Overall course structure and degree classification
All students joining the Faculty in the first year will follow Part IA of this course and will, in subsequent years, go on to study Part IB and Part II. Students in their second year will study Part IB of this course and will similarly go on to study Part II.
The University has decided to introduce an overall degree classification for the cohort of students who matriculated in October 2020 and subsequent years.
Part IA is taken at the end of the first year and does not enter into the overall degree classification.
Part IB is taken at the end of the second year and the mark for Part IB will be scaled to 30% of the total overall degree classification.
Students spend the whole third year of their course abroad, studying in the relevant country for the purpose of increasing fluency of language and understanding of the culture. This does not enter into the overall degree classification.
This also holds for students doing a Preliminary Examination to Part II instead of the Year Abroad (East Asian Languages in combination).
Part II is taken after two further years, and the mark of Part II will be scaled to 70% of the total overall degree classification.
In the fourth year, students also submit a dissertation, based on materials, written and/or oral, in the language or languages studied. Beside opportunity to improve Language skills, the year aborad is also meant to be an opportunity to access sources and to gain knowledge on the chosen dissertation topic.
Course and Paper choices
Current students can find Paper descriptions and detailed information on the Intranet Pages for Current Undergraduate Students.
There are also short course descriptions linked below for the different Language Options:
Middle Eastern Studies Courses (Middle Eastern Language only or in combination with a Modern European Language)
for combinations with a European Language, please also see the Faculty of Modern and Medieval Languages and Linguistics
Transferable skills
The Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Tripos will offer students the possibility of developing a number of skills, which are valuable in many forms of employment and in further research.
- Communication Skills (Oral and Written)
- Interpersonal skills
- Intellectual skills
- Organisational skills
- Research skills