CLASSICAL ARMENIAN STUDIES OXFORD UNIVERSITY - POSTGRADUATE

The Faculty of Oriental Studies is responsible for teaching the languages and literature, history, art and thought of the Near and Middle East, South Asia and East Asia. It has multidisciplinary interests, but its members are united in the view that it is essential to be able to use the primary sources in the original language (both classical and modern). Several other faculties also have teachers whose interests cover various aspects of the history, archaeology, geography, anthropology, politics and economics of South Asia, the Middle East and East Asia, and there are many collaborative links between Oriental Studies and those faculties. In addition many specialists in other faculties contribute directly to the graduate courses offered by the Oriental Studies Faculty.There are at present over 200 graduate students working towards higher degrees in Oriental Studies. The University offers the following graduate degrees under the aegis of the Faculty of Oriental Studies: MSt, MPhil, MLitt, DPhil.Courses of studyThere are two Master's courses in Oriental Studies; the MPhil and the MSt. To obtain the MPhil a student must take an examination, usually at the end of two years of study, and (with some exceptions) must also submit a short thesis. The Oriental Studies Board is partly responsible for the MPhil in Eastern Christian Studies (Armenian or Syriac with Greek: see Theology), the MPhil in Byzantine Studies (Armenian, Syriac, Arabic: see p. 28) and for the MPhil in Judaism and Christianity in the Graeco-Roman World (this course covers part of the programme for the MPhil in Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period, and certain options determined by the Board of the Faculty of Theology: see Theology). Each of these involves some study of an oriental language, or the use of sources in it.The MPhil course (except Islamic Art and Archaeology) provides an opportunity for a student who has taken a BA in another subject (for example, History) to learn an oriental language from the beginning and use it for his or her own purposes: the languages which can be studied in this way are Akkadian and Sumerian (for Assyriology), Arabic, Turkish, Sanskrit, Armenian, Hebrew (for Modern Jewish Studies), Chinese and Tibetan. Because of the small number of students taking any one option, teaching is either done individually or in small classes. Students sit a qualifying examination during their first year of study unless exempted from this by the Faculty board.The MSt degree is designed for students who have only one year available to pursue their studies in Oxford or as a preliminary training year for those intending to undertake a research degree. The MSt entails an examination and sometimes a dissertation.The one-year MSt in Jewish Studies provides a broad approach to the study of Jewish history and culture from antiquity to modern times, combined with study of Modern or Biblical Hebrew or Yiddish. In addition to a compulsory language and a dissertation, students select four subjects from a wide-ranging list published from year to year. Further enquiries should be addressed to:The Student Registrar,Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies,Yarnton Manor,Yarnton,Oxford OX5 1PYTelephone +44 (0)1865 842195Fax +44 (0)1865 375079Email student.registrar@ochjs.ac.uk).The MSt in Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period covers part of the course for the MPhil in Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period. The MSt in Modern Jewish Studies offers the same subjects of study as the MPhil course for those who already have an adequate knowledge of Modern Hebrew. The MSt in Classical Hebrew will be of particular interest to Theology graduates who wish to improve their grounding in Classical Hebrew in preparation for undertaking research.The MSt in Chinese Studies is based upon a one-year course designed as an introduction to research techniques in various aspects of sinology. This course covers the same ground as the first year's work of Probationer Research Students, and it is possible for MSt students to transfer to that status. Students admitted to this course must be able to read Modern Chinese without difficulty and have at least a grounding in the classical language.The MSt in Japanese Studies is a one-year course designed as an introduction to research in some aspect of Japanese Studies. Transfer to a doctoral course is a possibility (after satisfactory completion of the MSt), but the course can also stand alone. The course involves textual work and research methods within a chosen area of Japanese Studies (e.g., linguistics, literature, or history). Students are also required to learn either Classical Japanese, Modern or Classical Chinese, or Modern Korean. An important part of the course is a 15,000 word dissertation on a subject chosen in consultation with a supervisor. Students admitted to this course must have a good first degree in Japanese, or equivalent practical skills in Modern Japanese (i.e., be able to read Modern Japanese without difficulty).The MSt in Korean Studies is a one-year taught course of reading in the Korean classics in Korean or classical Chinese, training in research techniques related to pre-modern Korea, and intensive training in the Korean language. The requirements are the same as those for the first year of the DPhil Probationer Research Student but are designed to stand alone as an independent course. Transfer to Probationer Research Student status from the MSt is not uncommon. Students admitted to this course must be able to read Modern Korean without difficulty and have some grounding in a related language such as Chinese or Japanese.The MSt in Islamic Art and Archaeology is intended to serve as a preparation for research in this field, and requires a working knowledge of Arabic, Persian or Ottoman Turkish.The MSt in Islamic Art and Archaeology (Research Methods and Techniques) is designed to prepare students for doctoral research in Islamic Art and