Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/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. MSt The MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics is a nine-month taught course offering a range of options for those seeking a graduate qualification in language studies and wishing to specialise in general linguistics (including phonetics but not applied linguistics), in historical and comparative linguistics, or in the linguistics of a specific language. Course strands Students are admitted to the MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics via one of two strands. The balance of taught and self-directed learning varies between strands and options. Research Preparation strand The Research Preparation strand is designed for applicants who have studied linguistics as undergraduates to a more advanced level and who thus already have a solid background in all core areas of general linguistics; they will typically have a degree in which linguistics forms at least 50% of the teaching and assessment, or who can otherwise demonstrate that they have studied linguistics to an equivalent level. In order to be admitted to this programme, applicants will already have to have identified, by means of a detailed research proposal, a topic on which they will want to write a master’s thesis. Students will be working on their master’s thesis from their first term. They will attend the Faculty’s training in research methods and in addition, they may attend some more advanced classes that are of relevance to their thesis work, and they will have the opportunity to follow courses on the Advanced Core Training in Linguistics programme. Advanced Study strand The Advanced Study strand is designed for applicants who have previously studied linguistics at an introductory level, and are keen to familiarise themselves further with the discipline, but who have not studied linguistics to a more advanced level during their undergraduate degree. During their first term and into their second term, students will follow a Foundation Course in Linguistic Theory, a course of lectures and practical classes with extensive sets of compulsory exercises covering the main areas of linguistics and providing an overview of the field. MPhil The MPhil in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics is a taught course offering a range of options for graduates seeking a higher academic qualification in language studies and wishing to specialise in general linguistics (including phonetics but not applied linguistics), in historical and comparative linguistics, or in the linguistics of a specific language. After the MPhil, students who are readmitted to continue as confirmed DPhil students may submit a DPhil thesis for examination after one, or more typically, two further years of work, and the MPhil thesis may be revised and included as part of the DPhil thesis. In this way, a pathway to the DPhil in little more than three years can be offered.