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- M.St. and M.Phil. degrees
- D.Phil degree
- Visiting (“Recognised”) Students
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M.St. and M.Phil. degrees
The M.Phil. and M.St. are taught courses offering a range of options for graduates seeking a higher academic qualification in language studies and wishing to specialise in General Linguistics (including Phonetics but not Applied Linguistics), in Historical and Comparative Philology, or in the linguistics of a specific language. All candidates must work in Oxford under supervision for at least one year for the M.St., and two years for the M.Phil. Most of the teaching is done through lectures, seminars and individual tutorials.
For the M.St. and the M.Phil. students may specialize in various branches of linguistics (option B), or in the Comparative Philology of the Indo-European languages (option C), or in the History and Structure of One Language, or of Two or More Historically Related Languages (option D). In addition to the examinations chosen from those listed under B, C, or D, all students are expected to take the same written examination in Linguistic Theory (A). The regulations governing the M.St. and M.Phil. degrees, with a complete list of the various subjects which can be offered for examination, are detailed in the Graduate Handbook.
Both the one-year M.St. and the two-year M.Phil. provide firm grounding in the main areas of linguistics: phonetics, phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics, and they can both be stand-alone qualifications for further study and careers outside academia. The main difference is that the M.Phil. requires the study of a wider range of options and the completion of a substantial M.Phil. thesis (see below). It is, therefore, longer and normally the preferred pathway to D.Phil. Applying for re-admission to the D.Phil. after the M.St. is possible in principle, but the length of standard University fee liability for a Master’s course followed by D.Phil. is the same in all cases: 12 terms (see also the page on Funding). If you are in doubt which course may be more suitable, it is advisable to enquire with the Faculty via Graduate Studies Enquiries (see the page Contact).
Student background
Most students admitted to read for the M.St. or M.Phil. have some background in linguistics or philology, but few will have taken a full undergraduate course in these subjects. The backgrounds of entering students vary considerably, and the first-year curriculum is designed to bring every student to a firm general understanding of all core areas of linguistic research, whilst allowing for progress in fields of special interest. Both courses, therefore, are also suitable for applicants with an undergraduate degree in general linguistics or philology, but students who intend to progress to doctoral research are normally encouraged to apply for the M.Phil.
In their first term students preparing for the General Linguistics (B) or Selected Languages (D) options will follow a basic course consisting of lectures on syntax, semantics, phonology, phonetics (including laboratory work), and a practical class on research methods. Students in Comparative Philology (C) will also follow the basic course, while possibly taking courses specifically intended from them. In succeeding terms more specialised lectures are offered. In each term there are regular graduate seminars in General Linguistics, in Comparative Philology, in Phonetics/Phonology, and in Romance Linguistics, a number of other seminars or mixed graduate/undergraduate classes, and a Thesis Workshop in general linguistics for advanced M.Phil. students and those reading for research degrees.
Tutorials
Tutorial teaching is a distinctive feature of Oxford education, and plays an important role in the M.St. and M.Phil. programmes. Besides lecture courses and seminars, students will have individual tutorials, arranged according to their interests and the availability of teaching staff. Tutorials typically involve close reading and discussion of the student’s weekly essays on the chosen subject.
Examinations
For the M. Phil, four final examinations must be offered, of which one is on general theory and is taken by all candidates. The other three examinations must be chosen from the range of options set out below. Candidates for the M.Phil. must in addition offer a thesis of not more than 25,000 words.
The examinations set for the M.St. will be the same as those set for the M.Phil. but the number of option papers is two. Candidates for the M.St. may offer a thesis of not more than 15,000 words in lieu of one of the papers; permission to offer a M.St. thesis is subject to the approval of the topic by the Faculty Board, who must be satisfied that there is appropriate supervision available for the topic and that the student has the appropriate background to carry it out.
The schedule for the examinations to be offered for the M.Phil. and M.St. comprises:
- one general examination as indicated in A
- two or three examinations from those listed in B, C or D.
| Options | |
|---|---|
| A |
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| B |
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| C |
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| D |
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Some of the papers listed under B require background knowledge that is difficult to acquire in a single year, and M.St. students are advised to choose these papers only if they already have substantial previous training in relevant background subjects: these include Experimental Phonetics, Computational Linguistics, and the thesis option in Sociolinguistics.
The language or languages selected by candidates who wish to offer the papers listed under C should normally be ancient Indo-European languages, whilst for those listed under D the languages may be ancient (e.g. Ancient Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, Akkadian) or Modern (e.g. French, Italian, German, English, Turkish, Russian, Polish, Czech).Only languages for which teaching is available at the time may be offered.
All Master’s students take the examination in the compulsory paper A in General Linguistics at the end of the third term. All other examinations are regulary taken at the end of term for the M.St., and at the end of the sixth term for the M.Phil. though the M.Phil. thesis must be submitted at the beginning of that term. The examinations are not classified (that is, they are graded pass or fail ony) though for exceptionally good results it is possibe to obtain a distinction. For the M.Phil. the thesis is an integral part of the examination. Students who have taken the written papers for their degrees must present themselves for an oral (viva voce) examination, unless they are dispensed in advance. By Oxford convention, the results of a viva can only improve, not worsen, the candidate’s chances of success.
D.Phil. degree
The D.Phil. is an advanced research degree for qualified students who are ready to begin thesis work in General Linguistics (including Phonetics but not Applied Linguistics), in Historical and Comparative Philology and Linguistics, or in the linguistics of a specific language. Though the degree does not have a coursework requirement, D.Phil. candidates are encouraged to attend lectures and seminars in the Faculty.
