A. HUMANITIES DIVISION

To search within this page: Press CTRL + F (PC) or APPLE + F (Mac)

Ref: 26-55_A_HUMANITIES_DIVISION

[1] 1. TRANSFER OF STATUS AND CONFIRMATION OF STATUS

[2] 1. Transfer of Status [3] Purpose and criteria
1. [4] (i) To assess whether the candidate is capable of carrying out advanced research, and has had suitable preparation in terms of subject-specific research training.
2. [5] (ii) To assess whether the subject of the thesis and the manner of its treatment as proposed by the candidate are acceptable and potentially of D.Phil quality.
3. [6] (iii) To assess whether the thesis can reasonably be completed in no more than 6 to 9 terms from transfer.
[7] Applying for transfer of status
1. [8] (i) Students admitted to Probationer Research Student (PRS) status [9] Students who have completed a one-year Master’s degree at the University of Oxford or elsewhere, or a two-year M.Phil degree at a university other than the University of Oxford are admitted to Probationer Research Student (PRS) status. Transfer of status from PRS to D.Phil must take place in Trinity Term of Year 1 or Michaelmas Term of Year 2 as measured from the admission to PRS status.
2. [10] (ii) Students admitted to D.Phil status [11] Students who have completed a two-year M.Phil degree at the University of Oxford and who have already commenced work on their doctoral thesis will be admitted either as a Probationer Research Student or as a student with D.Phil status. The decision will be made by the relevant University Admitting Body based on the proposed doctoral research and on previous qualifications, including research undertaken at Master’s level. For students who are admitted to PRS status, transfer of status from PRS to D.Phil must take place in Trinity Term of Year 1 or Michaelmas Term of Year 2 as measured from the admission to PRS status. [12] The relevant University Admitting Body may only admit students directly to D.Phil status if the Admitting Body is satisfied that the student meets the three conditions described under ‘purpose of transfer of status’ above. In such cases, the admissions process should follow the same pattern as the transfer of status process, and normally all candidates who are admitted directly to D.Phil status must be interviewed. For students who are admitted directly to D.Phil status, the transfer of status process is waived.
[13] Material normally required for applications for transfer of status [14] Entries for individual Faculty Boards below indicate exactly which materials students studying for a D.Phil degree in that faculty should submit to apply for transfer of status. [15] Candidates applying for transfer of status from Probationer Research Student (PRS) to D.Phil should normally submit the following documents:
1. [16] (i) GSO.2 form: Application to transfer status.
2. [17] (ii) A detailed outline (not exceeding 1,000 words) of the proposed thesis subject and of the manner in which it will be treated, including a provisional list of chapters and their proposed coverage.
3. [18] (iii) Written work (or equivalent, e.g. a portfolio, score or CD/DVD), to be specified by the faculty. The submitted work should be on the topic of the proposed thesis, and if this consists of written work, should be about 10,000 words long (usually a draft chapter of the thesis; if the submitted work is not a draft chapter, then the candidate should provide a written explanation of the written work’s relationship to the thesis).
4. [19] (iv) A reference from the supervisor: the supervisor (or supervisors, if there is more than one) must provide a full and detailed assessment of the student and the student’s application for transfer in the ‘Comment’ section of the GSO.2 form. Where there are two supervisors, either each one must submit an assessment report or both must sign a joint assessment.
5. [20] (v) Information about subject-specific research or other training completed by the student, e.g. proof of linguistic competence. The faculty should specify any research training/research skills (e.g. linguistic competence, ability to use archives, handling of ancient documents) which students are expected to have acquired by this stage of their doctoral studies.
[21] Assessment
1. [22] (i) Assessors: the faculty must appoint two assessors, neither of whom must be the candidate’s supervisor.
2. [23] (ii) Interview: an interview by both assessors, based on the submitted written materials, is compulsory.
3. [24] (iii) Report: the assessors must submit a joint written report, making a clear recommendation to the relevant faculty Graduate Studies Committee (or equivalent) of ‘transfer’ or ‘not transfer’, and providing reasons for their recommendation. The report should note any subject-specific research training still required by the student successfully to complete their doctorate.
[25] Outcome of assessment
1. [26] (i) The assessors may recommend that the candidate be transferred to D.Phil status.
2. [27] (ii) The assessors may judge that the candidate is not (yet) ready to transfer, in which case they may:
  1. [28] (a) recommend that the candidate should reapply after undertaking further preparatory work, which should be clearly described in their report, or
  2. [29] (b) recommend that the candidate should transfer to a lower level of research degree, such as the Master of Letters (M.Litt).
[30] Unsuccessful applications
1. [31] (i) A candidate whose first application for transfer to D.Phil status is not approved shall be permitted to make one further application, and will be granted an extension of time for one term if this is necessary for the purposes of making the application. Normally the assessors should be the same as for the original application.
2. [32] (ii) If, after considering a candidate’s second application for transfer of status, the relevant board concludes that the student’s progress does not warrant transfer, the board must consider whether to approve his or her transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Letters (M.Litt).
3. [33] (iii) Candidates who are transferred to M.Litt. status are permitted one further opportunity to apply for transfer to D.Phil status, provided that (a) not more than three terms have elapsed from the original transfer attempt, and (b) that the candidate’s supervisor is prepared to support a further application.
[34] Reporting [35] The report of the assessors must be considered by the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee (or equivalent), which may delegate authority to the Director of Graduate Studies. Where authority is delegated, the Director of Graduate Studies must report his or her decision to the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee (or equivalent). A copy of the transfer report must also be sent to the student, supervisor and college.
[36] Appeals [37] Candidates who wish to contest the outcome of the transfer assessment, either on procedural or academic grounds, should first discuss the matter with their Director of Graduate Studies. Where a concern is not satisfactorily settled by that means, the candidate, their supervisor or their college authority may make an appeal directly to the Proctors. In accordance with the University’s complaints and appeals processes, the Proctors can only consider whether the procedures for reaching an academic decision were properly followed, and cannot challenge the academic judgement of the assessors.
[38] Loss of Probationer Research Student status [39] Candidates will lose their Probationer Research Student status if they have not gained admission to another status (e.g. D.Phil or M.Litt) within six terms of admission as a full-time student to the status of Probationer Research Student, or if the faculty board concerned deprives them of such status (after consultation with the college/hall and supervisor). If a candidate loses his or her status as a Probationer Research Student and has not gained admission to another status, the candidate is no longer registered as a student of the University.
[40] 2. Confirmation of Status [41] Purpose and criteria [42] The purpose of confirmation is to:
1. [43] (i) assess the progress of the student’s research, and
2. [44] (ii) to ensure that the student’s research progress is such that the student may reasonably be expected to submit within six months to one year.
[45] Applying for confirmation of status
1. [46] (i) Candidates who were admitted to Probationer Research Student (PRS) status must apply for confirmation of status between Trinity Term of Year 2 and Trinity Term of Year 3 as measured from their admission to PRS status.
2. [47] (ii) Application for confirmation of status should be made at least six months (i.e. two terms, or Trinity Term plus the summer vacation) prior to submission of the thesis.
[48] Material normally required for applications for confirmation of status [49] Entries for individual faculty boards below indicate exactly which materials students studying for a D.Phil degree in that faculty should submit to apply for confirmation of status. [50] Candidates applying for confirmation of D.Phil status should normally submit the following documents:
1. [51] (i) GSO.14 form: Application to Confirm D.Phil status.
2. [52] (ii) An abstract of the thesis, a list of chapters with a paragraph describing each chapter, a clear statement indicating which chapters have been written, and a detailed timetable for the completion of the remaining chapters.
3. [53] (iii) Written work (or equivalent, e.g. a portfolio, score or CD/DVD), to be specified by the faculty. The submitted work should be on the topic of the proposed thesis, and if this consists of written work, should be about 10,000 words long (usually a draft chapter of the thesis including all footnotes, bibliography etc.; if the submitted work is not a draft chapter, then the candidate should provide a written explanation of the written work’s relationship to the thesis).
4. [54] (iv) A reference from the supervisor: the supervisor (or supervisors, if there is more than one) must provide a confidential assessment of the student and their application (this must be in addition to, or instead of, the ‘Comment’ section of GSO.14). The faculty may specify additional references.
5. [55] (v) Confirmation material should normally include copies of the report(s) from the transfer process.
[56] Assessment
1. [57] (i) Assessors: the faculty must appoint at least one assessor, who must not be the candidate’s supervisor. Ideally two assessors should be appointed.
2. [58] (ii) Interview: an interview by at least one assessor who is not the supervisor, based on the submitted written materials, is compulsory.
3. [59] (iii) Report: the assessor(s) must submit a written report on both the written and interview components of the application, making a clear recommendation to the relevant Faculty Graduate Studies Committee (or equivalent).
[60] Outcome of assessment
1. [61] (i) The assessor(s) may recommend that the candidate’s D.Phil status be confirmed.
2. [62] (ii) The assessor(s) may judge that the candidate does not (yet) satisfy the purpose of the confirmation process as described above, and may:
  1. [63] (a) recommend resubmission of the application at a later date within the normal timetable;
  2. [64] (b) recommend that the candidate should transfer to a lower level of research degree, such as the M.Litt.
[65] Unsuccessful applications [66] If the candidate’s first application for confirmation of status is not approved, the candidate is permitted to make one further application, normally within one term of the orginal application. The candidate will be granted an extension of time for one term if this is necessary for the purposes of making the application. If, after considering a candidate’s second application for confirmation of status, a board concludes that the student’s progress does not warrant confirmation, the board may approve his or her transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Letters (M.Litt).
[67] Deferral of confirmation [68] In exceptional circumstances where unforeseen and unavoidable obstacles have arisen since transfer of status so as to delay a student’s research progress, the student may apply to their faculty board for deferral of confirmation of status up to a maximum of three terms. An application for deferral must consist of:
1. [69] (i) a clear and detailed description of the obstacles;
2. [70] (ii) a statement of support from the student’s supervisor;
3. [71] (iii) a statement of support from the Director of Graduate Studies.
[72] Reporting [73] The report of the assessor(s) must be considered by the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee (or equivalent), which may delegate authority to the Director of Graduate Studies. Where authority is delegated, the Director of Graduate Studies must report their decisions to the Faculty Graduate Studies Committee (or equivalent). A copy of the transfer report must also be sent to the student, supervisor and college.

