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University of Oxford: Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics (Research Preparation)

Institution University of Oxford
Department Comparative Philology and General Linguistics and Phonetics
Web http://www.ox.ac.uk/study
Email graduate.admissions@admin.ox.ac.uk
Telephone +44 (0)1865 270059
Study type Taught

Summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2025). 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.

The MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics (Research Preparation) is a taught course focused on research training. It covers general linguistics, phonetics, historical and comparative linguistics, and language-specific studies.

This course is designed for applicants who have studied linguistics as undergraduates to a more advanced level and who thus already have a solid background in all core areas of general linguistics; they will typically have a degree in which linguistics forms at least 50% of the teaching and assessment, or who can otherwise demonstrate that they have studied linguistics to an equivalent level.

If you have previously studied linguistics at an introductory level and are keen to familiarise yourself further with the discipline, you may wish to consider the MSt in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics (Advanced Study) instead.

To be admitted on this course, applicants will have already identified, by means of a detailed research proposal, a topic in which they have received relevant prior training and on which they will want to write a master’s thesis.

Course structure Students will be working on their master’s thesis from their first term. They will attend the Faculty’s training in research methods and in addition, they may attend some more advanced classes that are of relevance to their thesis work.

Students will study for two option papers that are of particular interest to them. Options are chosen from those listed in Option B, Option C, or in Option D on the Course Components tab on the Oxford University website. Those intending to study options chosen from C or D should normally have, and may be required to demonstrate, some knowledge of the chosen (group of) language(s), and those intending to offer options chosen from C will normally be expected to be able to read secondary literature in French and German.

If students would like to specialise fully in Indo-European comparative philology via Option C, they are strongly encouraged to apply for the MPhil in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics instead. There is also scope for some work in historical and comparative linguistics in the MSt via the module in Historical and Comparative Linguistics under Option B, and via options in the history and structure of specific languages.

Some modules require background knowledge that is difficult to acquire in nine months, and MSt students are advised to choose these modules only if they already have substantial previous training in relevant background subjects, such as experimental phonetics and computational linguistics.

In order to take options in the history and structure of a particular language (under Option B or D), students will need to have a good grasp of the relevant language itself, even if they are new to linguistic study of the language. Option C (Indo-European Historical and Comparative Philology and Linguistics) is normally not feasible in the MSt.

MSt

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