Archaeology. (Only those with a first degree in Islamic Art and Archaeology, and who intend to pursue doctoral research in this field at Oxford, should apply.)The MSt in Syriac Studies is a unique one-year course which was created to provide an intensive training in Syriac language and literature. Texts are studied from three thematic topics chosen from a long list, and a fourth paper covers the history, literature, and culture of the Syriac and Assyrian Churches. Students must demonstrate before admission to this course that they possess sufficient knowledge of Syriac to profit by it.The MSt in Classical Armenian Studies is a one-year course which prepares for doctoral research but can stand alone, as well. It consists of four papers. One sets essay questions on the language, literature, history and culture of Ancient and Medieval Armenia. The three others give passages for translation and commentary, and essay questions on prescribed texts in Classical and where relevant, post-Classical Armenian of a literary, historical or theological nature. Consulting with the supervisor, the candidate will make a choice out of a wide offer of texts. In preparation for the first paper essays have to be written.There is also an MSt in Oriental Studies which is individually tailored for students who intend to continue with a research degree. Normally, however, the Oriental Studies Board will request students wishing to take an MSt to take the MSt specific to their chosen subject, where such a course is available.Students from other universities who wish to spend one year or less in Oxford, using library or museum facilities, attending classes, and working with a particular teacher, but without enrolling for a degree, may apply for the status of Recognised Student (or Visiting Student status, available from colleges).Degrees by researchResearch students may work towards either the MLitt or the DPhil. The main requirement for obtaining either degree is the writing of a thesis under supervision, but the Faculty Board has decided that the first year of graduate study should normally be regarded as a year of training and qualification. Students who wish to carry out research for the degree of DPhil are registered in the first instance as Probationer Research Students and then apply for up-grading to DPhil status, usually at the end of their first year. The transfer process will include the production of written work and an oral examination, and in some cases a written examination as well. Discussion of the format of this process will take place in the student's first term. Later on in a student's career, there is a further formal stage at which DPhil status is confirmed. A comparable procedure exists for students who wish to take the MLitt.Except for those reading for taught courses such as the MPhil or the MSt, graduate study at Oxford is not usually based upon courses or series of lectures specifically designed for graduates. Probationer Research Students will normally work by themselves from the beginning under the guidance of their supervisors. However they may attend any lectures or classes which are being given (including, by arrangement, elementary language classes), and their supervisors or other teachers will give them special instruction or help when necessary. Regular seminar series are held in a number of subjects.AdmissionsThe Faculty can accept only a limited number of graduate students in any year, so candidates should possess either first or good second class honours in a BA in Oriental Studies or another relevant subject or a GPA of 3.5.Applicants whose native language is not English will normally be required to provide evidence that they have reached 8 in IELTS, and individual scores of at least 7.5 must be achieved in reading and 8.0 in writing. The TOEFL test is not normally accepted.FacilitiesThe Faculty is administered by an elected board, whose members represent regional and disciplinary interests covered by the Faculty. It has a Graduate Studies Committee to which applications and other matters concerning graduate studies are normally submitted in the first instance.The Faculty has two principal physical locations, the Oriental Institute in Pusey Lane and the Institute for Chinese Studies in Walton Street. The Oriental Institute is the older and larger of the two and houses the principal administrative offices. Most teachers have their working rooms in one of these buildings, each of which comprises a library, lecture and seminar rooms, and a Common Room where teachers, staff and students meet. Most of the Faculty's teaching is carried out here, but some subjects are mainly taught in other centres nearby. Thus teaching in some aspects of Japanese studies is carried out at the Nissan Institute in St Antony's College. Some teachers in modern subjects are attached to the Middle East and Asian Studies Centres at St Antony's College, where lectures and seminars open to all members of the University are held. All teaching for the MSt in Jewish Studies takes place at the Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies, Yarnton.Subjects taught include the following languages and their literatures: Akkadian and Sumerian, Arabic, Aramaic and Syriac, Armenian, Chinese, Egyptology and Coptic, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Old Iranian, Hindi, Pali, Persian, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Turkish and Tibetan. (Teaching in some of these languages, however, may not be available every year.) There are also teaching posts in Eastern Religions and Ethics, in Islamic Philosophy, in Jewish Studies, in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies, in Chinese, Korean, Hindi, Islamic, Modern Middle Eastern Studies, Persian, South Asian and Turkish History, and in Chinese Art and Islamic Art. Members of the staff of the Departments of Eastern Art and Antiquities in the Ashmolean Museum can provide teaching in Japanese, Chinese, South Asian, and Islamic art as well as the archaeology of ancient Iran. It is possible to arrange for teaching and