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. This is a two-year, part-time MSt degree in interdisciplinary studies in a number of humanities subjects. The course takes place over four five-day residences and two online modules. You will select two options from each of three periods of British history. Based in Oxford, and taking full advantage of the remarkable human and cultural resources which this university has at its disposal, the Literature and Arts course is designed around three sequential periods of British history, from the early modern period (c. 1500-1700) to the long 19th century (c.1800-1914). By studying each period through a range of disciplines, you will have the opportunity to acquire a broad and multi-faceted picture of the past. In this framework giant achievements such as Milton’s poetry or Wren’s architecture can be understood not only as products of their times but also in so far as they stand as uniquely inspired statements, or as harbingers of future developments. The MSt in Literature and Arts (MLA) is a part-time two-year course. In year one, there are three compulsory five-day residences and one online module consisting of nine units (Core course 2). In year two, there is one compulsory residence and one online module (Core course 3). Although the online modules are not assessed it is a requirement that you engage with the online modules to the satisfaction of the course director. The online modules are fully supported by a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment. Students are supported during online teaching by asynchronous forum discussions, and during residences by tutorials with the course director. The course director is also able to offer support at any time throughout the course by email/phone. After taking a broad view of British culture in a global context at the first residence (Core course 1), the three subsequent residences enable you to choose from a range of subjects, from different humanities disciplines, which relate to the historical period assigned to the unit. The options are taught in the mornings and afternoons, and represent a range of disciplines, specifically literature, history, history of art and material culture, and philosophy/history of ideas. You will choose two options out of four offered. The periods studied are ‘Early Modern’ in Residence 2, ‘The Long Eighteenth Century’ in Residence 3, and ‘The Long Nineteenth Century’ in Residence 4. Please note due to timetabling constrictions it is not always possible to allocate you to your first and second choices. In keeping with the Oxford ethos of tutorial instruction, individual tutorials and supervisions will be an integral part of the programme, most notably with regard to the dissertation. Individual supervision will be undertaken both face-to-face and by email. It is generally expected that the ratio of taught content to self-directed learning is 1:18.