The Student Room Group

Is this a possible tripos transfer?

As Law is Ia, Ib, II structure and SPS is I, IIa, IIb, and I've been admitted for Law, do you think it would be a possibility to transfer after parts Ia and Ib of Law to do parts IIa and IIb of SPS?

I've looked in the law prospectus and on the Cam website generally and they seem to be fairly happy about transfers & say it is a positive aspect of the tripos system, but the law prospectus says that it is usual to switch to Law from another subject, not the other way round, and that if the switch meant it added up to 4 years not all colleges would allow you to do it.

I've just been worrying slightly (ok, maybe more!) about restricting myself into one dept so early on, and not having a chance to study subjects that I really want to.

If I could be applying again, I would be looking to go to a liberal arts college in the US as that is the only sort of place where I could do the Politics/Philosophy degree with some Economics and advanced German, with a bit of French, History, Maths and English that I'd really like to do, before going on to do a graduate degree and specialise in one area. The closest thing over here seems to be PPE at Oxford.

However, since I can't do that now (I don't feel like dropping out and reapplying or trying to transfer! Plus I am sure I will love Cam/Downing), doing a combination of tripos sections seems like a good idea, and Law with SPS seems like the ideal combination within the possibilities of the Cam undergrad degrees. However, I really want the politics bit of SPS, and whilst if I was doing the whole degree I would be very happy doing the first year, if I transfer into it after 2 years of Law I would rather not have to do the first broader year, as Sociology and Anthropology, interesting though they are to me, aren't subjects that I *really really* want to study.

What do you think?
Reply 1
Well, I know a medic who changed to SPS for Part II and did only a single year. She also came out with a 1st, despite a double 3rd in medicine. Doesn't seem like she was too disadvantaged! However, it might be that you don't end up with all the professional exemptions unless you take Part I AND Part II Law (but I might be making that up - can someone confirm or refute?).

Sorry, I know that doesn't exactly answer your question...
Reply 2
I know someone who did part Ia law and then IIa and IIb sps. colleges would probably be more willing to do that than what you suggested, because they wouldn't have to support you for an extra year.
Reply 3
There are 7 subjects /modules you need to take for a qualifying degree - couldn't do it in one year. I think you can take them all within Ia and Ib.
Equally, does anyone know how possible it is to transfer to law after part 1 in something else - philosophy in this case - and also, i was looking at the linguistics course which is a part two only - how does that work? and the same question as above^
Reply 5
groovy_moose
Equally, does anyone know how possible it is to transfer to law after part 1 in something else - philosophy in this case - and also, i was looking at the linguistics course which is a part two only - how does that work? and the same question as above^


linguistics - you can't apply for entry in it at cambridge, but instead you change into it for part II. don't know about law - I think it would probably depend on your college/grades, it's quite competitive so you might be subject to re-interview. changing into linguistics from philosophy might work, but i think most people who take part II linguistics do a related subject for part I (english, classics, languages, etc).
Reply 6
groovy_moose
Equally, does anyone know how possible it is to transfer to law after part 1 in something else - philosophy in this case - and also, i was looking at the linguistics course which is a part two only - how does that work? and the same question as above^



"Although an undergraduate must pass two ‘Tripos’ examinations to qualify for this degree, these need not be in the same subject. A student may study a combination of two different subjects, taking them separately. This flexibility is one of the attractions of the Cambridge system. There are three Law Tripos examinations: Parts IA, IB and II. Tripos IA is the examination for law students in their first year. Tripos IB is for students in their second year who have studied Law Tripos IA the previous year, and also for those changing into law from other subjects. Tripos II is open only to those who have passed Law Tripos IB. A student cannot, however, count both Law IA and Law IB as the two Tripos examinations required for the B.A. degree." - http://www.law.cam.ac.uk/docs/view_doc_info.php?class=9&doc=2598

Which would lead me to say yes, you would do part I or Ia depending on the philosophy course, then do Ib and II of Law.
Re: the seven foundations, it is possible in two years. However, I've not heard of first year students being able to study anything but the set four: Consti, Crim, Tort, Roman. That leaves 4/5 in the second year: Land, Contract, Equity, EU. However, many colleges forbid students from studying Equity and sometimes EU in the second year because of a) the heavy workload and b) the difficulty of studying equity without a land law background.

I'm not sure if Downing is the same - your best option would be to email the fellows.
You can also do a one-year SPS Part II.

MB
Reply 9
Philosophy to linguistics really isn't that unnatural a change, particularly given the kind of philosophy we do here. Similary, Philosophy to Law and Law to SPS both seem like quite sensible changes to me. I've had brief periods of doubt where I've considered changing to Law (going through one at the moment, tbh), and would like to think it's at least possible should I have some horrendous experience with philosophy.
I think that's the problem i have. I'm perennially indecisive (or rather, there are far too many things in life that i'd like to do and i just don't know where to start...) and as such i'd like to think i could change to something else, should i have a change of heart, even though it's probably unlikely i would. I'm also having a vague 'do i really care?' crisis a la the other philosophy thread...

And i think both are pretty sensible combinations too - esp. philosophy to linguistics - ok, so it's not a languages course, but provided you're aware of another language and/or how they work, to some extend, then both search to understand how things work and why they come about.

And as for law... hmm... i'd just like to think you could switch - although, tbh, i spose if you actually wanted to go into law, it would make much more sense either to do a whole law degree, or to do a whole 'other' degree and then do a law conversion course (GDL ?)
groovy_moose
or to do a whole 'other' degree and then do a law conversion course (GDL ?)


CPE :wink:
synaesthesia
CPE :wink:


don't people with a law first degree have to take that as well?
amateurish
don't people with a law first degree have to take that as well?


No, that would be the LPC for solicitors and the BVC for barristers. Too many acronyms :wink: The main routes are basically:

1. Academic part:
Law degree incl 7 foundations (3 yrs)
OR any degree + Common Professional Exam (1 yr)
OR less common routes - e.g. ILEX exams

then

2. Vocational part:
a) Barrister: Bar Vocational Course (1 yr)
=> "call to the bar" - becomes barrister
BUT requires 12 months pupillage before independent practice allowed

b) Solicitor: Legal Practice Course (1 yr)
+ apprenticeship (also known as training contract) (2 yrs)
=> becomes solicitor and "admitted to the roll"
Reply 14
The motivation for considering changing tripos is for me less panic about have I got the right subject and more panic about the fact that I'd only study one subject.

It seems that though Cam prospecti (? prospectuses?) do mention that a tripos change is a good flexibility of the system so that you can study two subjects it seems to be generally considered as a way out of the 'oops I picked the wrong subject' rather than the 'I'd like to study *both* these subjects' thing, that other universities here cover with the double major/major minor thing, ie 'X with Y'.

Edit: so do people use it in this way much? Does Cam ever encourage it?