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Master of Philosophy in Economic and Social History

The regulations of the Board of the Faculty of History are as follows:

  • 1. Every candidate must follow for at least six terms a course of instruction in Economic and Social History and must upon entering for the examination produce from his or her society a certificate to that effect.

  • 2. The examination will consist of the following parts:

Qualifying test

Every candidate must pass a qualifying test. The test shall consist of two courses on

  • (1) Methodological introduction to research in the social sciences and history.

  • (2) Quantitative Methods course. Candidates can choose either Quantitative Methods 1 or Quantitative Methods 2, depending on their mathematical and statistical background.

  • The methodological introduction course will be assessed by an end-of-course essay of up to 4,000 words. The essay must be submitted by noon on Monday of Week 1 of Hilary Term of the candidate’s first year. A quantitative methods course is assessed by an assignment to be completed over the Christmas Vacation of the candidate’s first year; the completed assignment must be submitted by noon on Monday of Week 1 of Hilary Term of the candidate’s first year. No candidate who has failed the qualifying test of two courses will be permitted to supplicate for the degree. Candidates who fail a qualifying course once will be permitted to take it again, not later than one year after the initial attempt. 

Final examination

The examination shall consist of four papers and a dissertation.

  • I. Three advanced papers at least two of which must be selected from Schedule I below (Advanced Papers for the M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Economic and Social History), and not more than one from any other M.Phil. the choice of which must be approved by the chair of the Course Convenor not later than Monday of the fourth week of the second Michaelmas Term of the course.

  • II. Either

    • (I) one paper in a discipline or skill or sources or methods selected from Schedule II below.

  • or

    • (II) A fourth advanced paper selected from Schedule I or from any additional list of papers for the M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Economic and Social History approved by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Board of the Faculty of History and published in the definitive list of Advanced Papers as set out in Schedule I.

  • For I and II, the assessment requirements for the individual papers set out in Schedule I (‘Advanced Papers for M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Economic and Social History’) and Schedule II below will be determined by the Faculty of History and specified in the course handbook. The assessment will take the form either of a timed written examination, or the submission of one essay of 8,000-10,000 words, or the submission of two essays of 5,000 words each. The essay must be the work of the candidate alone. The candidate must not consult any other person, including their supervisor, in any way concerning the method of handling the themes chosen. The themes chosen by the candidate must be submitted for approval by the course tutor for that Advanced Paper by the examination entry date. The finished essays must be submitted by noon on Monday of Week 9 of Trinity Full Term.  

  • III. A dissertation of not more than 30,000 words, including appendices but excluding bibliography on a topic approved by the candidate's supervisor. The dissertation must be submitted not later than noon on the Monday of the first week of the Trinity Full Term in which the examination is to be taken. The presentation and footnotes should comply with the requirements specified in the Regulations of the Education Committee for the degree of M.Litt. and D.Phil. and follow the Conventions for the presentation of essays, dissertations and theses of the Board of the Faculty of History.

    Each dissertation must include a short abstract which concisely summarises its scope and principal arguments, in about 300 words. This is not included in the dissertation word limit.

  • One printed copy of an M.Phil. dissertation which is approved by the examiners must be deposited in the Bodleian Library. This finalised copy should incorporate any corrections or amendments which the examiners may have requested. It must be in a permanently fixed binding, drilled and sewn, in a stiff board case in library buckram, in a dark colour, and lettered on the spine with the candidate's name and initials, the degree, and the year of submission.

  • 3. Candidates must be examined in two of their four papers (or submit essays in lieu of these papers as provided for above) at the end of their first year.

  • 4. The examiners will permit the use of any hand-held pocket calculator subject to the conditions set out under the heading ‘Use of calculators in examinations’ in the Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations.

  • 5. If it is the opinion of the examiners that the work done by a candidate, while not of sufficient merit to qualify for the degree of M.Phil., is nevertheless of sufficient merit to qualify for the degree of Master of Science in Economic and Social History, the candidate shall be given the option of re-sitting the M.Phil. (as provided under the appropriate regulation) or of being granted leave to supplicate for the degree of Master of Science.

  • 6. A candidate who fails the examination will be permitted to re-take it on one further occasion only, not later than one year after the initial attempt.

  • 7. Candidates who have initially failed any element of assessment shall not normally be eligible for the award of merit or distinction. 

  • 8. All submitted assessments should be accompanied by a declaration that they are the candidate's own work. 

A descriptive list of Advanced Papers will be published by the Board of the Faculty of History in September for the academic year ahead (not all options may be available in every year)

Schedule I

Advanced Papers for the M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Economic and Social History

A broad range of the course resources are shared with the corresponding courses in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, and Advanced Papers are therefore available in the subject areas listed here.

  • 1. Economic and business history

  • 2. History of science and technology

  • 3. Social history

  • 4. Historical demography

  • 5. History of medicine

    A descriptive list of Advanced Papers will be published by the Board of the Faculty of History in September for the academic year ahead (not all options may be available in every year). The definitive list of the titles of Advanced Papers for any one year will be circulated to candidates and their supervisors and posted on the Faculty notice board not later than Friday of third week of Michaelmas Term of the academic year in which the paper is to be taken.

  • Candidates wishing to take an advanced paper from another programme offered by the History Faculty, and exceptionally, by other Faculties, may do so with the permission of the Course Convenor of the Master's Programme in Economic and Social History and the person responsible for the delivery of the requested option/advanced paper, who need to be satisfied that each candidate has adequate background in the subject.  Such candidates will be assessed according to the regulations with respect to the form of assessment and deadlines governing that option (i.e. the regulations of the programme under which the advanced paper is offered), but the modes of assessment and deadlines for the other course elements of the programme for which the candidate is registered will remain in force.

Schedule II

The paper in a relevant discipline or skill may be:

  • 1. One of the papers from the M.Phil. in Economics.

  • 2. One of the papers from the M.Phil. in Sociology or in Comparative Social Policy.

  • 3. One of the papers from the M.Phil. in Russian and East European Studies.

  • 4. One suitable paper from another Master's degree under the auspices of the Faculty of History approved from time to time by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Board of History.

5. One suitable paper from another Master's degree on the recommendation of the candidate's supervisor and endorsed by the Cnvenor of the Master's Programme in Economic and Social History.

Choices under Schedule II have to be approved by the person responsible for the delivery of the requested option/advanced paper and the Course Convenor of the Master’s Programme in Economic and Social History not later than Monday of the fourth week of the second Michaelmas Term of the course. Candidates wishing to take a paper under 1, 2, 3, or 5 will also need the approval of Course Convenor of the Master’s Programme in Economic and Social History and the person responsible for the delivery of the requested option/advanced paper, who need to be satisfied that each candidate has an adequate background in the subject. Not all options may be available in every year. Such candidates will be assessed according to the regulations with respect to the form of assessment and deadlines governing that option (i.e. the regulations of the programme under which the advanced paper is offered), but the modes of assessment and deadlines for the other course elements of the programme for which the candidate is registered will remain in force.