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Honour School of Classics and Modern Languages

A

  • 1. The subjects of the examination in the Honour School of Classics and Modern Languages shall be (a) the Greek and Latin languages and literatures and the thought and civilisation of the Ancient World and (b) those modern European languages and literatures studied in the Honour School of Modern Languages.

  • 2. No candidate shall be admitted to the examination in this School unless he or she has either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.

  • 3. The examiners shall indicate in the lists issued by them the language offered by each candidate obtaining honours or satisfying the examiners under the appropriate regulation.

  • 4. The examination in the Honour School shall be under the joint supervision of the Boards of the Faculties of Classics and of Modern Languages, which shall appoint a standing joint committee to make, and to submit to the two boards, proposals for regulations concerning the examination.

  • 5. (i) The Public Examiners for Classics in this school shall be such of the Public Examiners in the Honour School of Literae Humaniores as may be required, together with one or two additional examiners, if required, who shall be nominated by the committee for the nomination of Public Examiners in the Honour School of Literae Humaniores; those for Modern Languages shall be such of the Public Examiners in the Honour School of Modern Languages as shall be required.

  • (ii) It shall be the duty of the chair of the Public Examiners in the Honour School of Modern Languages to designate such of their number as may be required for Modern Languages in the Honour School of Classics and Modern Languages, and when this has been done, and the examiners for Classics have been nominated, the number of the examiners in Classics and Modern Languages shall be deemed to be complete.

B

Candidates will be examined in accordance with the examination regulations set out below.

They will also be required to spend, after their matriculation, a year of residence in an appropriate country or countries, and to provide on their entry form for the examination a certificate that they have done this, signed by the Head or by a tutor of their society. Candidates wishing to be dispensed from the requirement to undertake a year of residence abroad must apply in writing to the Chair of the Medieval and Modern Languages Board, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JF, stating their reasons for requesting dispensation and enclosing a letter of support from their society.

Candidates should during this year abroad undertake a programme of activity acceptable to their college or society.  They will also be expected to carry out during this period such academic work as their society may require.  Candidates will agree with their College Tutor in advance of their year abroad an independent course of study to be followed during that period. 

Any candidate may be examined viva voce.

Oral Examination: as specified for the Honour School of Modern Languages.

In every case where, under the regulations for the school, candidates have any choice between one or more papers or subjects, every candidate shall give notice to the Registrar not later than the Friday in the fourth week of Michaelmas Full Term preceding the examination of all the papers and subjects being so offered.

Candidates offering two papers both of which involve the study of the same author or authors, may not make the same text or texts the principal subject of an answer in both the papers.

All candidates must offer eight subjects as specified below and may also offer an additional ninth subject. 

  • 1. Honour School of Modern Languages, Paper I.

  • 2. Honour School of Modern Languages, Papers IIA and IIB.

  • 3. Honour School of Modern Languages, one paper chosen from Papers VI, VII, or VIII.

  • 4. Honour School of Modern Languages, one paper chosen from Papers IV, V, IX, X, XI, XII.

  • 5. A text-based subject in Greek and Latin literature chosen from subjects 501-13, 515, 517, 518 and 524-5 as specified for the Honour School of Literae Humaniores.

  • 6,7. Subject to the restrictions set out in Note 3 below, two of subjects 110-1, 115-6, 130-9, 401-15, 499, 501-13, 515, 517-8, 524-5, 551-4, 566-9, 598-9, 601-5 and 699 as specified for the Honour School of Literae Humaniores. Candidates may, if they wish, offer subject 581, The Latin Works of Petrarch, in place of one of these subjects. Except in the case of candidates who are offering Second Classical Language, at least one of papers 6 and 7 must be a text-based subject chosen from 501-13, 515, 517, 518, 524-5, 551-2 and 581. Candidates who are offering subject 517 or 518 under 5 above may not offer any of subjects 110, 111, 517, 518 and 581 under 6 and 7.
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  • 8.  One of the following: 

  • (i) A subject chosen from papers IV, V, IX, X, XI, XII and XIV in the Honour School of Modern Languages. 

     (ii) One of subjects 110-1, 115-6, 130-9, 401-15, 499, 501-13, 515, 517-8, 524-5 and 551-4 as specified for the Honour School of Literae Humaniores, subject to the restrictions set out in Note 3 below.  