[74] 2. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF LINGUISTICS, PHILOLOGY AND PHONETICS

[75] 1. Probationer Research Students [76] Candidates for admission will normally be expected to have a first or upper second class degree. They will be required to submit evidence (in the form of essays written in English) of their competence in the broad subject of their intended research and should have a basic knowledge of the language(s) in which the main secondary literature is written.
[77] 2. M.Litt. status
1. [78] (i) Candidates for admission must submit a piece of written work, normally of about 5,000 words, in the broad field of their proposed thesis. From time to time the Faculty may make other requirements of candidates in order to ascertain their ability to engage in research.
2. [79] (ii) Probationer Research Students applying for transfer to M.Litt. status must inform the Faculty in writing of their intention eleven days before the beginning of the Trinity Term of their first year, and should at the same time indicate the subject of their proposed thesis and of the written work which they will submit. The written work and other statements required must be submitted by the Wednesday of the second week of that Trinity Term. In special circumstances (for example, those who entered Probationer Research Student status after taking an M.St.), it will be possible to follow this procedure one term later.
3. [80] (iii) M.Phil. students applying for admission to M.Litt. status after taking the M.Phil. should do so by the Trinity Term of their second year at the latest, in accordance with the procedure in (ii) above. Acceptance of applications will in all cases be conditional upon a satisfactory result in the M.Phil. examination.
[81] 3. D.Phil. status
1. [82] (i) Candidates for admission must submit a piece of written work, normally of about 5,000 words, in the broad field of their proposed thesis.
2. [83] (ii) Probationer Research Students applying for transfer to D.Phil. status must inform the Faculty in writing of their intentions eleven days before the beginning of the Trinity Term of their first year, and should at the same time indicate the subject of their proposed thesis and of the written work which they will submit. The written work and other statements required must be submitted by the Wednesday of the second week of that Trinity Term. In special circumstances (for example, those who transferred to Probationer Research Student status from M.St. status), it will be possible to follow this procedure one term later.
3. [84] (iii) M.Phil. students applying for admission to D.Phil. status after taking the M.Phil. should do so by the Trinity Term of their second year at the latest, in accordance with the procedure in (ii) above. Acceptance of applications will in all cases be conditional upon a satisfactory result in the M.Phil. examination.
[85] 4. Confirmation of D.Phil. status
1. [86] (i) Candidates for confirmation of D.Phil. status should submit a detailed plan, and a draft chapter, of their proposed thesis.
2. [87] (ii) The application shall be examined by an assessor appointed by the Faculty, not normally the candidate's supervisor, who shall interview the candidate and make a recommendation to the Faculty. The assessor shall be entitled, if he or she so wishes, to consult with another person (who need not be a member of the University) and who may, but need not, take part in the interview.
[88] 5. Theses [89] Theses submitted for the Degree of M.Litt. in Comparative Philology and General Linguistics should not exceed 50,000 words. The word limit excludes the bibliography, appendices consisting of a catalogue of data, any extensive text which is specifically the object of a commentary or linguistic analysis, and any translation of that text, but includes quotations and footnotes. [90] Theses submitted for the Degree of D.Phil. in Comparative Philology and General Linguistics should not exceed 100,000 words. The word limit excludes the bibliography, appendices consisting of a catalogue of data, any extensive text which is specifically the object of a commentary or linguistic analysis, and any translation of that text, but includes quotations and footnotes.

[91] 3. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF CLASSICS

[92] 1. Admission to M.Litt. status [93] Applications from Probationer Research Students for transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Letters will not normally be considered before the beginning of the candidate's third term as a Probationer Research Student. Transfer will normally take place in the third or fourth term. [94] The written work to be submitted should be a single essay, preferably typed, on a subject relevant to the candidate's proposed thesis. For candidates in Languages and Literature the essay should not be more than 10,000 words in length; for candidates in Ancient History it should not be more than 5,000 words in length.
[95] 2. Admission to D.Phil. status [96] Applications from Probationer Research Students for transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy will not normally be considered before the beginning of the candidate's third term as a Probationer Research Student. The board regards the end of the third, or the beginning of the fourth, term as the normal time for this application to be made. [97] The written work to be submitted should be a single essay, preferably typed, and should be close in content to a chapter or part of a chapter of the candidate's proposed thesis. [98] For candidates in Languages and Literature the essay should not be more than 5,000 words in length; for candidates in Ancient History it should not be more than 5,000 words in length. [99] In Languages and Literature candidates will also be required to have attended such classes as the Graduate Studies Committee shall from time to time determine.
[100] 3. Confirmation of D.Phil. status [101] Applications from Students for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy for confirmation of status should be accompanied by a reasoned statement of the nature of the proposed thesis. Candidates in Ancient History are required to submit in addition a single essay of between 5,000 and 10,000 words in length, which should be close in content to a chapter or part of a chapter of the proposed thesis; candidates in Languages and Literature should be required to submit an essay, of approximately 5,000 words in length. Candidates may also be required to attend an interview. [102] In Languages and Literature candidates will also be required to provide evidence of reading competence in German and a second modern language by the time of confirmation. Further details on the modern language policy are set out in the Faculty's D.Phil handbook. [103] The board regards the end of the sixth, or the beginning of the seventh, term from the candidate's admission as a Probationer Research Student as the normal time for this application to be made except in the case of candidates who have been admitted directly to the status of Student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Philosophy after taking the M.Phil. and whose admission as Probationer Research Student is thereafter deemed to have begun when they began the M.Phil.: in this case the normal time is the end of the ninth term after admission to the Status of Probationer Research Student.
[104] 4. Theses [105] All candidates when they submit their theses must state the approximate number of words therein both (a) including citations and, if they have been granted permission to count citations separately, (b) excluding citations. Theses exceeding the limit are liable to be returned unexamined for reduction to the proper length. Candidates who have submitted in their final term may be allowed a maximum period of two terms to effect the necessary reduction. [106] Theses submitted for the Degree of M.Litt. in Ancient History and Archaeology should not exceed 50,000 words, and those submitted for the Degree of D.Phil. should not exceed 100,000 words, excluding the bibliography, any text that is being edited or annotated, and any descriptive catalogue, but including footnotes and appendices. Leave to exceed these limits will only be given in exceptional cases, and upon the presentation of a detailed explanation by the candidate, together with a statement of the excess length required and the written support of the supervisor. Such applications should be made immediately it becomes clear that authorisation to exceed the limit will be required, and in any case not later than the Friday of the fifth week of the term before that in which application is made for appointment of examiners. Every candidate submitting a thesis must state the number of words therein. [107] A thesis submitted for the Degree of M.Litt. in Classical Languages and Literature should not exceed 60,000 words. There is no minimum word limit but approximately 50,000 words would be accepted as a guideline. A thesis submitted for the Degree of D.Phil. should not exceed 100,000 words. There is no minimum word limit but approximately 80,000 words would be accepted as a guideline. The word limit excludes the bibliography, any text that is being edited or annotated, translations of Greek or Latin quoted, and any descriptive catalogue, but includes Greek or Latin quoted, footnotes and appendices. [108] Candidates submitting archaeological theses incorporating photographs are required to present original photographs in one copy of the thesis only, provided that the copies in the other two are adequately reproduced. [109] The copy of the thesis containing the original photographs should be the one deposited in the Bodleian Library.
[110] 5. Written Examination for the D.Phil. [111] The board recommends that, when a written examination is held, two papers be set, three hours being allowed for each. [112] Questions should be set testing candidates' knowledge of matters germane to, but not specifically included in, their treatment of the subject of their thesis, and command of the methods appropriate to the handling of them. Where submitted work is professedly based upon evidence, literary, material, or monumental, candidates should be required in the written examination to satisfy the examiners that they have adequately studied the original sources of such evidence. [113] The examiners are requested to include in their report to the board a statement of their judgement upon the qualifications shown in these regards by candidates.

