Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics MSt

**The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2024). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.** <br/><br/>**MSt**<br/>The MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics is a nine-month taught course offering a range of options for those seeking a graduate qualification in language studies and wishing to specialise in general linguistics (including phonetics but not applied linguistics), in historical and comparative linguistics, or in the linguistics of a specific language. <br/><br/>**Course strands**<br/>Students are admitted to the MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics via one of two strands. The balance of taught and self-directed learning varies between strands and options. <br/><br/>**Research Preparation strand**<br/>**Advanced Study strand**<br/><br/>During their first term and into their second term, students will follow a Foundation Course in Linguistic Theory. This is a course of lectures and practical classes with extensive sets of compulsory exercises covering the main areas of linguistics and providing an overview of the field.<br/><br/>**MPhil**<br/>Course structure<br/>In addition to a compulsory paper in linguistic theory, you will specialise in general linguistics (B), Indo-European historical and comparative philology and linguistics (C) or in the linguistics of one or two selected languages (D).<br/><br/>**Option B**<br/>You will select three options from the following range of topics:<br/><br/><br/>- Phonetics and Phonology<br/><br/><br/>- Syntax<br/><br/><br/>- Semantics<br/><br/><br/>- Historical and Comparative Linguistics<br/><br/><br/>- Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics <br/><br/><br/>- History and Structure of a Language<br/><br/><br/>- Experimental Phonetics.<br/><br/><br/>You may also ask for one option in another subject in general linguistics; approval will be subject to the availability of proper instruction and provision for examination. For students with substantial previous training in the subject, it is also possible to choose Computational Linguistics as an option.<br/><br/>**Option C**<br/>You will select two ancient Indo-European languages or language groups (eg Greek, Italic, Celtic, Anatolian, Indo-Iranian, Slavic). Three exam papers cover the comparative grammar, the historical grammar, and a number of set texts for linguistic commentary in the two languages or language groups.<br/><br/>**Option D**<br/>You may select either ancient (eg Latin, Sanskrit) or modern languages (eg French, Italian, German, Slavic languages). <br/><br/>There will be three examination papers:<br/><br/>(i) the history of one language, or of two historically related languages;<br/>(ii) the structure of the language or languages chosen; and<br/>(iiia) translation from, and/or linguistic comment on, texts in the language or languages chosen, or (iiib) a project on an aspect of the structure or history of the language, or family of related languages, studied.<br/>Subject (iii) may be replaced with any of the modules listed under Option B above, except for History and Structure of a Language.<br/><br/>Alongside attending tutorials, lectures and seminars, youll be expected to spend around 40% of your time on self-directed learning. This will increase to 60% as the course progresses. <br/><br/>**For the full descriptions, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas**