General Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Philosophy or Master of Philosophy

Differences from 2016/17 to 2021/22

§1. Degrees of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy

(These regulations do not apply to the MPhil in Law or the MPhil in Socio-Legal Research. For the regulations for these degrees see the Regulations for the Degrees of Master of Philosophy in Law and Master of Philosophy in Socio-Legal Research.)

  • 1. Any person who has kept six terms of statutory residence after admission as a student for the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy (or, in the case of a Student for any of the Degrees of Doctor of Philosophy, Master of Science by Research, Master of Letters, Master of Science by Coursework or Master of Studies who has transferred to the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy, after his or her admission as a Student for one of these degrees), and who has satisfied the examiners in one of the examinations hereinafter provided may supplicate for the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy as appropriate; provided that the board or other authority specified in cl. 3 of §2 below may dispense a student on application through his or her college and with the support of his or her supervisor from not more than two terms of such statutory residence if he or she has been granted leave to pursue his or her course of study at some other place than Oxford for those terms under the provisions of cl. 2(c) of §3 hereof.

  • 2. A Student for the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy who is not a graduate of the University may wear the same gown as that worn by Students for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

§2. Examinations for the Degrees of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy

  • 1. For the Degree of Bachelor of Philosophy there shall be an examination in Philosophy.

    For the Degree of Master of Philosophy there shall be examinations in Archaeology, Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management, Celtic Studies, Classical Archaeology, Comparative Social Policy, Criminology and Criminal Justice, Development Studies, Eastern Christian Studies, Economic and Social History, Economics, English Studies (Medieval Period), Environmental Change and Management, Evidence-Based Social Intervention, General Linguistics and Comparative Philology, Global and Area Studies, Greek and Latin Languages and Literature, Greek and/or Roman History, History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, International Relations, Japanese Studies, Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World, Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, Latin American Studies, Medical Anthropology, Modern British and European History, Modern JapaneseChinese Studies, Modern Languages, Music, Nature, Science, and Environmental Governance, Oriental Studies, Philosophical Theology, Politics (Comparative Government, Political Theory, European Politics and Society), Russian and East European Studies, Slavonic Studies, Social Anthropology, Sociology, Theology, Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology, Water Science, Policy and Management, and such other subjects as the University may hereafter determine.

  • 2. There shall be a Register of students who are studying for the Degrees of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy which shall be entitled the Register of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy Students and the University may from time to time determine by decree the conditions of admission to the Register.

  • 3. Subject to such regulations as the University may make under the provisions of cl. 2, any person who has obtained permission from the board concerned (or other authority as hereinafter specified) may enter for the examinations as follows. The bodies specified below shall be responsible for the examinations as listed.

  • Archaeology—Social Sciences

  • Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management—Social Sciences

  • British and European History, from 1500 to the present—History

    Celtic Studies—Modern Languages

    Classical Archaeology—Social Sciences

    Comparative Social Policy—Social Sciences

    Criminology and Criminal Justice—Social Sciences

    Development Studies—International Development, Queen Elizabeth House

    Eastern Christian Studies—Oriental Studies and Theology

    Economic and Social History—History

    Economics—Social Sciences

    English Studies (Medieval Period)—English Language and Literature

  • Environmental Change and Management—Social Sciences

    Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation—Social Sciences

    General LinguisticsGlobal and ComparativeArea PhilologyStudiesLinguistics,Social Philology and Phonetics

    Sciences
  • Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature—Classics

    Greek and/or Roman History—Classics

  • History—History
  • History of Science, Medicine, and Technology—History

    International Relations—Social Sciences

  • Japanese Studies—Social Sciences

    Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World—Oriental Studies and Theology

    Late Antique and Byzantine Studies—Classics and History

    Latin American Studies—Social Sciences

    Law—Law (see Section 18 : Regulations for Degrees in Civil Law and for the Degrees of MagisterMaster Jurisof Philosophy in Law and Master of Philosophy in LawSocio-Legal Research)

  • Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics—Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics
  • Medical Anthropology—Social Sciences

    Modern JapaneseChinese Studies—Social Sciences

    Modern Languages—Modern Languages

  • Modern South Asian Studies—Social Sciences 
  • Music—Music

  • Nature, Society, and Environmental Governance—Social Sciences

    Oriental Studies—Oriental Studies

    Philosophical Theology—Theology

    Philosophy (Bachelor of Philosophy)—Philosophy

    Politics (Comparative Government, Political Theory, European Politics and Society)—Social Sciences

    Russian and East European Studies—Social Sciences

    Slavonic Studies—Modern Languages

    Social Anthropology—Social Sciences

  • Socio-Legal Research – Law (see Regulations for the Degrees of Master of Philosophy in Law and Master of Philosophy in Socio-Legal Research)

    Sociology and Demography—Social Sciences

    Theology—Theology

    Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology—Social Sciences

  • Water Science, Policy and Management—Social Sciences

    The subjects of each examination shall be determined by regulation of the board or other authority concerned, which shall have power to include therein a thesis written by the candidate on a subject approved by the board or other authority or by a person or persons to whom the board or other authority may delegate the function of giving such approval. The thesis submitted shall be wholly or substantially the result of work undertaken while a candidate is studying for the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy, except that a candidate may make application for dispensation from this requirement to the Education Committee not later than the fourth term after his or her admission to the Register of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy Students.

  • 4. Final examination marks shall be released to candidates at the conclusion of the examination. Exceptions to this may be made where assessment takes place throughout the course. In such cases, examination boards must meet formally, with all members present, at interim points in the year in order to agree final marks for specified assessment components. Marks released as final marks may not subsequently be amended without permission of the Proctors.

