Second Year Students
In the second year, HSPS students are required to take POL3 and POL4 and choose between POL7 and POL8. A final paper is then chosen from the available options in HSPS. History and Politics students take either POL3 or POL4, and can take POL5 or POL6 as one of their papers; they take the History of Political Thought paper as part of their History Faculty offerings.
For students due to take second year exams in 2020, please see this list of answers to Frequently Asked Questions relating to the alternative assessments
Paper Guides 2020-21
POL3: International Organisation
- POL4 Module A: The Middle East: Saudi Arabia and Iran compared
- POL4 Module B: Africa: Burundi and Rwanda
- POL4 Module C: Eastern Europe: Poland and Russia
- POL4 Module D: South-East Asia: Burma/Myanmar and Siam/Thailand in comparative perspective
- POL4 Module E: United States and the United Kingdom
- POL4 Module F: Latin America: Brazil and Bolivia
- POL4 Module G: Western Europe: France and Germany
POL5: Themes and Issues in Politics and International Relations
POL6: Statistics and Methods in Politics and International Relations
POL7: The History of Political Thought to c.1700
POL8: The History of Political Thought from c.1700 to c.1890
Joint Tracks
Politics and Sociology
- For any questions about this joint track, contact ugadmin@polis.cam.ac.uk.
- You will have a choice of papers from Politics. These include POL3 or POL4 and POL7 or POL8. You are then required to take SOC2, SOC3 or SOC5.
- More information on the Sociology papers can be found on their website.
Social Anthropology and Politics
- Claudia Luna is the administrator for this joint track.
- You will have a choice of papers from Politics. These include POL3 or POL4 and POL7 or POL8. You will take SAN2 and one paper chosen from SAN3, SAN4, or SAN8-13.
- More information on the Social Anthropology papers and this joint track can be found on their website.
Student Guides
- Guide to supervisions. This document gives you a sense of what to expect from supervisions, and guidance on essay writing in Politics & International Relations.
- Guide to exams. This document sets out how examining works, explains the marking system, and gives guidance on how to write essays under exam conditions.
- Options guide for students entering their third year in 2020-21.
Examinations
- Marking and Classing Criteria
- Past papers are available on Moodle
- Part II Examiners' Reports (2018-19)
- Part II Examiners' Reports (2017-18)
- Part II Examiners' Reports (2016-17)
- (Previous Examiners Reports)