Master of Studies in Slavonic Studies

• 1. Candidates must have taken either Russian (as sole language or as one of two languages) or Czech (with Slovak) in the Oxford Honour School of Modern Languages, or have taken a comparable degree in a Slavonic language from another university, or must satisfy the committee that they possess the necessary qualifications in a Slavonic language to profit by the course.

• 2. Candidates must follow for at least three terms a course of instruction in Slavonic Studies.

• 32. Each candidate will be required to take:

  • a) one language from Schedule 1 and(A);
  • b) threeone subject from Schedule 2(B);
  • c) two further subjects from Schedules 2-10.7 Candidatesof maywhich take nonot more than twoone subjectsmay be from anySchedule one2 (B and C).
• The list of schedules will be available in the handbook for that year and will be made available to incoming students by the Graduate Studies Office early in the Long Vacation.
•  
• A.
  • Schedule 1 - Unseen translation
    
• B.
  • Schedule 2 - Methodology
• C.
  • Schedule 3 – Slavonic Philology in Context
  • Schedule 4 – The History of a chosen language
  • Schedule 5 – The Structure and Present State of a chosen language
  •  Schedule 6 – Russian Literature, Culture and History
  • Schedule 7 – Central European Literature, Culture and History

• 3. Candidates may not take subjects which they have already studied in a first degree course. 

• 4.  Candidates will be examined by written examination, except:unless otherwise specified in the handbook.

  • (i)5.  forOptions Scheduleavailable 2.iv (Methods of Criticism and the Theory of Literature) which will be examined under the regulations forfrom the M.St./M.Phil. in Modern Languages;

  • (ii) for Schedule 6.i–ix which will be examined under the regulations for thethose Mcourses.St./M.Phil. in Modern Languages;

  • (iii)6. that inIn lieu of written examination in one subject a candidate may elect under Schedule 2.v to submit ana essaythesis of 5,000 to 7,000 words on a subject of the candidate’’s choice.

• 7. The subject of the essaythesis should fall within the areas of Slavonic languages and literatures. Candidates are required to register the subject area or title of their essaythesis with the Modern Languages Graduate Office by the end of the fourth week of Hilary Term. ThreeThe typedthesis copiesshould ofbe submitted electronically as specified in the essaycourse must be delivered to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxfordhandbook by noon on Thursday of sixth week of Trinity Term. Work submitted in the form of an essaythesis for the Degree of M.St. may subsequently be incorporated in a thesis submitted for the Degree of M.Phil., or may be used as the basis for the piece of written work required for admission to the status of student for the Degrees of M.Litt. or D.Phil.

• 58. Candidates must present themselves for oral examination unless dispensed by the examiners.

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

Schedule 1 

• Unseen translation from any one of the following languages (this must not be a language previously studied by the candidate to degree standard):

• i. Bulgarian

• ii. Croatian

• iii. Czech

• iv. Polish

• v. Russian

• vi. Serbian

• vii. Slovak

• viii. Slovene

• ix. Sorbian

• x. Ukrainian.

Schedule 2

• i. Cyrillic Palaeography

• ii. Textual Criticism

• iii. Prague School of Linguistics

• iv. Methods of Criticism and the Theory of Literature (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages)

• v. A subject of the candidate's choice, approved by the committee.

Schedule 3

• i. Comparative Slavonic Philology

• ii. Old Church Slavonic

• iii. History of Church Slavonic.

Schedule 4

The History of:

• i. Ukrainian

• ii. Bulgarian and Macedonian

• iii. Croatian

• iv. Czech and Slovak

• v. Polish

• vi. Russian

• vii. Serbian

• viii. Slovene

• ix. Sorbian.

Schedule 5

The Structure and Present State of:

• i. Bulgarian

• ii. Croatian

• iii. Czech

• iv. Polish

• v. Russian

• vi. Serbian

• vii. Slovak

• viii. Slovene

• ix. Sorbian

• x. Ukrainian.

Schedule 6

• i. Literature and Culture of the Russian Enlightenment (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• ii. Pushkin and Romanticism (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• iii. Gender and Representation in Russian Culture from 1800 (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• iv. Russian Modes of Lyric (1820-1940).

• v. The Rise of the Russian Novel (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• vi. Russian Drama in the 19th and 20th Centuries (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• vii. The Russian Experience of Modernity, 1905-1945 (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• viii. The GULag and the Russian Literary Process (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• ix. Post-Soviet Russian Literature (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

• x. Russian Lyric Poetry: Themes and Forms (from the M.St. course in Modern Languages).

Schedule 7

• i. Czech Poetry since 1774.

• ii. Czech Prose Fiction and Drama since 1774.

• iii. Polish Literature since 1798.

• iv. Slovak Literature since 1783.

Schedule 8

• i. Byzantine Civilization and its Expansion, 913-1204.

• ii. Bohemia from the Hussite Wars to the Battle of the White Mountain (1415-1620).

• iii. The History of Poland and Hungary, 1506 to 1795.

• iv. The Habsburg Monarchy, 1790-1918.

• v. The History of the Balkans, 1774-1918.

Schedule 9

• i. Russian Social and Political Thought, 1825-1917.

• ii. The History of Russia, 1861-1917.

• iii. The History since 1918 of either Poland or Czechoslovakia and its successor states or Yugoslavia and its successor states.

Teaching for some options may not be available in every year. Applicants for admission will be advised whether teaching will be available in the options of their choice.