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SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOUR SCHOOL OF ENGLISH AND MODERN LANGUAGES

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For students commencing the Honour School on or before 1 October 2014

A

  1. 1. The subjects of the examination in the Honour School of English and Modern Languages shall be (a) English Language and Literature in English and (b) those modern languages and literatures studied in the Honour School of Modern Languages.
  2. 2. All candidates must offer both (a) and one of the languages in (b) with its literature.
  3. 3. No candidate shall be admitted to the examination in this school unless he or she has either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.
  4. 4. The examiners shall indicate in the lists issued by them the language offered by each candidate obtaining honours or satisfying the examiners under the appropriate regulation.
  5. 5. The examination in this school shall be under the joint supervision of the Boards of the Faculties of English Language and Literature and of Medieval and Modern Languages, which shall appoint a standing joint committee to make, and to submit to the two faculty boards, proposals for regulations for this examination and for the Preliminary Examination in English and Modern Languages.
    1. 6. (i) The examiners in the honour school shall be such of the Public Examiners in the Honour Schools of English and Modern Languages as shall be required.
    2. (ii) It shall be the duty of the chairs of examiners in the Honour School of English and in the Honour School of Modern Languages to consult together and designate such examiners as shall be required for the honour school, whereupon the number of the examiners shall be deemed to be complete.

B

Candidates will be examined in accordance with the examination regulations set out below.

They will also be required to spend, after their matriculation, a year of residence in an appropriate country or countries, and to provide on their entry form for the examination a certificate that they have done this, signed by the Head or by a tutor of their society. Candidates wishing to be dispensed from the requirement to undertake a year of residence abroad must apply in writing to the Chair of the Medieval and Modern Languages Board, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JF, stating their reasons for requesting dispensation and enclosing a letter of support from their society.

Candidates will be expected to carry out during this year abroad such work as their society may require. It is strongly recommended that candidates should apply through the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges for an Assistantship, where these are available, and should accept one if offered. Candidates who are not able to obtain an Assistantship should during their year abroad follow a course or courses in an institution or institutions approved by their society, or should spend their time in such other circumstances as are acceptable to their society. Candidates will agree with their College Tutor in advance of their year abroad an independent course of study to be followed during that period.

The papers and choices of options available to candidates for each of the two courses will be the same.

Each candidate shall offer Part I and either Part II or Part III as prescribed below.

Except in a Special Subject or an alternative to a Special Subject, a candidate shall offer (in addition to English) one modern language and its literature only.

In every case where, under the regulations for the school, candidates have a choice between one or more papers or subjects, every candidate shall give notice to the Registrar not later than Friday in the fourth week of the Michaelmas Full Term preceding the examination of all the papers and subjects being so offered.

Candidates are warned that they must avoid duplicating in their answers to one part of the examination material that they have used in another part of the examination.

New optional subjects may be added to those parts of the syllabus for both Part II and Part III where options are already provided by regulation published in the Gazette by the beginning of the fifth week of Trinity Full Term of the year before the year of the examination in which the subjects will first be available.

Oral examination

As specified for the Honour School of Modern Languages.

Part I

  1. 1. Honour School of Modern Languages, Papers I.
  2. 2. Honour School of Modern Languages, Papers IIA and IIB.
  3. 3. Honour School of Modern Languages, one paper chosen from Papers VI, VII, or VIII.
  4. 4. Honour School of Modern Languages, one paper chosen from Papers IV, V, IX, X, XI, or XII.

