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Human, Social & Political Sciences

Human, Social & Political Sciences is a three year course that places the study of human social and political life in the widest international and comparative perspective.

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Human, Social & Political Sciences at Wolfson

The course is exceptionally diverse. Human, Social and Political Sciences (HSPS) is a three-year degree that gives students the chance to study politics and international relations, social anthropology or sociology.  The flexibility of the degree allows students to explore different subjects before pursuing advanced study in the one or two specific subjects that interest them most in the second and third years. The Directors of Studies at the college help students work out the best path through the degree for them as individuals and support them in seeking to develop their intellectual potential through those choices.

HSPS at Cambridge attracts a broad and diverse range of students. You will graduate from Cambridge having specialised in one or two subjects but will also have the advantage of a broad background in the human, social, and political sciences.

You can find further information about studying HSPS on the University's course pages. Detailed information is also available on the Department's Prospective Undergraduates page.

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What are we looking for?

The multi-disciplinary nature of the course means that it attracts diverse students from a range of backgrounds. What is most important, and what is looked for at interview, is a keen curiosity about the world's social, political and cultural issues and an ability to think both critically and creatively.

Candidates will be expected to have a genuine enthusiasm for at least one of the disciplines covered in the HSPS Tripos, but they are by no means required to be interested in all of the many topics covered in this course, nor do we expect candidates to be knowledgeable about all of these fields if they come for interview. We aim to select candidates who are able to think for themselves, and who have the commitment necessary to benefit from the courses on offer in this degree.

Entry Requirements

No particular subjects at A level (or equivalent) are required. HSPS is a broad course, therefore a range of subjects provide a good background: from Mathematics to social sciences (e.g. Psychology, Politics and Geography) to arts (e.g. English, History and modern languages). Please consult the University's entry requirements for HSPS for further information. 

Applications

Applications to study HSPS at Wolfson are submitted through UCAS. The College additionally requires the submission of written work, a separate written assessment and an online interview, as detailed below.

Written Work

Applicants are required to submit two pieces of written work by 2 November.  This should be in a related discipline which the candidate is studying or has studied. For the March round, all applicants must submit their written work by 8 March.

Assessment

Those interviewed will also sit a written assessment around the time of the interview. Further information about the written assessment can be found on our applying page.

Interview

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to be interviewed in December (or late March for those who apply in the March round). There will be one or two interviews (in total lasting 40-50 minutes) which will be conducted online via Zoom.

For more information about making an application, please visit our application webpages

You can also find useful information on our Application FAQs page.