Honour School of Oriental Studies

Differences from 2020/21 to 2021/22

A

  • 1. The main subjects of the examination in the Honour School of Oriental Studies shall be Arabic, Chinese, Egyptology, Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Hebrew, Japanese, Jewish Studies, Persian, Sanskrit, and Turkish, together with such other subjects as may be determined by the Board of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.

  • 2. Every candidate in the examination shall be required to offer one of the main subjects listed above: candidates offering one of the above languages shall also be required to show an adequate knowledge of the literature and history of the civilization concerned, and candidates offering a history subject listed above shall also be required to show an adequate knowledge of the language concerned.

  • 3. No candidate shall be admitted to examination in this school unless they have either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 4. In the Results List issued by the examiners in the Honour School of Oriental Studies the main subject and (where appropriate) subsidiary language offered by each candidate who obtains Honours shall be indicated.

  • 5. Any candidate whose name has been placed in the Results List, upon the result of the examination in any one of the subjects mentioned in clause 1, shall be permitted to offer themself for examination in any other of the subjects mentioned in the same clause at the examination in either the next year or the next year but one, provided always that they have not exceeded six terms from the date on which they first obtained Honours in a Final Honour School, and provided that no such candidate shall offer any of the main subjects already offered by them in the School of Oriental Studies.

  • 6. The examination in this school shall be under the supervision of the Board of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, which shall make regulations concerning it subject always to the preceding clauses of this sub-section.

B

  • 1. Teaching for some option subjects and languages may not be available in every academic year
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  • 2. Candidates, except in the case of Arabic, proposing to offer a Special Subject not included in the lists below must obtain the approval of the board both for their subject and for the treatises or documents (if any) which they propose to offer with it. Except in the case of Arabic, Chinese and Japanese, if the candidate so desires and the Board of the Faculty thinks it appropriate, such a Special Subject may be examined in the form of a dissertation.
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  • 3. Dissertations must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by 12 noon on the Friday of Week 10, Hilary Term of the final year of the Honour School. Dissertations previously submitted for the Honour School of Oriental Studies may be resubmitted. No dissertation will be accepted if it has already been submitted, wholly or substantially, for another Honour School or degree of this University, or for a degree of any other institution. The dissertation shall not exceed 15,000 words. 
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  • 4. Oral examinations for Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew (Course II), Japanese, Persian, and Turkish will be held in early Trinity term in the final year of the Honour School.

Regulations Concerning Individual Subjects

  • 5. The subjects of the school are arranged below in two sections: (i) main subjects; (ii) subsidiary languages. 
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  • 6. Candidates taking Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Japanese, Persian or Turkish as their main subject may take a subsidiary language as specified below.
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  • 7. Candidates taking Sanskrit must take a subsidiary language as specified below.
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  • 8. Candidates taking Egyptology or Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies must take either a subsidiary language or Archaeology and Anthropology as specified below.
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  • 9. No candidate shall be admitted to examination in any of these schools unless they have either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination. 
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  • 10. Candidates taking Arabic or Turkish or Persian as their main subject will be required to spend a period of at least one academic year on an approved course of language study in the Middle East.
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  • 11. Candidates taking Chinese or Japanese as their main subject are required to spend a period of at least one academic year on an approved course of language study in East Asia.
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  • 12. Candidates taking Hebrew shall take either Course I or Course II. Candidates taking Hebrew Course II as their main subject will be required to spend a period of at least one academic year on an approved course of study in Israel.
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  • 13. Candidates may be examined viva voce.

Main Subjects

Arabic

Either, for Arabic and Islamic Studies

  • 1. Arabic unprepared translation into English and comprehension.

    2. Composition in Arabic.

    3. Oral

    4. Arabic literature.

    5. Islamic history, 570-1500.

    6. Islamic religion.

    7. A Further Subject, taught in Year 3, chosen from a list published in the course handbook.

    8. and 9. A Special Subject taught in Year 4 (to be examined in two papers), chosen from a list published in the course handbook.

  • Special Subjects will be examined by means of a timed paper, and by means of an extended essay. The extended essay shall not exceed 6,000 words and shall be on a topic or theme selected by the candidate from a question paper published by the examiners on Friday of week 4 of Michaelmas term of year 4. Essays must be submitted by 12 noon on Friday of  week 0 of Hilary term of year 4. 
  • 10. A dissertation.

or, for Arabic with a Subsidiary Language, Papers 1-6 and 10 above and 11, 12, 13: three papers from one of the approved subsidiary languages as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. The papers required for each subsidiary language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language.

Chinese

Either, for Chinese only,

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Modern Chinese I.

  • 2. Modern Chinese II.

  • 3. Oral

  • 4. Classical I.

  • 5. Classical II.

  • 6. Modern China.

