Master of Science by Coursework in Contemporary Chinese Studies

• 1. The Course shall be under the supervision of the Chinese Studies Committee. The Course Director will, where possible, rotate between members of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies.
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• 2. Each candidate will be required to follow a course of instruction in Contemporary Chinese Studies for three terms.
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• 3. Candidates will take a written examination on the core course Study of Contemporary China in Week 0 of Hilary Term.
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• 4. Candidates will choose two option papers from a list approved by the Chinese Studies Committee. This list, including details of the assessment method, will be published in the Course Handbook by the Course Director and distributed to students by no later than Friday of week 0 of Michaelmas Term. Students should select two of these papers in consultation with their supervisor. With special permission of the Chinese Studies 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 papers for such options.
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• 5. Candidates will complete a course in Research Methods for Area Studies: Candidates will submit a 2,500 word maximum take-home test 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 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.
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• 6. Candidates will complete a 12,000 word thesis (including all footnotes and appendices but excluding the table of contents, abstract and the bibliography of cited works). The title of the thesis must be approved by the Course Director not later than 12 noon on Friday of week 1 of Hilary Term in the academic year in which the examination is taken. The thesis must be submitted by 12 noon on Friday of Week 6 in Trinity Term in the academic year in which the examination is taken. The thesis must be accompanied by a statement that the thesis is the candidate’s own work except where otherwise indicated.
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• 7. Each submission must be accompanied by a declaration indicating it is the candidate’s own work. 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. Successful candidates will be required to deposit a hard copy of the thesis in the Bodleian Library.
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• 8. Students wishing to transfer from the MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies to the MPhil in Modern Chinese Studies must apply to the Course Director no later than noon on Friday of week 8 of Michaelmas Term. Permission to change programme will only be granted for students who have satisfactorily passed any formative language assessments agreed by the Course Committee and published in the Course Handbook.
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• 9. Candidates who fail Research Methods for Area Studies overall will be permitted to resubmit a new submission for the failed piece(s) of work within four weeks of publication of the failed mark(s), on a date to be specified by the Chair of Examiners. Candidates who fail one or more of the examination papers or the thesis will be permitted to retake the examination paper(s) or resubmit the thesis on one further occasion only, not later than one year after the first attempt. 

Oxford 1+1 MBA programme 

Candidates registered on the Oxford 1+1 MBA programme will follow an additional two or three-month bridging programme at the end of their third term of the combined programme.  

Each candidate will be appointed an academic advisor from the Saïd Business School to plan an individual course of study which will include as a minimum, the following two compulsory elements:  

• (i) Normally two meetings during the bridging programme with the senior advisor appointed by the Saïd Business School at the start of the Oxford 1+1 MBA programme.  
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• (ii) A formatively assessed Integrative Development Plan of up to 3,000 words. Candidates would be required to critically reflect on their learning from the Masters programme and relate this both to their forthcoming MBA programme as well as to their career goals. The meetings with the advisor will frame the design, delivery and discussion of the plan.