Friday, July 8, 2011

History of Oxford University

History’ at Oxford encompasses the history of the wider European and Mediterranean world since circa 300 AD, and of most of the rest of the world from the early modern period. Some of the topics included within it border on other fields of study:

    Economic and Social History
    History of Science and Medicine
    History of Art.

In that context, History recruits some students and borrows some staff from other disciplinary backgrounds. The Faculty administers and contributes to the teaching of some explicitly interdisciplinary Master’s programmes: in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies and Medieval Studies.
Research Programmes
Humanities Division
DPhil and MLitt in History
Course Code | 000871
DPhil and MLitt in History (History of Science and Medicine & Economics and Social History)
Course Code | 003950

The whole range of the Faculty's research interests is covered including History of Science, History of Medicine, History of Art and Economic History. The DPhil entails the writing of a thesis of up to 100,000 words which may involve either the finding of new or re-examination of known sources.

The MLitt involves writing a thesis of up to 50,000 words which is usually based on original sources, printed or manuscript. Further details of these programmes are available from the departmental website.

During the first one or two years candidates for either degree pursue a mixed course of skills training (palaeography, statistics etc. as appropriate), seminars and paper writing, while preparing a detailed outline of their thesis under the guidance of a supervisor. They may be required to attend certain classes provided for the various taught graduate programmes described below.
How to Apply

The deadline for the DPhil in History are 19 November 2010 and 21 January 2011. The deadlines for the DPhil in History (History of Science and Medicine, Economic and Social History) are 19 November 2010, 21 January 2011 and 11 March 2011.

All those seeking funding from Research Council, University, Faculty, or Faculty-College linked resources must apply by 21 January 2011.

The standard set of materials you should send with any application to a research course comprises:

    A research proposal,
    CV/résumé,
    Three (3) academic references, and
    Official transcripts detailing your university-level qualifications and marks to date.

In addition to the standard documents above, applicants to all DPhil programmes in History should provide two (2) relevant academic essays or other writing samples from their most recent qualification of 2,000 words each, or 2,000-word extracts of longer work.

The research proposal for applicants to all DPhil programmes in History is expected to supply your research question, discuss its historiographical context, give an indication of the kinds of sources you have identified and expect to use, and outline your methodological approach to dealing with the sources and constructing your thesis.
Please follow the detailed instructions in the Application Guide, and consult the History website for any additional guidance.
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Taught Programmes
Humanities Division

The Master’s programmes offered by the History Faculty provide an entry route into Oxford research degrees, but may also function as free-standing programmes of study. They provide a grounding in research methods in some given field of historical knowledge. Taught programmes last for 9, 11 and 12 months (for MSts, MScs) and 21 months (for MPhils). Students completing the substantial dissertation required for an MPhil may apply for readmission to the DPhil programme and develop their MPhil thesis into a doctoral thesis by extending their primary research base in an additional one or two years.
MSt in Medieval History
Course Code | 003780

This programme provides the normal entry route to research degrees for all medieval historians not already holding relevant Master’s degrees, or seeking qualification through an interdisciplinary programme such as the MSt or MPhil in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies or MSt in Medieval Studies. It balances taught classes, language training and independent research. Oxford’s strength in medieval history means that almost any area of medieval European history can be studied. Language training is available in Latin, most modern languages, medieval languages (including Celtic, Romance and Germanic languages), and Greek.

The taught classes consist of a core course in the first term focusing on historical methods, and a choice of optional subjects in the second term, with a chronological spread across the Middle Ages. Candidates will also work towards a dissertation of up to 15,000 words which is to be submitted in August.

    Length of programme: Eleven months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website.

MSt in Modern British & European History
Course Code | 000893

This Master’s programme meets the needs of students seeking
the experience of graduate study and research in post-medieval
history of the area, including those wishing to prepare themselves for doctoral work.

Research training in historical theory, methods, sources and resources is combined with the focussed study of options which showcase recent historiography and approaches.

This class work parallels supervised pursuit of a research project. Candidates will work towards a dissertation of up to 15,000 words which is to be submitted for examination in late May.

    Length of programme: Nine months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website

MSt in Global and Imperial History
Course Code | 000892

This programme meets the needs of students seeking the experience of graduate study and research in either Commonwealth and Imperial, or South Asian, or East Asian history, including those wishing to prepare themselves for doctoral work. In each stream, research training is combined with broad conceptual approaches that encourage students to learn from the recent historiographies of different periods and areas and with focused studies of periods or themes. This class work parallels supervised pursuit of a research project. Candidates will work towards a dissertation of up to 15,000 words which is to be submitted for examination in late May.

    Length of programme: Nine months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website

MSt in US History
Course Code | 000894

This programme meets the needs of students seeking the experience of graduate study and research in the history of the United States and its colonial antecedents, including those wishing to prepare themselves for doctoral work in this field.

Students receive training in methods and evidence in the history of the United States of America and study US historiography and contemporary historical debates. Teaching is through participation in classes and research seminars, enhanced by tutorial sessions.

This class work parallels supervised pursuit of a research project. Candidates will work towards a dissertation of up to 15,000 words which is to be submitted for examination in late May.

    Length of programme: Nine months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website

MPhil in Modern British and European History
Course Code | 000895

The joint initial theoretical and methodological training with the MSt in Modern British and European History is enhanced for this degree by a class on the contemporary writing of history. In addition students expand their contextual understanding by choosing from a menu of thematic options which showcase recent historiography and approaches.

The summer vacation and second Michaelmas Term are set aside for individual research which will feed into work towards the completion of a substantial dissertation of up to 30,000 words which in many cases may form the basis of a doctoral project.

The writing up of the dissertation during the second half of the second year is supported by a master class in which students have the opportunity to address wider historiographical, theoretical and methodological issues through the medium of their own research.

    Length of programme: Twenty-one months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website

MPhil in Economic and Social History
Course Code | 000570

This degree programme is designed both to educate historians in the methods of social science research, and to expose students with social science backgrounds to the challenges of historical enquiry.

It offers, in addition to economic and social history in the strict sense, a choice of papers covering the history of science and technology, the social history of medicine and historical demography.

Students do two core papers on the methodologies of economic and social history and four advanced papers, selected from a wide range of options, which may include up to two papers in a related discipline or skill (such as Economics or Sociology).

In parallel they will work towards the completion of a substantial dissertation of up to 30,000 words which in many cases may form the basis of a doctoral project.

    Length of programme: Twenty-one months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website

MSc in Economic and Social History
Course Code | 000580

This degree programme is a more concise version of the parent MPhil, and provides the usual entry route into research for candidates who seek funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) in the field of Economic and Social History.

Students do two core papers on the methodologies of economic and social history and two advanced papers, selected from a wide range of options, which may include one paper in a related discipline or skill (such as Economics or Sociology).

Candidates will also work towards a dissertation of up to 15,000 words which is to be submitted in September.

    Length of programme: Twelve months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website

MPhil in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology
Course Code | 000740

This degree programme is designed to enhance history students’ knowledge and understanding of the history of science and medicine, and to enhance the historical knowledge and understanding of students with mainly science backgrounds.

It shares many resources with its sister programmes in economic and social history. It provides in-depth training in the methods and themes of the history of science and technology and the social history of medicine.

Students will be examined in four papers, which may comprise either four Advanced Papers focusing on particular periods and topics, or three Advanced Papers, and one paper in a related discipline or skill (such as Comparative Social Policy).

In parallel they will work towards the completion of a substantial dissertation of up to 30,000 words which in many cases may form the basis of a doctoral project.

    Length of programme: Twenty-one months
    For a list of core and optional courses, see the departmental website 




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