  • 7. Dissertation on a subject approved by the Board of the Faculty. This will be in the same area as that chosen in Special Options I or II or Linguistics (if available). 

  • 8. Special Option I: Texts and Essays

  • 9. Special Option II: Texts and Essays

  • 10. Special Option III: Extended Essay

Or Chinese with a subsidiary language

Papers 1-7 above and three papers from one of the approved subsidiary languages as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. The papers required for each subsidiary language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language. 

Egyptology, Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies (language track)

Candidates must take both a first language and a second language. 

Candidates must take either Egyptian (Egyptology) or Akkadian (Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies) as a first language. 

Candidates must take one of the approved languages as a second language, as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. 

Candidates must take ten papers as set out in (a), (b) and (c) below: 

(a) Candidates must take all of the following papers in the first language: 

  1. Translation Pape
  2. Prepared Texts
  3. Text Edition Essay: a submitted essay (take-home paper). 

(b) Candidates must take the following papers: 
       4. A Special Option, to be chosen from a list of topics published at the beginning of Michaelmas Term each year by the Subject Group for examination in the following academic year. Candidates may instead propose their own Special Option, which must be approved by the Subject Group in Michaelmas Term of the candidate's final year.

      5. Selected Egyptian and/or Ancient Near Eastern artefacts together with essay questions on material culture. 

      6. A General Paper on either Ancient Near Eastern Studies or Egyptology.

      7. A dissertation on a topic to be approved by the Subject Group, of a different character from the topic chosen for paper 4 (the topic will typically relate to the first language but could relate to the second language or Archaeology and Anthropology or to an area of overlap). 

Instead of either paper 4 or paper 7 candidates offering Egyptian as first language may optionally choose to substitute: 

  1. Egyptian Art and Architecture. Selection of this paper is subject to approval by the Subject Group.

(c) Candidates must take three papers for their second language. The papers required for the second language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language.  

Egyptology, and Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies  (Archaeology and Anthropology track) 

Candidates must take papers 1–7 (or 8) as given for Egyptology, and Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies (language track) above and the following three papers: 

  1. The Nature of Archaeological and Anthropological Enquiry.
  2. Either (a) Urbanism and Society or (b) From Hunting and Gathering to States and Empires in South-West Asia
  3. Either (a) Social Analysis and Interpretation or (b) Cultural Representations, Beliefs, and Practices. 

Candidates will be required to undertake a course of practical work, including laboratory work. They will be assessed, by the end of the second year of their course, on their practical ability, under the provisions for Honour Moderations in Archaeology and Anthropology. They will also be required to take part in approved fieldwork as an integral part of their course. The fieldwork requirement will normally have been discharged before the end of the second year of the course. 

Hebrew

Either, for Hebrew only,

Candidates for Course I will be required to offer seven papers and a dissertation. Candidates for Course II will be required to offer seven papers and a dissertation, and an oral examination.

  • 1. (for Course I): Hebrew composition and unprepared translation.

    (for Course II): Essay in modern Hebrew and unprepared translation.

    2. Prepared texts I: Biblical texts.

    3. Prepared texts II: Rabbinic and Medieval Hebrew texts.

    4. Prepared texts III: Modern Hebrew literature.

    5.  History, Culture and Society.

    6. and 7. Two option papers of which at least one must be chosen from any of sections I, II, and III as published in the Jewish Studies course handbook. Not more than one paper from Section V of the Jewish Studies course handbook..

    8. Dissertation 

    9. (for Course II) Oral.

Or, for Hebrew with a subsidiary language, Papers 1-4 and 8 above, and three papers from one of the approved subsidiary languages as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. The papers required for each subsidiary language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language.

Japanese

Either, for Japanese only,

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Modern Japanese I.

  • 2. Modern Japanese II.

  • 3. Oral.

  • 4. Classical Japanese.

  • 5. Dissertation on a subject approved by the Board of the Faculty.

  • 6. Special text option I.

  • 7. Special subject option I.

  • 8. Special text option II.

  • 9. Special subject option II.

  • 10. Either Special Text option III or Special subject option III.

Or, for Japanese with a subsidiary language, Papers 1-7 above three papers from one of the approved subsidiary languages as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. The papers required for each subsidiary language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language. 

Jewish Studies

Candidates must take the following papers:

1. One paper on one of the following languages: Biblical and Rabbinic, Medieval Hebrew, Modern Hebrew or Yiddish.  Papers for Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew, Medieval Hebrew and Modern Hebrew are the same papers for subsidiary languages under Hebrew a(1), (b)1 and (c)1 as given below under Subsidiary Languages.  

2. History, Culture and Society 

3.- 7. Five options, of which at least one must be chosen from each of sections I, II, and III as published in the course handbook. At least three must be chosen from papers which require study of set texts in the original language. Not more than one paper may be chosen from section V as published in the course handbook.  

