No 6814
Wednesday 11 February 2026
Vol clvi No 19
pp. 324–334
The Faculty Board of Biology gives notice, in accordance with Regulation 29 for the Natural Sciences Tripos (see Reporter, 6811, 2025–26, p. 231), that the following combinations of Major and Minor Subjects will be offered in the Natural Sciences Tripos, Part II (Biological and Biomedical Sciences) in 2026–27.
Subject to any restrictions announced in a particular year by the Faculty Board under the provisions of Regulation 29, candidates for the examination in Biological and Biomedical Sciences for Part II of the Natural Sciences Tripos are required to offer:
(a)The examination requirements of one Major Subject;
(b)The examination requirements of one Minor Subject;
(c)A dissertation of not more than 6,000 words, excluding tables, figures, and references.
All subjects make provision for candidates to offer a dissertation.
The subjects available and permissible combinations are listed below. Some subjects have restrictions on the number of candidates that can be accepted. Where possible this is indicated below – further information will be available as part of the Part II Subject Allocation process. A module taken as part of a Major Subject cannot be taken as a Minor Subject.
|
Paper |
Major Subject |
Permissible Minor Subjects |
Examination requirements |
|
402 |
Pathology Maximum 25 candidates |
107, 108, 114, 129 and 137 |
Four written papers of three hours each. |
|
408 |
Pharmacology Maximum 15 candidates |
107, 108, 111, 113, 114, 120, 127, 129, 132, 137, 142, 143, 144, 146, 147, 148, 149, 151 and 154 |
Four written papers: three papers of three hours (Papers 1–3) and one paper of three hours and 15 minutes (Paper 4). |
|
411 |
Biochemistry Maximum 7 candidates |
107, 108, 114, 129 and 137 – Students may choose additional Minor Subjects depending on their module choice in Lent Term. Students may choose Minor Subjects that do not have clashes with the Biochemistry modules chosen – please consult the relevant lecture timetables. |
Five written papers of three hours each. |
|
412 |
Plant Sciences (Choose two from PLM1, PLM2, PLM3 and Zoology ZM2, and two from PLL1, PLL2, PLL3 and Zoology ZL3, ZL4 and ZL5) Maximum of 8 candidates |
129, 134, 137, 151 and 153 – Students may choose Minor Subjects that do not have lecture clashes with the Plant Sciences modules chosen – please consult the relevant lecture timetables. |
Four written papers of three hours each. |
|
414 |
Genetics Maximum 10 candidates |
107, 108, 113, 127, 132, 137, 138, 144, 145, 147, 151 and 154 – Students to choose a Minor Subject that does not have lecture clashes with the Genetics modules – please consult the relevant lecture timetables. |
Four written papers of three hours each. |
|
415 |
Physiology, Development and Neuroscience Maximum 25 candidates |
A fifth PDN module can be taken as a Minor Subject. Students may choose Minor Subjects that do not have lecture clashes with the PDN modules chosen – please consult the relevant lecture timetables. |
Four written papers of three hours each. |
|
427 |
Zoology (Choose two from Zoology modules ZM1, ZM2, ZM5, ZM6, ZM7, ZM9 and ZM10, Plant Sciences M3 and two from ZL1 to ZL7) Maximum 25 candidates |
143 and 149 – A fifth Zoology module can be taken as a Minor Subject. Students may choose Minor Subjects that do not have lecture clashes with the Zoology modules chosen – please consult the relevant lecture timetables. |
Four written papers of three hours each. |
|
429 |
Human Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour Maximum 10+ candidates |
108, 120, 132, 137, 143, 144, 146, 147, 149 and 152 – Students may choose Minor Subjects that do not have lecture clashes with the Human Evolution modules chosen – please consult the relevant lecture timetables. |
Two core papers to be assessed by a three-hour written examination, plus the examination requirements of two optional papers. |
|
430 |
History and Philosophy of Science and Medicine Maximum 12 candidates |
105, 120, 121, 126, 134, 135, 143, 145, 146, 148, 149, 152, 153, 154 and 155. |
Four written papers of three hours each. |
|
Paper |
Minor Subject |
Examination requirements |
|
104 |
Human Evolution (ARCH Paper B3) Maximum 10 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
105 |
Human Ecology and Behaviour (ARCH Paper B2) Maximum 10 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
107 |
Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine (History and Philosophy of Science) Maximum 20 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
108 |
Health, Medicine, and Society (HSPS Paper Soc 13) |
Invigilated in-person three-hour examination. |
|
111 |
Higher Order Brain Function and Dysfunction (PDN Module N6) Maximum 5 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
113 |
Early Medicine (History and Philosophy of Science) Maximum 12 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
114 |
Modern Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (History and Philosophy of Science) Maximum 12 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
120 |
Genetics of Health and Disease (Genetics Module 3) Maximum 10 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
121 |
Evolutionary Genetics and Adaptation (Genetics Module 4, Zoology Module ZL5) Maximum 10 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
124 |
Advanced Topics in Social and Applied Psychology
|
Three oral examinations, each consisting of an 8-minute presentation followed by a 5-minute question and answer session. |
|
127 |
Conservation Science (Zoology Module ZM2) |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
129 |
Applied Clinical Research (Department of Public Health and Primary Care) Minimum 9 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
132 |
Evolution and Comparative Anatomy of Mammals (Zoology ZL1) |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
134 |
From Genome to Proteome (Biochemistry) Maximum 10 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
135 |
Cell Cycle, Signalling and Cancer (Biochemistry) |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
137 |
Surgical and Radiological Anatomy (PDN) Maximum 30 candidates |
One Single Best Answer Multiple Choice Question paper of one hour’s duration (worth 20% of the Minor Subject mark), a report of 2,500 to 3,000 words on the chosen Lent option (worth 50% of the Minor Subject mark), and an individual presentation (worth 30% of the Minor Subject mark). |
|
138 |
Developmental Neurobiology (PDN Module N1) Maximum 5 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
142 |
Development and Stem Cells (PDN Module P2) Maximum 5 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
143 |
Systems and Clinical Physiology (PDN Module P8) Maximum 5 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
144 |
Plant Signalling Networks in Growth and Development (Plant Sciences) Maximum 3 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
145 |
Microbes: Evolution, Genomes and Lifestyle (Plant Sciences) Maximum 3 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
146 |
Evolution and Ecosystems Dynamics (Plant Sciences) Maximum 3 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
147 |
Plant Genomes and Synthetic Biology (Plant Sciences) Maximum 3 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
148 |
Responses to Global Change (Plant Sciences) Maximum 3 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
149 |
Exploiting Plant Metabolism (Plant Sciences) Maximum 3 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
151 |
Comparative Human Biology (ARCH Paper B4) Maximum 10 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
152 |
Neuroscience: Circuits and Systems (PDN Module N3) Maximum 5 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
153 |
Cell Signalling (PDN Module P1N4) Maximum 5 candidates |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
154 |
Applied Ecology (Zoology ZL4) |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
155 |
Cognitive and Experimental Psychology (PBS 09) |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |
|
156 |
Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience (PBS 10) |
One written paper of three hours’ duration. |