MPhil in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics

University of Oxford

The MPhil in Linguistics, Philology and Phonetics is a taught course offering a range of options for graduates seeking a higher academic qualification in language studies and wishing to specialise in general linguistics (including phonetics but not applied linguistics), in historical and comparative linguistics, or in the linguistics of a specific language.

In addition to a compulsory paper in linguistic theory, you will specialise in general linguistics (B), Indo-European historical and comparative philology and linguistics (C) or in the linguistics of one or two selected languages (D).

Option B

You will select three options from the following range of topics:

• Phonetics and Phonology
• Syntax
• Semantics and Pragmatics
• Historical and Comparative Linguistics
• Psycholinguistics and Neurolinguistics
• History and Structure of a Language
• Experimental Phonetics.

You may also ask for one option in another subject in general linguistics; approval will be subject to the availability of proper instruction and provision for examination. For students with substantial previous training in the subject, it is also possible to choose Computational Linguistics as an option.

Please note that not all options may be offered every year, depending on the availability of teaching.

Option C

You will select two ancient Indo-European languages or language groups (eg Greek, Italic, Celtic, Anatolian, Indo-Iranian, Slavic). Three exam papers cover the comparative grammar, the historical grammar, and a number of set texts for linguistic commentary in the two languages or language groups.

Option D

You may select either ancient (eg Latin, Sanskrit) or modern languages (eg French, Italian, German, Slavic languages).

There will be three examination papers:

• (i) the history of one language, or of two or more historically related languages;
• (ii) the structure of the language or languages selected; and
• (iiia) translation from, and/or linguistic comment on, texts in the language or languages selected, or (iiib) a project on an aspect of the structure or history of the language, or family of related languages, studied.