Papers in section V will be examined in the form of two essays not exceeding 5,000 words in total. The subjects will be published at 10 a.m. on Monday of week 2 of the Trinity term in the final year of the Honour School, and must be submitted no later than 12 noon on Monday of week 3 of the same term.  

A Special Subject may be offered instead of one of the five options subject to the approval of the Asian and Middle Eastern Studies Board. 

8. A dissertation  

Persian

The following papers will be set. Candidates will be required to take ten papers.

Either, for Persian only,

  • 1. Unprepared translation from Persian.

  • 2. Translation into Persian and essay

  • 3. Oral.

  • 4. Persian literature: 1000 – 1400

  • 5. Persian literature: 1400 – 1900

  • 6. Persian literature: 1900 – the present

  • 7. Themes in Iranian history

  • 8. and 9. Option subjects in Iranian and Middle Eastern History and Culture. The list of available option subjects will be available in the Course Handbook

  • 10. Dissertation

or, for Persian with a subsidiary language,

(a) Papers 1., 2., 3., 7., and 10. as given for Persian above  

(b) Two papers from a choice of papers 4., 5., and 6 as given for Persian above 

(c) Three papers from one of the approved subsidiary languages as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. The papers required for each subsidiary language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language. 

Sanskrit

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Sanskrit unprepared translation.

  • 2. Essay questions on classical Indian literature, history and culture.

    3. Ancient Indian linguistics.

    4. The historical philology of Old Indo-Aryan.

  • 5. Chosen area of Sanskrit studies. Chosen area to be approved by the Subject Group. 

  • 6. A special subject as approved by the Subject Group.

  • 7. Dissertation.

  • 8., 9., 10. Three papers on one of the approved subsidiary languages as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. The papers required for each subsidiary language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language. 

Turkish

The following papers will be set:

Either, for Turkish only,

  • 1. Unprepared translation from Ottoman and modern Turkish.

  • 2. Translation into Turkish and essay in Turkish.

  • 3. Oral.

  • 4. Ottoman historical texts.

  • 5. Turkish political and cultural texts, 1860 to the present.

  • 6. Modern Turkish literary texts.

  • 7., 8., 9. Three papers from a list of options published in the course handbook.

  • 10.  A dissertation.

or, for Turkish with a subsidiary language, Papers 1-6 and 10 above and three papers from one of the approved subsidiary languages as listed in the Table at the end of these regulations. The papers required for each subsidiary language are listed below under the relevant subsidiary language. 

Subsidiary Languages 

Akkadian

The following papers will be set:

1. Translation paper. 

2. Prepared texts.

3. Text edition essay: a submitted essay (take-home paper).

Instead of either paper 2 or paper 3, candidates may offer one of papers 4, 5, 6, or 7 as specified (Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies) above. Any such substitution will be subject to the approval of the Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies Subject Group.

Arabic

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Arabic prose composition and unprepared translation.

  • 2. Additional Arabic: literary texts.

    Selected classical and modern Arabic prose.

  • 3. Additional Arabic: Islamic texts.

    Selected Arabic religious texts.

    Papers 2 and 3 may contain general and linguistic questions.

Aramaic and Syriac

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Syriac prose composition and Aramaic and Syriac unprepared translation.

  • 2. Aramaic prepared texts.

  • 3. Syriac prepared texts.

    Papers 2 and 3 may contain general and grammatical questions.

Armenian

The following papers will be set:

either

A. Classical Armenian

  • 1. Classical Armenian prose composition and unprepared translation.

  • 2. Prepared religious texts.

  • 3. Prepared historical and other texts.

or

B. Modern Armenian

  • 1. Modern Armenian prose composition and unprepared translation.

  • 2. Prepared texts from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries.

  • 3. Prepared texts from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Papers 2 and 3 will include questions on the subject-matter and grammar of the texts offered, and Paper 3 will also include questions on Armenian language, literature, and history.

Chinese

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Chinese Prescribed Texts. (Lists of texts will be available in the course handbook.)

  • 2. Either (a) Unprepared translation and prose composition, or (b) Classical Chinese. 

  • 3. History and Culture of China.

Coptic

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Translation paper (Coptic).

  • 2. Prepared texts (Coptic).

  • 3. Text edition essay (Coptic): a submitted essay (take-home paper).

Early Iranian

Candidates must take three papers from those listed below with at least one but no more than two from group (a).

