The one-year MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies) will have the following structure for the (1) Muslim-Jewish Relations option and (2) Persian Cultural History option:

1. Three modules each assessed by an examination or a 5,000 word course exercise
2. A 15,000 word dissertation.
3. An oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls, which may be waived at the discretion of the Degree Committee.

Applicants for this course are expected to have a university qualification in either Hebrew or Arabic (Muslim-Jewish Relations stream) or Persian (Persian Cultural History stream).

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the MPhil programme, students will be expected to have:

• acquired the ability to read, interpret and translate primary sources in Hebrew, Arabic or Persian;
• acquired a good knowledge of the general scholarship on Muslim and Jewish or Persian culture(s);
• acquired an in-depth knowledge of the secondary literature relevant to the subject of their dissertation;
• developed the ability to formulate original research questions and produce a well-constructed, argument to answer them, in the form of an independent piece of research based on the use of primary and secondary sources;
• acquired the skills to use library and internet resources independently.

Continuing

Applicants for the PhD will be expected to have scored at least 67% or above (or the equivalent from an overseas University) in their Master's degree which should be related to the PhD programme they wish to pursue. All applicants should submit with their GRADSAF (graduate application) a workable and interesting research proposal and demonstrate that they have the required academic knowledge and skills to carry out their project.

Admission is at the discretion of the Degree Committee, which judges each graduate applicant on his or her own merits and in accordance with its own set rules and regulations.

All prospective MPhil applicants are advised to peruse the staff profiles on our website to familiarise themselves with the research and teaching interests of staff members.

Once admitted onto the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies), applicants will have the option of studying one of two streams:

• Muslim-Jewish Relations; or
• Persian Cultural History

* Muslim-Jewish Relations*

Students taking the Muslim-Jewish Relations stream will be introduced to the analytical tools required for studying Muslim-Jewish relations, primary sources in translation and original language, bibliographical method, objectivity in the study of interfaith relations and controversial themes. Topics may include the Jewish languages of the Islamic world; key historical documents in the study of Muslim-Jewish Relations; Muslim and Jewish thought; Law and Society and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

* Persian Cultural History*

Students taking the Persian Cultural History stream will be offered readings in Persian cultural history, identifying persisting trends in Persian literature and cultural production from the medieval period down to modern times. These themes revolve around kingship and the image of the ideal prince, theories of justice and good government, and competing sources of secular and religious authority. Similarly, the motif of love, both earthly and divine, is a common thread running through Persian literature and entails also the extensive use of imagery of the natural world. In the modern world, the course examines a number of issues by studying Iranian cinema and focusing on gender, historical adaptation, nation and approaches to narration and resistance to dominant discourses, reflecting also on how the stories and legends of the classical tradition are adapted for contemporary literature and media.  In discussing these topics, attention is paid to their visual as well as written representation.

For each of these streams, students are required to choose three papers - courses usually run over two terms - in addition to doing a 15,000-word MPhil dissertation under the supervision of a supervisor. The dissertations are submitted no later than mid-August following the start of the course.

MPhil students attend various training courses offered by the Department in codicology, text reading, and other skills. They are also encouraged to attend fourth-year undergraduate lectures and language courses where relevant. They may attend graduate work-in-progress seminars where they have an opportunity to present their own work to their peers for feedback in a supportive environment.

Feedback

Students taking the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies), working on essays or examinations and a 15,000 word dissertation to be submitted in mid-August, will receive feedback on their work after the June Degree Committee meeting (for essays and examinations) and after the final Degree Committee meeting of the year in September (for MPhil dissertation results and overall Degree results). Students will receive feedback routinely throughout the year from their Supervisors. Supervisors also produce feedback via termly CGSRS reports on CamSIS.

Assessment

Thesis

For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies), students will submit a thesis of not more than 15,000 words, including footnotes and appendices but excluding bibliography on a subject approved by the Degree Committee. All MPhil dissertations must include a brief Abstract at the start of the dissertation of no more than 400 words.

There may be a viva on the thesis.

Essays

For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies), students may submit essays as part of their degree:

With the approval of the Degree Committee, a candidate may offer, in place of one or more of the examination papers, the same number of essays, each of not more than 5,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding bibliography, or equivalent Alternative Exercises approved by the Degree Committee.

Written examination

For the MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies), students may take examinations as part of their degree:

Three written examination papers on subjects approved by the Degree Committee, which shall fall within one of the fields specified in the Schedule to these regulations. With the approval of the Degree Committee, a candidate may offer, in place of one or more of those papers, the same number of essays, each of not more than 5,000 words, including footnotes, but excluding bibliography, or equivalent Alternative Exercises approved by the Degree Committee.

Practical assessment

There is no practical assessment associated with this course.

Other

An oral examination on the thesis and on the general field of knowledge within which it falls, but at the Degree Committee’s discretion the requirement for an oral examination may be waived.

• Magistr (Master's Degree) at Pass level. Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of good or 4/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 4/5 Bologna Bachelor's from other institutions with an overall grade of 5/5, Excellent
• Diploma Specialista (completed post-1991) with a minimum overall grade of Excellent or 5/5 Bachelor's from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and other prestigious institutions with an overall grade of 5/5
• IELTS (Academic) 7.5
• TOEFL Internet Score 110
• £50 application fee
• First Academic Reference
• Second Academic Reference
• Transcript
• Research Proposal 
• Attainments in languages. Good reading knowledge of Classical Arabic will be expected.Applicants are required to list the languages they know and their level of competence.
• Sample of Work
• Personal Reference. This is only required if you are applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Applicants who wish to be considered for the Gates Cambridge (USA) and Gates Cambridge (International) must include a personal reference with their GRADSAF and other supporting documentation.

• Global Education
• Gates Cambridge Scholarships