Modern South Asian Studies

The MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies is an exciting degree bringing together Oxford’s wealth of expertise on South Asia in a single programme. Students gain access to teaching and expert supervision across departments in the Social Sciences and Humanities Divisions. They receive rigorous training in one of three tailored modules in research methods, and have the option to build in Hindi, Urdu, Old Hindi, Persian or other language training.

Students may choose to explore present-day India’s social, economic and political achievements and challenges, and the connections between the country’s democratic and developmental successes and failures, or to range more broadly across the states and societies of the subcontinent over the past five hundred years. Students may pursue any combination of interests, including history, literature, language, religion, economy and interstate relations.

You will also choose between the language track or the non-language track. Language track students may take one of the following intensive courses both at beginner and advanced level: Hindi, Hindi and Urdu, Brajbhasha and Old Hindi, and if the timetable permits Sanskrit, Persian or Tibetan. Students who are interested in any of these three 'substitute' core languages are asked to flag this interest in their personal statement.

Subject to timetabling, students with at least an intermediate or colloquial knowledge of any South Asian language also have the opportunity to take less intensive training in Hindi, Urdu, Old Hindi or Persian either continuing at an advanced level or beginning a new language. Bengali, Gujarati or Marathi may also be studied at an elementary level. Again, students interested in taking Persian either at advanced or beginner level are asked to flag this in their personal statement.

Students on the course will experience a variety of teaching modes, including lectures, seminars, classes, student presentations, and small group teaching. The MPhil is jointly taught by staff within the Social Sciences and Humanities Divisions, who will also assess your application. The application process is administered by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies. Language teaching will be provided in the Faculty of Oriental Studies.

You will be required to gather relevant materials for your thesis during the course, usually by working in libraries and archives in the UK but potentially also via fieldwork. Assessment is through a combination of coursework, assessed essays, written examinations and the thesis.

First year

During the first year, all students will attend the core course, introducing modern South Asia across the disciplines. All students will also receive training in research methods, through one of the following specially tailored programmes:

• research methods for area studies, both qualitative and quantitative
• qualitative and historical methods
• qualitative methods: literature and language

An important purpose of the research methods course is to help you develop and refine your thesis topic.

You will also choose option papers. If you are taking the language track, you will take one option paper during the first year. If you are taking the non-language track, you will take two option papers. For a full list of option papers, please see the course pages on the department website. Please note that the options will change from time to time, and not all will be run every year.

By the end of the first year, MPhil students will have worked out a thesis proposal, and plans for field or archival work to be undertaken during the summer months between the first and second years.

Second year

In the second year, all students will attend a course on advanced methods, as part of which they will make a presentation of their developing thesis project. Language track students will continue intensive language study, both language and non-language track students. The major focus of the second year will be the 30,000 word thesis, for which you will receive expert supervision.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Faculty of Oriental Studies and the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA) 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 and the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies (OSGA).

All students are assigned a general supervisor at the start of term, who is usually a member of the core teaching staff on the MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies. The role of the general supervisor is to guide you through your course of study and assist you with written assessments. If your research interests fall outside the expertise of your general supervisor, she/he will assist you in identifying appropriate expertise within the university, and help you approach suitable scholars for supervision.

Depending on the range of your research interests, therefore, it is possible for you to have more than one supervisor - a general supervisor who oversees your general academic progress, and a different supervisor for your thesis. Supervision for the thesis will be offered as a series of individual meetings between you and your thesis supervisor. Your supervisor(s) will discuss your progress, give you feedback on drafts (one full draft per assessment) and answer any questions before you submit work to Examination Schools.

In the case of students who require specific help to adjust to an academic programme or to a new range of skills, the supervisor will work with them to ensure that they have additional support.

Graduate destinations

The department aims to equip its graduates with a range of valuable skills which will enable them to compete successfully within a number of different careers - in the civil service and policy-making bodies in Britain, Europe and further afield, in non-governmental organisations concerned with development, in the charitable sector, in journalism, public and private sector research and consultancy, law and academia. The MPhil is a valuable preparation for students wishing to go on to doctoral research.

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 lead school

Modern South Asian Studies MSc
Global and Imperial History MSt
Development Studies MPhil
Oriental Studies MSt
Area Studies DPhil
Oriental Studies DPhil

All graduate courses offered by the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies

African Studies MSc

Area Studies DPhil

Contemporary Chinese Studies MSc

Japanese Studies MPhil

Japanese Studies MSc

Latin American Studies MPhil

Latin American Studies MSc

Modern Chinese Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MSc

Modern South Asian Studies MPhil

Modern South Asian Studies MSc

Russian and East European Studies MPhil

Russian and East European Studies MSc

All graduate courses offered by the Faculty of Oriental Studies

Bible Interpretation MSt

Buddhist Studies MPhil

Classical Armenian Studies MSt

Classical Hebrew Studies MSt

Classical Indian Religion MPhil

Contemporary Chinese Studies MSc

Cuneiform Studies MPhil

Eastern Christian Studies MPhil

Egyptology MPhil

Islamic Art and Archaeology MPhil

Islamic Art and Archaeology MSt

Islamic Studies and History MPhil

Islamic Studies and History MSt

Japanese Studies MPhil

Japanese Studies MSc

Jewish Studies MPhil

Jewish Studies MSt

Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period MPhil

Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period MSt

Korean Studies MSt

Modern Chinese Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MSc

Modern South Asian Studies MPhil

Modern South Asian Studies MSc

Oriental Studies DPhil

Oriental Studies MSt

Syriac Studies MSt

Tibetan and Himalayan Studies MPhil

Traditional China MSt

Traditional East Asia MPhil

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Entry requirements