[114] 4. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE

[115] General

[116] Candidates for admission to D.Phil. and M.Litt. status, must have been interviewed by one of the persons appointed by the board for this purpose, unless the board determines otherwise.

[117] Students admitted prior to 1 OCTOBER 2009 should refer to Examination Regulations 2008.

[118] FOR STUDENTS ADMITTED FROM 1 OCTOBER 2009:

[119] 1. Transfer to M.Litt. and D.Phil. status
1. [120] (i) All research candidates are initially registered as Probationer Research Students and will be required to submit an application to transfer to M.Litt or D.Phil status no later than Friday of noughth week in the Trinity Term of their first year as a Probationer Research Student. In exceptional cases the English Graduate Studies Committee may permit the candidate to postpone submission; candidates seeking such postponement must apply to the Director of Graduate Studies well in advance, and no later than Friday of sixth week of Hilary Term.
2. [121] (ii) Candidates must write to the English Graduate Office by Friday of the eighth week of Hilary Term of their first year as a Probationer Research Student, giving notice of their intention to apply for transfer to D.Phil status, and providing the title of their proposed thesis.
3. [122] (iii) Candidates must submit the following materials: (1) The transfer of status application form, endorsed by the candidate’s society and supervisor. (2) Two copies of a detailed outline (not exceeding 1,000 words) of the proposed subject and the manner in which it will be treated, including a provisional list of chapters and their proposed coverage. (3) Two copies of a piece of written work on the topic of their proposed thesis (of about 10,000 words).
4. [123] (iv) A confidential report from the supervisor should be sent by the supervisor directly to the English Graduate Office. The Graduate Office shall send the outline, written work and the confidential report to two assessors appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies. The Director of Graduate Studies shall not appoint the candidate’s supervisor as an assessor.
5. [124] (v) The assessors shall then examine the candidate orally and report to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing whether the candidate’s subject is satisfactory for the degree in question and whether he or she is competent to undertake it. If they think this is not the case, they may recommend resubmission after a set period of probation; such resubmission will constitute the second attempt at Transfer of Status provided for in the General Regulations for the degree. If the assessors disagree, the Graduate Studies Committee shall decide what should be done.
6. [125] (vi) Candidates holding the status of M.Litt student may apply for transfer to D.Phil status at any time, with the statutory limit of nine terms. Their Transfer of Status application will be considered according to the procedure laid down for confirmation of D.Phil Status (see below). The assessor appointed by the Director of Graduate Studies shall follow that procedure, except that the assessor will be asked to state explicitly whether in addition to this procedure a subsequent formal confirmation of D.Phil status would be desirable, or not.
[126] 2. Confirmation of D.Phil. status [127] For students admitted to the D.Phil. in English before 1 October 2010:
1. [128] (i) Application for confirmation of D.Phil. status shall normally be presented to the English Faculty Graduate Studies Office not later than two weeks before any meeting of the Graduate Studies Committee before the end of the ninth term after the candidate's admission as a Probationer Research Student, or the tenth term after the candidate's admission to M.Phil. student status.
2. [129] (ii) Application for confirmation of D.Phil. status shall be accompanied by (a) a statement giving the title of the thesis, and summarising each component chapter in approximately 100 words per chapter, and (b) an overview of the intended thesis, of approximately 1,000 words, stating how much of the thesis is complete and how much remains to be done (with an estimate of the probable date of completion).
3. [130] (iii) The candidate's supervisor shall provide a confidential report on the candidate's application upon the form provided for this purpose. The report shall comment upon the accuracy of the account and feasibility of the timetable, and upon the candidate's progress, together with an estimate of the probable date of completion.
4. [131] (iv) The documents under (ii) and (iii) above shall be considered by the Graduate Studies Committee, or by at least two members of that committee to whom power may be delegated. The committee shall have power either (a) to authorise confirmation of D.Phil. status, or (b) to call for further examination by two assessors.
5. [132] (v) If the committee adopts (b) under (iv) above, two assessors shall be appointed, one of whom shall, wherever practicable, be one of those who acted at the time of the candidate's transfer to D.Phil. status. The assessors shall have power to call for the submission of written work (which shall normally be of 20,000-30,000 words in length and intended to form part of the thesis) by a date which they shall determine, and shall in any event interview the candidate. The assessors shall jointly report to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing whether they think the status of the candidate should be confirmed. If they do not consider that confirmation should be made, they may recommend either (a) that the candidate should reapply at a later date, or (b) that the candidate should be transferred to M.Litt. status. If they cannot agree, the committee shall appoint a third assessor to read the written work.
6. [133] (vi) Any candidate whose first application for confirmation is refused may reapply on one (only) further occasion. This second application should normally be within two terms of the first. The material required will be the same as under (ii) above, and the same procedure as under (iii)-(iv) will be followed.
[134] For students admitted to the D.Phil. in English from 1 October 2010:
1. [135] (i) Application for conﬁrmation of D.Phil. status, with endorsements by the candidate’s society and supervisor, shall normally be presented to the English Faculty’s Graduate Ofﬁce not later than Monday of third week in the eighth term after admission to the D. Phil. programme. In exceptional cases the Graduate Studies Committee may permit the candidate to postpone submission by up to one term: candidates seeking such postponement should apply to the Committee through the Director of Graduate Studies well in advance.
2. [136] (ii) Application for confirmation of D.Phil. status shall be accompanied by: (1) a full outline of chapters (c.100 words per chapters), summarising the scope of individual chapters and their state of completion, including a timetable for completion of the work which remains to be done before submission of the thesis; (2) a draft abstract of the thesis as a whole, of approximately 1,000 words; (3) a sample chapter, of between 6,000 and 10,000 words; (4) a confidential report from the supervisor which should be sent direct to the English Faculty’s Graduate Office. The English Graduate Office will send the written work and the confidential report as well as any previous reports on transfer to the interviewer appointed by the English Graduate Studies Committee on behalf of the English Faculty Board.
3. [137] (iii) The interviewer shall examine the candidate orally. If the interviewer considers it necessary, a second assessor may be appointed in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.
4. [138] (iv) The interviewer(s) shall report to the English Graduate Studies Committee in writing whether the candidate’s subject is satisfactory and whether he or she is competent to tackle it. If conﬁrmation is not recommended the interviewer may (1) recommend reapplication after a further period of study or (2) recommend transfer to M.Litt. status.
5. [139] (v) Any candidate whose first application for confirmation is refused may reapply on one (only) further occasion, normally within two terms of the first. The material required will be the same as (ii) above.
[140] 3. Theses [141] Theses submitted to the Board of the Faculty of English Language and Literature for the Degree of M.Litt. should normally be around 40,000 words in length and should in no case exceed 50,000 words, exclusive of the bibliography and of any text that is being edited but including notes, glossary, appendices, etc. Theses submitted for the Degree of D.Phil. should normally be around 80,000 words in length and should in no case exceed 100,000 words, exclusive of the bibliography and of any text being edited, but including notes, glossary, appendices, etc. Leave to exceed these limits will be given only in exceptional cases (e.g. when the subject of the thesis requires extensive quotation from unpublished or inaccessible material, or where substantial and supplementary bibliographical or biographical listings are essential or helpful for an understanding of the arguments of the thesis) and on the recommendation of the supervisor. Applications to exceed the limit of 50,000 words for the M.Litt. or 100,000 words for the D.Phil. must be made in writing to the board's Graduate Studies Committee in advance of the application for appointment of examiners. Each application should include a detailed explanation, a statement of the excess length requested, and a covering letter from the supervisor.
[142] 4. Written Examination for the D.Phil. [143] The board recommends that when a written examination is held, it should consist of not more than two papers for each of which three hours should be allowed. [144] Questions should be set testing candidates' knowledge of matters germane to, or arising out of, their treatment of the subject of their thesis, and command of the methods appropriate to the handling of them. Candidates should be required in the written examination to satisfy the examiners that they have adequately studied the original sources of the evidence upon which the submitted work is based. [145] The examiners should include in their report to the board a statement of the judgement upon the qualifications shown in these regards by candidates.

