations appointed by the University of Cambridge has been approved by the Examiners and has been awarded the Diploma in the Conservation of Easel Painting.

10. While studying in the University for the Diploma a candidate shall pay the appropriate University Composition Fee for each term of such study.

11. A student who has qualified to receive the Diploma shall not be entitled to count the period or any part of the period during which he or she was a candidate for the Diploma towards a course of research for the degree of Ph.D., M.Sc., or M.Litt.