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Honour School of Physics and Philosophy

A

In the following ‘the Physics Course Handbook’ refers to the Physics Undergraduate Handbook, published annually at the start of Michaelmas Term by the faculty of Physics. The Physics and Philosophy Course Handbook is published annually at the start of Michaelmas Term by the Faculty of Philosophy.

  • 1. All candidates shall be examined in Physics and in Philosophy.

  • 2. No candidate shall be admitted to examination in this school unless he or she has either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 3.

    • (a) The examination in Physics and Philosophy shall consist of three parts: Part A, Part B, and Part C.

    • (b) Parts A, B, and C shall be taken at times not less than three, six, and nine terms, respectively, after passing or being exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 4.

    • (a) In order to proceed to Part C a minimum standard of achievement in either Part A in physics or in Part B in philosophy may be required, as determined by the Faculty of Physics or the Faculty of Philosophy from time to time. Any such requirement shall be published in the Physics and Philosophy Course Handbook not later than the beginning of the Michaelmas Full Term of the academic year preceding the year of the Part A examination. Names of those satisfying the requirement shall be published by the Examiners.

    • (b) A candidate who obtains only a Pass or fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part C may enter again for Part C on at most one subsequent occasion; Parts A and B shall be entered on one occasion only.

    • (c) A candidate in the final year of the four-year course, adjudged worthy of Honours in both Parts A and B together, but who does not enter Part C, or who fails to obtain Honours in Part C, is permitted to supplicate for the Honours degree of Bachelor of Arts in Physics and Philosophy with the classification obtained in Parts A and B together; provided that no such candidate may later enter or re-enter the Part C year or supplicate for the degree of Master of Physics and Philosophy; and provided in each case that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

    • (d) A candidate who is adjudged worthy of Honours on Parts A and B together, and on Part C, may supplicate for the degree of Master of Physics and Philosophy provided that the candidate has fulfilled all the conditions for admission to a degree of the University.

  • 5. The examination in this school shall be under the joint supervision of the Board of the Faculty of Philosophy and the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Board, which shall appoint a standing joint committee to make regulations concerning it, subject in all cases to clauses 1-4 above.

  • 6.

    • (a) The examiners for Physics shall be such of the Public Examiners in Physics in the Honour School of Physics as may be required; those for Philosophy shall be nominated by a committee of which three elected members shall be appointed by the Board of the Faculty of Philosophy.

    • (b) It shall be the duty of the Chair of the Public Examiners in Physics in the Honour School of Physics to designate such of their number as may be required for Physics and Philosophy, and when this has been done and the Examiners for Philosophy have been nominated, the number of the Examiners in Physics and Philosophy shall be deemed to be complete.

Transfer to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics

  • 7. Subject to the regulations for the Honour School in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, candidates on the four-year course in Physics and Philosophy may apply to the Supervisory Committee for Mathematics and Physics to transfer, after their Part B examination, to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination. Such a candidate will need to achieve at least an upper second class or higher at the end of Part B, and be accepted by the Supervisory Committee for Mathematics and Physics under the procedures referred to in the regulations for the Master of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics and set out in the course handbook for that degree. Acceptance is not automatic. As specified in the regulations for that degree, Part C in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics must be taken in the academic year following the candidate's Part B examination, and on successful completion of Part C of the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics candidates will be awarded the Master of Mathematics and Physics in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics.

  • 8. The Handbook for Mathematical and Theoretical Physics shall set out the options that candidates should follow to maximize their chances of being accepted for transfer to Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination. This Handbook shall be available by the start of Michaelmas Term in the year in which a candidate starts Part A in Mathematics.

  • 9. A candidate who has transferred from the Honour School of Physics and Philosophy to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination in accordance with cl.9 above is permitted transfer to the Honour School of Physics and Philosophy for their Part C examination up to the end of Week 4 of the Michaelmas Term in which he or she first registered for Part C in the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics, so long as that candidate has not opted to supplicate for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Physics and Philosophy under the regulations for the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics.

  • 10. The regulations for the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics set out how the results obtained in Parts A and B in the Honour School of Physics and Philosophy are published for candidates who transfer to the Honour School of Mathematical and Theoretical Physics for their Part C examination.

B

  • 1. For the Physics papers, the Examiners will permit the use of any hand-held calculator subject to the conditions set out under the heading ‘Use of calculators in examinations’ in the Regulations concerning the Conduct of University Examinations and further elaborated in the Physics Course Handbook, save that candidates taking part in an exchange scheme shall be subject to the provisions of the host institution in this regard.

  • 2. The requirements for Parts A, B, and C are specified in the regulations for Parts A, B, and C.

  • 3. The highest honours can be obtained by excellence either in Physics or Philosophy, providing that adequate knowledge is shown in the other subject areas. An honours classification will be awarded only if performance in both Physics and Philosophy is of honours standard in Parts A and B taken together, or in Part C.