[146] 5. COMMITTEE FOR THE RUSKIN SCHOOL OF DRAWING AND FINE ART

[147] 1. Admission [148] Candidates may elect to pursue research by thesis alone, or by a combination of thesis and studio practice; where the latter course is proposed, the studio work produced must be original work developed and realised in respect of the stated aims of the research programme, exemplifying and locating the ideas that have been developed in conjunction with the written part of the thesis. Fine Art candidates are initially admitted as Probationer Research Students. Depending on whether they wish to pursue research by thesis alone, or through a combination of thesis and studio practice, candidates should support their application with: EITHER
1. [149] (A) 1. a sample of recent written work (4,000-6,000 words), preferably but not necessarily related to the proposed topic or area of research, such as an undergraduate or Master's dissertation (or part of it) or a substantial essay;
2. [150] 2. a proposal for a research topic or area (about 1,000 words), which should include a statement why this work should be carried out at Oxford.
3. OR
4. [151] (B) (For those intending to offer studio practice as part of the final submission)
  1. [152] 1. a sample of written work (2,000-3,000 words);
  2. [153] 2. a portfolio of recently completed studio work with slides or other documentation of work not available for inclusion;
  3. [154] 3. a plan of work to be completed in Oxford. All candidates should expect to attend for interview.

[155] Part-time study [156] In assessing applications from candidates seeking to undertake a research degree through part-time study, the Committee for the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art shall have regard to evidence that:
1. [157] (i) the candidate is suitable to undertake research at doctoral level;
2. [158] (ii) the candidate's personal and professional circumstances are such that it is both practicable for him or her to fulfil the requirements of the course, and necessary for him or her to study on a part-time basis;
3. [159] (iii) if appropriate, the candidate has the written support of his or her present employer for his or her proposed course of study and its obligations;
4. [160] (iv) the candidate's proposed topic of research is suitable for part-time study;
5. [161] (v) the candidate can meet the attendance requirements relating to part-time study.
[162] Attendance requirements for part-time study [163] Part-time students are required to attend for a minimum of thirty days of university-based work each year, to be arranged with the agreement of their supervisor, for the period that their names remain on the Register of Graduate Students unless individually dispensed by the committee.
[164] 2. Transfer of status to M.Litt. or D.Phil. [165] During the first year of study, Probationer Research Students are required to attend lectures, seminars, and classes within the University as directed by their supervisor(s). Students will also undertake foundation work related to their research area. [166] Applications for transfer to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status should normally be made by the end of the third term, and must be made by the end of the sixth term. Students must satisfy the committee that (a) they have followed and completed their prescribed courses of study, (b) they have undertaken preparatory research (and, where applicable, studio work) to the satisfaction of their supervisor(s), (c) the proposed research topic is acceptable, and that they are competent to undertake it, (d) (in the case of those intending to offer studio practice as part of the final submission) the proposed work to be undertaken is of sufficient substance. [167] In the case of part-time students, applications for transfer should normally be made by the end of the sixth term, and must be made by the end of the twelfth term. [168] Candidates for transfer should submit a brief statement (1,000 words) on the topic of their research and the manner in which they propose to treat it. This should be accompanied by: EITHER
1. [169] (A) an essay of about 5,000 words relevant to the topic proposed for the thesis.

[170] OR
1. [171] (B) (for those intending to offer studio practice as part of the final submission) a portfolio or exhibition of studio work with slides or other documentation of work not available for inclusion and a related essay of 3,000 words. [172] Application for transfer (including all the submitted material) should be submitted no later than the third week of the third term and accompanied by a report from the student's supervisor(s). (Upon the recommendation of the supervisor(s), a student may be permitted to submit no later than Monday of the week before full term in the fourth term.) On receiving the submissions the committee shall appoint two assessors, both of whom shall consider the submitted material, and conduct the oral examination. Transfer to D.Phil. student status is dependent on satisfactory reports from assessors and confirmation of (a)-(d) above.
[173] 3. Confirmation of D.Phil. status [174] Applications for confirmation of D.Phil. status should normally be made by the end of the eighth term as a research student at Oxford, and must be made by the end of the ninth term; or, in the case of part-time students, normally by the end of the eighteenth term (and must be made by the end of the twenty-fourth term). [175] Every student seeking confirmation of status should make a submission consisting of: EITHER
1. [176] (A) 1. a thesis title, together with an outline of the thesis, and an essay of about 6,000 words on the current state of the student's research, or a portion of the thesis of comparable length.

[177] OR
1. [178] (B) 1. a portfolio or exhibition of studio work, accompanied by a statement of future plans;
2. [179] 2. an essay on a related topic (3,000 words). [180] All candidates will be examined orally by two assessors. In the case of those intending to offer studio practice as part of the final submission, both assessors will view the portfolio or exhibition of studio work prior to the oral examination. Confirmation of status may take place only when the committee has received satisfactory reports from the assessors, and from the student's supervisor(s).
[181] 4. Final submission EITHER
1. [182] (A) For the Degree of M.Litt. a thesis not exceeding 40,000 words, or for the Degree of D.Phil, a thesis not exceeding 80,000 words, including notes, bibliography, glossary, appendices, etc.

[183] OR
1. [184] (B) For the Degree of M.Litt. an exhibition of studio work and a written thesis of up to 20,000 words. For the Degree of D.Phil. an exhibition of studio work and a written thesis of up to 40,000 words. [185] In the case of those offering studio practice as part of the final submission, both assessors will view the portfolio or exhibition of studio work prior to the oral examination. The supervisor will ensure that the assessors view the studio work. This may take place in a different venue from, and on a day prior to the oral examination. There should normally be no more than three months between the dates of the viewing and the oral examination. In conducting the oral examination, the assessors will be concerned to establish that the studio work has been clearly presented in relation to the argument of the written thesis, and that it has been set in its relevant theoretical, historical, or critical context.

[186] 6. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF HISTORY

[187] 1. Admission/First year course work

[188] In History (which includes medieval history, economic and social history, history of science, and history of art) graduate students are initially admitted either as candidates for a taught programme or as candidates for a research programme. The requirements for all taught programmes are laid out in detail under their individual regulations above.

[189] Research students are admitted as Probationer D.Phil students, and are required to undertake the following work in their probationary period:

[190] (a) attend such lectures, seminars and classes as his or her supervisor shall determine; and

[191] (b) present one seminar paper during the first year. Such paper shall normally be assessed by two assessors. Such assessors should not include the candidate’s supervisor. The work done for the seminar paper may form the basis of the essay required under (2) below.

[192] Applications for admission/transfer to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status shall be accompanied by:

[193] (1) two copies of a statement (of 500 to 1,000 words) of the subject of the thesis and the manner in which the candidate proposes to treat it; such a statement will also normally include a descriptive title for the research project, an indication of identiﬁed or envisaged primary sources, an outline of the time table for background reading, archival or ﬁeld work, and writing-up; also an account of how the research project relates to work done for any relevant master’s dissertation;

[194] (2) two copies of a piece of written work, normally 3,000–5,000 words long, being either (a) a section of the proposed thesis, or (b) an essay on a relevant topic, or (c) an augmented version of the statement required under (1) above; candidates should note that if they adopt alternative (c) they must also submit separately the statement required under (1) above;

[195] (3) two copies of a conﬁdential report from the supervisor, which should be sent by the supervisor directly to the Faculty’s Graduate Ofﬁce.

[196] Successful completion of the work prescribed above is not in itself sufﬁcient qualiﬁcation for students to advance to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status.

[197] 2. Readmission after completion of a taught programme

[198] Students who are currently entered as candidates for the examination in the M.St. in Medieval History, M.St. or M.Phil. in Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, M.St. in Medieval Studies, M.St. or M.Phil in Modern British and European History, M.St. in Global and Imperial History, M.St. in US History, M.St. in History of Art and Visual Culture, M.Sc. in English Local History, M.Sc. or M.Phil. in Economic and Social History, M.Sc. or M.Phil. in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, or another relevant Master’s programme may apply for admission to the M.Litt. or D.Phil. programme in the year in which they enter the ﬁnal examination for their M.Sc., M.St., or M.Phil. programme. Readmission may be made conditional on such requirements as the Graduate Studies Committee may impose, and successful completion of their current degree is not in itself sufﬁcient qualiﬁcation for students to be admitted to a research programme.

[199] 3. Special provisions for part-time students*

[200] In assessing applications from candidates seeking to undertake a research degree through part-time study, the Graduate Studies Committee of the Board of the Faculty of History shall have regard to evidence that:

[201] (i) the candidate is suitable to undertake research at doctoral level;
[202] (ii) the candidate's proposed topic of research is suitable for part-time study;
[203] (iii) the candidate's personal and professional circumstances are such that it is both practicable for him or her to fulfil the requirements of the course, and necessary for him or her to study on a part-time basis;
[204] (iv) if appropriate, the candidate has the written support of their present employer for their proposed course of study and its obligations;
[205] (v) the candidate can meet the following attendance requirements for their period of part-time study: attendance for a minimum of thirty days of university-based work each year, normally coinciding with the full terms of the academic year, to be arranged with the agreement of their supervisor, for the period that their names remain on the Register of Graduate Students unless individually dispensed by the Graduate Studies Committee on the Board of the Faculty of History. During a candidate's probationary period the attendance arrangements must take account of relevant induction and training events scheduled by the Faculty.

