MPhil (Master of Philosophy)

The two-year, taught M.Phil. offers postgraduate students a combination of taught and research components.

As with the full-time, residential M.Litt. degree, candidates enter their course in September and take a set of three semester-length modules leading to examinations in January and May.

From the outset, each student is assigned to a supervisor selected from the teaching staff of the School, and in consultation with this person will seek at an early stage to define a topic for research. Guidance is given in basic research skills. The process of independent research continues under the direction of the supervisor beyond the period occupied by the taught classes.

The dissertation of not more than 40,000 words must give evidence of the candidate's capacity for independent research, and must normally be submitted not later than the end of the second year of study.

The second-year-entry, research-only M.Phil., requires the writing of a 40,0000-word dissertation over the course of twelve months, as above, and involves no taught course modules.