Either

Part II

  1. 5. Shakespeare (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 2].
  3. 6, 7. Two of the following periods of English Literature:
    1. (i) Introduction to Medieval Studies: Old English Literature (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 9]. Candidates who have satisfied the Examiners in this paper in a First Public Examination may not offer this paper.
    2. (ii) English Literature from 1100 to 1509 (two papers) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 3 (a) and (b)].
    3. (iii) English Literature from 1509 to 1642 (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 4].
  1. Candidates who have satisfied the Moderators in Honour Moderations in Classics and English may not offer this paper.
    1. (iv) English Literature from 1642 to 1740 (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 5].
    2. (v) English Literature from 1740 to 1832 (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 6].
    3. (vi) Victorian Literature (1832-1900) (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 4(a)] . Candidates who have satisfied the Examiners in this paper in a First Public Examination may not offer this paper.
    4. (vii) Modern Literature (1900 to the present day) (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 4(b)]. Candidates who have satisfied the Examiners in this paper in a First Public Examination may not offer this paper.
  2. 8. One of the following:
    1. (i) The English Language (a portfolio submitted in year 2) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 1].
    2. (ii) Special Authors (an extended essay of not fewer than 5,000 nor more than 6,000 words) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 7]. Within the confines of the themes set for the paper, candidates may write on a topic combining the modern language with English as long as the modern language element takes up no more than half the essay. Each candidate must inform the Head of Examinations and Assessment, Examinations School, through the Senior Tutor of his college or society by the Friday of the second week of Michaelmas Full Term preceding the examination, of the author on which he or she proposes to offer the essay.
    3. (iii) Special topics [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 8] (a), (b), i. (may not be taken by candidates offering linguistics options under Part I. 4), ii., iii., iv. (may not be taken by candidates offering ‘Old Norse’ under Part I. 4, (vi)), vi. (may not be taken by candidates offering Welsh options under Part I. 4(vi)), vii., viii., (c). With the exception of those Paper 8 options for which a timed examination is the prescribed mode of assessment, and within the confines of the themes set for the paper, candidates may write on a topic combining the modern language with English as long as the modern language element takes up no more than half the essay.
    4. (iv) One subject, not already selected, from among those listed under 4, 6, 7.
    5. (v) An extended essay on a topic combining the modern language and English (to be examined under the regulations for the Honour School of Modern Languages).
  3. 9. In addition a candidate may offer one of the following: either
    1. (i) One subject not already selected from amongst those listed under 4, 6, 7, 8.1 or
    2. (ii) An Extended Essay on a topic in the modern language (to be examined under the regulations for the Honour School of Modern Languages).

or

Part III

  1. 5. English Literature 1100-1530 (one paper) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course II, Subject A2]
  2. 6, 7. Two papers chosen from the Honour School of English Language and Literature Course II, Subjects A: 1, 3-5, B: 1-4, 7, provided that a candidate who has not taken paper 3(c) in part 2 of the Preliminary Examination must offer Subject A1. Subject B7 will be examined by extended essay. This is with the exception of Course II papers available under B7 (h) for which the Course II regulations specify that these shall be assessed by written examination. Candidates taking subject B7 may write on a topic combining the modern language with English as long as the modern language element takes up no more than half of the essay.
  3. 8. Either
    1. (a) One subject, not already selected, from among those listed under 4, 6, 7 of this course. or
    2. (b) One subject chosen from English Course II Subjects B6, 8-9, 15, 21-25, provided that no candidate may offer (i) both B15 and Modern Languages paper XII Special Subject ‘Old Norse’, or (ii) both B21 or 22 and Modern Languages paper XII Special Subject ‘Medieval Welsh Tales and Romances, the Poets of the Welsh Princes and the Poetry of Dafydd ap Gwilym’. Subject B6 will be examined by extended essay (as specified in the regulations for the Honour School of English Language and Literature). Within the confines of the themes set for the paper, candidates taking subject B6 may write on a topic combining the modern language with English as long as the modern language element takes up no more than half the essay. or
    3. (c) An extended essay on a topic combining the modern language and English (to be examined under the regulations for the Honour School of Modern Languages).
  4. 9. In addition a candidate may offer one of the following: either
    1. (i) One subject not already selected from among those listed under 4, 6, 7, 8 of this course subject to the restrictions listed under 8 above. or
    2. (ii) English Course II Subject B16, provided this paper may only be offered by a candidate who also offers English Course II Subject B15. or
    3. (iii) An Extended Essay on a topic in the modern language (to be examined under the regulations for the Honour School of Modern Languages).