[206] 4. Transfer to full M.Litt. or D.Phil. status

[207] (i) The application form, endorsed by the candidate’s society and supervisor, and the supporting material as outlined under 1. above shall normally be presented to the Faculty’s Graduate Ofﬁce not later than Friday of eighth week in the candidate’s ﬁrst Hilary Term (or Friday of eighth week in the candidate's second Hilary Term in the case of part-time students). In exceptional cases the Graduate Studies Committee may permit the candidate to postpone submission: candidates seeking such postponement should apply to the Director of Graduate Studies well in advance.

[208] (ii) Two copies of a conﬁdential report from the supervisor should be sent by the supervisor directly to the Faculty’s Graduate Ofﬁce. The Graduate Ofﬁce shall send both copies of the written work and the conﬁdential report to the candidate’s interviewer who will pass on one copy to the second assessor nominated as below.

[209] (iii) The interviewer shall then, together with a second assessor appointed in conjunction with the Director of Graduate Studies, examine the candidate orally. The interviewer shall be entitled, after consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies, to appoint a deputy to act instead. When the interviewer is also the supervisor, the Director of Graduate Studies shall act as if he or she were the interviewer and shall have power to appoint a deputy and the second assessor.

[210] (iv) The assessors shall report to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing whether the candidate’s subject is satisfactory for the degree in question and whether he or she is competent to tackle it*. If they think this is not the case, they may recommend resubmission after a set period of further probation; such resubmission will constitute the second attempt at Transfer of Status provided for in the General Regulations for the degree. If the assessors disagree, the Graduate Studies Committee shall decide what should be done.

[211] (v) Candidates holding the status of M.Litt. student may apply for transfer to D. Phil. status at any time, within the statutory limit of nine terms. Their Transfer of Status application will be considered according to the procedure laid down for conﬁrmation of D. Phil. status (see below). The interviewer appointed by the Faculty Board shall follow that procedure, except that the interviewer will be asked to state explicitly whether in addition to this procedure a subsequent formal conﬁrmation of D. Phil. status would be desirable, or not.

[212] 5. Conﬁrmation of D.Phil. status

[213] (i) Application for conﬁrmation of D. Phil. status, with endorsements by the candidate’s society and supervisor, shall normally be presented to the Faculty’s Graduate Ofﬁce not later than Monday of third week in the eighth term after admission to the D. Phil. programme (or in the candidate's twelfth term after transfer to full D.Phil. status in the case of part-time students). In exceptional cases the Graduate Studies Committee may permit the candidate to postpone submission by up to one term: candidates seeking such postponement should apply to the Committee through the Director of Graduate Studies well in advance.

[214] (ii) Application for confirmation of D.Phil status shall be accompanied by: (1) a full outline of chapters (1-2 pages), summarising the scope of individual chapters and their state of completion, including a timetable for completion of the work which remains to be done before submission of the thesis; (2) a draft abstract of the thesis as a whole, of between 1,000 and 2,000 words; (3) a sample chapter, of between 6,000 and 10,000 words; (4) a confidential report from the supervisor which should be sent direct to the Faculty’s Graduate Office. The Graduate Office shall send the written work and the confidential report to the interviewer appointed by the Faculty Board.

[215] (iii) The interviewer shall then examine the candidate orally. If the interviewer considers it necessary, a second assessor may be appointed in conjunction with the Director of Graduate Studies. In cases where the interviewer is also the supervisor, the Director of Graduate Studies shall act as if he or she were the interviewer and shall have power to appoint a deputy and, if necessary, a second assessor.

[216] (iv) The interviewer shall report to the Graduate Studies Committee in writing whether the candidate’s subject is satisfactory and whether he or she is competent to tackle it. If conﬁrmation is not recommended the interviewer may recommend reapplication after a further period of study (within the timeframe provided for in the General Regulations) or alternatively transfer to M.Litt. status, subject to the general regulations governing conﬁrmation of status.

[217] 6. Theses

[218] Theses submitted for the Degree of M.Litt. should not exceed 50,000 words and those submitted for the Degree of D.Phil. should not exceed 100,000 words, including all notes, appendices, any source material being edited, and all other parts of the thesis whatsoever, excluding only the bibliography; any thesis exceeding these limits is liable to be rejected on that ground. Any application for permission to exceed the limit should be submitted with a detailed explanation and statement of the amount of excess length requested, and with a covering letter from the supervisor. Applications should be made as soon as possible and may not be made later than the last day of the ﬁfth week of the term before that in which application is made for appointment of examiners. The presentation and footnotes should comply with the requirements speciﬁed in the Regulations of the Education Committee for the degrees of M.Litt. and D. Phil. and follow the Conventions for the presentation of essays, dissertations and theses of the Faculty of History.

[219] All candidates must submit with their thesis two printed or typewritten copies of an abstract of the thesis, which shall not normally exceed 1,500 words for the M.Litt. or 2,500 words for the D. Phil., prepared by the student. This is in addition to the requirement to submit an abstract of not more than 300 words in length required by the Education Committee's regulations. Copies of both abstracts shall be bound into the copy of the thesis which shall be deposited in the Bodleian Library. One loose copy of the 300 words abstract, printed on a single page, must be submitted together with the Library copy to the Examination Schools.

[220] 7. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF MEDIEVAL AND MODERN LANGUAGES

[221] 1. Application for admission as a Probationer Research Student

[222] General

[223] Applicants from the United Kingdom for admission as Probationer Research Students will normally be expected to attend for interview; other applicants required for interview will be notified as appropriate. The interviews will be conducted by or on behalf of a member of the board or its Graduate Studies Committee.

[224] 1. Transfer to M.Litt. and D.Phil. status [225] Unless they have successfully completed the M.Phil. in European Literature or the M.Phil. in Medieval and Modern Languages, research students are normally registered in the first instance for the degree of Master of Studies in Medieval and Modern Languages, and follow the requirements laid down for that degree. Transfer to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status normally takes place at the end of the first year and is dependent on successful completion of the M.St. course though this is in itself not a sufficient condition for transfer. [226] The board may however (i) permit candidates to register in the first instance for another degree of M.St. or for the degree of M.Phil., or (ii) permit those who have already obtained an equivalent qualification to the degree of M.St. in Medieval and Modern Languages to register as Probationer Research Students for the first year, following such courses as the board may require.
[227] 2. Admission to M.Litt. status [228] Candidates must give notice of intention to apply for transfer in writing to the Modern Languages Graduate Office, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford, by the end of the fourth week of the third term before they seek entry to M.Litt. status, giving the title of the proposed thesis. By Friday of the sixth week they shall submit an application form together with (i) three copies of a statement (not more than 500 words) of the title of the proposed thesis and of the manner in which the subject will be treated, and of the way in which the proposed treatment relates to existing work relevant to the chosen topic, the statement to include a provisional scheme of the contents of the thesis, and (ii) two typed copies of a piece of written work normally not more than about 10,000 words long (which will usually be the same as the dissertation submitted for the degree of M.St. in Medieval and Modern Languages). The material shall be sent to two assessors, neither of whom shall normally be the candidate's supervisor and who, in the case of students for the M.St. in Medieval and Modern Languages, shall normally be acting as assessors in that examination also. The assessors shall examine the candidate orally (if appropriate in the course of the examination for that degree). [229] The assessors will be asked to report to the Graduate Studies Committee for its meeting in July.
[230] 3. Admission to D.Phil. status [231] Candidates must give notice of intention to apply for transfer in writing to the Modern Languages Graduate Office, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford, by the end of the fourth week of the third term before they seek entry to D.Phil. status, giving the title of the proposed thesis. By Friday of the sixth week they shall submit an application form together with (i) three copies of a statement (not more than 500 words) of the title of the proposed thesis and of the manner in which the subject will be treated, and of the way in which the proposed treatment relates to existing work relevant to the chosen topic, the statement to include a provisional scheme of the contents of the chosen topic, and (ii) two typed copies of a piece of written work normally not more than about 10,000 words long (which will usually be the same as the dissertation submitted for the degree of M.St. in Modern Languages). [232] No application for admission within the terms of §3 of the general regulations for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy will normally be considered by the Graduate Studies Committee of the board unless the applicant has previously been interviewed by a member of the Faculty invited to act in this capacity by the committee. The application form must be signed by the person who interviews the candidate. [233] The material shall be sent to two assessors, neither of whom shall normally be the candidate's supervisor and who, in the case of students for the M.St. in European Literature, shall normally be acting as assessors in that examination also. The assessors shall examine the candidate orally (if appropriate in the course of the examination for that degree). [234] The assessors will be asked to report to the Graduate Studies Committee for its meeting in July. [235] The requirements for the submission of a piece of written work at (ii) above and for action by assessors will not apply in the case of candidates who have been given leave to supplicate for the degree of M.Phil. or of M.Litt. whose subject of thesis for that degree is in the broad field of research proposed for the D.Phil. [236] Any candidate whose application for transfer to M.Litt. or D. Phil. Status is refused may reapply on one (only) further occasion.
[237] 4. The board will award a Certificate of Graduate Attainment to a Probationer Research Student whose application for transfer to the status of student for the degree of D.Phil. or M.Litt. is approved by the committee. In exceptional circumstances the committee may recommend the award of the certificate to other Probationer Research Students who are strongly supported by their supervisor.