    (iii) 581: The Latin Works of Petrarch. 

    (iv) 582: Ancient and French Classical Tragedy. This subject may not be combined with any of the following: Honour School of Literae Humaniores subject 506, Greek Tragedy; Honour School of Modern Languages paper X(5), Racine; Honour School of Modern Languages paper XII, Dramatic Theory and Practice in France 1605-60 with special reference to Corneille.  

    (v) 583: The Creative Reception of Greek Tragedy in German This subject may not be combined Honour School of Literae Humaniores subject 506, Greek Tragedy. 

  • 9. Additional Subject.
  •  
  • Candidates wishing to offer an Additional Subject may offer one of the following: 

  • (i) A further subject chosen from Honour School of Modern Languages, papers IV, V, IX, X, XI, XII and XIV. 

    (ii) A further subject chosen 110-1, 115-6, 130-9, 401-15, 499, 501-13, 515, 517-8, 524-5 and 551-4 as specified for the Honour School of Literae Humaniores, subject to the restrictions set out in Note 3 below. 

    (iv) A Special Thesis on a topic in Classics or in a subject linking Classics and Modern Languages (to be examined under the regulations for the Honour School of Literae Humaniores). 

  • Subjects 401-14, 501-69 and 601-5 will be set in accordance with the regulations for the Honour School of Literae Humaniores. For each subject, a detailed specification and prescribed texts will be given in the Greats Handbook applicable to the relevant year of examination. The handbook will be published by Monday of Week 5 of the Hilary Term two years preceding the examination.

  • Subjects 110-1, 115-6 and 130-9 will be set in accordance with the regulations on Philosophy in all Honour Schools including Philosophy.

  • A detailed specification and prescribed texts for each of subjects 581, 582 and 583 will be given in the Classics & Modern Languages handbook applicable to the relevant year of examination. 

  • Note 1: It cannot be guaranteed that university lectures or classes or college teaching will be available on all subjects in every academic year. Candidates are advised to consult their tutors about the availability of teaching when selecting their subjects.

  • Note 2: Any candidate whose native language is not English may bring a bilingual (native language to English) dictionary for use in any examination paper where candidates are required to translate Ancient Greek and/or Latin texts into English.

  • Note 3: The following restrictions shall apply to candidates’ combinations of Classical subjects:
    • (i) Candidates may offer no more than two subjects from 551-4. 
    • (ii) Candidates may offer only one of subjects 110-1, 115-6 and 130-9. 
    • (iii) Candidates may offer only one of subjects 401-15.
    • (iv) Candidates may offer only one of subjects 601-5. 
    • (v)  Candidates may offer only one of subjects 503, 504 and 507.
    • (vi)  Candidates may offer only one of subjects 515 and 524. 
    • (vii) Candidates may offer only one thesis under 499, 598, 599 or 699. However, they may, if they wish, combine one of these subjects with a Special Thesis under 9 (iv).
    • (viii) Subjects 517, Byzantine Literature, and 518, Modern Greek Poetry, may not be offered by candidates offering Medieval and Modern Greek as their modern language.
    • (ix)  Subject 554, Comparative Philology: Indo-European, Greek and Latin, may not be offered by candidates who offered paper VI F(1) Historical Linguistics and Comparative Philology in Honour Moderations in Classics or in the Preliminary Examination in Classics.
    • (x) Second Classical Language

    • Second Classical Language counts as two subjects. Candidates who offer it must take either both subjects in Greek (566/568) or both subjects in Latin (567/569). It may not be offered by candidates who have satisfied the Moderators in Course IA, IB, or IC of Honour Moderations in Classics or of the Preliminary Examination in Classics, or who offered both Greek and Latin in the Preliminary Examination in Modern Languages. Candidates may not offer either subject in the same language as they offered in Course IIA or IIB of Honour Moderations or the Preliminary Examination in Classics or in the Preliminary Examination in Modern Languages.

    • Candidates taking Second Classical Language must also offer at least one of subjects 110-1, 115-6, 130-9, 401-15, 499, 501-13, 515, 517-8, 524-5, 551-2, 554 or 581 under 8 or 9.  Those offering it in Greek may if they wish offer Literae Humaniores subject 521 (Greek Core, non-text-based) at this point; those offering it in Latin may offer Literae Humaniores subject 522 (Latin Core, non-text-based).