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History Faculty - research programmes

http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/pg_sect_pgr.htm#t...

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B. INFORMATION ABOUT D EGREE P ROGRAMMES 2


Master's Programmes General Guidelines on the Presentation and Evaluation of Work

Research Programmes
Advanced Research Students Master of Letters and Doctor of Philosophy Advanced research students Applicants may be admitted to a research programme if they have completed an appropriate masters degree at Oxford or elsewhere, or some academic programme judged to amount to an equivalent qualication. Such students are on probation until they complete transfer of status. History students are usually expected to complete transfer requirements during their rst year of study. The History Faculty Regulations have precedence over the University's generic Regulations, though the Faculty may in individual cases grant an extension of a student's probationary period within the University's statutory maximum of two years for the successful completion of this assessment process. Transfer requirements may be waived for students completing a two-year M.Phil. in Modern British and European History, Economic and Social History, History of Science, Medicine and Technology, or Late Antique and Byzantine Studies, if they pass their M.Phil. at a suciently high level, and if their doctoral research builds straightforwardly upon their M.Phil. dissertation. For various possible routes through the doctorate and their timing, see the table in section A.2 During their probationary period, research students are expected to work substantially independently, under the guidance of a supervisor, improving their knowledge of the eld in which their proposed research falls and of its wider historiographical and theoretical context, equipping themselves with the skills necessary to undertake the research successfully, devising a research proposal and plan of work, and undertaking initial research and writing. They are encouraged to read and think widely and critically, both for their personal development, and to ensure that they can make an eective contribution within their chosen eld. See section A.3 Framework for Graduate Learning for a skills self-assessment checklist which all students are encouraged to complete and discuss with their supervisor at least once a year as one basis for planning their programme of study. Supervisors may direct probationary students to undertake any course of study they think necessary to prepare the student for doctoral work. This may include attendance at certain masters classes or training sessions, and satisfactory completion of assessed work for these classes or sessions. During their probationary period, all doctoral students must:
attend the core seminar in their subject area, and other seminars and lectures as agreed with their supervisor; give at least one oral seminar presentation on the subject of their research; submit for assessment by the Faculty written work of up to 5,000 words (either a section of the candidates proposed thesis or an essay on a relevant topic, such as a historiographical or methodological study providing a context for the envisaged thesis), together with a statement of between 500 and 1000 words on the subject of the thesis and the manner in which the candidate proposes to treat it (see Transfer of status procedure below).

In exceptional circumstances, candidates may apply to be dispensed from either of the rst two of these requirements, and applications need to be presented to the Graduate Oce in the rst half of Michaelmas Term, with written support from their supervisors:
dispensation from the requirement to attend seminars will normally be granted only in the case of students whose research requires them to work outside Oxford on the day when the appropriate core seminar meets, and when no rescheduling of research is possible; students who seek dispensation from the requirement to give an oral seminar presentation before the transfer interview, and who are subsequently approved for transfer to full D.Phil. status without a presentation, must normally expect that the requirement to give such a presentation will be made a precondition for their permission to apply for conrmation of status in their eighth term .

Written work should normally be submitted at the end of Hilary Term in the students rst year of Prob. D.Phil. status, together with an application for Transfer of Status to either M.Litt. or full D.Phil. status. The transfer of status interview will normally take place either immediately before or during the rst half of Trinity Term.

Transfer of status procedure


This is a university requirement for students wishing to complete an M.Litt. or D.Phil. degree. The object of the transfer of status procedure is to ensure that the applicant has identied a viable research topic and is competent to tackle it, such that he or she has a reasonable prospect of completing an acceptable thesis in an appropriate span of time. History Faculty regulations provide that: Applications for admission/transfer to M.Litt. or D.Phil. status shall be accompanied by: (1) two copies of a brief statement, of between 500 and 1000 words, of the subject of the thesis and the manner in which the candidate proposes to treat it; (2) two copies of a piece of written work, normally 3,000-5,000 words long, being either (a) a section of the proposed thesis, or (b) an essay on a relevant topic, or (c) an augmented version of the statement required under (1) above; (3) two copies of a condential report from the supervisor, which should be sent by the supervisor directly to the History Graduate Oce. Candidates should note that if they adopt alternative (c) above they must also submit the 500-word statement required under (1). They should also note that while as precise a denition of the subject should be given as is possible at this stage of their work, they are not bound to follow the statement precisely, but may reformulate their plan in the light of further study. If reformulation goes so far as to require alteration of the title of the thesis as approved, however, they should seek permission of the Faculty Board to alter it, by submitting form GSO.6 and any necessary explanation to the History Graduate Oce.

