Program Overview

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MPhil in Philosophical Theology

The MPhil in Philosophical Theology is intended to provide students with detailed knowledge of philosophical theology, including the opportunity to study its history and a cognate area of philosophy or theology. Students will hone their skills in research and in written and oral argument in these subjects.

Course Structure

The first year of the course consists of weekly tutorials, and in the second year, students will write a dissertation. With a tutor, students will study three subject areas, and for each area, depending on the subject and supervisor, they will have six or eight tutorials of 60 to 90 minutes in duration. For each tutorial, students will write an essay of approximately 3,000 to 5,000 words.

Attendance

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.

Resources to Support Study

As graduate students, they will have access to the University's wide range of resources, including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources, and IT services. The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK, and the University's IT Services is available to support students with core university IT systems and tools.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Theology and Religion and the Faculty of Philosophy. Most students have weekly interactions with their tutor or supervisor in the first year of the course, and in the second year, students work more independently, with typically less frequent but in-depth meetings with a supervisor.

Assessment

In addition to informal feedback on tutorial essays and drafts of the dissertation, at the end of the second year, students are assessed via a dissertation and three written exams.

Graduate Destinations

Students who leave the University of Oxford with graduate degrees in theology enter a variety of careers all around the world. Many of those who gain an MSt or MPhil proceed to further, usually doctoral, study.

Entry Requirements

• Proven and potential academic excellence
• Degree-level qualifications: a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honors in philosophy, theology, religious studies, or a closely related subject
• GRE General Test scores: minimum scores normally sought are 160 in verbal reasoning, 5.0 in analytical writing, and 150 in quantitative reasoning
• Other qualifications, evidence of excellence, and relevant experience: applicants should wish to do more advanced work in philosophical theology
• English language proficiency: this course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level

References

Students will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of their academic ability and suitability for the course.

Supporting Documents

Students will be required to supply supporting documents with their application, including official transcripts, a statement of purpose, and written work.

Funding

For entry in the academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,100 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

Annual Course Fees

The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis, and the annual course fees for the academic year at the University of Oxford are:

• Home: Ł17,910
• Overseas: Ł43,730

Living Costs

In addition to course fees and any additional course-specific costs, students will need to ensure they have adequate funds to support their living costs for the duration of their course. The range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between Ł1,405 and Ł2,105 for each month spent in Oxford.

College Preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. The following colleges accept students on the MPhil in Philosophical Theology:

• Blackfriars
• Campion Hall
• Christ Church
• Harris Manchester College
• Keble College
• Lady Margaret Hall
• Linacre College
• Magdalen College
• Mansfield College
• Oriel College
• Regent's Park College
• Reuben College
• Ripon College Cuddesdon
• St Cross College
• St Peter's College
• St Stephen's House
• Trinity College
• Wolfson College
• Worcester College
• Wycliffe Hall

How to Apply

Students should refer to the information on the course page when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents. The application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé, and students should not upload a separate document.