Successful applicants for the D.Phil. degree who have completed an M.Phil. under the Faculty of Linguistics, Philology, and Phonetics may be admitted directly into the D.Phil. programme; they are required to spend one additional year in residence in Oxford. Candidates without an Oxford M.Phil. are expected to have a background in Linguistics comparable to the M.Phil, and successful applicants are admitted as Probationer Research Students. Probationer Research Students normally transfer to D.Phil. status in the third term of their first year at Oxford.
Examiners for the D.Phil. thesis must certify that the thesis makes a significant and substantial contribution to knowledge or understanding in the field of learning within which the subject of the thesis falls, that it demonstrates a good general knowledge of the field of learning within which the subject of the thesis falls, and that it is presented in a lucid and scholarly manner. The examiners are required to bear in mind what may reasonably be expected of a capable and diligent student after full-time study for three or at the most four years. The thesis for the D.Phil. shall not exceed 100,000 words in length.
Typical full-time postgraduate pathways to the D.Phil. degree
Abbreviations:
DPhil: Doctor of Philosophy, same as PhD elsewhere.
MPhil: Master of Philosophy: a two-year part-taught, part research degree.
MSt. Master of Studies: a nine-month taught-course Master’s degree, equivalent to MA at other universities.
PRS: Probationary Research Student — not a degree, but a stage that aspiring doctoral students go through while planning their research proposal.
| Route 1. MPhil → DPhil (“2+1” or “2+n”) | Route 2. MSt → DPhil (“1+3”) | Route 3. PRS → DPhil (“+3”) | |
| Application | For candidates with at least some background in linguistics or philology in their undergraduate degree, wanting a taught course degree with a research element appropriate to doctoral training, we advise application to the MPhil in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics. |
For candidates who already have a Bachelor’s degree in or with substantial teaching in linguistics or philology, wanting a taught course degree with a research element appropriate to doctoral training, we advise application to the MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics, “Research Preparation” Strand For candidates with less background in linguistics or philology in their undergraduate degree, wanting a taught-course degree, we advise application to the MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics, “Advanced Study” Strand. This strand is a masters-only degree and is not a suitable foundation for readmission as a DPhil student. |
Candidates who already have a Master’s degree in linguistics or philology (e.g. from another institution) may apply for admission as a Probationary Research Student. |
| Year 1 | MPhil year 1 | MSt year 1. At the end of this year you can leave (hopefully having passed the MSt exam), or apply for readmission as a Probationary Research Student. |
In Trinity Term of year 1 or Michaelmas Term of year 2, PRS students must apply for transfer to DPhil student status. |
| Year 2 | MPhil year 2. At the end of this year you can leave (hopefully having passed the MPhil exam), or apply for readmission as a DPhil student, provided that the subject of your MPhil thesis is in the broad field of research proposed for the DPhil. You may revise and incorporate your MPhil thesis (or parts of it) into your DPhil thesis. If your proposed DPhil research will be in a different area, you may be readmitted as a PRS student rather than as a confirmed DPhil student. (Move to Route 2 year 2 —>) |
PRS year. In Trinity Term of year 2 or Michaelmas Term of year 3, PRS students must apply for transfer to DPhil student status. |
(Unconfirmed) DPhil student status. Following your transfer from PRS to DPhil student status, you must keep residence and pay fees for 3 more terms. By Trinity Term, PRS students must apply for Confirmation of their DPhil student status. Confirmation should be applied for at least six months before DPhil submission. |
| Year 3 | Confirmed DPhil student status. Following the MPhil, you must keep residence in Oxford and pay fees for 3 more terms. After this, you could submit a DPhil thesis for examination. |
(Unconfirmed) DPhil student status. Following your transfer from PRS to DPhil student status, you must keep residence and pay fees for 3 more terms. By Trinity Term, PRS students must apply for Confirmation of their DPhil student status. Confirmation should be applied for at least six months before DPhil submission. |
Confirmed DPhil student status. Following Confirmation, a DPhil student may submit a thesis for examination. |
| Year 4 | Most students do not submit a thesis after only 3 years of postgraduate work, however, and may continue to work for several more terms before submitting their DPhil thesis. | Confirmed DPhil student status. Following Confirmation, a DPhil student may submit a thesis for examination. |
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| Year 5 | Even though Oxford’s examination regulations permit DPhil students to continue studying for many years, many funding bodies supporting students require them to complete their thesis within 5 years (4 years plus a “writing-up” year). | ||
| Year 6 | After 12 terms, a DPhil student who has not yet submitted a thesis may apply for extensions of up to 6 more terms (2 years) |
Recognised Students
Recognised Student status is a special status for visiting postgraduate research students. Recognised Student status can be held from one to three terms.
You must be registered with another university, and can then be admitted by a University faculty or department at Oxford to undertake research under the guidance of an Oxford academic.
If admitted, you will be allocated an Academic Advisor, who will give general advice about the research topic, but not systematic instruction, such as reading and commenting on written work, as you are expected to be sufficiently well advanced in your studies to undertake research largely unsupervised. The Advisor would normally expect to see you only two or three times each term, and would discuss the work as a colleague rather than as a teacher.
More information is available at https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/new/recognised
Additional information
The Graduate Handbook provides basic guidance for graduate students of linguistics, philology and phonetics at Oxford.It explains the procedures with which students may become involved and indicates the scope of the work required for the various degrees. It also provides more detailed guidance on the subject areas in linguistics, phonetics and philology which are currently available as options on the Master’s course, and on how the course is structured and taught. It is available on the graduate web pages along with other information about our graduate programmes.
