University Proposes New Degree Classification System

The University Education Committee is asking for student opinions on new degree classification systems. 

The potential new systems would include an overall degree classification, allowing students to more accurately state the class of their degree.

Weightings would be applied to each year of the standard BA course, including a 50/50 split across second and third year, as well as the entire degree weighting on third year. Other proposed splits include 20/30/50 across three years and 33/66 across the final two.

Cambridge’s unique system for degree classification has previously offered no overall classification, leaving both students and employers confused as to their academic qualifications. Cambridge currently is the only university in the UK to operate such a system. With each part of the tripos being self contained, this has previously lead to withdrawal of job offers on examination of the students full academic credentials. The proposals have been welcomed by the University Careers Service.

Try not to spend all of third year in here

The Education Committee noted the new system would ease pressure on the third year of a BA (currently accepted to carry the full weighting) and allow more reliable ranking of separate faculties. However, also noted was a potential drop in willingness to take part in extra-curricular activities in first and second year.

Roberta Huldisch, CUSU Education Officer, commented to TCS that “issuing a cumulative classification, in addition to the current system of classing each year of the Tripos separately, would bring our practice in line with what the world beyond Cambridge already does and understands, while preserving Cambridge’s historical particularity.”

“It is, in my view, a fundamentally sensible and uncontroversial idea.”

CUSU will be passing on students’ views to the committee.