Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2022). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas. The MPhil in Politics (Comparative Government) is an advanced two-year graduate degree which provides training in research techniques and methodology and enables you to acquire substantive knowledge in this sub-area of the discipline. It is also suitable if you wish to embark later upon doctoral research. The MPhil in Politics (Comparative Government) emphasises the research-led study of government and political institutions from area-specific and comparative perspectives, and provides a range of educational experiences in a variety of learning environments to develop your written and oral communication skills as well as other technical skills. The MPhil will provide you with a solid foundation for a wide range of careers, including academic, professional, commercial, diplomatic and governmental positions. The Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR) is internationally recognised as a leading centre for teaching and research in comparative government and empirical political science, and counts among its members a number of acknowledged authorities within this discipline. The approach to teaching comprises intensive and interactive work between you and your supervisor and course teachers, combined with a carefully planned programme of classes, seminars and lectures, as well as directed self-study. In the first year, you must complete the core classes and tutorials in comparative government and a programme of research methods training, which includes core courses in statistics and research design and specialised elective courses. Progression to the second year is conditional on satisfactory performance in the first. In your second year you must write a thesis and complete two specialist option papers. Options that have been offered in recent years include:

• Collective Political Violence

• Comparative Political Economy of Advanced Democracies

• The Politics and Government of China

• EU Foreign Policy

• The Politics of Race, Ethnicity and Immigration