Natural Sciences
Natural sciences at Cambridge is designed for students who do not want to restrict themselves to a single scientific discipline at the outset of their undergraduate career. Science at the frontier is increasingly interdisciplinary, and the most interesting problems in biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences often require thinking that crosses conventional boundaries. The programme allows you to study a range of subjects in the first years before choosing one or two to specialise in, and it is one of the most flexible and demanding science degrees available in the UK.
You will begin by studying subjects across the natural sciences, which may include physics, chemistry, biology, earth sciences and mathematics, developing fluency in the methods, concepts and ways of thinking that each discipline brings. As you progress you will focus your studies more narrowly, following the areas that suit your interests and abilities most closely. The programme runs over three years of full-time study and admits students with a typical tariff of around 232 points, reflecting the exceptional level of prior attainment Cambridge expects.
The tutorial and supervision system at Cambridge gives you unusually close contact with researchers and academics, and the university's research environment means your teachers are active scientists working at the edge of their fields.
Graduates from natural sciences at Cambridge progress to careers and further study across the full width of the sciences. Many continue to doctoral research in physics, chemistry, biochemistry, genetics, earth sciences or related disciplines, often at leading institutions around the world. Others move into medicine, engineering, data science, finance, technology and scientific policy.
The broad scientific training the programme provides, combined with the analytical depth of the final specialisation, is valued by employers and institutions alike, and Cambridge graduates in natural sciences are among the most sought-after in the scientific world.