Program Overview

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MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies

The MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies is a taught course introducing students new to the field to Tibetan language (both spoken and literary), history, society, literature, and religious traditions.

Course Structure

An overview of the course structure is provided below. Details of the compulsory elements of the course are provided in the Course components section.

• You will be expected to attend classes well-prepared through self-directed study and reading.
• Academic articles and books will be assigned for general background on the region, and there will be weekly lectures on various aspects of Tibetan history and civilisation as well as lectures on Buddhism in the first and second terms.
• Selected topics will be treated in more detail in a set of eight essays/tutorials, which will be scheduled in the first year.
• Throughout the course, attendance at lectures by visiting scholars will be strongly recommended.
• Students will be encouraged to use the long summer vacation between the first and second year to attend a summer school abroad or visit Tibetan-speaking communities in Tibet or in South Asia to develop language skills, and to begin work on their dissertation.
• Teaching takes place through language classes, lectures, seminars, and tutorials.

Attendance

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

• During full term, you will typically attend around seven or eight hours per week of face-to-face classes, lectures, or tutorials.

Resources to Support Your Study

As a graduate student, you 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.
• The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities.
• You will have access to the Nizami Ganjavi Library, located in the main building of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
• The Bodleian Oriental collections and the Eastern Art library are also available.
• The library of Wolfson College has a collection of books relevant to Tibetan and Himalayan studies.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff.

• Under exceptional circumstances, a supervisor may be found outside the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies.
• In addition to meeting their course director during the weekly classes, students will have additional supervision meetings in Michaelmas term and Hilary term of the second year of their course to support them in writing their MPhil thesis.

Assessment

There will be a qualifying exam at the end of the first year. The assessments for the final exams consist of an extended essay, a dissertation, and four written examination papers.

• Dissertations are to be submitted early in the third term of the second year.
• Final exams covering language, set texts, history, and civilisation are then held at the end of the second year.

Graduate Destinations

Many graduates in Asian and Middle Eastern studies have undertaken further research and pursued successful careers in the academic world, education, publishing, and in museums.

• Some graduates have also chosen a different career path and found employment in other fields, including business, finance, law, civil service, journalism, government, and industry.
• Graduates of the MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies often wish to continue onto the DPhil, and from there move on to postdoctoral academic positions, research projects in Tibetan studies, or Buddhist translation projects.

Course Components

Compulsory Study

In addition to language classes and readings of original Tibetan texts, the course comprises lectures and tutorials in which students acquire a solid background in various aspects of Tibetan and Himalayan studies, including history, society, literature, and religions.

• You will attend Tibetan language classes and readings of original Tibetan texts.
• You will attend lectures on various aspects of Tibetan history and civilisation.
• You will attend lectures on Buddhism.
• You will write a dissertation.

Entry Requirements

Proven and Potential Academic Excellence

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown.

• We know that contextual factors can make it difficult for candidates to demonstrate their full potential.
• This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background.

Degree-Level Qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

• A first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in any subject.
• For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0.

English Language Proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement.

• The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level requirement are detailed in the table below.

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.

• If you apply by the January deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships.
• For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application.

Costs

Annual Course Fees

The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis.

• The fees for the academic year at the University of Oxford are as follows:
  • Home: Ł18,290
  • Overseas: Ł43,730

What Do Course Fees Cover?

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies.

• Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs, or other living costs.
• They also dont cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional costs information below.

Additional Costs

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs.

• However, as part of the course requirements, students may need to choose a dissertation, a project, or a thesis topic.
• Please note that, depending on the choice of topic and the research required to complete it, there may be additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips.

Living Costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

• For the academic year, 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.

• If you apply for a place on this course, you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you.

The following colleges accept students on the MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies:

• Blackfriars
• Campion Hall
• Linacre College
• The Queen's College
• Regent's Park College
• St Cross College
• Wadham College
• Wolfson College
• Wycliffe Hall

How to Apply

Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application, including advice to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.

• If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline eg under the January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance.

Application Fee Waivers

An application fee of Ł75 is payable for each application to this course.

• Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:
  • Applicants from low-income countries
  • Refugees and displaced persons
  • UK applicants from low-income backgrounds
  • Applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria

Completing Your Application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.

• For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé.
• You should not upload a separate document.
• If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.

Referees

Three overall, academic preferred

• Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete.

Official Transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date.

• You should only upload official documents issued by your institution, and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

Statement of Purpose

A maximum of 1,500 words

• Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you and/or you intend to specialise in.
• The overall word count should not include any bibliography.

Written Work

Two essays of a maximum of 2,000 words each

• Academic essays or other writing samples from your most recent qualification, written in English, are required.
• Extracts of the requisite length from longer work are also permissible.
• The word count does not need to include any bibliography or brief footnotes.