supervision in some other subjects, but there are some which fall outside the normal fields of interest of the Faculty. Candidates who wish to pursue higher studies in, for example, the languages and history of South East Asia or inner Asia, in most of the living languages of South Asia or in oriental law might be better suited elsewhere.Graduate students concerned with oriental languages and literature or with the religious systems or arts connected with them would normally be enrolled in this Faculty. For students of History the position is more complicated: those studying the internal development of an Asian or Middle Eastern society, particularly if many of the sources are in oriental languages, would usually be enrolled in this Faculty; those dealing with the relations between Asia or the Middle East and the rest of the world, the expansion of European power or the development of European colonial rule would probably be enrolled in the Faculty of History. Students of Anthropology, Geography, Politics or Economics would come under the Departments of those names. The lines cannot be strictly drawn, and it is not difficult to arrange for joint supervision by members of more than one faculty, nor impossible to transfer students from one faculty to another.Library facilitiesThere are nine specialist library collections in Oxford that focus on Oriental Studies, housed on different sites, with varying subject coverage, functions and facilities.The Bodleian LibraryThe large holdings of the Department of Oriental Collections in the Bodleian Library comprises the following separate collections:Central Bodleian Oriental CollectionsAbout 250,000 volumes located in the New Bodleian building, relating principally to the Near and Middle East, the Caucasus, Central Asia, South East Asia, China and Korea, and including large manuscript collections in all oriental languages except Japanese. Apart from reference materials, these collections are closed access.Indian Institute LibraryAbout 110,000 volumes housed on the top floor of the New Bodleian building, relating to South Asian, Tibetan and Himalayan studies. The collections are mostly on open access and some items may be borrowed.Oriental Institute LibraryThis is an open access lending library of about 45,000 volumes housed in the Oriental Institute building, intended primarily to meet the needs of students and staff of the Faculty of Oriental Studies. It also houses the Central Bodleian Turkish collection.Institute for Chinese Studies LibraryAn open access lending library of about 35,000 volumes on Chinese Studies located in the Institute for Chinese Studies in Walton Street.Eastern Art LibraryA research collection of about 22,000 volumes relating to art and archaeology of the Middle East and Asia, partially on open access, but for reference use only, housed in the Sackler Library.Bodleian Japanese LibraryThis is situated in the Nissan Institute and comprises more than 90,000 volumes relating to all aspects of Japanese studies, most of which are on open access and some of which may be borrowed.Griffith LibraryThis is situated in the Sackler Library (beside the Oriental Institute) and comprises about 24,000 volumes, on Egyptology, Assyriology, and related subjects. Most books can be borrowed.St Antony's Middle East Centre LibraryAbout 35,000 volumes, on the modern history, politics, and society of the Middle East and North Africa, as well as modern Arabic literature, and a microfilm collection of newspapers, pamphlets, and unpublished documents. Books can only be borrowed by members of St Antony's College, senior members and graduate and undergraduate students of Oxford University reading for a degree in Oriental Studies.The Leopold Muller Memorial LibraryThe Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies at Yarnton Manor, besides teaching and accommodating students for the MSt in Jewish Studies, houses the Leopold Muller Memorial Library of 45,000 volumes with a large section on 19th and 20th century Hebrew literature and Jewish history, 70 current periodicals and an archive of 400,000 newspaper cuttings on personalities of 20th-century Jewry. The Centre's visiting fellows and scholars (about six at any one time) include Hebrew writers and specialists in Jewish Studies from many countries. The Centre's website address is http://users.ox.ac.uk/~ochjs/Other relevant collectionsThree parts of the Ashmolean Museum contain collections of objects which are important for students of many subjects in Oriental Studies: the Departments of Antiquities and of Eastern Art, and the Heberden Coin Room. There are also important relevant collections in the Pitt Rivers Museum and the Museum of the History of Science.AwardsThe Faculty does not have funds of its own to offer awards to new applicants for graduate study. However, a limited amount of funding is available for UK and EU applicants of outstanding academic ability who have been accepted to start a research degree. Applicants for these awards should indicate their interest in the appropriate section of the standard application form for graduate study. No further application is necessary, but any additional information will be available from the Graduate Admissions Secretary, Oriental Institute. The closing date for applications is 15 January. Students who are liable to pay fees at the overseas rate may apply by ticking the box for the Clarendon Fund Bursaries on their application form. There are some University funds from which grants can be made to students already at Oxford: for example, the James Mew Fund (Arabic and Rabbinic Hebrew), Nubar Pasha Fund (Armenian), Kennicott and Pusey and Ellerton Funds (Hebrew), Boden Fund (Sanskrit) and Davis Fund (Chinese). Information about these can be found in the special number of the Oxford University Gazette entitled 'Notices of University Scholarships, etc.' and published annually. Copies of the supplement are available for consultation in colleges or at the Graduate Studies Office.An up-to-date online version is available at www.ox.ac.uk/gazette/