Master of Philosophy in Modern South Asian Studies

1. The course shall be under the supervision of the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee. The Course Director(s) will, where possible, rotate between members of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies.

2. Each candidate will be required to follow a full-time course of instruction in Modern South Asian Studies for six terms.

First year examinations

3. During the first year, candidates for the MPhil complete the following:

• (a) Core Course in Modern South Asian Studies

• The course will be assessed by one 5,000 word maximum essay. Essay questions will be issued on Monday of Week 1 of Michaelmas Term and should be submitted by 12 noon on Monday of Week 1 of Trinity Term.

  (b) Research Methods

• Candidates will complete one of the following two courses in Research Methods:

  • (i) Research Methods for Area Studies: Candidates will submit a 2,500 word maximum submitted assignment in qualitative methods to be set on Monday of Week 8 and submitted by 12 noon on Monday of Week 9 of Michaelmas Term; and a 2,500 word maximum take-home test in quantitative analysis to be set on Monday of Week 8 and submitted by 12 noon on Monday of Week 9 of Hilary Term.

  • (ii) Qualitative Research Methods in Humanities: Candidates will submit a 2,500 word maximum submitted assignment in qualitative methods to be set on Monday of Week 8 and submitted by 12 noon on Monday of Week 9 of Michaelmas Term; and a 2,500 word submitted essay on qualitative methods in literature, language and history to be set by Monday of Week 4 of Hilary Term and submitted by 12 noon on Monday of Week 9 of Hilary Term.

• (c) either a language or non-language track:

  • (i) Language track

    • Candidates will complete an intensive language course in Hindi or a substitute core language as specified in the Course Handbook (teaching for some languages may not be available every year), based on knowledge of grammar, translation and reading comprehension to be assessed by a written examination at the end of Trinity term of the first year (further details of the assessments will be published in the Course Handbook).  

    • Candidates will also be required to satisfy the examiners in one option paper from a list approved by the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee. The list of options and methods of assessment will be published by the Course Director(s) in the Course Handbook at the beginning of each academic year. The availability of options in any one year will depend on teaching resources and the level of student interest. Students should select this paper in consultation with their supervisor. With special permission of the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee, candidates may choose a paper offered by another relevant Master’s degree in the University, subject also to permission by the relevant Graduate Studies Committee. Candidates will take the standard assessment for such options.

  • (ii) Non-language track

    • Candidates will choose two option papers from a list approved by the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee. The list of options and methods of assessment will be published by the Course Director(s) in the Course Handbook at the beginning of each academic year. The availability of options in any one year will depend on teaching resources and the level of student interest. Students should select two of these papers in consultation with their supervisor. Native speakers or advanced learners may substitute one option paper with an appropriate advanced language option (further details are provided in the Course Handbook). With special permission of the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee, candidates may choose papers offered by other relevant Master’s degrees in the University, subject also to permission by the relevant Graduate Studies Committee. Candidates will take the standard assessment for such options.

4. Each of the items of written work detailed above must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by the times and days specified for each paper. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating it is the candidate’s own work.

5. To be permitted to progress to the second year of the MPhil course all candidates must pass the core course essay, the research methods course overall, and for students following the language track, the language examination. A candidate who fails the research methods course overall will be permitted to re-submit a new submission for the failed piece(s) of work within four weeks of publication of the failed mark, on a date specified by the Chair of Examiners.  A candidate who fails the core course essay or the language examination paper will be permitted to re-submit the essay or re-sit the paper on one further occasion, normally at the beginning of the September preceding the second year.

A candidate who fails any of the option papers will be permitted to re-take the assessment on one further occasion when next examined. If a student fails both option papers they will be required to re-take and pass both option papers before proceeding to the second year of the MPhil course.

6. Students are permitted to transfer from the MPhil Modern South Asian Studies to the MSc in Modern South Asian Studies, or to transfer from the MPhil Modern South Asian Studies language track to the non-language track. Applications for transfer must be sent to the Course Director(s) by noon of Monday of week 4 of Hilary Term in the first year of the course. Where a candidate transfers from the MPhil Modern South Asian Studies language track, the first year core language examination will constitute an advanced language option.

Final year examinations

7. Candidates will complete a course in Advanced Research Methods. 

8. Candidates will be required to present themselves for examination as specified for either the language or non-language track.

• (a) Language track:

  • (i) Candidates will complete the intensive language course commenced in the first year progressing to an advanced level, in Hindi or a substitute core language as specified in the Course Handbook (teaching for some languages may not be available every year), based on knowledge of grammar, translation, reading comprehension and literary context, to be assessed by a written examination at the end of Trinity Term (further details of the assessments will be published in the Course Handbook).

  • (ii) Candidates will choose one option paper from a list approved by the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee. The list of options and methods of assessment will be published by the Course Director(s) in the Course Handbook at the beginning of each academic year.

• (b) Non-language track:

  • (i) Candidates will choose one option paper from a list approved by the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee. The list of options and methods of assessment will be published by the Course Director(s) in the Course Handbook at the beginning of each academic year.

9. The availability of options in any one year will depend on teaching resources and the level of student interest. Students should select a paper in consultation with their supervisor. With special permission of the Modern South Asian Studies Teaching Committee, candidates may choose a paper offered by other relevant Master’s degrees in the University, subject also to permission by the relevant Graduate Studies Committee. Candidates will take the standard assessment for such an option.

10. Candidates will complete a 30,000 word maximum thesis (full details of what is included in the word count are provided in the Course Handbook). The title of the thesis must be approved by the Course Director(s) by 12 noon on Monday of Week 3 of Michaelmas Term in the academic year in which the examination is taken. The thesis must be submitted by 12 noon on Monday of Week 4 in Trinity Term. The thesis must be accompanied by a statement that the thesis is the candidate’s own work except where otherwise indicated.

11. Each of the items of written work detailed above must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by the times and days specified for each paper.  Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration it is the candidate’s own work.

12. Candidates may be required to attend an oral examination on any part of the examination.

13.  A candidate who fails either any of the written examination papers or the thesis will be permitted to re-sit/re-submit on one further occasion when next examined.