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History Faculty - research programmes

http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/pg_sect_pgr.htm#t...

Applications for transfer of status, accompanied by appropriate written work, provide the basis for an assessment interview with two assessors, neither being the candidates supervisor. Candidates who satisfy the assessors will be approved for transfer to either M.Litt. or full D.Phil. status. University regulations require research students to transfer status before the end of their second year. Any History candidate who fails to satisfy the assessors on a rst attempt in their rst year may re-apply (within the Universitys maximum time span), on the basis of either a new proposal, or new proposal and new written work, as the assessors require; assessors and Faculty are likely to set an explicit deadline for such a re-submission of supporting material. Candidates who fail to satisfy the assessors on a second attempt may be required to withdraw. If you fail to achieve Transfer of Status within the prescribed time, your status automatically lapses and your name will be removed from the Register. (For applications for suspension of status, see the paragraph on Extensions and suspensions in the following section.)

Master of Letters and Doctor of Philosophy Doctoral students who are approved for transfer of status may be transferred to either full M.Litt. or full D.Phil. status. Candidates may apply for either status in the rst instance. Sometimes, candidates for transfer to full D.Phil. status will be approved for transfer to M.Litt. status only, though if their work develops appropriately they may subsequently re-apply for transfer to full D.Phil. status. The Master of Letters (M.Litt.) requires a minimum of two academic years of research and six terms residence. The candidate writes a thesis of up to 50,000 words on a topic of his or her own choosing, with the faculty boards approval. The thesis is then sustained in an oral examination. No further written examination is necessary. A thesis for the M.Litt. must demonstrate lucidly the results of research, and show scholarly competence and judgement in investigating the topic chosen. The Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil.) requires three years of research and six terms of residence. Candidates submit a thesis of up to 100,000 words on a topic of their own choosing, approved by the faculty board, and undergo an oral examination. No further written examination is required. A thesis for the D.Phil. must not only possess the qualities required of an M.Litt. thesis, but should also make a signicant and substantial contribution to knowledge in its eld (within the limits of what may reasonably be expected of a capable and diligent student after three, or at most four, years of full-time study). For an outline of the Faculty's and the examiners' expectations of a History thesis, and for advice on the necessary scholarly presentation of your ndings refer to the guidance in this handbook. Candidates should adhere to the schedule of progression outlined in the programmes overview section. They should apply for transfer of status in the HT of the rst/probationary year of research, and for conrmation of status in the third year of research. If they have completed the MPhil transfer of status is usually waived in cases where the doctoral thesis builds on the MPhil thesis, and they should apply for conrmation of status in their second year of doctoral work following the M.Phil. Doctoral candidates should aim to complete all necessary primary research by the end of the third year (second year in the case of former M.Phil students) and should expect that writing up will take about 6-9 months, sometimes longer. In the oral examination a candidate must be ready to defend the thesis, and also persuade the examiners that he or she has a command of the broader eld in which the topic falls. The History Faculty allows candidates up to three years to complete an M.Litt. thesis, and up to four years to submit a thesis for a D.Phil. degree. Reasonable extensions of these deadlines may from time to time be granted in the light of individual cases.

Conrmation of Status
Candidates for the D.Phil. must, before submitting their thesis, attend a Conrmation of Status interview, normally held in Hilary Term of their third year as a research student (see section A.2 for a comprehensive overview of the research timetable). University regulations provide that the status of doctoral students should be conrmed before the end of their third year after admission as a doctoral student. Candidates who fail to apply for conrmation before the end of their ninth term of doctoral studies, without having for good reason received permission to delay their application, may be removed from the Register. History Faculty regulations provide that: Applications for conrmation of D.Phil. status shall be accompanied by: (1) a full outline of chapters (1-2 pages), summarising the scope of individual chapters and their state of completion, including a timetable for completion of the work which remains to be done before submission of the thesis; (2) a draft abstract of the thesis as a whole, of between 1,000 and 2,000 words; (3) a sample chapter, of between 6,000 and 10,000 words; (4) a condential report from the supervisor which should be sent direct to the Facultys Graduate Ofce. The Graduate Ofce will send the written work and the condential report to the interviewer appointed by the Faculty Board. The purpose of the Conrmation of Status interview is to provide research students with further feedback on the viability of their research topic and of their manner of treating it, and also on the standard of their written work, in good time for them to make any necessary adjustments before completing the research and undertaking the bulk of the writing. If the applicant does not satisfy the assessor that he or she is t to be conrmed, the assessor may either request minor adjustments to the submission, or require the student to submit a new application at a later date. The assessor may recommend that a student be transferred to M.Litt. status, if it appears that the research completed and in view is better suited to that degree. If a students progress is such that it is useful for the Conrmation of Status interview to take place in advance of Hilary Term of their third year as a doctoral student, they are encouraged to apply at the earliest appropriate date. Students should not delay conrmation unduly, or it ceases to full its intended purpose. Students should note that the faculty cannot move to appoint examiners for their thesis until a student has completed conrmation of status: a student who has not applied for conrmation at least one term before they wish to apply for appointment of examiners may nd that the examination process is delayed on that account. Students will not normally be granted extensions of time unless they have completed conrmation of status.