[238] 2. Application for confirmation of status as a student for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy

[239] (a) Candidates other than those who have already been given leave to supplicate for the Degree of M.Phil.
1. [240] (i) Each applicant for confirmation of D.Phil. status must submit two copies of a piece of written work of 15,000 words in length (except where text is accompanied by graphs or statistical material), being a draft of a chapter or chapters of the thesis (excluding the introductory or concluding chapters and any section submitted for the first transfer examination). The student shall show on a provisional list of the contents of the thesis the place he or she plans for the draft chapter(s). This piece of work must be substantially different from that submitted on application for admission to D.Phil. status. Each applicant must also submit, at the time of application, three copies of a statement (of not more than 1,000 words) of the title of the proposed thesis and of the manner in which the subject will be treated, and of work achieved on other parts of the thesis and work remaining to be done.
2. [241] (ii) Unless permission is given otherwise by the committee, the application for confirmation of D.Phil. status shall be submitted to the Modern Languages Graduate Office, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford, not later than the Friday of the fourth week of the applicant's ninth term from admission to graduate status, and copies of the written work by not later than 30 June. The written work shall be read by two assessors appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee of the board. Neither of the assessors shall normally be the candidate's supervisor. The assessors shall examine the candidate orally.
3. [242] (iii) The assessors shall report to the committee in writing whether they recommend that the candidate's status as a D.Phil. student should be confirmed. They shall also make a written report, in support of their recommendation, covering the following points: whether the subject of the thesis and the manner of its treatment proposed by the candidate are acceptable; and whether the thesis can reasonably be completed in three or at most four years of full-time study from the date of the candidate's admission as a research student, (Note: students reading for the M.St. in Modern Languages are considered to be taught-course students). On receipt of the report, the committee shall decide whether to approve the candidate's application. If it reaches the conclusion that the candidate's subject for a thesis is unsatisfactory and/or that the candidate is unlikely to be able to complete the thesis proposed, it may permit resubmission by a date which the committee shall specify. If, after a second application, the committee continues to be unable to give approval, it will either admit the candidate to M.Litt. status or take appropriate action under the regulations made by the Education Committee for the removal of a student from the Register.
[243] (b) Candidates who have already been given leave to supplicate for the degree of M.Phil. (Candidates who propose a topic for their D.Phil. which is different from their M.Phil. topic shall be subject to the regulations under (a) above). [244] Applicants must submit to the Modern Languages Graduate Office, 41 Wellington Square, Oxford with their applications three copies of a statement (of not more than 1,000 words) of the title of the proposed thesis and of the manner in which the subject will be treated, and of the way in which the proposed treatment relates to existing work relevant to the chosen topic, and of work achieved on other parts of the thesis and work remaining to be done. The statement should include a provisional scheme of the contents of the thesis, which identifies the place of the M.Phil. thesis in the scheme. Confirmation will be subject to the Graduate Studies Committee of the board being satisfied, on the evidence of the statement and of the examiners of the M.Phil., that the student is capable of carrying out advanced research; that the M.Phil. thesis is in the field of research proposed for the D.Phil.; that the subject can be profitably pursued under the superintendence of the board; and that the thesis can reasonably be expected to be completed in three or at the most four years of full-time study from the date of the candidate's admission as an M.Phil. student. If the committee is not satisfied, it may permit one further application by a date which it shall specify.

[245] 3. Theses

[246] Theses submitted for the Degree of M.Litt. should not exceed 50,000 words and those submitted for the Degree of D.Phil. should not exceed 80,000 words, excluding the bibliography and any text that is being edited but including notes, glossary, appendices, etc. Leave to exceed these limits will be given only in exceptional cases. Any application for permission to exceed the limit should be submitted with a detailed explanation and statement of the amount of excess length requested, and with a covering letter from the supervisor. Application must be made immediately it seems clear that authorisation to exceed the limit will be sought and normally not later than six months before the intended date of submission of the thesis.

[247] Every candidate who is editing a text must also state the length of the text being edited.

[248] In addition to the arrangements for an abstract of the thesis set out in the Education Committee's regulations above, three printed or typewritten copies of a fuller abstract of the thesis (which shall not normally exceed 1,500 words for the M.Litt. and 2,500 words for the D.Phil.) prepared by the student is required. A copy of the fuller abstract must be bound into the copy of the thesis which, if the application for leave to supplicate for the degree is successful, will be deposited in the Bodleian Library. The fuller abstract may be bound into the two examiners' copies of the thesis if the candidate so desires.

[249] 8. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF MUSIC

[250] 1. Probationer Research Student

[251] (a) Admission
1. [252] (i) Each candidate for admission as a Probationer Research Student should support the application with: [253] EITHER
  1. [254] (A)
  2. [255] 1. a sample of recent written work (4,000-6,000 words), preferably but not necessarily related to the proposed topic or area of research, such as an undergraduate dissertation (or part of it) or a substantial essay;
  3. [256] 2. a proposal for a research topic or area (about 1,000 words), which should include a statement why this work should be carried out at Oxford.
1. [257] OR
  1. [258] (B) (For those intending to offer compositions as part of the final submission)
  2. [259] 1. a sample of written work (2,000-3,000 words);
  3. [260] 2. one or two recently completed compositions;
  4. [261] 3. a plan of work to be completed in Oxford.
  [262] Candidates should expect to attend for interview if required.
[263] (b) Course of study [264] Candidates seeking admission in order to read for the M.Litt. or D.Phil. are normally registered as Probationer Research Students and as such, unless specifically exempted by the board must follow the requirements laid down for the Degree of Master of Studies in Music. Such exemption will not normally be granted except to candidates who have already obtained a qualification of equivalent status and breadth elsewhere. Transfer to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status normally takes place at the end of the first year and is dependent on successful completion of the M.St. course (though this in itself is not a sufficient condition of transfer). [265] Probationer Research Students who have been exempted from the requirements laid down for the Degree of Master of Studies in Music must attend courses as recommended by their supervisors and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. In most instances these courses of study will be undertaken in the Faculty of Music, but exemptions will be made where more appropriate courses are offered in other faculties. [266] Students will also undertake foundation work related to their research area or topic under the direction of a supervisor. [267] A Certificate of Graduate Attainment may be awarded on the basis of satisfactory reports on the work undertaken in the initial year.
[268] (c) Transfer to the status of M.Litt. or D.Phil. Student
1. [269] (i) Probationer research students seeking to transfer to the status of M.Litt. or D.Phil. Student must satisfy the Board of the Faculty of Music that (a) they have followed and completed their prescribed courses of study, (b) they have undertaken preparatory research work to the satisfaction of their supervisor, (c) the proposed research topic is acceptable, and (d) they are competent to handle the research topic. [270] A candidate for transfer to the new status must make a submission in the manner prescribed in the University's Examination Regulations. [271] The faculty board requires that the written work submitted shall be: [272] EITHER [273] (A) an essay of about 5,000 words relevant to the topic proposed for the thesis, and a bibliographic essay of the same length reviewing the historical and/or theoretical literature relevant to the thesis topic and its field. [274] OR [275] (B) (For those intending to offer compositions as part of the final submission) a portfolio of two significantly contrasted compositions (together lasting between ten and fifteen minutes maximum), a proposed work-schedule for the following year, and a related essay of 5,000-10,000 words. [276] Two copies of the thesis title, thesis outline, essays and compositions must be submitted. The essay must be typewritten in double spacing, and placed in a temporary form of binding. The submissions must be made through the Registrar no later than seven days before the second meeting of the Graduate Studies Committee of the board in the student's third term from admission. Upon the recommendation of the supervisor, the board may permit a student to submit no later than seven days before the second meeting in the fourth term of study.
2. [277] (ii) On receiving the submissions the board shall appoint two assessors, both of whom shall read the scripts and conduct the oral examination, provided that the board may appoint additional assessors should the need arise.
3. [278] (iii) Transfer to the new status shall only take place when the board has received satisfactory reports from the assessors, from those who conducted the prescribed courses of study, and from the student's supervisor.
4. [279] (iv) M.St. students admitted to the status of Probationer Research Students must apply for transfer to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status in their fourth term of graduate study. The submissions required may consist of all or part of the work submitted for the Degree of M.St. provided that it is relevant to the research topic.
5. [280] (v) Students for the M.Phil. who intend to take the degree may seek admittance to the status of M.Litt. or D.Phil. Student, provided that they satisfy the general regulations of the university, and that they submit a provisional thesis title and outline of the manner in which it is intended to treat the research topic which is acceptable to the board.