(a) Old and Middle Iranian Language

  • 1. Avestan texts

  • 2. Old Persian texts

  • 3. Middle Persian texts

(b) Religion and Philology of Ancient and Late Antique Iran

  • 4. Zoroastrianism

  • 5. Indo-Iranian Philology

(c) History of Ancient and Late Antique Iran

  • 6. The Achaemenid Empire, 550-330 BC

  • 7. The Sasanian Empire, 224-651 AD

(d) Early Iranian Texts and Topics:

  • 8. Texts and Topics

For paper 8, candidates will choose two of the subjects 1 to 7 above. Candidates may not choose under (d) a subject which they are also offering from groups (a)-(c), and in addition may not choose under (d) a subject from group (a) if they are already offering two subjects from group (a).

Egyptian 

The following papers will be set:

1. Translation paper.

2. Prepared texts.

3. Text edition essay: a submitted essay (take-home paper).

Instead of either paper 2 or paper 3, candidates may offer one of papers 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 as specified (Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies) above. Any such substitution will be subject to the approval of the Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies Subject Group.

Hebrew

Candidates taking Arabic, Persian or Turkish may offer either (a) Biblical and Rabbinic or (b) Medieval or (c) Modern Hebrew. Candidates taking Egyptology may offer only Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew. 

The following papers will be set:

  • (a) Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew:

  • 1. Prose composition and unprepared translation.

  • 2. Prepared texts I: Biblical texts.

  • 3. Prepared texts II: Rabbinic texts.

    Papers 2 and 3 may contain general and grammatical questions.

    (b) Medieval Hebrew:

  • 1. Unprepared translation.

  • 2. Prepared texts I.

  • 3. Prepared texts II.

    Papers 2 and 3 may contain general and grammatical questions.

  • (c) Modern Hebrew:

  • 1. Prose composition and unprepared translation.

  • 2. Prepared texts I.

  • 3. Prepared texts II.

Papers 2 and 3 may contain general and grammatical questions.

Hindi

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Hindi unprepared translation.

  • 2. Hindi prepared texts.

  • 3. Questions on Hindi language and literature. 

Hindi/Urdu

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Hindi and Urdu prose composition and unprepared translation;

  • 2. Hindi prepared texts with questions on language and literature;

  • 3. Urdu prepared texts with questions on language and literature.

Japanese

The following papers will be set:

  1. Japanese texts
  2. Japanese History and Culture
  3. Japanese Language

Korean

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Korean texts.

  • 2. Korean History and Culture.

  • 3. Korean Language.

Pali and Prakrit

The following papers will be set:

1. Unprepared translation from Pali and/or Prakrit literature.

2. Prepared texts.

3. Questions on Middle Indic language, literature, and culture.

Persian

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Persian Language.

  • 2. Pre-Modern Persian Literature.

  • 3. Modern Persian Literature.

Sanskrit

The following papers will be set:

  1. Sanskrit unprepared translation.

  2. Sanskrit prepared texts.

  3. Essay questions on classical Indian, literature, history, and culture.

Sumerian

The following papers will be set:

1. Translation paper.

2. Prepared texts

3. Text edition essay: a submitted essay (take-home paper).

Tibetan

  • 1. Tibetan prose composition and unprepared translation.

  • 2. Prepared texts, with questions.

  • 3. Questions on Tibetan culture and history.

Turkish

The following papers will be set:

  • 1. Turkish prose composition and unprepared translation.

  • 2. Either (a) Additional Turkish: Late Ottoman and modern Turkish literary texts.

Or (b) Additional Turkish: Modern Turkish literary texts:

  • 3. Either (a) Additional Turkish: Political and cultural texts, 1860 to the present.
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  • Or (b) Additional Turkish: Political and cultural texts, 1920 to the present.

Table of permitted combinations 

Main subject  

Language options  

Arabic  

Akkadian  

Aramaic and Syriac  

Classical or Modern Armenian  

Biblical and Rabbinic, Medieval, or Modern Hebrew   

Early Iranian  

Hindi/Urdu  

Persian  

Turkish  

Chinese  

Japanese  

Korean  

Sanskrit  

Tibetan  

Egyptology 

Akkadian 

Arabic 

Aramaic and Syriac 

Early Iranian 

Coptic 

Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew  

Hittite 

Sumerian 

Egyptology and Ancient Near Eastern Studies   

Arabic 

Aramaic and Syriac 

Early Iranian 

Egyptian 

Coptic 

Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew  

Hittite 

Sumerian 

Hebrew  

Akkadian  

Arabic  

Aramaic and Syriac  

Egyptian  

Persian  

Turkish  

Japanese  

Chinese  

Korean  

Tibetan  

Persian  

Arabic  

Aramaic and Syriac  

Classical or Modern Armenian  

Early Iranian  

Hebrew  

Hindi/Urdu  

Turkish  

Sanskrit  

Early Iranian   

Hindi 

Persian  

Pali   

Prakrit  

Tibetan  

Turkish  

Arabic  

Classical or Modern Armenian  

Early Iranian  

Hebrew  

Hindi/Urdu  

Persian