Biochemistry

Biological Anthropology

For NST and Med/Vet students:
Part II Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Major in Human Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour guarantees a minimum of 10 places, with priority given based on Part IB marks regardless of whether they are medics, vets or natural scientists. All applicants with a Part IB exam mark of above a mid 2.2 will be guaranteed a place. We expect medics and vets to have all their exemptions. The same quota and allocation criteria applies for each of the papers 103, 104, and 105 for Human Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour Minor subjects in NST Part II Biological and Biomedical Sciences.

Med/Vet Students:
Students who have completed Part IB in the MedST and VetST also have the option to take Part IIB Biological Anthropology as art of the Archaeology Tripos. This option is considered as a ‘single subject’ in the Part II Allocation process.

More information on both options can be found on the Department of Archaeology website

Genetics

Academic Contact:
Dr Christine Farr
c.farr@gen.cam.ac.uk

The Department currently offers 28 places on its single subject Part II course, which involves a research project, and a further 10 places on Part II BBS, which involves a dissertation. Both routes are open to NST and MVST students. Students will be asked to indicate their preference for either single subject Genetics, or for Part II BBS, when they make their subject choices.

We do not currently interview students for places on the Part II Genetics course. We make every effort to accommodate all those students who put single subject Genetics as their first choice. However, we do reserve the right to investigate the background of students who achieve poor results at Part I, by contacting their Tutor or DoS to obtain an informal assessment. Students whose Part I academic performance suggest that they will struggle in single subject Part II Genetics will be considered for Part II BBS.

If single subject Part II Genetics is oversubscribed, students will be offered the option of doing a genetics course via Part II BBS. If both routes are oversubscribed, we will make our selection on the basis of academic performance in Part IA and Part IB.

Any students not placed after this process will be put on a waiting list, and can be offered a place if any students in the initial cohort drop out.

Further information is available on the Department of Genetics web site

History and Philosophy of Science

Academic Contact:
Dr Dániel Margócsy dm753@cam.ac.uk

We endeavour to take all students who make HPS their first choice; if we are oversubscribed places are offered to current NST Part IB HPS students based on examination performance. Non-Part IB NST students will be asked to submit a 300-word statement prior to an interview with one of the Department's teaching officers describing their academic background and explaining why they want to take Part II HPS. Students wishing to transfer from other Triposes must arrange for their DoS to write a letter of support to the Head of Department, including a breakdown of their examination results.

NST Part II BBS Minor subject - History of Medicine.

We offer 3 single subject papers on History of Medicine: Early Medicine; Modern Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; and Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine. We try to take all students wishing to take these papers, but may restrict the numbers of dissertations if they are very popular.

Pathology

Academic Contact:
Dr Paolo D'Avino

Pathology currently offers up to 50 places on its single subject (project) course and an additional 20 places on its part II BBS (dissertation) course.  Both courses offer the same core lecture material, but BBS students study an additional minor subject.   Part II places are allocated to students principally on the basis of their Part IB NST or MVST examination results. 

Usually applicants will have taken MedST/VetST Biology of Disease or NST Biology of Disease at IB.

Students study two options from a choice of Cancer and Genetic Disease (CGD), Immunology, Virology, Microbial and Parasitic Disease or Dynamics of Infectious Disease (DID). All combinations are permissible except CGD and DID.  We ask that students complete a departmental application form to indicate their preference for either single subject or BBS Pathology and to indicate their option choices.  This allows us to determine how many projects and dissertations are required in each option area.   

We make every effort to offer students a place on our single subject (project) course, but if it is oversubscribed students may have the opportunity to study pathology via the BBS route. Students selecting Pathology project preferred in the application process will automatically be considered for BBS Pathology.  Further information on all our courses and an electronic application form are available on the Department of Pathology website:

https://www.path.cam.ac.uk/undergraduate/third_year/how-to-apply

Pharmacology

Academic Contact:
Dr Catherine Wilson

Pharmacology currently offers up to 30 places on its Part II Pharmacology (project) course and an additional 15 places on its Part II Pharmacology BBS (dissertation) course. Both courses offer the same core lecture material, but project students carry out a drug review and project while BBS students study an additional minor subject.

Part II places are allocated to students principally on the basis of their Part IB NST or MVST examination results, also taking into account their results in courses most relevant to Pharmacology such as NST Part IB Pharmacology or Medic/Vet Tripos Part IB Mechanisms of Drug Action. We do not distinguish between Medics/Vets and Natural Scientists.

Physiology, Development and Neuroscience

Academic Contact:
Dr Hannah Clarke
Dr Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri

For all courses, students are asked to complete a departmental application form. This must be returned to the NST Part II Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Course Organiser by early May. Part II places are allocated to students principally on the basis of their Part IB examination results, also taking into account their results in courses most relevant to Physiology, Development and Neuroscience.

The courses offered within Part II Biological and Biomedical Sciences (Major and Minor Subjects) consist of one module or a combination of four modules from Part II Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. A maximum of 25 students will be accepted for the BBS Major Subjects subject to any constraints imposed on particular modules because of the style of teaching and the availability of space.  BBS Major Subject students have a free choice of modules subject only to timetabling exclusions.  In the event of modules being oversubscribed students will be accepted in the following order of preference: 1) Part II Physiology, Development and Neuroscience; 2) BBS Major Subject; 3) BBS Minor Subject, in order of Part IB examination results.

Plant Sciences

Academic Contact:
Prof Ian Henderson

A meeting and reception are held at the end of the Lent Term for those considering the course in the following academic year. At this meeting, the structure and content of the course and the nature of the assessment procedures are described. There is no formal application procedure but prospective students are invited to discuss their interests and the most suitable combination of modules with a member of staff.