Residence qualications
To qualify for a higher degree, graduates are required to keep six terms residence in Oxford. Colleges are responsible for certifying residence. Dispensation from up to two terms residence for the M.Phil. and up to three terms for the M.Litt. or D.Phil. after successful Transfer of Status may be granted by the Faculty Board if your research involves an extended period of time spent in, e.g., foreign archives. The object of requiring residence is to ensure that graduates have the opportunity to advance their professional development by attendance at research seminars and appropriate training sessions, and more generally by participating in the academic life and research culture of the university, not least by interacting with other senior and junior researchers in the same eld. You are encouraged to remain in residence even when you have completed the minimum requirement, in order to avail yourself of these opportunities. If there are good reasons for you to reside elsewhere, you should if possible try to identify comparable opportunities to maintain your professional development e.g. by obtaining permission to attend research seminars at a local university.

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History Faculty - research programmes

http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/pg_sect_pgr.htm#t...

Change of title
This can happen without formality in the context of an application for Transfer or Conrmation of Status. At other points any change of title (sometimes desirable for greater precision) involves your submission of a formal application to the Facultys Graduate Studies Committee. Please note that requests for a change of title cannot be considered after examiners have been appointed. The title must reect accurately the content of the thesis, as your thesis may be referred back for revision if there is a mismatch between title and content.

Word limits
The maximum lengths of essays, dissertations, and theses are strictly enforced. The examiners of taught courses are entitled to reduce the mark awarded if the work submitted exceeds the word limit. M.Litt. and D.Phil. candidates must state the approximate number of words when submitting their thesis. These limits include all notes, appendices, and any source material being edited, but exclude the bibliography. Exceptions to these rules are only occasionally allowed and for special reasons, notably to allow the inclusion of essential edited source material in its entirety. Any application for permission to exceed the word limit should be accompanied by a detailed explanation, a statement of the excess length requested, and a covering letter of support from the supervisor. Applications should be made to the Graduate Studies Committee well in advance, before examiners are appointed and the thesis is typed and bound. If a thesis exceeds the permitted length, it may be returned to the candidate for revision before it is examined.

Abstracts
With your History thesis you are required to submit two abstacts: the standard 300-word abstract which must accompany all Oxford theses, and a longer one required by the History Faculty (this shall not exceed 1,500 words for the M.Litt., or 2,500 words for the D.Phil.). The abstracts must be your own work, and need to be made available to the examiners of your thesis for their approval. The detailed Regulations of University and Faculty provide: (1) One copy of the [300-word] abstract prepared at the time of the examination should be bound into each of the examiners' copies of the thesis. Subsequently, when the examination is completed, candidates should also arrange for a copy of the abstract to be bound into the library copy of their thesis, and should submit with the library copy a separate, unbound copy of their abstract which may be despatched to ASLIB and published. The copy of the abstract which is earmarked for dispatch to ASLIB should be presented separately in a form suitable for microlming, i.e. it should be (1) on one side of a single sheet of A4 paper, (2) a typed, singlespaced top copy, a clear photocopy, or a printed copy (i.e. it should not be a carbon or poor photocopy), and (3) headed up with name, college, year and term of submission and the title of the thesis. (2) All [History] candidates must submit with their thesis two printed or typewritten copies of an abstract of the thesis, which shall not normally exceed 1,500 words for the M.Litt. or 2,500 words for the D. Phil., prepared by the student. This is in addition to the requirement to submit an abstract of not more than 300 words in length required by the General Regulations of the Education Committee. Copies of both abstracts shall be bound into the copy of the thesis which shall be deposited in the Bodleian Library. One loose copy of the 300 words abstract, printed on a single page, must be submitted together with the Library copy to the Examination Schools.

