Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS), BA (Tripos)
HSPS is a uniquely flexible 3-year degree – or 'tripos' as it’s known at Cambridge – that can be customised from the start and allows you to specialise according to your interests and strengths. It combines three core disciplines, taught by world-leading departments: Politics and International Studies, Social Anthropology, and Sociology.
First year students can dedicate up to 50% of their study to politics and international relations alongside courses in sociology and social anthropology. Second and third year students have the option to focus exclusively on politics and international relations. Alternatively, they can combine politics and sociology or politics and social anthropology.
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What will I study?
In the first year, Part I of the HSPS Tripos, students take four papers. HSPS students interested in continuing in the Politics and International Relations track should take:
- POL1: The modern state and its alternatives (the politics paper)
- POL2: International conflict, order and justice (the international relations paper)
In addition to POL1 and POL2, students can choose any two options from the HSPS list of paper choices in Sociology, Social Anthropology, Psychology, Biological Anthropology and Archaeology. HSPS gives you the flexibility to explore each of the subjects during the first year. Students don't have to decide which subjects they're most interested in before applying.
Second Year Students: Four papers
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.
Papers 2025-26
POL3: International Organisation
- Module A: United States and United Kingdom
- Module B: Burma/Myanmar and Siam/Thailand
- Module C: Russia and Poland
- Module D: Jordan and Saudi Arabia
- Module E: Historical Comparison of China
- Module F: France and Germany
- Module G: Bolivia and Brazil
- Module H: Pakistan and India
- Module I: Sierra Leone and Liberia
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 ugradadmin@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 the Sociology 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 SAN7-15.
- More information on the Social Anthropology papers and this joint track can be found on the Social Anthropology website.
More information
For the most up to date information on marking and classing criteria, guidance on plagiarism and more on exams/assessment as well as useful study resources and more about track changes please refer to the HSPS website.
In your third year in Politics and International Relations, you may choose to offer four papers, or three papers and a dissertation.
The one requirement is to take POL9: Conceptual Issues and Texts in Politics and International Relations and at least one other paper in the subject. The choices available in both Triposes enable you to extend your knowledge of political thought, certain themes of modern world politics, such as gender or international security, and to study the politics of a particular region such as the Middle East or Africa.
Papers for 2025-26
POL9: Conceptual Issues and Texts in Politics and International Relations
POL10: The History of Political Thought from c.1700-c.1890
POL11: Political Philosophy & the History of Political Thought Since c.1890
POL12: The Politics of the Middle East
POL13: British and European Politics
POL16: The Politics of Conflict and Peace
POL18: The Politics of the International Economy
POL19 (and POL5): Themes and Issues in Politics and International Relations
POL20: The Politics of Latin America
Dissertations
The deadline for submitting the dissertation is Thursday 30 April 2026 at 12.00 noon.
- Each year the Department publishes a guide to dissertations which sets out the expectations of content, layout, and submission. It is important that you read this guide whilst working on your dissertation and before submitting
- Dissertation application, deadline to be submitted for 25-26 is Wednesday 15 October 2025
- Ethical approval form, deadline to be submitted for 25-26 is either 4th July 2025 (required if wanting to do research that requires Ethical Approval over the summer) or 24th October 2025
- Further information about Ethics, Risk and Fieldwork: a quick guide is available here.
More information
For the most up to date information on marking and classing criteria, guidance on plagiarism and more on exams/assessment as well as useful study resources and more about track changes please refer to the HSPS website.
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