Islamic Art and Archaeology

Master

In Oxford

Price on request

Description

  • Type

    Master

  • Location

    Oxford

Before admission to this course, you will have demonstrated that you possess the necessary qualifications in Arabic or Persian or Ottoman Turkish to use primary sources in the original language for the study of Islamic art. You will have a supervisor who will guide your progress through the course and who will agree with you a programme of work and a timetable for each term of the course, including: general skills and research specific training, formal teaching and instruction, attendance at lectures and seminars, and regular meetings (normally at least twice per term) with your supervisor for detailed discussions on your progress.You will be expected to attend tutorials, classes, lectures and seminars regularly, and tutors will give you regular assignments of written work. Tutors report to your supervisor on your progress at the end of each term, and the supervisor will write a formal report upon your work and progress during the term.

Facilities

Location

Start date

Oxford (Oxfordshire)
See map
Wellington Square, OX1 2JD

Start date

On request

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Subjects

  • Meetings
  • Turkish
  • Arabic
  • Supervisor
  • IT
  • Archaeology
  • Teaching
  • Art

Course programme

The MPhil in Islamic Art and Archaeology is suitable either as a stand-alone course or as a stepping stone to doctoral research.

You will have a supervisor at the Khalili Research Centre, who will guide your progress through the course and who will agree with you a programme of work and a timetable for each term of the course, including: general skills and research specific training, formal teaching and instruction, attendance at lectures and seminars, and regular meetings (normally at least twice per term) with the supervisor for detailed discussion on your progress. You will be expected to attend tutorials, classes, lectures and seminars regularly, and your tutors and language instructors will give you regular assignments of written work.

During the first year, you will attend eight practical classes which introduce techniques to describe and analyse buildings and objects in a range of media (such as ceramics, epigraphy, manuscripts, metalwork, numismatics, and textiles) and which provide training with basic academic skills (such as presentation of work in a lecture or seminar, and writing museum display and book reviews).

You will submit a portfolio containing assignments from these practical classes at the end of the first year, but this portfolio will not be examined until the end of the second year.

Tutors and language instructors report to your supervisor on your progress at the end of each term, and the supervisor will write a formal report upon your work and progress during the term. The structure of the examinations for the course is as follows:

At the end of the first year of the course you must sit the qualifying examination, consisting of two elements. The first is a three-hour written examination on Introduction to Islamic Art and Archaeology, reflecting the lectures, seminars and tutorials offered during the year.

The second element is a language examination in Arabic or Persian or Ottoman Turkish, which will test progress in the elementary study of the relevant language made during the year.

At the end of the second year, the final examination is taken, which consists of six elements.

  • The first is an extended essay of between 5,000 and 6,000 words on a topic of Islamic art and archaeology or related fields (eg non-Islamic art, architecture and archaeology, Islamic studies, history, museology) to be selected by yourself in consultation with your supervisor.
  • The second and third elements are two three-hour written examinations, in Arabic or Persian or Ottoman Turkish, one on language and the second on prepared texts.
  • The fourth element is a three-hour written examination on Approaches to Islamic Art and Archaeology, reflecting the seminars on methods, techniques and theory offered during the year.
  • The fifth element is the portfolio of practical work submitted at the end of the first year.
  • The sixth element is a dissertation of not more than 30,000 words.

You will be expected to spend part of the vacation between years one and two engaged in language study and/or fieldwork in a region appropriate to your area of interest.

Further information on the course, and the examination process, can be found in the course handbook via the course webpage.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Oriental Studies and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Faculty of Oriental Studies.

Graduate destinations

Many graduates have pursued doctoral study in Oxford and elsewhere, and/or successful careers at universities, museums, and in business-related fields worldwide. Examples of alumni’s current positions can be found on the Khalili Research Centre’s website.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.

Courses suggested by the faculty

Islamic Art and Archaeology MSt
Oriental Studies MSt
Islamic Studies and History MPhil
Modern Middle Eastern Studies MPhil
Oriental Studies DPhil

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Entry requirements

Islamic Art and Archaeology

Price on request