  • 5. A candidate who has failed to satisfy the examiners in any one of the examinations for the Degrees of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy may enter again for that examination on one (but not more than one) subsequent occasion.  Unless the special regulations for the examination specify otherwise, this resit attempt shall normally be taken at the next opportunity, but may be deferred once, i.e. it must be taken at one of the next two opportunities. No candidate who has satisfied the examiners in any one of the examinations for the Degrees of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy may enter again for that same examination.
  • 6.  The examiners may award a merit for work of particularly high quality in the whole examination or a distinction for excellence in the whole examination. Candidates who have initially failed any element of assessment shall not normally be eligible for the award of merit or distinction.

§3. Admission of Candidates

  • 1. The Registrar shall keep a Register of students who are studying for the Degrees of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy. The Register shall be entitled the Register of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy Students.

  • 2. No candidate for the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy shall be admitted to the examination for the degree unless

    • (a) he or she has applied through the Head or a tutor of his or her college to the Registrar to have his or her name entered by the appropriate board or other authority on the Register of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy Students;

    • (b) his or her name shall have been kept on the Register for at least six terms inclusive of the term in which it was placed on the Register;

    • (c) he or she shall have pursued his or her course of study at Oxford for not less than six terms, except that the board or other authority concerned may grant him or her leave of absence for up to two of these terms if it is desirable in the interests of his or her work that he or she should be allowed to pursue his or her studies at some other place; time spent outside Oxford during term as part of an academic programme approved by Council shall count towards residence for the purpose of this clause:

      Provided that

      • (i) a graduate may be admitted to the examination after his or her name has been on the Register and he or she has pursued his or her course of study at Oxford for only four or five terms if he or she has been given leave by the appropriate board or other authority to enter for the examination;

      • (ii) a Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Student for the Degree of Master of Letters or Student for the Degree of Master of Studies or a Diploma Student may apply through his or her college to the appropriate board or other authority for the transference of his or her name to the Register of Students for the Degrees of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy and, if it is transferred, the number of terms he or she held the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy or Student for the Degree of Master of Letters or Student for the Degree of Master of Studies or Diploma Student shall be reckoned for the purpose of this clause.

  • 3. No person shall attend seminars or advanced classes for Bachelor or Master of Philosophy Students unless his or her name is on the Register of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy Students; provided that the holder of a seminar or advanced class may give leave to a person who is not studying for the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy to attend his or her seminar or advanced class.

  • 4. Any person shall be entitled to have his name entered on the Register of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy Students if he or she has obtained permission from the appropriate faculty board or other authority under the provisions of the appropriate regulation, provided he or she has matriculated as a member of the University.

  • 5. The name of any Bachelor and Master of Philosophy Student may be removed from the Register by the body which entered it.

  • 6. No name shall remain on the Register for more than twelve terms in all.

  • 7. A Student for the Degree of Master of Philosophy shall cease to hold that status if:

    • (i) he or she shall have been refused permission to supplicate for the Degree of Master of Philosophy;

    • (ii) the board concerned shall, in accordance with provisions set down by regulation by the Education Committee, and after consultation with the student's society and supervisor, have deprived the student of such status;

    • (iii) he or she shall have been transferred under the relevant provisions to another status;

    • (iv) he or she shall not have entered for the relevant examination within the time specified under this subsection.

§4. Supervision of Students for the Degrees

  • 1. Any board or other authority having power to make regulations for the subjects for the Degrees of Bachelor and Master of Philosophy may place a student for those degrees under the supervision of a graduate member of the University or other competent person selected by it, and it shall have power, for sufficient reason, to change the supervisor of any student. If a student requires special supervision in some branch of his or her studies, the supervisor may give this himself or herself or, with the approval of the board or other authority concerned, arrange for it to be given by some other person or persons.

  • 2. A supervisor shall send a report on the progress of a student to the board at the end of each term (excepting the term in which the student is admitted to the examination) and at any other time when the board so requires or he or she deems it expedient. The supervisor shall communicate the contents of the report to the student on each occasion that a report is made, so that the student is aware of the supervisor's assessment of his or her work during the period in question. In addition he or she shall inform the board if he or she is of the opinion that a student is unlikely to reach the standard required for the Degree of Bachelor or Master of Philosophy.

§5. Examination Regulations

  •  

  •  1. Preparation and dispatch of B.Phil. and M.Phil. theses

  • The theses (two copies) must be typewritten and sent to the Chair of the Examiners for the Degree of B.Phil. [or M.Phil.], c/o the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, at least fourteen days before the first day of the examination, except where stated otherwise in the particular regulations for individual courses in the following pages.

    The parcel should bear the words ‘B.PHIL. [or M.PHIL.] THESIS IN [here insert subject]’ in BLOCK CAPITALS in the bottom left-hand corner. The thesis must be printed or typed with a margin of 3 to 3.5 cms on the left-hand edge of each page (or on the inner edge, whether left-hand or right-hand, in the case of a thesis which is printed on both sides of the paper). Loose-leaf binding is not acceptable.

  •  2. Deposit of theses or dissertations in a university library

    If the examiners are satisfied that the candidate's thesis or dissertation, as submitted, is of sufficient merit but they consider, nevertheless, that before the thesis is deposited in a university library the candidate should make minor corrections, they may require the candidate to correct the thesis to their satisfaction. The library copy of the thesis must be hard bound.

  •   3.  Submission of theses, dissertations and other material

    Except where otherwise indicated, all material submitted for examination (dissertations, extended essays, etc) shall be accompanied by a statement signed by the candidate indicating that it is the candidate's own work, except where otherwise specified. This statement must be submitted separately in a sealed envelope addressed to the chair of examiners of the degree course in question.