Master of Studies in Yiddish Studies

• 1. All candidates shall be required at the time of admission to satisfy the board (if necessary, by written and oral tests) that they possess the appropriate qualifications for the proposed course, including suitable proficiency in written and spoken Yiddish. Normally the course will be restricted to candidates who have taken a first degree in a relevant subject area.

• 2. All candidates must follow a course of instruction in Yiddish Studies at Oxford for a period of three terms, unless the Board of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages in exceptional circumstances shall permit an extension of time and they shall, when they enter their names for the examination, be required to produce from their society a certificate stating that they are following the course of instruction for the period prescribed.

• 3. Syllabus

  Candidates must offer both components of A below, one option from B, and a dissertation (C).

  A.

  • (i) Modern Yiddish Literature (1864-1939).

  • (ii) History of the Yiddish Language.

• Assessment of these subjects is by ‘take-home’ examination, one of which must be submitted by Thursday of Week 9 of Hilary Term and one by Thursday of Week 1 of Trinity Term. The examination papers will be distributed on the Thursday of the preceding week.

• B.  One option from those listed in the Handbook for Taught-Course Graduate Students in Medieval & Modern Languages. Candidates will be examined under the regulations for those courses.

Teaching for some options may not be available in every year. 

• C.

  A dissertation of approximately 10,000 words and not more than 12,000 words on a subject proposed by the candidate in consultation with the supervisor and approved by the Board of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages. 

  The dissertation should be formatted and submitted electronically as specified in the course handbook by noon on the Thursday of the eighth week of Trinity Term.

  In order to pass the degree, a student must pass all its assessed components. A candidate who has failed to satisfy the examiners in any one of the examinations may re-submit that element by noon on the final Tuesday of September following their first examination. Re-submitted work may be a reworked version of the original submission or a completely new submission. Candidates may resubmit on one occasion only.