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 Friday of Week 9 of Hilary Term and one by Friday of Week 1 of Trinity Term. The examination papers will be distributed on the Friday of the preceding week.

• B.

  • (i) Old Yiddish Literature (survey).

  • (ii) Old Yiddish Literature: Secular and Religious Trends.

  • (iii) Old Yiddish: Between Folklore and Literature.

  • (iv) Nineteenth-Century Yiddish Literature.

  • (v) Modern Yiddish Poetry.

  • (vi) Yiddish Drama and Theatre.

  • (vii) Twentieth-Century Centres of Yiddish Literature and Culture.

  • (viii) Sociology of Yiddish.

  • (ix) History of Yiddish Studies.

  • (x) Yiddish Stylistics.

  • (xi) Yiddish Bibliography and Booklore.

  • (xii) Any other option approved by the board.

• Unless the subject is governed by regulations laid down elsewhere, the subject is examined by submission of an essay of 5,000–7,000 words, to be submitted by Friday of Week 1 of Trinity Term.

Candidates shall seek approval (by application to the Modern Languages Graduate Office, 37 Wellington Square, Oxford) of their proposed option by the end of the fourth week of their first term.

Teaching for some options listed under B may not be available in every year. Applicants for admission will be advised of this.

• 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. Candidates shall seek approval (by application to the Modern Languages Graduate Office, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford) for the proposed topic of their dissertation by the end of the fourth week of their second term.

  The dissertation must be presented in proper scholarly form, typed in double-spacing on A4 paper, bearing on the front the candidate's examination number but neither his or her name nor the name of his or her college, must be uploaded to the University approved online assessment platform not later than noon on the Friday of the eighth week of Trinity Term. Candidates must themselves retain one copy of the dissertation.

  Supervisors or others are permitted to give bibliographical help during the preparation of the dissertation and to discuss drafts.