Tibetan and Himalayan Studies

You will read academic articles and books by way of general background to the region, and will attend weekly lectures on various aspects of Tibetan history and civilisation in the Michaelmas and Hilary terms. Selected topics will be treated in more detail in a set of eight essays/tutorials. You will also be encouraged to attend a series of introductory lectures on Buddhism as well as the weekly graduate seminars. Throughout the whole course, attendance at lectures by visiting scholars will be strongly recommended.

You will be encouraged to use the long summer vacation between the first and second year to attend summer schools abroad or visit Tibetan-speaking communities in Tibet or in South Asia to develop your language skills, and to begin work on your dissertations.

Teaching takes place through language classes, lectures, seminars and tutorials. Students submit their dissertations in the third (Trinity) term of the second year.

For further information on the course you can consult the course handbook via the faculty's course webpage.

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.

Many graduates in Oriental studies have undertaken further research and pursued successful careers in the academic world, education, publishing and in museums. Some graduates have also chosen a different career path and found employment in other fields including business, finance, law, civil service, journalism, government and industry.

Graduates of the MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies often move on to postdoctoral academic positions, research projects in Tibetan studies, or Buddhist translation projects. While teaching and research in an academic context is the most typical career path, it is also possible to find employment in other fields such as charities and NGOs, public education, copy editing for publishers specialising in Buddhism, or film making, to name just a few examples.

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

Oriental Studies MSt
Buddhist Studies MPhil
Classical Indian Religion MPhil
Modern South Asian Studies MPhil
Traditional East Asia MPhil
Oriental Studies DPhil

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 MSt

Islamic Art and Archaeology MPhil

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 MSt

Jewish Studies in the Graeco-Roman Period MPhil

Korean Studies MSt

Modern Chinese Studies MPhil

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MSc

Modern Middle Eastern Studies MPhil

Modern South Asian Studies MSc

Modern South Asian Studies MPhil

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