Program Overview

---

MPhil in Slavonic Studies

The MPhil in Slavonic Studies is a taught course combining language study, philology, literature, and history, with a thesis component, preparing students for advanced research in Slavonic languages and cultures.

About the Course

This two-year course is normally restricted to candidates who have taken a first degree in a Slavonic language and you are also expected to read secondary literature in at least one European language other than English and the Slavonic languages. If available, you will also be expected to attend lectures on bibliographical, library, and archival resources in the field of Slavonic studies.

Course Structure

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

• Generally student numbers in the MPhil are small and this allows the teaching to be tailored to the particular choices students make.
• Teaching is provided through a mixture of classes and tutorials.
• The course offers you, in addition to the second language, training in various philological, literary and historical fields and in associated methodologies (comparative philological method, palaeography, textology, literary theory).

Academic Activities

Academic activities include widespread links with universities in Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and graduate exchange links and host exchanges with lecturers from other universities. The faculty has an active research culture and is committed to integrating graduate students into research seminars. Workshops and conferences with Oxford-based and visiting academics are hosted by the faculty, which bring together students and faculty members in and between individual languages and disciplines.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages 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 Medieval and Modern Languages. All students will typically meet with their course supervisor at the beginning and end of each term to receive advice about useful lectures and seminars and review the progress made. Supervisors are also likely to be responsible for part of the students teaching.

Assessment

Year 1

You will take a translation paper in a Slavonic language and you will be examined in three other subjects taken from the schedules (one option is a submitted essay).

Year 2

You will be examined in two further subjects taken from the schedules, and you will write and submit a thesis, which is due for submission in Trinity term.

Graduate Destinations

Many MPhil students proceed to doctoral degrees at Oxford or at other universities. Other graduate destinations include teaching, journalism, law, publishing and the civil service.

Changes to this Course

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration.

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.

• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a relevant course of academic study.
• Entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a high first-class degree or the equivalent.
• Degree-level competence in at least one Slavonic language is a requirement for admission.

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.

References

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

• At least two of your references should be academic; the third may be professional but it should nevertheless speak to your ability to study European language/literature.

Supporting Documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application.

• Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date.
• A statement of purpose: A maximum of 700 words
• Written work: Two essays of a maximum of 2,000 words each

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.

• Home: ｣19,900
• Overseas: ｣43,730

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 ｣1,405 and ｣2,105 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 Slavonic Studies:
  • Blackfriars
  • Campion Hall
  • Hertford College
  • Lady Margaret Hall
  • Linacre College
  • Magdalen College
  • New College
  • Regent's Park College
  • St Antony's College
  • St Catherine's College
  • St Cross College
  • St Edmund Hall
  • Somerville College
  • University College
  • Wadham College
  • Wolfson College
  • Wycliffe Hall

Application Process

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.

Application Fee Waivers

An application fee of ｣75 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; and
• 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.

After You've Submitted Your Application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.