Selection is based on performance in Part IB and students who do poorly may be interviewed formally by a member of staff before they are accepted.

Plant and Microbial Sciences IB is not a course requirement however, if you wish to conduct a research project at Part II you must achieve a Class II mark at IB in at least two subjects.

Psychology

Academic Contact:
Dr Kate Plaisted-Grant

The Department of Psychology will accept not more than 75 applicants in total to read the following courses:

1. NST Part II Psychology,
2. NST Part II Biological and Biomedical Sciences (Major Subject Psychology)
3. Transfers from NST, MedST or VetST into Part II PBS (which are considered under the project places number).

The Department is indifferent to applicants' choices between these three options, except that the number of available projects is constrained to a maximum of 50, and the total for all three options must not exceed 75.

NST Part II Psychology (Option A) is part of the route accredited by the British Psychological Society along with the completion of NST IB Experimental Psychology and NST IA Mathematical Biology. It is therefore the course recommended to those students who plan to enter postgraduate training in professional psychology. NST Part II Psychology (Option B) is not part of the accredited route.

The majority of students will have taken either MedST IB, VetST IB or NST Part IB Experimental Psychology.

Applicants from NST, MedST and VetST IB will be admitted according to their aggregate marks in those examinations. Those wishing to enter NST Part II Psychology after taking NST IB Experimental Psychology will be expected to have completed all the second-year practical requirements in Experimental Psychology.

If the Department is oversubscribed, places are offered based on overall Part IB results without discriminating between MedST, VetST and NST students. Around the borderline, selection is on an individual basis, in consultation with Directors of Studies. The main criterion will still be Part IB results, taking particular notice of marks in relevant subjects. We hold a waiting list over summer, offering places if an accepted student drops out.

For those looking to transfer to the Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos information on their Part II can be found on the PBS website.

Zoology

Academic Contact:
Dr Tim Weil

For Part II Zoology or for Zoology as a Major Subject within Part II Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS), our selection procedure involves taking into account Part 1B NST or MVST results. We hold a waiting list over the summer to accommodate any changes students wish to make during this period. In this way, we seek to take the maximum number of students that our resources within the Department can allow.

Further information is available on the Department of Zoology website:

www.zoo.cam.ac.uk/study/third-year-ug/NST-II-Zoology

Astrophysics

Academic Contact:
Prof Cathie Clarke

For more information on the course, please use the link from the list of Part II courses at: Course websites

From the list of programme specifications check your eligibility: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/subject-information/pII-folder

For those wishing to proceed to Part III after Part II, additional information together with Entry Requirements can be accessed via http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/fourth.

You are additionally advised that two thirds of the Part III course involves attending, and being examined in, courses given in Part III of the Mathematical Tripos and should be aware that the normal level expected of mathematicians taking Part III is a First or a good Upper Second in Part II Mathematics.  Students from Part II Mathematics will be considered on a case-by-case basis because it is required that they should have demonstrated a good grasp of at least three appropriate applied mathematics courses in the examination.

Chemistry

Academic Contact:
Dr Bill Nolan
wpn1000@cam.ac.uk

For more information on the course, please use the link from the list of Part II courses at http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/contacts/course-websites.

From the list of programme specifications check your eligibility: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/subject-information/pII-folder

For those wishing to proceed to Part III after Part II, additional information together with Entry Requirements can be accessed via: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/fourth

If you are interested in taking Chemistry as part of Part II Physical Sciences please refer to: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/third/physicalsciences.

Earth Sciences

Academic Contact:
Dr Neil Davies

For more information on the course, please use the link from the list of Part II courses at http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/contacts/course-websites.

From the list of programme specifications check your eligibility: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/subject-information/pII-folder

For those wishing to proceed to Part III after Part II, additional information together with Entry Requirements can be accessed via: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/fourth

If you are interested in taking Earth Sciences as part of Part II Physical Sciences please refer to: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/third/physicalsciences.

Materials Science

For more information on the course, please use the link from the list of Part II courses at http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/contacts/course-websites.

From the list of programme specifications check your eligibility: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/subject-information/pII-folder

Entry into Part II Materials Science is normally restricted to students who have studied Part IB Materials Science. Special consideration may be given to others who have not studied this course, if they have taken Part IA Materials Science.

If the course is oversubscribed, we will make our selection on the basis of academic performance in IB Materials Science.

For those wishing to proceed to Part III after Part II, additional information together with Entry Requirements can be accessed via:http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/fourth

Physics

Academic Contact:
Prof Ulrich Schneider

For more information on the course, please use the link from the list of Part II courses at http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/contacts/course-websites.

From the list of programme specifications check your eligibility: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/subject-information/pII-folder

For those wishing to proceed to Part III after Part II, additional information together with Entry Requirements can be accessed via: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/fourth

If you are interested in taking Physics as part of Part II Physical Sciences please refer to: http://www.natsci.tripos.cam.ac.uk/students/third/physicalsciences.

Physical Sciences

Number of Places:
Unlimited

By reading Part II Physical Sciences, you can continue to develop a broader knowledge of the sciences than a Part II single subject may provide.

The restrictions below apply to Physical Sciences:

1. Some combinations may be difficult to timetable; you are advised to discuss permissable combinations that have timetable clashes with your Director of Studies.
2. You may NOT read any subject in Group B that you have previously read in Part IB of the Natural Sciences Tripos.
3. Half Subject Chemistry may not be offered unless you have previously offered either Chemistry A or Chemistry B in Part IB of the Tripos.
4. Half Subject Physics may not be offered unless you have previously offered Physics A or B in Part IB of the Tripos.
5. Half Subject Earth Sciences may not be offered unless you have previously offered either Earth Sciences A or Earth Sciences B in Part IB of the Tripos.

Please see the Physical Sciences page for more information.