Everything you might want to know about the University of Cambridge

The most famous universities in Britain are Oxford and Cambridge. They are the two oldest English universities and they both have a long and eventful¹ history of their own. Oxford and Cambridge are regarded as being academically superior to other universities and as giving special privilege and prestige.

Cambridge is well known as the world's third-oldest surviving university. It grew out of an association of scholars who left the University of Oxford after a dispute² with the town’s people. The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by King Henry III in 1231.

Nowadays the University of Cambridge is one of the world's leading universities, providing a challenging, flexible, and individual learning experience. Consistently³ rated among the top in national and international league tables, the University is globally respected for the quality of teaching and research, and its students are greatly sought after⁴ by employers.

The University and Colleges.

Cambridge is a ‘collegiate’ university, which means it comprises University faculties and departments in different academic subjects, and a number of Colleges. As well as being a member of the University and an academic faculty/department, students also belong to a smaller College community and this system offers a huge amount of individual pastoral⁵ and academic support for each student. The university is made up of 31 self-governing colleges to which the students and academics are attached. The colleges, in association with the subject departments, organize the teaching of students. Each college enrolls students, who usually live and study within their colleges. Students at each college study a whole range of different subjects. So, in one college there will be students studying law, geography, medicine, and engineering, as well as all the other subjects offered within the university. Each student follows their own particular course of study but the college system allows students studying different subjects to meet and mix with each other and to share ideas. Below is a summary of the key functions of the University (through its faculties and departments) and the Colleges, to show how they fit together.

The University: determines course content, organises lectures, seminars, practicals and projects, sets and marks examinations, awards degrees.

The Colleges: admit undergraduate students, organise small-group teaching (supervisions), offer accommodation, places to eat and recreational⁶ facilities, provide pastoral and academic care.

The partnership between the University and the Colleges is one of the greatest strengths⁷, it provides superb facilities, contact with the very best minds, and personal supervision and support to help develop its students’ academic interests. Each supervision requires students to prepare work in advance. The supervisions are generally more academically challenging than a lecture because students are expected to orally communicate, raise issues, defend, analyse and criticise the ideas of others as well as their own in discussion with their supervisor and the other students attending the supervision.

University Courses. In 2019 the total enrolment for the University of Cambridge stood at 19,672 students – with figures expected to be largely the same next few years. The university offers more than 65 subjects within its 30 undergraduate courses. Most of the courses cover the subject area broadly to start with before allowing students to choose from a range of specialisms. This can offer much greater flexibility⁸ than more narrowly focused courses elsewhere.

Instruction is provided by experts in their field through a combination of lectures, practicals (where relevant), seminars, and regular small-group tuition known as 'supervision'. These allow students to explore course material in much greater depth, investigate new approaches, receive regular feedback and clarify anything they are unsure about.

Useful words

¹eventful-богатый событиями

²dispute-разногласия

³consistently-постоянно, последовательно

⁴sought after-востребованы

⁵pastoral-наставнический

⁶recreational-для проведения досуга, рекреационные

⁷strengths-сильные стороны

⁸flexibility-гибкость