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Master of Studies in Oriental Studies

The Regulations made by the Board of the Faculty of Oriental Studies are as follows:

§1. General Regulations

1. Before admission to the course, candidates must satisfy the Board of the Faculty of Oriental Studies that they possess the necessary qualifications to profit by the course. The Board will not permit students to be admitted to the course if an M.St. in a particular subject under the aegis of the Board is considered more appropriate.

2. Candidates shall be required to attend for at least three terms such lecture courses and participate in such seminars as their supervisor shall specify.

3. Applications for approval of options must reach the Senior Academic Administrator, Oriental Institute, on or before Monday of week 0 of Hilary Term.

4. The dates for papers examined by three-hour sit-down examination will be published no later than five weeks before the examination.

5. In the case of failure in at most one examination, candidates may retake that examination at the next opportunity following their initial attempt.

§2. Syllabus

1. Each candidate will be required to offer all of the following three papers:

    • (a) Option paper 1; and

    • (b) Option paper 2; and

    • (c) Research methods and materials.

  • 1.1. Papers 1(a) and 1(b) will be examined as three-hour sit-down examinations. They may be any combination of language or non-language papers. Proposed titles of these papers must be approved as defined under §1.3. If a chosen paper is also available to be offered for another degree, the regulations of that other degree will apply to the examination of the chosen paper.

  • 1.2. Paper 1(c) will be examined as a take-home examination. The candidate must submit an essay of between 5,000 and 7,000 words on research methods and materials relating to the thesis. The essay must be submitted not later than seven days from the date on which the topic was set, and in accordance with the regulations under §1.3.

2. In addition to the papers in §2.1, each candidate will be required to offer one of the following two papers:

    • (a) Option paper 3;

    • (b) A substantial draft chapter or chapters of a proposed thesis for the M.Litt or the D.Phil.

  • 2.1. For paper 2(a), each candidate shall submit two essays of between 5,000 and 7,000 words in length each (excluding bibliography), on a topic to be approved as defined under §1.3. Guidelines for the scope and submission of this paper are published in the PGT Student Handbook Oriental Studies.

  • 2.2. For paper 2(b), each candidate shall submit a paper of between 12,000 and 15,000 words in length, excluding bibliography, on a topic to be approved as defined under §1.3. Guidelines for the scope and submission of the thesis are published in the PGT Student Handbook Oriental Studies.

  • 2.3. For papers 2(a) and 2(b), proposed titles must be approved as defined under §1.3.

3. Each candidate may be required to attend a viva.