Classical Languages and Literature

The DPhil takes the form of the composition of a substantial dissertation, of up to 100,000 words, based on new research on a subject of your choice. You will be appointed a supervisor or supervisors with relevant expertise, who will support you throughout your doctoral work, beginning with the formulation of the topic and ending with the final examination.

The best dissertations are published, many in the Oxford University Press series of Classical monographs which exists for this purpose.

The vision of the DPhil as a necessary stage of an academic career, following on from master's-level education and preparing for postdoctoral work and beyond, is reflected in five other ways:

1. Doctoral students are required to set the topics of their individual specialisation in a larger understanding of developments in the field across the world.

2. They are encouraged to pursue a diversity of scholarly interests on the side of working on their doctoral dissertation, so as to start building a larger portfolio of specialities. They may produce articles or review books in areas somewhat different from that of their dissertation, and towards the end of their doctoral work may begin to contemplate a postdoctoral project.

3. The Classics Faculty assists doctoral students in continuing to develop necessary research skills, and acquiring or improving knowledge of relevant ancient and modern languages. Competence in Latin and/or Greek is an admission requirement.

4. Doctoral students can be trained and given experience (with mentoring) in undergraduate teaching of several different kinds, eg class, lecture, tutorial.

5. There are other structures, within the Classics Faculty, the Humanities Division and the wider University, to help with career-development and with academic placement.

Finally, it is fully recognised that some students will choose not to pursue a professional career in Classics, and the structures mentioned in the points above are tailored to their needs too. The experience of the Classics DPhil programmes is intended to be personally fulfilling and intellectually enriching in itself, and the cognitive skills required are highly transferable to other walks of life.

Examples of recent DPhil thesis titles include:

Thesis titleSupervisor name(s)The Civic Virtue of philotimia: Rhetoric, Ideology and Politics in Democratic AthensProfessor T Rood and Professor R ThomasEchoes of the Republican Past: Seneca's Tragic Chorus and Earlier Latin LiteratureProfessor T Reinhardt and Professor S HarrisonCatullus: Lyric Poet, LyricistDr G Trimble and Professor L TunbridgeThe Poetics of Libraries and Book Collections in HoraceProfessor S HarrisonWonder and the Marvellous from Homer to the Hellenistic WorldProfessor F Budelmann'I'm classic now': Byron's Engagement with AntiquityProfessor S Harrison and Professor F MacintoshCoptic Interference in the Syntax of Greek Letters from EgyptProfessor A Willi and Dr G SchenkeThe Reception of Homer in Modern Science Fiction LiteratureDr L PitcherConflicted Fatherhood in Greek TragedyProfessor R RutherfordRecognizing Epiphany: Exploring the Theme of Epiphany in the Epics of Homer, Apollonius, and VergilProfessor R Rutherford

The faculty welcomes applications for part-time study on the DPhil. Part-time students are fully integrated into the research culture of the Classics Faculty and afforded all the same opportunities and support as full-time students.

The faculty appreciates that part-time research students will have non-standard attendance and work patterns. Although there is no requirement to reside in Oxford, part-time research students must be able to commit to attendance in Oxford at least once a week during Weeks 0 to 9 of each term, in order to meet with their supervisor, participate in research seminars and undertake skills training.

It is not possible to study for the DPhil in Classical Languages and Literature by distance learning.

Please see the Graduate admissions part of the Classics website for more material, including the current handbook for the course.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Classics 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 Classics.

Graduate destinations

When details on graduate destinations were last collected, the faculty found that an unusually high percentage of their successful DPhil students (56%) were in university teaching or research posts five years after finishing their doctorates. Others go into a variety of occupations, including teaching, publishing, administration, business and other professions.

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

Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature MSt
Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature MPhil
Ancient History DPhil
Greek and/or Roman History MSt
Greek and/or Roman History MPhil
Classical Archaeology MSt
Classical Archaeology MPhil
Ancient Philosophy MSt
Women's Studies MSt

All graduate courses offered by the Faculty of Classics

Ancient History DPhil

Classical Languages and Literature DPhil

Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature MSt

Greek and/or Latin Languages and Literature MPhil

Greek and/or Roman History MPhil

Greek and/or Roman History MSt

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Entry requirements