[281] 2. M.Litt. Students

[282] (a) Admission [283] The procedure for the admission of a Probationer Research Student to the status of M.Litt. Student is outlined in section (c) of the faculty board's regulations for Probationer Research Students in Music.
[284] (b) Supervision [285] The Graduate Studies Committee of the board will receive a report on each student's progress from his or her supervisor at the end of each term. The committee may request or receive an additional report at the end of the Long Vacation.

[286] 3. D.Phil. Students

[287] (a) Admission [288] The procedure for the admission of a Probationer Research Student to the status of D.Phil. Student is outlined in section (c) of the faculty board's regulations for Probationer Research Students in Music.
[289] (b) Supervision [290] The Graduate Studies Committee of the board will receive a report on each student's progress from his or her supervisor at the end of each term. The committee may request or receive an additional report at the end of the Long Vacation.
[291] (c) Confirmation of Status [292] The status of D.Phil. Student shall normally be confirmed in the sixth term as a research student at Oxford. In addition to the general requirements of the regulations, the Board of the Faculty of Music requires that every student seeking confirmation of status must make a submission consisting of: [293] EITHER [294] (A)
1. [295] 1. thesis title, together with an annotated outline of the thesis (both title and outline may be altered or revised forms of those submitted for the examination for admission to D.Phil. status);
2. [296] 2. an essay of about 6,000 words on the current state of the student's research, or a portion of the thesis of comparable length.

[297] OR
[298] (B)
1. [299] 1. an annotated inventory of the proposed contents of the final portfolio of compositions and title of the supporting dissertation;
2. [300] 2. a portfolio of two or more well-contrasted compositions, with a total duration of approximately 25 minutes;
3. [301] 3. a critical or analytical essay of 5,000-10,000 words.
4. [302] (i) Candidates will be examined orally. Two copies of the thesis title, thesis outline and essay (or thesis extract), or inventory, thesis title, portfolio, and essay must be submitted. The essay (or thesis extract) must be typewritten in double spacing, and placed in a temporary form of binding. The submissions must be made through the Registrar no later than seven days before the second meeting of the Graduate Studies Committee in the student's fifth term from admission. Upon the recommendation of the supervisor, the board may permit a student to submit no later than seven days before the second meeting in a subsequent term of study, provided that this falls within the limits set down in the University's Examination Regulations.
5. [303] (ii) On receiving the submissions the board shall appoint two assessors, both of whom shall read the scripts and conduct the examination, provided that the board may appoint additional assessors should the need arise.
6. [304] (iii) Confirmation of status may only take place when the board has received satisfactory reports from the assessors, and from the student's supervisor.

[305] 4. Final submission for the Degree of M.Litt

[306] EITHER a thesis of not more than 50,000 words.

[307] OR (Musical Composition) a portfolio of between three and six musical compositions, totalling approximately 45 minutes' duration, and a dissertation of not more than 15,000 words either on the candidate's own music or on some aspect of music related to the candidate's compositional concerns.

[308] 5. Final submission for the Degree of D.Phil.

[309] EITHER a thesis of not more than 100,000 words, exclusive of any text being edited but including notes, bibliography, glossary, appendices, etc.

[310] OR (Musical Composition) (a) a portfolio of between three and six musical compositions, totalling between 45 and 90 minutes' duration, with at least one composition being of large scale (defined as for large-scale forces, such as orchestra, and/or of more than 30 minutes' duration); and (b) a dissertation of between 20,000 and 25,000 words either on the candidate's own music or on some aspect of music related to the candidate's compositional concerns.

[311] 9. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF ORIENTAL STUDIES

[312] 1. M.Litt. in Oriental Studies [313] The first year of study in the Oriental Studies Faculty will be regarded as a qualifying period, during which the student shall be registered as a Probationer Research Student. (For Chinese, see below.) Application for transfer to M.Litt. status should be made by the end of the third term. All students will normally be expected to submit:
1. [314] (a) a piece of formal written work related to the field of their proposed thesis of approximately 5,000 words in length;
2. [315] (b) a satisfactory outline (of not more than 500 words) of the proposed subject of the thesis.
[316] The written work shall be assessed by two assessors (neither of whom may be the supervisor), appointed by the board, and they shall normally be expected also to discuss the submission with the student in person. They must do so if they are not able to make a positive recommendation. When examiners make a positive recommendation to the board, they shall be required explicitly to state in their report that they have satisfied themselves on the basis of their discussion with the student and/or their consideration of the submitted material that the student has the linguistic competence necessary to carry out the proposed research. If on the basis of the evidence available to them they are not able to make such a statement, they shall recommend to the board that the results of a formal written language test arranged by the board for this purpose should be submitted to them for consideration before their recommendation on the student's application is made. [317] The course of study for the qualifying examination in the field of Chinese Studies will be that required for the M.St. in Chinese Studies, and the examination will be set and examined by the examiners for the M.St. at the end of each Trinity Term. [318] On the basis of the results of the examination the faculty board will decide whether the student should be accepted for admission to M.Litt. status. [319] Candidates who have successfully completed the M.St. in Oriental Studies may be recommended for admission to M.Litt. status on the basis of the results of the examination, subject to the submission of a satisfactory outline (of not more than 500 words) of the proposed subject of the thesis.
[320] 2. D.Phil. in Oriental Studies [321] The first year of study in the Oriental Studies Faculty will be regarded as a qualifying period, during which the student shall be registered as a Probationer Research Student. (For Chinese, see below.) Application for transfer to D.Phil. status should be made by the end of the third term. All students will normally be expected to submit:
1. [322] (a) a piece of formal written work related to the field of their proposed thesis of between 5,000 and 10,000 words in length;
2. [323] (b) a satisfactory outline (of not more than 500 words) of the proposed subject of the thesis.
[324] The written work shall be assessed by two assessors (neither of whom may be the supervisor), appointed by the board, and they shall normally be expected also to discuss the submission with the student in person. They must do so if they are not able to make a positive recommendation. When examiners make a positive recommendation to the board, they shall be required explicitly to state in their report that they have satisfied themselves on the basis of their discussion with the student and/or their consideration of the submitted material that the student has the linguistic competence necessary to carry out the proposed research. If on the basis of the evidence available to them they are not able to make such a statement, they shall recommend to the board that the results of a formal written language test arranged by the board for this purpose should be submitted to them for consideration before their recommendation on the student's application is made. [325] The course of study for the qualifying examination in the field of Chinese Studies will be that required for the M.St. in Chinese Studies, and the examination will be set and examined by the examiners for the M.St. at the end of each Trinity Term. On the basis of the results of the examination the faculty board will decide whether the student should be accepted for admission to D.Phil. status. [326] Candidates who have successfully completed the M.St. in Oriental Studies may be recommended for admission to D.Phil. status on the basis of the results of the examination, subject to the submission of a satisfactory outline (of not more than 500 words) of the proposed subject of the thesis. [327] Candidates who have successfully completed the M.Phil. in Oriental Studies may be recommended for admission to D.Phil. status on the basis of the results of the examination, subject to the submission of a satisfactory outline (of not more than 500 words) of the proposed subject of the thesis. In exceptional cases, such candidates may be recommended for admission to confirmed D.Phil. status. [328] The board requires from each applicant for confirmation of D.Phil. status a written statement of the manner in which he or she proposes to treat the subject. The board will approve such applications only if the assessors appointed by the board shall have certified that a piece of work written by the applicant (of 10,000-15,000 words in length) is of the requisite standard to justify the confirmation. Assessment of the application shall include a viva voce examination of the candidate by two persons appointed by the board.
[329] 3. Theses [330] Theses submitted for the Degree of M.Litt. should not exceed 50,000 words and those for the Degree of D.Phil. should not exceed 100,000, exclusive of any text that is being edited, and of bibliography, but including notes, glossary, appendices, etc. Leave to exceed this limit will be given only in exceptional cases.