[From 1 October 2015: SPECIAL REGULATIONS FOR THE HONOUR SCHOOL OF ENGLISH AND MODERN LANGUAGES

For students commencing the Honour School on or after 1 October 2015

A

  1. 1. The subjects of the examination in the Honour School of English and Modern Languages shall be (a) English Language and Literature in English and (b) those modern languages and literatures studied in the Honour School of Modern Languages.
  2. 2. All candidates must offer both (a) and one of the languages in (b) with its literature.
  3. 3. No candidate shall be admitted to the examination in this school unless he or she has either passed or been exempted from the First Public Examination.
  4. 4. The examiners shall indicate in the lists issued by them the language offered by each candidate obtaining honours or satisfying the examiners under the appropriate regulation.
  5. 5. The examination in this school shall be under the joint supervision of the Boards of the Faculties of English Language and Literature and of Medieval and Modern Languages, which shall appoint a standing joint committee to make, and to submit to the two faculty boards, proposals for regulations for this examination and for the Preliminary Examination in English and Modern Languages.
  6. 6. (i) The examiners in the honour school shall be such of the Public Examiners in the Honour Schools of English and Modern Languages as shall be required. (ii) It shall be the duty of the chairs of examiners in the Honour School of English and in the Honour School of Modern Languages to consult together and designate such examiners as shall be required for the honour school, whereupon the number of the examiners shall be deemed to be complete.

B

1. The Year Abroad

Candidates will be examined in accordance with the examination regulations set out below. In addition, every candidate shall be required to spend, after their matriculation, a year of residence in an appropriate country or countries, and to provide on their entry form for the examination a certificate confirming that they have done this, signed by the Head or by a tutor of their college or society. Candidates wishing to be dispensed from the requirement to undertake a year of residence abroad must apply in writing to the Chair of the Medieval and Modern Languages Board, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JF, stating their reasons for requesting dispensation and enclosing a letter of support from their college or society.

Candidates will be expected to carry out during this year abroad such work as their college or society may require. It is strongly recommended that candidates should apply through the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges for an Assistantship, where these are available, and should accept one if offered. Candidates who are not able to obtain an Assistantship should during their year abroad follow a course or courses in an institution or institutions approved by their society, or should spend their time in such other circumstances as are acceptable to their society. Candidates will agree with their College Tutor in advance of their year abroad an independent course of study to be followed during that period.

2. English and Modern Languages Papers

Each candidate shall offer Part I and either Part II or Part III as prescribed below.

Except in a Special Subject or an alternative to a Special Subject, a candidate shall offer (in addition to English) one modern language and its literature only.

Candidates are warned that they must avoid duplicating in their answers to one part of the examination material that they have used in another part of the examination.

Part I

The regulations for these subjects shall be those specified in the regulations for the Honour School of Modern Languages.

  1. 1. Honour School of Modern Languages, Paper I.
  2. 2. Honour School of Modern Languages, Papers IIA and IIB.
  3. 3. Honour School of Modern Languages, one paper chosen from Papers VI, VII, or VIII.
  4. 4. Honour School of Modern Languages, one paper chosen from Papers IV, V, IX, X, XI, or XII.
  5. 5. Oral examination.

