Master of Studies in Philosophy

1. Every candidate must follow for at least three terms a course of instruction in Philosophy. Candidates will, when they enter for the examination, be required to produce from their society a certificate that they are following such a course.

2. Candidates will be required to attend the BPhil Pro-seminar. In addition, candidates will be required to attend two graduate classes in each of the three terms of their studies.

3. Candidates will be examined by submitting four essays of no more than 5,000 words each, in conformity with the following distribution requirement. One essay must be on a subject from Group 1 (Theoretical Philosophy), one on a subject from Group 2 (Practical Philosophy) and one on a subject from Group 3 (History of Philosophy).The one remaining essay may be assigned to a subject in any of the three Groups. The list of approved subjects in each Group will be the same as the list published for the BPhil in Philosophy in the Graduate Student Handbook.

4. Topics for the essays will be chosen by the candidates. Candidates may offer up to two essays on at most one subject not included in the list of approved subjects in the Graduate Student Handbook. Candidates wishing to offer an essay or essays on a subject not on the prescribed list must seek approval for the proposed subject from the Graduate Studies Committee in Philosophy as soon as they decide they would like to offer it, and in any case no later than the Wednesday of the fifth week of Trinity Term. Any such application must be supported by the relevant Course Coordinator. Where a subject is approved by the Graduate Studies Committee in Philosophy, the Committee will assign it to one of Groups 1-3.

5. All essays must be word-processed and submitted electronically via an online assessment submission platform by 10 a.m. on the Wednesdays of the following weeks: two essays are due in noughth week of Trinity Term and two essays must be submitted in noughth week of the Michaelmas Term following the year in which candidates are first entered on the Register of M.St. students. Candidates must give notice of the subject of each essay and the Group to which it will be assigned in accordance with the procedures and deadlines specified in the Graduate Student Handbook.

6. Candidates who fail any essays towards the degree of MSt in Philosophy will be permitted to resubmit those essays at one of two subsequent BPhil essay submission dates; a resubmitted essay may be on a new topic, and may be on a new subject, provided that the distribution requirement is met. Candidates need only resubmit work for those elements of the examination that they failed. No resubmitted essay can receive a mark of more than 50. Candidates who fail to satisfy the examiners a second time in any part of the examination may not re-submit work for any part of the examination on any subsequent occasion.