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General information on
master's programmes
Research Programmes
General Guidelines on
the Presentation and Evaluation of Work
Master of Studies in Global
and Imperial History
General information
The Global and Imperial
History programme is open to all students whose
research centres on the Commonwealth, South Asia, or
East Asia. Students should indicate from the start
whether their interests lie in the Commonwealth,
South Asia or East Asia.
The course lasts for nine
months (from October to June) and the examination
results are normally published by the beginning of
July. The examination comprises three elements: (1)
two extended essays of up to 5,000 words; (2) an
examination paper; and (3) a dissertation of up to
15,000 words.
The programme may be taken as a terminal master’s
degree, but it is also conceived as standard entry
route into doctoral study for students with research
interests in any of these regions. It should be
stressed, however, that the admission of any
candidate to further study at Oxford will depend on
his/her overall performance in the M.St., together
with the viability of their proposed research topic
and the availability of appropriate supervision at
Oxford.
For formal assessment
criteria and submission deadlines see individual ‘Instructions
to Candidates’.
Contact
information
The current course convenor is Professor
Judith Brown (Balliol College).
Overall programme administration is handled by the
History
Graduate Office:
telephone: (01865) 615002 (or 15002 from an internal
phone)
fax: (01865) 250704
address: History Graduate Office, Old High School
for Boys, George Street, Oxford, OX1 2RL
Teaching and
academic environment
(1) one area paper
Teaching is usually arranged
in small classes or tutorial groups. Assessment is
through two submitted essays of up to 5,000 words.
(2) one examination
paper in historical methodology
Teaching is
usually in weekly classes. Assessment is through a
three-hour written examination at the end of Trinity
term. The methodological paper must normally
correspond to the candidate's choice of area paper.
Additional instruction:
students in the Commonwealth and South Asian streams
are expected to attend the research training seminar
in Commonwealth History, which discusses
historiography and kindred issues, and also the
general Commonwealth History research seminar, where
they make their presentations.
(3) a dissertation
A dissertation of not more
than 15,000 words on a topic falling within the
scope of the general subject area chosen by the
candidate for the extended essays under (1).
- It is expected that students will write their
submitted essays and dissertation on different
themes, or covering a different sequence of
events. Examiners are expected to penalize any
obvious overlap between submitted items.
The Dissertation is written up during the Easter
vacation and the first five weeks of Trinity Term,
but it is essential that students begin to formulate
and plan their dissertation in conjunction with
their supervisors from the beginning of the course.
This preparatory work should take into account
relevant methodological approaches,
historiographical literature, and an appreciation of
the sources which will provide evidence for the
dissertation.
A good dissertation is driven by a research
question or problem suitable for original historical
enquiry. The research question emerges from critical
engagement with the literature in a particular
field. A candidate is expected to make considered
and effective use of the appropriate sources, which
should be consulted in the original so far as
appropriate and practical. A thesis is not an
arbitrary or intuitive processing of primary
material. It must have a coherent approach or method
– one that is relevant and effective for the purpose
of the thesis. It should be presented in a lucid and
scholarly manner. For more advice consult the
broader discussion of what is expected of a doctoral thesis.
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