Greek and or Roman History MPhil

University of Oxford

MSt

The one year MSt is an intensive and high-pressure course designed primarily for those students who wish to prepare for doctoral work by means of a shorter course than the two-year MPhil in Ancient History.

For this degree you will write a dissertation and complete two other options.

A. Language Option

Competence in ancient Greek and/or Latin being a requirement for doctoral work in Ancient History, many MSt students choose one of these languages as their linguistic option: both are available at elementary and intermediate level.

For those whose Greek and Latin are already serviceable, there is an opportunity to acquire one of the principal languages of scholarship in Ancient History, French, Italian, or German; or to lay foundations in another ancient language relevant to their interests, such as Hebrew, Aramaic or Coptic.

Teaching is provided in the form of University classes and/or individual or small-group tutorials.

The language option is assessed at the end of the year by written examination.

B. Second Option

The second option may be drawn from a list of subjects based on Methods and techniques of scholarship, such as Greek or Roman Numismatics, Greek or Roman Epigraphy, and Documentary Papyrology; or from a second list of topics on specific historical periods or themes, among which are Greek history ca 650–479 BCE; Athenian Democracy in the Classical Age; Alexander the Great and his successors 336–301 BCE; Roman history 146 BC–46 BCE; Roman history 138–312 CE; The economy of the Roman Empire; The provinces of the Roman Empire; Greek and/or Roman religions; Greek and/or Latin historiography; The world of Augustine. (For the whole, much more extensive, list, see the Graduate Handbook).

The second option is assessed by a pair of pre-submitted essays.

MPhil

This two-year MPhil is the course taken by the majority of master's students in Ancient History. It is an intensive research training degree designed to equip you with a range of both knowledge and skills in Greek and/or Roman history; but it will prove stimulating and enjoyable for those whose aim is simply to deepen their understanding of current debates and developments in Ancient History.

As part of the course, you will take three options.

One of these options is a language. Competence in ancient Greek and/or Latin being a requirement for doctoral work in Ancient History, many MPhil students choose one of these languages as their linguistic option: both are available at Elementary and Intermediate level. For those whose Greek and Latin are already serviceable, there is an opportunity to acquire one of the principal languages of scholarship in Ancient History, French, Italian, or German; or to lay foundations in another ancient language relevant to their interests, such as Hebrew, Aramaic or Coptic.

Language teaching is provided in the form of classes and/or individual or small-group tutorials.

One of the other options is drawn from a list of subjects based on Methods and techniques of scholarship, such as Greek or Roman Numismatics, Greek or Roman Epigraphy, and Documentary Papyrology. The other is chosen from a second list of topics on specific historical periods or themes. Finally, some students take advantage of a provision by which you and your supervisor can develop a customised option in a field of ancient history specifically relevant to your needs and interests. (For the whole, much more extensive, list, see the Graduate Handbook).

Teaching of these options will be provided through classes, seminars or tutorials as appropriate.