EITHER: Part II

  1. 6, 7, 8. Three papers chosen from Course I, Subjects 1 to 6 of the Honour School of English Language and Literature. A maximum of two of the three papers may be examined by submission. The papers will be written examinations of three hours’ duration, unless otherwise specified. Candidates shall choose three from:
    1. (i) Shakespeare (a portfolio of 3 essays, each of not fewer than 1,500 and not more than 1,800 words in length) [as specified for the Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 1]. See in addition the regulations in 3. for ‘Submitted work’.
    2. (ii) Literature in English 1350 – 1550 [as specified for the Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 2].
    3. (iii) Literature in English 1550 to 1660 [as specified for the Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 3]. Candidates who have satisfied the Moderators in Honour Moderations in Classics and English may not offer this paper.
    4. (iv) Literature in English 1660 to 1760 [as specified for the Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 4].
    5. (v) Literature in English 1760 to 1830 [as specified for the Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 5].
    6. (vi) Special Options (an extended essay of not fewer than 5,000 and not more than 6,000 words in length) [as specified for the Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 6]. See in addition the regulations in 3. for ‘Submitted work’.
  2. 9. Dissertation (an extended essay of not fewer than 7,000 and not more than 8,000 words in length). See in addition the regulations in 3. for ‘Submitted work’. Candidates may offer an extended essay in any subject area of English Language or Literature in English, or combining English and their Modern Language. Candidates should show such historical and/or contextual knowledge as is necessary for the profitable study of the topic concerned. Candidates should submit to the Chair of Examiners, care of the English Faculty Office, by 5 p.m. on Thursday of the eighth week of the Michaelmas Term preceding the examination, an abstract of no more than 100 words, describing their area of study. Confirmation of the abstract will be received from the Chair of Examiners by Thursday of the first week of the Hilary Term preceding the examination. The candidate may not discuss with any tutor either his or her choice of content or the method of handling it after Friday of the sixth week of the Hilary Term preceding the examination. Two typed copies of the essay shall be delivered to the Chair of Examiners, Honour School of English Language and Literature, Examination Schools, High Street, by noon on Tuesday of the ninth week after the commencement of Hilary Full Term. A certificate, signed by the candidate to the effect that each essay is the candidate’s own work, and that the candidate has read the Faculty guidelines on plagiarism, must be presented together with the submission (see in addition the regulations in 3. for ‘Submitted work’).

OR: Part III

  1. 6, 7, 8. Three papers chosen from Course II, Subjects 1 to 6 of the Honour School of English Language and Literature. A maximum of two of the three papers may be examined by submission. The papers will be written examinations of three hours’ duration, unless otherwise specified. Candidates shall choose three from:
    1. (i) Literature in English 650 – 1100 [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course II, Subject 1].
    2. (ii) Medieval English and Related Literatures 1066 to 1550 [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course II, Subject 2].
    3. (iii) Literature in English 1350 - 1550 [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course II, Subject 3].
    4. (iv) The History of the English Language to c.1800 (a portfolio of two essays of no more than 2,500 words each) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course II, Subject 4].
    5. (v) EITHER The Material Text (a portfolio of one essay and one commentary, each of not fewer than 2,000 and not more than 2,500 words in length) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course II, Subject 5(a)]. See in addition the introductory regulations for ‘Submitted work’ for the Honour School of English and Modern Languages. OR Shakespeare (a portfolio of three essays, each of not fewer than 1,300 and not more than 1,500 words in length) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I, Subject 1/Course II, Subject 5(b)]. See in addition the introductory regulations for ‘Submitted work’ for the Honour School of English and Modern Languages.
    6. (vi) Special Options (an extended essay of not fewer than 5,000 and not more than 6,000 words in length) [Honour School of English Language and Literature, Course I & II, Subject 6]. See in addition the introductory regulations for ‘Submitted work’ for the Honour School of English and Modern Languages.
  2. 9. Dissertation (an extended essay of not fewer than 7,000 and not more than 8,000 words in length). See the regulations above for Part II, subject 9. See in addition the regulations in 3. for ‘Submitted work’.

3. Submitted Work for Part II and Part III

(a) Two typed copies of each extended essay or portfolio essay must be delivered to the Chair of Examiners, Honour School of English Language and Literature, Examination Schools, High Street, according to the deadlines specified in the regulations for each subject. It is additionally strongly recommended that the candidate keep a third copy of his or her submission. A certificate signed by the candidate to the effect that each extended essay or portfolio is the candidate's own work, and that the candidate has read the Faculty guidelines on plagiarism, must be presented together with each submission (see (b) below).

(b) Every submission must be the work of the candidate alone, and he or she may not discuss with any tutor either his or her choice of content or the method of handling it after the last date indicated in the regulations for each subject.

(c) Essays previously submitted for the Honour School of English and Modern Languages may be re-submitted. No essay will be accepted if it has already been submitted, wholly or substantially, for a final honour school or other degree of this University, or degree of any other institution.

(d) Essays may be penalised that are deemed to be either too short or of excessive length in relation to the word limits specified in the regulations for each subject.]

1. No candidate may offer an extended essay for both 8(ii) and 8(iii) in his or her selection of options for the honour school.