Master of Studies in Modern Languages

Differences from 2015/16 to 2021/22

  • 1. Candidates must follow a Programme chosen from those listed in the ‘‘Handbook for Taught-Course Graduate Students’’.

    In order to gain admission to the course, applicants must show evidence of linguistic ability compatible with advanced literary study in the language(s) chosen to study. Comparative Literature candidates shall not be required to have reading fluency in more than two languages other than English. Unless otherwise stated, candidates will be expected to write in English unless explicit permission is obtained to write in the language (or one of the languages) studied. In the case of Comparative Literature candidates, writing in more than one language in addition to English will not be authorised.

    All candidates must follow a course of instruction in Modern Languages at Oxford for a period of three terms, unless the Board of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages in exceptional circumstances shall permit an extension of time, and candidates shall, when entering their name for the examination, be required to produce from their society a certificate stating that they are following the course of instruction for the period prescribed.

  • 2. All candidates shall be required:

    • (a) To offer A, B, C, and D as defined in 3 below.

    • (b) To present themselves for viva voce examination at the time appointed by the examiners.

  • 3. The examination shall consist of the following:

  • (A) EitherOne of the following options:

    • (i) LiteraryKey Theory.Questions Allin candidatesCritical mustThought

    • (ii) attendSpaces suchof lecturesComparison

    • (iii) History of Ideas in Germany from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Century

    • (iv) Palaeography, seminars, and classes as their course convener shall determine. All candidates must present one seminar paper during their course, and submit a written essay based on some aspectHistory of the workBook doneand forDigital Humanities

    Candidates are required to submit an essay on one of the seminar.options Thisabove essay shall be written in English and must beof between 5,000 and 7,000 words in lengthtotal.

  • The Candidatesessays mustshould submitbe threeformatted typedand copiessubmitted ofelectronically theiras essayspecified toin the Headcourse of Examinations and Assessments, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxfordhandbook, by noon on Thursday of tenthWeek week10 of Hilary Term. 

  • Each copy must have a cover sheet giving the candidate's name, college, the title of the essay, the name of the candidate's supervisor, and the words 'Literary Theory, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the M.St. in Modern Languages'.

  • Or

    • (ii) History of Ideas in Germany from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Centuries. All candidates must attend such lectures, seminars, and classes as their course convener shall determine. All candidates must present one seminar paper during their course, and submit a written essay based on some aspect of the work done for the seminar. This essay may be written in English or German and must be between 5,000 and 7,000 words in length. Candidates must submit three typed copies to the Head of Examinations and Assessments, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, by noon on Thursday of tenth week of Hilary Term. Each copy must have a cover sheet giving the candidate's name, college, the title of the essay,'method' the name of the candidate's supervisor, and the words 'History of Ideas in Germany,option submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the M.St. in Modern Languages'.

  • Or

    • (iii) Each candidate shall be required to offer either, (1) the History of the Book, or (2) Palaeography with Textual Criticism. Candidates will be examined on one or two essays on topics agreed by them with the course convener relating either to the history of the book (for (1)) or to palaeography with textual criticism (for (2)). The essay or essays should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words in total. Candidates must submit three typed copies to the Head of Examinations and Assessments, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, by noon on Thursday of tenth week of Hilary Term. Each copy must have a cover sheet giving the candidate’s name, college, the title of the essay, the name of the candidate’s supervisor, and the words ‘History of the Book/Palaeography with Textual Criticism [either/or], submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the M.St. in Modern Languages’. For (2), candidates will in addition be required to undertake a practical transcription test, made without reference to dictionaries or handbooks, on a short manuscript text selected by the course convener, who will also mark, sign, and date the candidate's work. The test should take place by the end of the fourth week of the Trinity Term in which the examination is to be taken.

