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Master of Philosophy in Archaeology

The final intake to the Master of Philosophy in Archaeology was in Michaelmas term 2019; no further cohorts will begin this course and the course will be discontinued at the end of the 2020/21 academic year. 

Within the Division of Social Sciences, the course shall be administered by the School of Archaeology. The regulations made are as follows:

  • 1. Candidates for admission must apply to the School of Archaeology. They will be required to produce evidence of their appropriate qualifications for the proposed course including their suitable proficiency in relevant ancient or modern languages.

  • 2. Candidates must follow for six terms a course of instruction in Archaeology.

  • 3. The registration of candidates will lapse from the Register of M.Phil. students on the last day of the Trinity Full Term in the academic year after that in which their name is first entered in it, unless the committee decides otherwise.

  • 4. All candidates are required:

    • (a) to satisfy the examiners in a Qualifying Examination identical with that for the degree of Master of Studies in Archaeology and comprising three subjects governed by regulations 5-8 for that degree, in the Trinity Full Term of the academic year in which their name is first entered on the Register for M.Phil.  In the case of failure in one part of the Qualifying Examination, the candidate will have the same rights of resubmission as for the Master of Studies and, if successful, will be granted permission to supplicate for the degree of Master of Studies but will not be permitted to proceed to the second year of the M.Phil. Candidates whose work in the Qualifying Examination is judged by the examiners to be of the standard required for the degree of M.St in Archaeology, but not of the standard required to proceed to the second year of the M.Phil. in Archaeology, will be granted permission to supplicate for the degree of Master of Studies in Archaeology;

    • (b) to upload to the Assignments section of the course WebLearn site no later than noon on the Friday of the sixth week of Trinity Full Term in the academic year after that in which their name is first entered on the Register for M.Phil. students, a thesis of not more than 25,000 words (excluding bibliography and any descriptive catalogue or other factual matter, but including notes and appendices) on the subject approved in accordance with regulations 6 and 10 below;

    • (c) to offer a further subject chosen from Schedules A-D for the Master of Studies in Archaeology and which is normally taught in Michaelmas Term of the second year. [Candidates who offered a subject from Schedule C or D in the Qualifying Examination may not normally offer another subject from the same schedule.] The subject will be examined by two pre-set essays (each of no more than 5,000 words) regardless of the Schedule from which it has been selected;

    • (d) to present themselves for an oral examination as required by the examiners.

  • 5. The choice of subjects for examination and the thesis title must be approved by the candidate’s supervisor and submitted for approval by the School of Archaeology Graduate Studies Committee by noon of Friday of the seventh week of Trinity Full Term of the academic year in which the candidate’s name is first entered on the Register for M.Phil. students, and such approval having regard to the candidate’s previous experience and to the availability of teaching. Notice of the subject must be given to the Registrar (via Student Self Service) no later than Friday of the eighth week of the Michaelmas Full Term preceding the examination.

  • 6. Candidates will be expected to show sufficient general knowledge of the appropriate history and geography for a proper understanding of their subjects.

  • 7. Where subjects are examined by pre-set essays (as specified in 4 above), candidates will propose essay topics in consultation with their supervisor or relevant course provider. The proposed essay titles, countersigned by the supervisor, must be submitted for approval of the Chair of Examiners by no later than noon on Friday of the eighth week of the term in which the instruction for that subject is completed. Candidates must upload their preset essays to the Assignments section of the course WebLearn site no later than noon on Monday of the first week of the term following that in which instruction for that subject was completed. Essays should bear the candidate’s examination number but not his or her name.

  • With respect to preset essays and theses, only the file submitted via WebLearn constitutes a valid submission, no concomitant hard-copy submission may be submitted for any purpose. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating that it is the candidate’s own work.

  • 8. Candidates are advised that adequate reading knowledge of an appropriate language or languages (other than English) may be necessary to reach the standard required by the examiners.

  • 9. Successful candidates will be required to deposit one hard copy of the thesis in the Sackler Library or the Balfour Library, as directed by the examiners. Such candidates will be required to complete a form stating whether they give permission for their thesis to be consulted.

  • 10. Candidates whose work in the Final Examination is judged by the Examiners not to be of the standard required for the degree of M.Phil. in Archaeology but whose work in the Qualifying Examination nevertheless reached the standard required for the degree of M.St in Archaeology, may be offered the option of resitting the M.Phil. Examination under the General Regulations § 2, cl. 4, or of being granted permission to supplicate for the degree of Master of Studies in Archaeology.