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Honour School of History and Modern Languages

A

  • 1. The subjects of the examination in the Honour School of History and Modern Languages shall be (a) History, and (b) those modern European languages and literatures studied in the Honour School of Modern Languages.

  • 2. All candidates must offer both (a) and one of the languages in (b) with its literature.

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

  • 4. 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.

  • 5. The Honour School shall be under the joint supervision of the Boards of the Faculties of History and Modern Languages, which shall appoint a standing joint committee to make proposals for regulations concerning the examination. Such proposals shall be submitted to the boards of the two faculties which shall make regulations concerning the examination and which, in case of difference of opinion, shall hold a joint meeting at which the matter in dispute shall be resolved by the vote of the majority.

  • 6. The lists of specific papers available in this School from the Honour Schools of History and of Modern Languages will be published by the relevant Faculty Boards at the dates defined in the regulations for those schools.

  • 7.

    • (i) The examiners in the Honour School shall be such of the Public Examiners in the Honour Schools of History and Modern Languages as shall be required.

    • (ii) It shall be the duty of the Chair of Examiners in the Honour Schools of History and Modern Languages to consult together and designate such examiners as shall be required for the Honour School, whereupon the number of examiners 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.

Save in a Special Subject, each candidate shall offer in his or her language and literature papers one language and literature only.

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

Certain combinations of papers within or between the two parent schools will be illegal, or subject to advice about duplication of material; these will be specified in the Handbook for this School.

Every candidate shall offer:

  • 1.  An Outline or Theme paper in European & World History as specified for the Honour School of History (except for candidates offering Celtic, who shall offer a paper in The History of the British Isles as specified for the Honour School of History). No candidate may offer a period similar to one offered when passing the Preliminary Examination. Illegal combinations will be specified by the History Board.

  • 2. A bridge essay of between 8,000 and 10,000 words on an interdisciplinary topic, designed to draw together interests and develop skills from both sides of the course. The limit of 10,000words includes footnotes, but excludes bibliography, and, in cases for which specific permission has been obtained from the convenor of the joint school, appendices. Candidates must follow the guidelines on word count, presentation, and referencing as outlined in the course handbook.

    The candidate will submit a title and short statement of up to fifty words on the manner in which he/she proposes to treat the topic, together with a note from his/her tutor approving the topic, addressed to the convener of the Joint School of History and Modern Languages, c/o the History Faculty, no later than Monday of sixth week of Trinity Term of the first year of the Final Honour School. Titles will be approved by the convener of the Joint School of History and Modern Languages. Notification of whether or not approval is forthcoming will be given by eighth week of Trinity Term.

    Changes to the title must be submitted to the convener of the joint school at the latest by the Friday of fourth week of the Hilary Term of the final year of the Final Honour School. Notification of whether or not approval is forthcoming will be given no later than sixth week of the Hilary Term of the final year of the Final Honour School. Candidates must submit their bridge essay electronically by not later than noon on Tuesday of week 9 of the Hilary term of the final year of the Final Honour School using the approved online submission system. Procedures governing this process will be published by the Board. In the rare cases when a candidate is dispensed from the requirement to spend a year abroad after their second year, that candidate shall not be required to submit their Bridge Essay until noon on Friday of noughth week of the Trinity Term of the final year of the Final Honour School. Any changes in title for such candidates should be submitted to the convenor of the joint school by the fourth week of Hilary Term of the final year. Notification of whether approval is forthcoming will be given no later than sixth week of Hilary Term of the final year of the Final Honour School.

    A first draft of the bridge essay may be read and commented on, but not corrected in matters of detail and presentation, by the bridge essay adviser.  

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

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

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

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

  • 7, 8, 9. Either (a) a Special Subject as specified for the Honour School of History (two papers, paper (b) of which shall be examined by extended essay) and one of the items (b), (i), (ii), (iii), or (iv) below.

    or (b) any three of the following four items:

    • (i)  An Outline or Theme paper in The History of the British Isles as specified for the Honour School of History; (except for candidates offering Celtic, who may offer a paper in European & World History as specified for the Honour School of History);

    • (ii) A Further Subject as specified for the Honour School of History;

    • (iii) Any one of the Papers IV, V, IX, X, XI, XII or XIV not already offered, as specified for the Honour School of Modern Languages; except that a candidate who has chosen a Special Subject (Paper XII) at clause B6 above may not choose another such Special Subject;

    • (iv) A Dissertation (Paper XIV) as specified for the Honour School of Modern Languages or a thesis based on original research as specified in Regulation B6 for the Honour School of History, except sub-clause 5 of that regulation should read ‘beginning of Trinity Full Term of the academic year preceding that in which the candidate spends a year abroad’.

Optional Additional Thesis

In addition to the compulsory papers for this School, candidates who so desire may offer an optional additional thesis in accordance with Regulation B7 An Optional Additional Thesis of the Honour School of History q.v., modified as follows:

(a) the subject shall, to the satisfaction of the examiners, fall within the scope of the Honour School of History and Modern Languages;

(b) Candidates must submit their theses electronically using the approved online submission system;

(c) Sub-clause 10. for 10. 'The Final Honour School Examiners will arrive at a formal degree result […] all papers awarded a mark below 50 will be included.’ read ‘The Final Honour School Examiners will arrive at a formal degree result for candidates who submit an Optional Additional Thesis by taking the marks awarded for the 2 language papers and the oral examination, together with the highest seven marks out of the eight content papers submitted, except that the Optional Additional Thesis may not substitute for a mark lower than 50. Thus, the papers to be included are determined by the following procedures:

(i) In the event that the Optional Additional Thesis is awarded a mark below 50, it will be disregarded and the formal degree result will be determined solely by the marks awarded for the compulsory papers.

(ii) In the event that the Optional Additional Thesis is awarded a mark of 50 or above, the content paper awarded the lowest mark of 50 or above (which may be the Optional Additional Thesis) will be disregarded. All other content papers awarded a mark of 50 or above, and all content papers awarded a mark below 50, together with the marks awarded for the 2 language papers and the oral examination, will be included.'