MSt in Literature and Arts

• Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or have achieved a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours (or equivalent international qualifications), as a minimum, in a humanities subject.
• For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA normally sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.
• Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University.

The MSt in Literature and Arts is a part-time two-year course. In year one there are three compulsory five-day residences and one online module consisting of 9 units.  In year two there is one residence and one online module. Although the online modules are not assessed it is a requirement that you engage with the online modules to the satisfaction of the course director. The online modules are fully supported by a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment.

After taking a broad view of British culture in a global context at the first residence, the three subsequent residences enable you to choose from a range of subjects, from different humanities disciplines, which relate to the historical period assigned to the unit. The options are taught in the mornings and afternoons, and represent a range of disciplines, specifically literature, history, visual culture and political thought/theology.  You will choose two options out of four offered. The periods studied are ‘Late Medieval and Early Modern’, ‘The Long Eighteenth Century’ and the ‘The Long Nineteenth Century’. Please note due to timetabling constrictions it is not always possible to allocate you to your first and second choices.

In keeping with the Oxford ethos of tutorial instruction, individual tutorials and supervisions will be an integral part of the programme, most notably with regard to the dissertation. Individual supervision will be undertaken both face-to-face and by email.

Assessment is through four 4,000- to 5,000- word assignments, each assignment following a residential session, and an 11,000-word dissertation. The four assignments contribute up to 40% of the final mark and the dissertation contributes up to 60%.