The Biology taster course is designed to represent the level of studies you might expect if studying a Natural Sciences degree at the University of Cambridge, “Biological and Biomedical Sciences" course, in your first year of studies (Part IA). We cover topics ranging from cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, biochemistry to physiology and neuroscience. With this quick overview of each topic, you develop skills in finding relevant information, tackling a large amount of knowledge, and developing critical thinking. We discuss what experimental techniques can be used to obtain information about cells and molecules in the current day lab. The course will also cover the latest technologies and discoveries relevant to research models and disease treatments. What to expect? Thinking and working like a real scientist!

The Engineering taster course is modelled on the content taught in the first year of an undergraduate degree in Engineering at a UK University. Starting with an introduction to the wide variety of different areas engineers may encounter, you will then explore areas such as mathematics for engineers, physics for engineers, mechanical and civil engineering, electrical engineering, aeronautical engineering and general problem solving.

The Chemistry taster course is modelled on the content taught in the first year of an undergraduate degree in Chemistry at a UK University. It is designed to give an immersive and interactive introduction to the diverse fields of Chemistry. The course consists of 8 lectures. Through interactive discussions, activities, and short homework assignments, students gain a solid foundation in Organic, Inorganic, Analytical, Biological, and Physical Chemistry.

The Physics taster course is modelled on the content taught in the first year of an undergraduate degree in Physics at a UK University. You will look closely at topics such as differentiating between scalars and vectors, Newton's Laws of Motion, and applying them to practical examples and problem-solving. You will also explore other topics such as work, energy, and power, electric fields and circuits, as well as particle physics, radioactivity, wave properties and sound waves.

The Maths taster course begins with sessions on first-year university-level linear algebra. Students learn about properties of 2x2 and 3x3 matrices and gain an intuition for how matrices represent transformations of physical systems. We define and build an intuitive understanding of eigenvalues and eigenvectors, which are crucial for studies in applied mathematics, physics, and engineering. The second part of the course builds students’ calculus skills. The primary focus is on taking existing knowledge of differentiation and integration of single-variable polynomial and trigonometric functions, and extending this into functions of two and three variables. These skills are applied to 2D and 3D problems in physics and engineering, such as finding the centre of mass of objects. As in the first part of the course, we build a visual intuition of the concepts along the way; there will be little memorisation or heavy text-based work. This is to help students understand the purpose and applications of what they are learning.