Submission of theses and appointment of examiners


When you are ready to submit an M.Litt. or D.Phil. thesis for examination you should familiarize yourself with the examination process. Forms for the appointment of examiners should be obtained from their online repository. The choice of examiners should be discussed between you and your supervisor. Although supervisors may consult likely examiners informally, it is only when the Board has given its approval that examiners are formally approached. You will also be asked to give permission (Consultation of Thesis form) for other researchers to be able to consult your thesis once it has been deposited in the Bodleian Library. If for any good reason you feel you have to seek exemption from this requirement you should submit your case in writing to the Director of Graduate Studies. Note that the University supports graduate study with the aim of contributing to general knowledge and understanding, so there is a strong expectation that the fruits of research should be made public, subject to the usual copyright rules. In addition to the deposit in the Bodleian Library, successful doctoral theses in History may also be considered for formal publication by the Clarendon Press: the Oxford Historical Monographs [OHM] Editorial Committee receives the examiners reports on all successful D.Phil. candidates in History, and it considers relevant reports from adjacent faculties when these are drawn to its attention. Examiners in History are specically invited to comment in their reports on the suitability of a thesis to be considered for publication in the series. The Editorial Committee is on average able to suggest some 15 % of recommended doctoral theses to be considered for publication by the Delegates to the Press. A list of current and past publications in the series can be consulted on the Oxford University Press website.

Extensions
A students status will lapse after the set time for the submission of the thesis has passed (i.e., after nine terms as a graduate student in the case of the M.Litt. and twelve terms in the case of the D.Phil.), unless he or she requests an extension. Students who fall out of touch with their supervisor and college for long periods may also be judged to have lapsed. Extensions of time on strong academic grounds are allowed by the Faculty Board up to the following maxima: M.Litt. six terms; D.Phil. nine terms. Extensions will not normally be granted for more than two terms at a time: this ensures regular reporting on the progress of work. Students who need longer periods of extension in the context of visa renewals should explain their situation at the point of application, but they should keep in mind that an extension application must not exceed twelve months at any one time. In exceptional circumstances, an extension beyond the maxima referred to above may be approved. However, such cases are rare and are dealt with not by the Faculty but by the Education Committee of the University. Please take note that there is no entitlement to an extension of time. Each case will be scrutinized individually, and only where appropriate will a certain period of extension be granted.

Suspensions
If your work is being seriously impeded, for example by illness, maternity or paternity or unforeseen nancial diculties, or by your having undertaken other employment, it may be advisable to apply for a temporary suspension of status. In the period for which status is suspended you incur no university fees, no supervisors reports are led, since you are not expected to be working on the thesis, and no tuition fees are paid to the supervisor. While there are sometimes unexpected circumstances which make delay inevitable, it needs to be emphasized that the ocial time-limits as they stand should provide ample time for the completion of a good thesis. You should aim to complete within that time. Do not let things drag on.

Lapse of status and removal of students from the Register

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History Faculty - research programmes

http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/postgrad/pg_sect_pgr.htm#t...

If you fail to submit the thesis within the prescribed time (including any approved extensions), or if you fail to transfer to either M.Litt. or D.Phil. status within six terms, your student status automatically lapses and your name will be removed from the Register. However, a lapsed student who subsequently completes the thesis can normally be reinstated to enable the work to be examined. In certain circumstances a student may be removed from the register on academic or disciplinary grounds. The detailed regulations concerning such cases may be inspected on request in the Facultys Graduate Oce, or the Universitys Graduate Studies Oce.

Prior publication
Prior publication of material arising from research undertaken while holding doctoral status is acceptable, but you should not assume that publication of itself constitutes proof that the work is of sucient quality to merit the award of the degree for which you are reading. This remains a matter for the judgement of the examiners.

Note on the binding and depositing of theses


All dissertations and theses have to be bound. At the time of examination, candidates for the degree of D.Phil. and M.Litt. are required to submit two copies of their thesis, which must be securely bound in either hard or soft covers; loose-leaf binding is not acceptable. Once the candidate has been given leave to supplicate for the degree, a nalized copy of the thesis, including all necessary corrections and amendments approved by the examiners, is deposited in the Bodleian Library. This copy must be in a permanently xed binding, drilled and sewn, in a sti board case in library buckram, in a dark colour, and lettered on the spine with the candidates name and initials, the degree, and the year of submission. You are warned that conferment of a degree is conditional upon delivery of the library copy of your thesis to the Examination Schools, and that you may not proceed to take your degree until this has been done. Doctoral students admitted since October 2008 are in addition required to submit an electronic copy of their thesis to the Oxford Research Archive (ORA). If you are out of the country when the time comes to submit the library copy of your thesis, you may nd it convenient to arrange printing and binding remotely. The following website may be of help: www.oxford-print-centre.co.uk. Your College may also have advice in this regard: you will need to get in touch with them anyway to organise graduation, schedules for which are completely in the hands of colleges.

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