The Management Studies Tripos is a one-year programme that can be taken only by students who have already completed at least two years, more generally three, years of another Tripos at the University of Cambridge. It is not possible to take the Management Studies Tripos immediately on entry to Cambridge (i.e. in your first year), nor is it possible to transfer to the programme from any other institution, either in the UK or abroad.
Maths & stats proficiency
The Management Studies undergraduate programme takes students who have been studying in all departments of the University, and does not therefore assume that you’ll have a high level of mathematical knowledge. However, if you don’t have a mathematical background (or mathematics to A-level), we recommend you prepare for the programme by studying some mathematics and statistics in advance.
The programme is delivered predominantly through lectures and supervisions. It is expected that students without at least A-level Mathematics will recognise the need to spend more time familiarising themselves with the material.
The MST is challenging and rewarding for students from all disciplines, and there is no reason why those with non-mathematical backgrounds should not do extremely well on the programme.
How to apply
Applications for the MST are made through your College’s Tutorial Office. To begin your application, please inform your Tutorial Office of your interest in reading for the MST. Your College may ask you to attend informal meetings (with Directors of Studies, Tutors, etc.) before endorsing your application. Colleges are asked to provide Cambridge Judge with the names of MST applicants by Friday 28 April 2023. Please note that your College may have an earlier deadline than this for their own administrative purposes.
Entry to the MST is competitive, and you should have a strong and consistent academic record over your two or three years at Cambridge. In recent years, the academic entry requirement has been set at a minimum overall average of 66-67%. Please note the required grade to receive an offer may be higher in any given year, according to the number of applications and the strength of the field of applicants in each round. For 2023/24, we anticipate the minimum entry requirement will be at least 67%. Please note that the minimum requirement for applicants in their second year may be slightly higher than that for third-year applicants. Places are limited and third-year students will not be eligible to apply again. The admissions criteria will therefore be:
- Third year students
Applicants currently in their third year of study will be made offers based on a weighted average of results from their second- and third-year university examinations. Third-year results will account for 70% and second-year results for 30%. Applicants currently on their Year Abroad (e.g. Modern Languages students) will be considered on the basis of their second-year results. - Second year students
Applicants currently in their 2nd year of study will be made offers on the basis of the current year’s university examinations. First year results will not be considered in the admission decision, except where no other results are available.
We aim to make an initial round of conditional offers for current third year students before examination results are published. Offers made in this round are conditional upon meeting a required overall average (set by the MST Admissions Committee) after the current year’s examinations. A second round of decisions will be made after the publication of examination results and breakdowns. This round considers all second-year applicants, as well as other third-year applicants who did not receive a conditional offer in the first round.
In addition to your academic record, comments from College Tutors and Directors of Studies may also be taken into account, so you should not assume you will be made an offer on your academic record alone, even if it meets (or exceeds) our requirement.