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Selection Criteria

Biological Sciences:

The Part II biological subjects listed below offer a Part II course with the opportunity to undertake a research project. Biological Anthropology and HPS offer a single subject option that includes a dissertation.

These subjects are also offered as part of the Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) course where students can retain some flexibility in their studies by taking a major subject based in one of the courses listed below, whilst exploring a minor subject from another department. BBS also requires the submission of a dissertation.

All courses listed are open the NST, MedST and VetST students. Students from other Triposes may also transfer into these courses, but they will be considered once all NST, MedST and VetST students have an allocated course.

Departments are expected to take all students in the allocation process. However, they will implement the selection criteria listed below if their subject is oversubscribed, including for Biological Anthropology and HPS.

More information on individual courses can be found on departmental websites.

Biochemistry

Research project places: 40 BBS places: 7 Academic Contact:
Dr Bill Broadhurst
Admin Contact:
ug-admin@bioc.cam.ac.uk

For Natural Scientists, we take your 3 subject scores in NST IB, add in your IB Biochemistry mark again (i.e., give double weighting to your performance in Biochemistry) and prepare a ranked order of merit based on the 3 subjects plus the Biochemistry mark. For students taking CDB but not Biochemistry in NST IB, we treat your CDB mark in the same way as the Biochemistry mark.

For Medical and Veterinary students, we will take your IB performance (total) and adjust it to give a total out of 400 (i.e., bring it in line with the NST total) and add this to the ranked order of merit.

For those wishing to proceed to Part III after Part II, additional information together with entry requirements can be accessed via the Part III pages.

Biological Anthropology

Number of places: 10 Academic Contact:
Dr Guy Jacobs
Admin Contact:

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

Research project places: 28 BBS places: 10

Academic Contact:
Dr Christine Farr

Admin Contact:

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, MedST and VetST students. A meeting and reception are held to coincide with the Part II Subject Fair, for those considering the course in the following academic year. At this session, the structure and content of the course and the nature of the assessment procedures are described.

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, if you do wish to conduct a research project at Part II we expect you to have achieved a Class II mark at IB in at least two subjects. We 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.

History and Philosophy of Science

Research project places: 30 BBS places: 12

Academic Contact:
Dr Dániel Margócsy

Admin Contact:
hps-admin@lists.cam.ac.uk

We try to take all students who make HPS their first choice, but 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 describing their academic background and explaining why they want to take Part II HPS, in addition to a brief interview with one of the Department's teaching officers. 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.

The places available for our BBS options are as follows:

  • Major Subject 430 – History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine: 12 places
  • Minor Subject 107 – Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine: 20 places (with a maximum of 6 students writing their dissertation on this subject)
  • Minor Subject 113 – Early Medicine: 12 places (with a maximum of 6 students writing their dissertation on this subject)
  • Minor Subject 114 – Modern Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: 12 places (with a maximum of 6 students writing their dissertation on this subject)

Pathology

Research project places: 50 BBS places: 25

Academic Contact:
Dr Paolo D'Avino

Admin Contact:
teach@path.cam.ac.uk

Both the single subject (project) and BBS 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, MedST or VetST examination results. 

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

Students take four one-term modules: two Michaelmas Term (MT) modules from A-D, and two Lent Term (LT) modules from E-H:

(A) MT Genetics of Disease
(B) MT Epidemiology and Control of Infectious Disease
(C) MT Host-Pathogen Interactions
(D) MT Immunology I*

(E) LT Cancer Biology
(F) LT Infectious disease: a one-health perspective
(G) LT Virology
(H) LT Immunology II*

* Immunology I & II must be taken together

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.

Pharmacology

Research projects places: 25 BBS places: 15

Academic Contact:
Dr Catherine Wilson

Admin Contact:
phar-undergradadmin@lists.cam.ac.uk

Pharmacology currently offers up to 25 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, MedST or VetST 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

Research projects places: 60 BBS places: 25

Academic Contact:
Dr Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri

Admin Contact:

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 Administator by the deadline in 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 BBS (Major and/or Minor Subjects) consist of a combination of four modules and/or one module 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 and shared module caps.

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

Research project places: 32 BBS places: 8

Academic Contact:
Prof Jim Haseloff

Admin Contact:

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

Research project places: 50 BBS places: 25

Academic Contact:
Prof Nicky Clayton

Admin Contact:

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

Research project places: 55 BBS places: 25

Academic Contact:
Prof Tim Weil

Admin Contact:

For Part II Zoology or for Zoology as a Major Subject within BBS, our selection procedure involves taking into account Part IB NST, MedST or VetST 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.

Physical Sciences

Most Physical Sciences departments do not have place number restrictions. Where these are listed they are very rarely exceeded. The exception is Materials Science, please see below for information.

More information on individual courses can be found on departmental websites.

For those wishing to proceed to Part III after their Part II year, additional information and entry requirements can be found here.

Astrophysics

Number of Places: Unlimited

Academic Contact:
Prof Cathie Clarke

Admin Contact:

For entry into Part II Astrophysics it is recommended students have NST Part IB Physics A, Physics B and Mathematics.

Students 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

Number of Places: 120

Academic Contact:
Dr Bill Nolan

Admin Contact:

For entry into Part II Chemistry it is essential that students have NST Part IB Chemistry A and Chemistry B.

A specific route is provided for those who have taken only NST Part IB Chemistry B, but it is important to realise that the choice within the course will be reduced. No specific route is provided for those who have taken only NST Part IB Chemistry A, but it is possible to access Part II Chemistry from this starting point provided that additional directed reading is taken over the preceding vacation.

It is also useful for students to have another complementary IB subject(s), such as Mathematics, Physics, Materials Science or a biological subject with a molecular focus.

If you are interested in taking Half Subject Chemistry as part of Part II Physical Sciences please see the Physical Sciences criteria below.

Earth Sciences

Number of Places: 50

Academic Contact:
Dr Neil Davies

Admin Contact:

For entry into Part II Earth Sciences it is essential that students have NST Part IB Earth Sciences A and/or Earth Sciences B.

If you are interested in taking Half Subject Earth Sciences as part of Part II Physical Sciences please see the Physical Sciences criteria below.

Materials Science

Number of Places: 40 Admin Contact:

Entry into Part II Materials Science is normally restricted to students who have studied Part IB Materials Science.

If the course is oversubscribed, we will make our selection based on academic performance in IB Materials Science. We advise students who select Materials Science as their first choice to provide more than one option on the choices form.

Physics

Number of Places: Unlimited

Academic Contact:
Prof Ulrich Schneider

Admin Contact:
undergraduate-office@phy.cam.ac.uk

For entry into Part II Physics it is essential that students have NST Part IB Physics A and Physics B.

If you are interested in taking Half Subject Physics as part of Part II Physical Sciences please see the Physical Sciences criteria below.

Physical Sciences

Number of Places:
Unlimited

Admin Contact: natsci@admin.cam.ac.uk

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 permissible 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.

Students who choose to study Part II Physical Sciences will be asked to confirm their IB subject choice over the summer.

Please see the Physical Sciences page for more information.