[331] 10. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF PHILOSOPHY

[332] 1. Admission as Probationer Research Student [333] Candidates for admission are required to submit with their application one piece of written work of between 4,500 and 5,000 words, on a subject related to the proposed research topic. The piece must be typed and in English, unless by special permission.
[334] 2. Admission to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status [335] Applications from Probationer Research Students for transfer to the status of Student for the Degree of Master of Letters or Doctor of Philosophy will not normally be considered before the beginning of the candidate's third term as a Probationer Research Student. The board regards the third term as the normal time for this application to be made and expects applications to be made by the end of the second week of the third term. [336] Applications should be accompanied by a thesis outline of about two pages and a piece of written work of approximately 5,000 words in the area and philosophical style of the proposed thesis. The board will appoint two assessors, who will read the submissions and conduct an interview with the candidate.
[337] 3. Confirmation of D.Phil. status [338] Applications from Students for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy for confirmation of status will not normally be considered before the beginning of the candidate's third term after transfer to D.Phil. status. The board regards the third term after transfer as the normal time for this application to be made and expects applications to be made by the end of the second week of the third term. [Note: This change applies to students commencing their doctoral degree in or after October 2012.]; it also expects that students should normally have their D.Phil. status confirmed at least one year before the submission of their thesis. [339] Applications should be accompanied by a thesis outline of about two pages and a piece of written work of approximately 5,000 words, intended as a part of the thesis, in final or near-final draft. The board will appoint two assessors. The application will be considered, in the first instance, by the first assessor. If the first assessor is satisfied that the application should be approved, then he or she will interview with the candidate and recommend approval to the board. If the first assessor is not satisfied that the application should be approved, the application will be sent to the second assessor. Both assessors will interview the candidate and a joint recommendation will be made. The assessors may not recommend that the application be refused unless they have first interviewed the candidate.
[340] 4. Theses [341] M.Litt. theses should not exceed 50,000 words, and D.Phil. theses should not exceed 75,000 words, exclusive of bibliographical references, unless the candidate has, with the support of his or her supervisor, secured the leave of the board to exceed this limit. [342] All candidates when they submit their theses must state the approximate number of words therein both (a) including citations and, if they have been granted permission to count citations separately, (b) excluding citations. Theses exceeding the limit are liable to be returned unexamined for reduction to the proper length. Candidates who have submitted in their final term may be allowed a maximum period of two terms to effect the necessary reduction.

[343] 11. BOARD OF THE FACULTY OF THEOLOGY AND RELIGION

[344] 1. Admission to the status of Probationer Research Student
[345] Applicants may be admitted to M.Litt. or D. Phil. student status either (1) from M.St. status; (2) from M.Phil. status; (3) from Probationer Research Student Status. The Board expects most applicants seeking to pursue doctoral research in the Faculty to seek M.St. Student status ﬁrst.
[346] 2. Admission to M.Litt. or D. Phil. Student status from M.St. or M.Phil. student status
1. [347] (i) Applicants holding M.St. or M.Phil. Student status shall apply for admission to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status in the year of their M.St. or M.Phil. examination at the times announced for graduate admissions applications.
2. [348] (ii) In either case the application shall include a description in about 500 words of the research which it is intended to undertake, supported by the proposed supervisor.
3. [349] (iii) The Board may indicate a provisional readiness to admit to M.Litt. or D. Phil. Student status, which will then be subject to a report from the Examiners of the M.St. or M.Phil.
[350] 3. Admission by the route of Probationer Research Student
1. [351] (i) Admission to the status of Probationer Research Student will normally be granted only to applicants who have already completed a Master’s level graduate degree, including a dissertation or thesis, in a theological subject.
2. [352] (ii) Application for admission as a Probationer Research Student, which shall be made at the times and in the manner announced for graduate admissions applications, will normally be accompanied by an interview with a member of the Graduate Studies Committee, though the Board may dispense from this.
3. [353] (iii) A Probationer Research Student is normally expected to apply for transfer within three terms (or six terms in the case of part–time students). A Probationer Research Student who has not successfully transferred by the end of the six terms for which such status may be held in total (twelve terms in the case of part–time students) shall lapse from the register of Graduate Students.
4. [354] (iv) The application for transfer must include two typewritten copies of a description in about 500 words of the research which it is intended to undertake and two typewritten copies of a piece of original written work of about 5,000 words relevant to the subject of the proposed research.
5. [355] (v) There shall be an oral examination with a competent person appointed by the Board as assessor, which may treat of the description of the proposed research, the submitted piece of work and any other aspect of the applicant’s progress towards research. The candidate’s supervisor may attend this examination. If the candidate fails to satisfy the assessor, the Board may appoint a date by which a further oral examination must be held, with such conditions as it sees ﬁt, and grant extension of Probationer Research Student status up to that date, subject to the overall limit in 1(iii) above.
[356] 4. Admission directly to M.Litt. or D.Phil. Student status by former M.St. or M.Phil. students
1. [357] (i) The Board may admit directly to M.Litt. or D. Phil. Student status applicants who within the past ﬁve years have received permission from the Board of the Faculty of Theology and Religion to supplicate for the degrees of M.St. or M.Phil.
2. [358] (ii) Application for admission, which shall be made at the times and in the manner announced for graduate admissions applications, will normally require an interview with a member of the Graduate Studies Committee, though the Board may dispense from this.
3. [359] (iii) The application shall be accompanied by the dissertation or thesis which formed part of the Master’s degree.
[360] 5. Special Provisions for part-time students [361] In assessing applications from candidates seeking to undertake a research degree through part-time study, the Graduate Studies Committee of the Board of the Faculty of Theology and Religion shall have regard to evidence that:
1. [362] (i) the candidate is suitable to undertake research at doctoral level;
2. [363] (ii) the candidate's personal and professional circumstances are such that it is both practicable for him or her to fulfil the requirements of the course, and necessary for him or her to study on a part-time basis;
3. [364] (iii) if appropriate, the candidate has the written support of their present employer for their proposed course of study and its obligations;
4. [365] (iv) the candidate's proposed topic of research is suitable for part-time study;
5. [366] (v) the candidate can meet the attendance requirements relating to part-time study.
[367] 6. Attendance requirements (for part-time students) [368] Part-time students are required to attend for a minimum of thirty days of university-based work each year, to be arranged with the agreement of their supervisor, for the period that their names remain on the Register of Graduate Students unless individually dispensed by the Graduate Studies Committee on the Board of the Faculty of Theology and Religion.
[369] 7. Confirmation of D.Phil. status [370] Applications should be accompanied by one short abstract of approximately 300 words and one long abstract of 1500-2000 words, a draft chapter, and an outline of the thesis, indicating what has been completed to date and a timetable for completion. The written work shall be read by two assessors appointed by the Graduate Studies Committee. Neither of the assessors shall normally be the candidate’s supervisor. The assessors shall examine the candidate orally.
[371] 8. Preparation of theses for the Degrees of M.Litt. and D.Phil.
1. [372] (i) Theses submitted for the Degree of M.Litt. should not exceed 50,000 words, or 100,000 for the D.Phil., excluding only the bibliography in both cases. The faculty board is prepared to consider an application for a relaxation of this limit in special circumstances.
2. [373] (ii) All candidates must submit an abstract of the thesis, of between 1,000 and 1,500 words for an M.Litt., and between 1,500 and 2,500 for a D.Phil., prepared by the candidate. This is in addition to the requirement to submit an abstract of not more than 300 words in length required by the Education Committee's regulations. One copy of each abstract prepared at the time of the examination should be bound into each of the examiners’ copies of the thesis. Copies of both abstracts shall be bound into the copy of the thesis which shall be deposited in the Bodleian Library. In addition one loose copy of the 300 word abstract, printed on a single page, must be submitted together with the Library copy.

[374]

* Assessors are asked to note the important distinction in the criteria for the two degrees. In the case of the M.Litt. candidates are required to have made ‘a worthwhile contribution to knowledge or understanding in the ﬁeld of learning within which the subject of the thesis falls’, while for the D.Phil. it is necessary to have made ‘a signiﬁcant and substantial contribution in the particular ﬁeld of learning within which the subject of the thesis falls’. The phrase ‘a signiﬁcant and substantial contribution’, in the case of doctoral theses, is interpreted as work that displays stature, judgement, and persuasiveness in historical exposition and the shaping of conclusions. But examiners are explicitly requested to bear in mind that their judgement of the signiﬁcance of the work submitted should be based on what may reasonably be expected of a capable and diligent graduate student after three or, at most, four years of full-time study. Similarly, the requirement that candidates for the M.Litt. should make ‘a worthwhile contribution to knowledge or understanding’ in their chosen ﬁeld is qualiﬁed by the request that examiners should take into account what may be expected after two years of full-time study.

* It should be noted that admission to study on a part-time basis in Theology is reviewed on an annual basis, and is subject to decisions by the University on the availability of doctoral research by means of part-time study.

* It should be noted that admission or change to study on a part-time basis in History is reviewed on an annual basis, and is subject to decisions by the University on the availability of doctoral research by means of part-time study.