Choosing Courses
Once you've been accepted on the programme and have secured your accommodation, you'll be able to choose your courses on the online application system.
You have to take three courses and while there are some timetable considerations to keep in mind, you can choose one of these course combinations:
- One Module 1 course, one Module 2 course and one Module 3 course
- One Module 1 course and two Module 2 courses
- Two Module 1 courses and one Module 2 course
- One Module 1 or Module 2 course and two Module 3 courses
- Three Module 3 courses
If you'd like to take the Independent Supervision, this counts as a Module 3 course.
Be sure to read through the Timetable and Module Considerations document, available to download to the right of this page.
Have you had the chance to look at our courses? See what's on offer.
Our advice
We encourage you to develop your academic curiosity and really benefit from the unique learning environment at Cambridge. So, while you might opt to take one or two courses for credit at your home institution, we invite you to try something new and our three-course structure lets you do just that.
Be open-minded
The Pembroke Cambridge Summer Programme offers you the opportunity to study three courses over the summer and the chance to try courses you might never be able to at your home institution. Be open-minded about how you select and combine your courses and you may discover a new passion.
Getting a balance
If you can, we recommend choosing one course in your major area of study, one course in your minor or to fulfil a general requirement and one course to discover something new and try something fun or completely different.
We find a lot of our students who try out a new subject area find it an exceptionally stimulating and inspiring experience!
We also suggest when choosing courses that you combine overview courses with more specialised ones.
Read course descriptions carefully
You need to make sure that your course choices are right for you, so it's important you take your time when making your decision.
Carefully read the course descriptions online and make sure you understand what the course will cover. Once you've selected your preferred courses on the online system, you'll be able to see the more detailed course syllabi.
Do I need any prior knowledge?
This really depends on the course so it's important to check the course description.
A number of courses require no prior knowledge and are accessible to anyone, but in some courses the pace will accelerate quickly and it will be difficult to keep up with the course content without a background in the subject area. This particularly applies to science and philosophy courses.
Can I change my courses?
Yes, you can drop and change your courses as often as you like up until the course changes deadline. The only exception to this is the independent supervision option, so please be sure you want to take the supervision when selecting it.
When you drop and select new courses you will have to submit your selection, otherwise the system will drop them after 48 hours.
The course I want is full!
Between January and May we release additional course places each month to give everyone a fair chance at getting a place on the course of their choice. We will let accepted students know in advance the time and date of each course place release, so you'll have plenty of opportunities to secure your preferred courses.