Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?

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  1. UniversalAutocrat's Avatar
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    Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    If a student was exceptional enough, would it be possible for him to complete a degree in a couple of years instead of the normal 3 years, provided he had been accepted into Cambridge (or Oxford etc)?

    What do you think? Is it possible? Would they allow it?
  2. cowshi's Avatar
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    Why would you want that, a lot less stressful if you spread it over the 3 years is it not?


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  3. iluvmaths's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by UniversalAutocrat)
    If a student was exceptional enough, would it be possible for him to complete a degree in a couple of years instead of the normal 3 years, provided he had been accepted into Cambridge (or Oxford etc)?

    What do you think? Is it possible? Would they allow it?
    its been done b4!! google abdus salaam...he also completed the nat sci tripos in one year after doing the maths one in two yearS!!!!!

    and became the first pakistani nobel laureate in physics!!!! damn smart and my idol reallyy!
  4. The Polymath's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by UniversalAutocrat)
    If a student was exceptional enough, would it be possible for him to complete a degree in a couple of years instead of the normal 3 years, provided he had been accepted into Cambridge (or Oxford etc)?

    What do you think? Is it possible? Would they allow it?
    There is some rule about a minimum number of terms you need to be eligible for a Cambridge degree, but if you are good enough, I don't see why you couldn't do it in 2. There might be logistics issues though, and you'd be self-studying practically the whole degree:

    Let's say each year has 2 modules, and each module has a prerequisite of all previous modules:
    In year 1, you'd have to do year 2 or 3 modules in order to 'get ahead', but you can't do this until you've done year 1, which involves completion of the second year 1 module, which is only taught in the second half of the year. You'd therefore have to self-study Year 1 Part 2, and several other papers throughout.
  5. The Polymath's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by iluvmaths)
    its been done b4!! google abdus salaam...he also completed the nat sci tripos in one year after doing the maths one in two yearS!!!!!

    and became the first pakistani nobel laureate in physics!!!! damn smart and my idol reallyy!
    really??

    1946.[17] That same year, he was awarded a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge, where he completed a BA degree with Double First-Class Honours in Mathematics and Physics in 1949.

    ^ So he started in '46, did Part I Maths and Part II Physics, and got 1sts in both of them 3 years later. Seems pretty normal to me.
  6. iluvmaths's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by The Polymath)
    really??

    1946.[17] That same year, he was awarded a scholarship to St John's College, Cambridge, where he completed a BA degree with Double First-Class Honours in Mathematics and Physics in 1949.

    ^ So he started in '46, did Part I Maths and Part II Physics, and got 1sts in both of them 3 years later. Seems pretty normal to me.
    thats what i said i think.... 2 years for maths and the final year for physics....
  7. izpenguin's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    Why would anyone want to? From what I've heard, Cambridge degrees have a heavy enough workload as it is, nevermind what it would be like to do the degree in 2 years!
  8. The Polymath's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by iluvmaths)
    thats what i said i think.... 2 years for maths and the final year for physics....
    They're not full degrees though. Everyone does Part I of one subject and then part II of the same or a different subject.

    I might do Part I in MML and Part II in Economics, and if I do well I'll also have a double-first-class-honours in Economics and Languages.

    Whoever negged me doesn't know anything about Cambridge tripos degrees.
    Last edited by The Polymath; 11-09-2012 at 19:37.
  9. lp386's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by UniversalAutocrat)
    If a student was exceptional enough, would it be possible for him to complete a degree in a couple of years instead of the normal 3 years, provided he had been accepted into Cambridge (or Oxford etc)?

    What do you think? Is it possible? Would they allow it?
    No for two reasons:
    number one, according to the university's statutes you have to study for nine terms (three years) to be awarded a degree.
    number two, the course gets some of the very best mathematicians in the world in any given year, and while they do well I don't have any indication that they could do one and a half times the amount of work.

    I suppose (notwithstanding #1) that it might be theoretically possible, but you'd essentially have to be the brightest mathematician in your year at Cambridge, which would equate to you being one of the top handful of mathematicians of the world in your age group. We wouldn't just be talking about someone a little bit more hard-working than the rest, they would have to be truly exceptional.
  10. DFranklin's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    [Disclaimer: following describes the situation 20+ years ago when I was an undergrad].

    It's possible in an academic sense - I know someone who skipped IA and did part II in his 2nd year. In an administrative sense, you need to complete 3 years of study to matriculate - I believe the "normal" solution is to do Part III in the 3rd year.
  11. around's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by DFranklin)
    [Disclaimer: following describes the situation 20+ years ago when I was an undergrad].

    It's possible in an academic sense - I know someone who skipped IA and did part II in his 2nd year. In an administrative sense, you need to complete 3 years of study to matriculate - I believe the "normal" solution is to do Part III in the 3rd year.
    This still happens - only that most people who do part III in 3rd year stay on to do more Part III in 4th year and then go do PhD's rather than leave maths.
  12. ukdragon37's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by lp386)
    No for two reasons:
    number one, according to the university's statutes you have to study for nine terms (three years) to be awarded a degree.
    number two, the course gets some of the very best mathematicians in the world in any given year, and while they do well I don't have any indication that they could do one and a half times the amount of work.

    I suppose (notwithstanding #1) that it might be theoretically possible, but you'd essentially have to be the brightest mathematician in your year at Cambridge, which would equate to you being one of the top handful of mathematicians of the world in your age group. We wouldn't just be talking about someone a little bit more hard-working than the rest, they would have to be truly exceptional.
    I seem to remember that Wolfram did the maths degree at Oxford in one year (or some other insanely short time) and then went on to do PhD straight afterwards.
  13. chai wallah's Avatar
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    Re: Cambridge degree (Maths) in 2 years instead of 3?
    (Original post by The Polymath)
    They're not full degrees though. Everyone does Part I of one subject and then part II of the same or a different subject.

    I might do Part I in MML and Part II in Economics, and if I do well I'll also have a double-first-class-honours in Economics and Languages.

    Whoever negged me doesn't know anything about Cambridge tripos degrees.
    this!
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