The Faculty of Human, Social, and Political Science at the University of Cambridge was created in 2011 out of a merger of the Faculty of Archaeology and Anthropology and the Faculty of Politics, Psychology, Sociology and International Studies. According to the Cambridge HSPS website: graduates pursue careers in "research (both academic and policy research), the Civil Service (including the Foreign Office), journalism, management consultancy, museums, conservation and heritage management, national and international NGOs and development agencies, the Law, teaching, publishing, health management, and public relations."[1]

Old Cavendish Laboratory,
Free School Lane

The Faculty houses four departments: the Department of Archaeology,[2] the Department of Social Anthropology,[3] the Department of Politics and International Studies[4] and the Department of Sociology.[5]
Selected members of the Faculty
editUniversity and College Teaching Officers in the HSPS Faculty
edit- Graeme Barker, Professor of Archaeology
- Henrietta Moore, William Wyse Professor of Social Anthropology
- John Thompson, sociology
- Patrick Baert, sociology
- Juliet Mitchell, gender studies
- Glen Rangwala, specialising in Middle East politics
- John Dunn, political theory
- Göran Therborn, social theory
- Sylvana Tomaselli, history
- Ruth Scurr, history
Members of the Faculty elsewhere in the University
edit- Gareth Stedman Jones, History (Political Thought)
- Alan Macfarlane, Anthropology
- Quentin Skinner, Christ's College (History of Political Thought)
- William Brown, Economics
- Marilyn Strathern, Anthropology
- Simon Baron-Cohen, Experimental Psychology
- Sandra Dawson, Management Studies (currently Chair of the Faculty Board)[6]
Applications
editColleges in Human, Social, and Political Science include Selwyn, Gonville and Caius, Queens', King's, Sidney Sussex, Corpus Christi and Trinity.[7] Typical offers for the course are A*AA at A Level, or 40–42 points out of 45 with 776 or 777 at Higher Level in the International Baccalaureate.[8]
As of 2008–2009 the MPhil in Social and Developmental Psychology received 66 applications, with 7 starting the course in October 2008. The MPhil in Modern Society and Global Transformations saw 99 applicants, with 26 starting the course in October 2008.[9]
Notable alumni
edit- Patrick Barkham, journalist[10]
- Kari Blackburn, BBC producer[11]
- Jimmy Carr, comedian[12][13]
- Jo Cox, former Labour MP for Batley and Spen (deceased)[14]
- Stella Creasy, Labour MP for Walthamstow[15]
- Natalie Evans, Leader of the House of Lords[16]
- Johann Hari, journalist[17]
- Naomie Harris, Academy Award-nominated actress[18]
- Jim Knight, Labour MP and Minister for Schools and Learners[19]
- John Healey, Labour MP and Secretary of State for Defence
- Richard Lander, director of Citywire
- Hugh Laurie, actor
- Gautam Malkani, novelist and Financial Times journalist[20]
- Chris Naylor, CEO of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham[21]
- Richard Osman, television presenter, producer and director[22]
- Helen Oyeyemi, novelist and playwright[23]
- Beth Rigby, political journalist
- Maddy Savage, BBC TV and radio reporter[24]
- Ben Schott, writer and photographer[25]
- Gavin Shuker, former Labour politician
- Galen Strawson, analytic philosopher and literary critic[26]
- Christopher Steele, former British Intelligence officer and author of the Steele Dossier[27]
- Tilda Swinton, Oscar-winning actress[28]
References
edit- ↑ "Why choose HSPS?". Cambridge University. July 2013.
- ↑ "Department of Archaeology | University of Cambridge". www.arch.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ "Department of Social Anthropology". www.socanth.cam.ac.uk.
- ↑ "Home | Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS)". www.polis.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ "Department of Sociology". www.sociology.cam.ac.uk.
- ↑ The faculty of social and political sciences
- ↑ "Undergraduate Study | University of Cambridge". www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ "HSPS leaflet". 3 July 2013.
- ↑ "Department of Sociology - Annual Report 2008-2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ↑ "MA Journalism | Student Profiles | Patrick Barkham". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2011.
- ↑ "Kari Blackburn: BBC World Service executive". The Independent. 7 May 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ Leishman, Fiona (14 August 2020). "Cambridge University's famous faces and what they studied". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ "Jimmy Carr | Tes Magazine". www.tes.com. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
- ↑ McCann, Kate; Swinford, Steven; Wilkinson, Michael (16 June 2016). "Jo Cox profile: The Yorkshire lass who achieved her 'dream' of representing her hometown in Westminster". The Telegraph.
- ↑ Housden, Martha (16 October 2004). "Why politics still matters". The Guardian. London.
- ↑ "Natalie Evans". Archived from the original on 14 July 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
- ↑ "Johann Hari - About Me". Archived from the original on 30 March 2009. Retrieved 2 April 2009.
- ↑ "Naomie Harris". IMDb.
- ↑ "BBC profile".
- ↑ "Gautam Malkani - About author". Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 15 April 2009.
- ↑ "Barking and Dagenham Council appoints a new Chief Executive". Archived from the original on 4 December 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
- ↑ "Richard Osman". IMDb.
- ↑ "Helen Oyeyemi's Books". Archived from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
- ↑ "BBC - Radio 1 News - Maddy Savage profile".
- ↑ "Benschott.com - Ben Schott - Ben Schott". Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2009.
- ↑ "GALEN JOHN STRAWSON CURRICULUM VITAE" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ↑ Mayer, Jane (5 March 2018). "Christopher Steele, the Man Behind the Trump Dossier". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ↑ Leith, William (7 March 1993). "The experience of being Tilda: Tilda Swinton has spent her career in the cutlish, shoestring end of theatre, less involved in acting than in art. If fame means giving up her own weird way of doing it, is she interested?". The Independent. London. Retrieved 2 April 2010.