  • Or

    • (iv) A methodological essay of between 5,000 and 7,000 words in length on a topic or issue related to one of the candidate's Special Subjects or dissertation. It might consist, for example, of a theoretical discussion of the candidate's approach to the material being studied, or a detailed analysis of existing approaches. If candidates choose this option, they will also be expected to attend a set of seminars in (i) or (ii) above, or a set of tutorials in (iii), and to make a presentation. Candidates must submit three copies to the Head of Examinations and Assessments, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, by noon on Thursday of tenth week of Hilary Term. Each copy must have a cover sheet giving the candidate's name, college, the title of the essay, the name of the candidate's supervisor, and the words 'Essay on Method, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the M.St. in Modern Languages'.

  • The work submitted under (i), (ii) or (iv) must be written in English; the work submitted under (ii) may be written in English or German; the work submitted under (iii) may be written in English or, subject to the approval of the Medieval and Modern Languages Faculty Board, in a language appropriate to the literature concernedGerman.

    Approval must be sought for the choice of options in (A) by the end of the fourth week of Michaelmas Term.

  • (B) A dissertation of between 10,000 and 12,000 words written in English, or, with the approval of the Medieval and Modern Languages Faculty Board, in the language appropriate to the literature concerned, on a topic connected with those offered in (A) (i), (ii), or (iii) above or (C) below, but distinct from those covered by the essays submitted under (A) or (C), and approved by the Modern Languages Board. Candidates are required to register the subject area or title of their dissertation with the Modern Languages Graduate Office by the end of the fourth week of Hilary Term.

    • The dissertation mustshould be presentedformatted and submitted electronically as specified in proper scholarly form. Three copies typed in double-spacing on one side only of quarto or A4 paper, each copy bound or held firmly in a cover, must be delivered to the Headcourse of Examinations and Assessments, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxfordhandbook, by noon on Thursday of theWeek sixth week7 of Trinity Term.

    • (C and D) Two Special Subjects

      Candidates may select two Special Subjects from those listed in the 'Graduate Studies in Modern Languages' handbook as associated with the programme which they are following; candidates may select a special subject from a different programme with the approval of their supervisor; or candidates may propose Special Subjects of their own devising, provided that each subject has the written support of the candidate's supervisor and is approved by or on behalf of the Medieval and Modern Languages Faculty Board. A proposal for a Special Subject of the candidate's own devising shall be accompanied by a statement (of approximately 100 words) of the character and scope of the subject proposed. Approval of all Special Subjects must be sought, by application to the Modern Languages Graduate Office, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford by end of the fourth week of Michaelmas Term. Approval of Special Subjects proposed will be dependent on the availability of teaching and examining resources at the relevant time.

      Candidates will normally offer two Special Subjects from the same language and area or from different areas in the same language. The Comparative Literature Programme will contain Special Subjects from two different languages.

      Candidates will be examined on an essay, or two essays (which may be written in English, or, with the approval of the Medieval and Modern Languages Faculty Board, in the language appropriate to the literature concerned), on the topics they have agreed with the supervisor of each Special Subject. The length of the work submitted for each Special Subject should be between 5,000 and 7,000 words in total.

    • 4. Candidates for Comparative Literature should ensure that either at least one of the special subjects (C and D) is comparative in scope or the two special subjects are concerned with different languages. The dissertation must deal explicitly with comparative issues.

    • 5. In addition to submitting the dissertation (B), students are required to submit work for assessment on all three of the non-dissertation components (A, C, and D). Of these three, the lowest passing mark will be discounted in the final assessment. A fail mark must always be included in the final assessment.

    • The Special Subject essays for Michaelmas Term shallshould be formatted and submitted toelectronically as specified in the Headcourse of Examinations and Assessments, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxfordhandbook, by noon on Thursday of theWeek tenth week10 of Michaelmas Term.  The Special Subject essays for Hilary Term shallshould be formatted and submitted toelectronically as specified in the Headcourse of Examinations and Assessments, Examination Schools, High Street, Oxfordhandbook, by noon on Thursday of theWeek tenth week10 of Hilary Term.

      In the case of resubmission, candidates shall be required to resubmit all the material by noon on Thursday of the sixthfinal weekMonday of the first Trinity TermSeptember following their first examination. Candidates may resubmit on one occasion only.

    • 6. The examiners may award a Distinction for excellence in the whole examination.