If you’ve been looking at universities outside of the US, by now you’re likely familiar with the fact that UK universities have degrees in subjects, not necessarily majors. Typically, the requirements for a degree are just more in depth than what you’d find for a major here in the US.
Except for Cambridge.
Spend any time on Cambridge’s website and you’ll quickly discover that students must study through a system of exams known as Triposes. Two of these are required to graduate Cambridge with an undergraduate degree, but knowing exactly what they are is a crucial part of figuring out if Cambridge is the best choice for you.
History of the Term
As most people reading this know, Cambridge is old; like older than the Inca Empire old, which means that it has a lot of traditions that hold over with Latin names. The idea of a tripos is part of that. Candidates for degrees would be questioned while seated on a three-legged stool, which was known as a tripos. Then as now, the tripos is the basis of which any undergraduate degree at Cambridge is based. In short, it is a series of exams (which you’ll often see described as ‘papers’) that qualify students to ‘complete’ a Tripos part. The exam questions are rather broad, but are based on at least a year of full study.
Those with severe test anxiety are allowed to be afraid, but think more free response and less SAT.
If you’re considering Cambridge for a graduate degree, chances are that you won’t be looking at the Tripos system all that much. There is a notable exception, however, that we’ll discuss in a few minutes.
Rules
Not surprising for an idea that is nearly 800 years old, the Tripos system has a few basic rules. On the surface of things, they’re pretty basic:
- An undergraduate degree must take nine terms, which must be spent on campus (or in an approved study abroad).
- An undergraduate degree must have two completed Triposes.
- Both a Part I and a Part II Tripos must be completed.
However, things can quickly get confusing. For starters, some Part Is are two years long, and others are one year long. The same is true for Part II triposes (though Part I and Part II in the same subject will rarely take more than three years). Additionally, some courses are studied only at Part II, like Management.
This means that plenty of students will end up studying multiple subjects across their time at Cambridge, especially if they go into a course like Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and Celtic Studies, which is often used as a jumping-off point for pursuing other fields.
Switching Specialities? Well, Sort Of…
Take one look at the acceptance rates for something like ASNC (59%, if you were curious) and you might think that this is your back door to a Cambridge degree. For some students, it very well can be. After all, you are free to change fields if you can convince the relevant department that you’re ready for Part II level work.
This takes two shapes. First, plenty of students apply to ASNC or History, which have higher acceptance rates, in order to study something else later. Sometimes, this is perfectly acceptable (and we’re happy to talk about when that might be the best possible choice!).
Other times, it is dangerous. Once upon a time, way back in 2020, it was possible to go from Natural Science (with around a 25% acceptance rate) to Computer Science (with a 7% acceptance rate). As you can imagine, this caused a lot of students to leave NatSci, which the departments of Physics and Chemistry weren’t happy about. Now that loophole has been largely closed, but it is still possible. That said, we only recommend it if you’d be equally happy to study physics or biology instead of computer science.
Integrated Masters Degree
There’s one other Tripos you might see, and that’s the Part III Tripos. Typically, these are found only in STEM degrees, and indicate the possibility of an integrated masters degree. Students in these fields are often encouraged to stick around a fourth year and complete a MSci in Natural Sciences; for many, this is an incredible way to start a career in academia. However, it isn’t for everyone (nor is Cambridge, after all).
Every year we help students navigate not only the Tripos system at Cambridge, but every other aspect of applying to universities outside of the United States. If you’d like to learn more, feel free to get in touch!