MPhil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies

at University of Oxford

During full term students will typically attend around seven or eight hours per week of face-to-face classes, lectures or tutorials. Students will be expected to come to these well-prepared through self-directed study and reading. Academic articles and books will be assigned for general background on the region, and there will be weekly lectures on various aspects of Tibetan history and civilisation as well as lectures on Buddhism in the first and second terms. Selected topics will be treated in more detail in a set of eight essays/tutorials, which will be scheduled in the first year. Throughout the course, attendance at lectures by visiting scholars will be strongly recommended.
 

Students will be encouraged to use the long summer vacation between the first and second year to attend a summer school abroad or visit Tibetan-speaking communities in Tibet or in South Asia to develop language skills, and to begin work on their dissertation.
 

Teaching takes place through language classes, lectures, seminars and tutorials. 

Degree-level qualifications
 

As a minimum, applicants should normally hold or be predicted to achieve the equivalent of the following UK qualifications:
 

• a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in any subject.
• For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.
   

GRE General Test scores
 

• No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.
• Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience
• Publications are not required.

Home    
£14,710

Overseas    
£29,700

Many graduates in Asian and Middle Eastern 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 wish to continue onto the DPhil, and from there move on to postdoctoral academic positions, research projects in Tibetan studies, or Buddhist translation projects. While academic research is a typical career path, many graduates have also pursued careers  in related fields, including research and writing, charities and NGOs, education, film making, and creative industries.