This site provides useful information to current undergraduate students taking papers provided by the Department of POLIS. If you have any enquiries please direct these via ugradadmin@polis.cam.ac.uk
Current Years
Timetable
The POLIS undergraduate timetable comes in two forms.
Lecture List (IIA & IIB) This is a static pdf document and is updated regularly, to find out when this was last updated please see the footer and the bottom of the pages.
E-timetable: This is a live timetable that is updated with changes as they happen. The e-timetable can also be exported to your device, if you would like to do this please make sure that your device's timezone is set to London, UK.
Supervisions
Each year the Department publishes a guide to supervisions setting out the practicalities and expectations of supervisions and essay writing within the discipline.
The HSPS Tripos has a supervision recommendation policy which you can read here.
Examinations
A guide to examinations in the form of FAQs was put together by the Directors of Undergraduate Education from the three departments that make up the HSPS Tripos. Please review the information here.
Marking and Classing Criteria apply across the HSPS Tripos.
The examination data retention policy explains what happens to examinations data during the year, and after. You can find the current Examination Data Retention Policy for the Faculty in the Exam Information section of the page linked here.
Penalties policy is valid for all assessed work (except assessed tests), including essays and dissertations.
Penalties for late submission:
- 1 point per hour or part thereof - up to 3 points (1 point per the first hour, another point for the second hour, and a third point for any further delay up to 12 noon the next day)
- Next ten days or part thereof - 3 points per day
- Any work submitted after 10 days is marked 0
- Electronic submission is mandatory
- Handing times are standardised as 12noon on the due date, with daily penalties applied every 24 hours from the due time
Plagiarism is taken very seriously by the Department. To find out more about what constitutes plagiarism, and its consequences, please consult the Faculty Guidance on Plagiarism found in the Examination and Coursework section of the page.
Ethical Approval
Undergraduate students writing a dissertation involving research participants or using protected data will need to seek ethical approval from the Ethics, Risk and Fieldwork (ERF) Committee. Please find more information on the Ethical Approval here.
Student Feedback
Student Feedback is very important to the Department. More information is available here.
Resources and Libraries
POLIS uses Moodle for Part II students. It allows for a range of online tools to support teaching as well as a place for lecture resources to be accessed. Please check that you have access to all your specific sites. If you need any assistance please contact the Undergraduate Administrator on ugradadmin@polis.cam.ac.uk.
The Seeley Library is yearly updated to hold reading material relating to all Politics and International Relations papers.
A Note on Readings and Materials
Readings and materials for POLIS papers and teaching represent a wide range of different views on major topics in politics and international relations. Many of these topics are subject to intense controversy and debate, and it is common to encounter contrasting and contentious arguments in them. The fact that a text is on a reading list or lecture material is not an endorsement of its content.
Students at Cambridge are expected to engage with readings and other materials critically, carefully examining and where appropriate challenging evidence and arguments.
Academic Staff Office Hours
Please refer to office hours on the pages for individual academics. These office hours apply in term. If you wish to see a member of staff outside of term it is advisable to check first whether they are keeping regular office hours. If you are unable to make office hours during term time, please contact lecturers via email to make an alternative appointment.
Policy on Lectures 2024-25
Lecture policy for the academic year 2024-25