Plans for a large-scale revamp of the undergraduate teaching of social sciences in Cambridge have been published.

The General Board’s proposed changes would signal the end of the Education Tripos and see the creation of a new Social Sciences Tripos (SST).

The shake-up is a means of “raising the profile of Cambridge social sciences nationally and internationally,” according to a Review Committee Report published last Wednesday.

Students may be enrolled in the new SST from October 2012. The degree would provide first year students with the opportunity to choose from sociology, politics and social and developmental psychology, as well as subjects currently covered in other Triposes, such as law, criminology and geography.  It is envisioned that around 160 students would take the new Tripos each year.

The report stated that the proposed SST “has been almost universally welcomed” so far. However, many have expressed anger at the development.

The drive to improve inter-disciplinary co-operation and to unify the social sciences began in January 2009 with the merging of the Faculty of Social and Political Science (SPS) and the Centre for International Studies (CIS) to form the Faculty of Politics, Psychology, Sociology and International Studies (PPSIS).

Though the General Board denies the plans are motivated by financial considerations, it admits, “As the need to reduce costs becomes ever more apparent, the financial implications of the fragmented nature of social sciences at Cambridge need to be considered.”

The Committee acknowledges that “not all its recommendations will be universally welcomed” but “firmly believes that maintaining the status quo is not in the University’s best interests”.

However, serious opposition has emerged to the proposed abolition of the education Tripos. The three-year undergraduate degree, currently taken by 150 students, will be withdrawn after the October 2011 intake, with the introduction of a one-year Part II taking effect from 2012-13.

Speaking to Varsity, a senior member of the Faculty of Education said: “The Faculty does not support the withdrawal of the current education Tripos. The Cambridge education Tripos is rated as the best education degree in the country, highly commended by external examiners and by students. The Faculty of Education is committed to providing opportunities for the most able students to study education in depth in a three-year degree.”

The Committee also claimed that its decision to withdraw the education Tripos was partly due to the alleged poor quality of education students.

According to the Committee, the education Tripos is “not presently cost-effective and attracts applicants whose A-level module scores do not match those in other subjects and who therefore do not necessarily rank as being of the highest calibre in a Cambridge context.

“Undergraduate student applications, despite vigorous recruitment efforts by the Faculty, do not match its aspirations.”

However, the senior member of the Faculty of Education refused to accept the report’s judgement, arguing that “the ultimate degree profile of [our] students does not differ from that of students in other faculties.”

Students of Education echoed this response. Holly Lauren Cracknell,  a second-year English, Drama and Education student at Homerton, is incredulous at the idea of the course being terminated, telling Varsity, “It’s pro-actively improving and the facilities and opportunities are amazing.” She added that hers is the only Tripos degree not under-subscribed. “If it’s true it’s really shocking. It shows that our degree is dispensable and cheapens the value of it,” commented Rory Stallibrass, from Magdalene College.

The decision to withdraw the Education Studies Tripos may have wider ramifications. Drama, which can currently be studied alongside Education and English, would no longer be offered.  “There should be some outlet for Drama at Cambridge considering the prestige of the theatre scene here”, stated Liane Grant, a student at Hughes Hall.

Other ideas include the creation of a new Department of Criminology, Social Anthropology and Sociology, the amalgamation of the Departments of Archaeology and Biological Anthropology into a single unit and the birth of a single Department of Psychology. The report stated that this would raise the profile of Psychology at Cambridge, arguing that “the lack of visibility of Psychology as an undergraduate degree is partly responsible for high-quality students opting for London or Oxford over Cambridge.”

Many of the relevant Heads of Departments contacted by Varsity refused to comment on the proposals, explaining that the issue was currently too sensitive.

The General Board accepts that “much detail needs to be worked through” before the proposals are implemented, but believes the plans are a step in the right direction for the study of social sciences at Cambridge. The report states that the restructuring is “in the best interests of the University and will greatly strengthen Cambridge’s position, nationally and internationally”.

The plans will be discussed by members of Regent House, the University’s governing body, before being put into action.