Exeter Prospectus - Exeter College

Individual Undergraduate SubjectsPlease refer tothe UniversityWebsite www.ox.ac.uk underthe departmentsfor any courseupdates.Qian Zhongshu,Chinese author andscholar, spent twoyears at Exeter in 1935-37, where he obtaineda B.Litt. After theCultural Revolution,Qian returned toresearch. Guan ZhuiBian, a voluminoussurvey of Chineseliterature, occupied adecade of his life. Hislater novel FortressBesieged introducedhim to a wider public.Fortress Besiegedbecame a best-sellerwhen it was adaptedinto a TV serial in 1990.BiochemistryTutor: Dr Maureen TaylorThe CourseThe four-year course at Oxford providestraining in both theoretical and experimentalaspects of Biochemistry. The first yearprovides the essential background for therest of the course. The main subjects ofthe first year are Molecular Cell Biology,Biophysical Chemistry, Biological Chemistry,Mathematics and Statistics, and OrganicChemistry. ‘Prelim’ Examinations are takenat the end of this year. In the second andthird years, students work from currentresearch journals to gain detailed up-to-dateunderstanding of all aspects of Biochemistry.There are two sets of Final examinations.Part I Examinations are taken at the endof the third year. In the final year, studentschoose special options and undertake aterm’s research project as part of Part IIExaminations. For more details of theBiochemistry course see the Department ofBiochemistry’s website www.bioch.ox.ac.ukand the University Prospectus. The ExeterBiochemistry tutor endeavours to findsummer vacation jobs in research laboratoriesfor students in their second year.CareersThe Biochemistry course at Oxford isexcellent preparation for a variety of careers.Many graduates go on to take a higher degreein preparation for a career in academic orindustrial research. Other popular careerchoices include finance, patent law, medicineand teaching.AdmissionThe College admits five Biochemistryundergraduates per year. Prospectivecandidates must have, or be expected toobtain, A-level grade A (or equivalentqualification) in Chemistry and two othersubjects including one science, preferablyBiology or Physics, or Maths.ChemistryTutor: Dr Simon ClarkeLecturers: Dr Nick GreenMr Kenneth LingThe CourseThe core Chemistry course covers a widerange of connected topics in Inorganic,Organic and Physical Chemistry. In the firstyear, there is also a dedicated Maths coursethat covers all the topics required to followthe Chemistry course. There are examinationson the course material at the end of each year.The examinations at the end of the secondyear (Part IA) and the third year (Part IB)count towards the final degree classification.In addition, a subsidiary subject may bestudied in the second year, allowing certainspecific topics to be studied in greater depth.The College provides the tutorial workassociated with Part I of the course. Thevarious lectures and practical courses areorganised within the Chemistry Faculty. Thefinal, and for many the most exciting, year isdevoted to Part II, which is a research projectcarried out in a laboratory of the student’schoice. The Part II results are presented in theform of a dissertation and are also assessed bya viva examination.The College has tutors in all three branchesof the subject, one of whom is also a Fellowof the College. Dr Simon Clarke is Tutorin Inorganic Chemistry. His research is insolid state chemistry including the synthesisand characterisation of magnetic materials,superconductors and battery materials.CareersChemistry is a mainstream science subject,which continues to make importantcontributions to technology in a rapidlychanging world. A degree in Chemistry isa training that allows graduates to enter awide variety of professions. Most Chemistsparticularly enjoy their Part II research yearand this is reflected in the large proportionwho choose to study for a higher degree.AdmissionThere are about six places each year forundergraduates wishing to read Chemistry.The most suitable A-level qualificationsare Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physicsor Biology. Candidates without A-levelMathematics may find that their applicationis uncompetitive; they must at least advancetheir knowledge beyond GCSE level, and theyare advised to contact the College to discoverwhat A-level topics they should cover.ClassicsTutors: Professor Gregory HutchinsonMr Robin Lane FoxThe CourseThe contents of the Classics courses andof the joint courses are outlined in theUniversity prospectus, and on the ClassicsDepartment website (http://www.classics.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate/courses.html).The tutor for the bulk of the first half of thecourse, and for the Literature options in thesecond half, is Professor Gregory Hutchinson.He has written books on Greek lyric poetry,Aeschylus, Hellenistic poetry, Cicero’s letters,Propertius, and ‘Silver’ Latin Literature, andancient poetry-books. The tutor for AncientHistory is Mr Robin Lane Fox, who is sharedbetween Exeter and New College. He is aReader in Ancient History; he has writtenbooks on Alexander the Great and paganismand Christianity, and a best-selling history ofthe classical world from Homer to Hadrian.While classicists at Exeter have much contactwith other senior members of the University,particular care is taken that they shouldreceive sufficient teaching in College to ensurecontinuous supervision of their development,and a sense of coherence amid the excitingvariety of their course.A corner of the LibraryThe choir at the top of the Tower on Ascension Day4An Earth Sciences class5