Classical Hebrew Studies MSt

MSt Classical Hebrew Studies

The MSt in Classical Hebrew Studies is designed especially for those with a basic knowledge of Biblical Hebrew (perhaps learned as part of a Theological or Biblical Studies degree) who wish to extend and deepen their linguistic and textual competence either as a preparation for further research or as a master’s degree in its own right.

About

You will take two compulsory papers, one on biblical texts and the other on history and literature. You will also choose two others on such subjects as Hebrew language, textual criticism, epigraphy, Aramaic, and Dead Sea Scrolls.

Within these constraints, the course offers considerable flexibility to suit your individual interests and needs. For instance, the texts selected for study can be varied from year to year, while the optional papers may, with permission, be on any relevant subject. A substantial part of the course may therefore be directed towards a possible future research topic.

The teaching takes two main forms. Firstly, there are classes on the specified texts and on advanced Hebrew language throughout the year, which you are strongly recommended to attend as a matter of priority. There may also be classes on your optional subjects, depending on what they are (Aramaic, for instance, is taught in this way). Secondly, you will receive individual supervision, usually for an hour each week, for which you are expected to prepare written work on the basis of recommended reading. Teaching for such subjects as history and literature is wholly conducted in this way, while you will also be given practice in the proper way in which to answer questions on specified texts.

During the course there are two vacations of six weeks each, during which you will be expected to keep working full time, with modest breaks for Christmas and Easter. You will be given guidance about specific projects to be tackled, but will be advised to go back over the texts and other topics studied in the previous term in order to consolidate with wider reading, filling in gaps, and so on. It is also helpful, if you are in a position to do so, to undertake preparatory work during the summer before you begin. If you have the opportunity to discuss with your potential teachers at least some of the texts that you hope to study, you will find that you derive far more benefit from the classes if you have been able to prepare them as far as you are able in advance.

Numbers of students on the course are very small (1–2 per year) and so teaching is tailored according to the needs and interests of individual students. Classes are sometimes shared with those on other similar courses, and there are also seminars covering wider subject areas that students on this course are encouraged to attend.

Assessment

You will sit two compulsory examinations (one on prepared and unprepared Biblical texts and the other on history and literature) and two further examinations for the two optional papers.

Teaching staff

Resources for study

Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies

The Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies is the leading research centre for academic Jewish Studies in Europe. Apart from offices and classrooms, it holds a well-developed lending library, the Leopold Muller Memorial Library., designed to support graduate and undergraduate courses but also containing research material. There is also a general common room, where staff and students can meet informally. As well as being the centre for the teaching of Hebrew, the OCHJS runs a programme of seminars and public lectures throughout the year.

A limited amount of grant money for trips abroad (eg for supplementary language study during vacations) may be sought from the OCHJS.

Libraries and museums

Oxford is an important centre for Hebrew and Jewish studies and has been since the sixteenth century. Students come from all over the world for both undergraduate and graduate studies, and there are unrivalled collections of Hebrew and Yiddish manuscripts and printed books in the Bodleian Library. You will also be able to use the Nizami Ganjavi Library at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and the Leopold Muller Memorial Library. Adjacent to the Faculty is the Ashmolean Museum, which houses superb collections.

In addition to this, there are a number of other specialist library collections in Oxford that focus on Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, such as:

The Art, Archaeology and Ancient World Library includes the principal library for Egyptology and ancient Near Eastern Studies. The Khalili Research Centre is the University of Oxford's centre for research and teaching in the art and material culture of the Islamic societies of the Middle East and of non-Muslim members and neighbours

Faculty resources

Students have access to the University's centrally provided electronic resources, the Faculty's IT Officer, and other bibliographic, archive or material sources as appropriate to the topic. There is a computing room for the use of graduate students in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, as well as a common room where tea and coffee are available and staff and students can meet.

Oxford colleges

Oxford’s colleges provide support, facilities and membership of a friendly and stimulating academic community. All colleges provide library and IT facilities, welfare support, and sports and social events. Although your academic studies will be directed by the faculty, colleges can be a valuable source of support. Please check the application guide for information about colleges.

How to apply

Apply

Make an application, check the course entry requirements and what supporting documents you need to submit

Application Guide

The University's Application Guide covers all aspects of completing the graduate application form and uploading your supporting documents

How-to-guides

Students and staff provide tips and advice on preparing your application for postgraduate study, such as how to write a personal statement

FAQs

Can I submit one 4,000 word piece of written work instead of two 2,000 word pieces?

Not for our courses. We ask for two pieces which will show a range of ability rather than two highly similar pieces and you may find it useful to check the criteria your written work will be assessed for when choosing your samples. Your samples can be extracts from longer pieces of work and if this is the case, please indicate this on a cover page, or at the beginning of each piece of work.

Where can I find out about funding available for applicants?

Your best guide to funding opportunities will always be the University's admissions webpages. We recommend that you use the Fees, funding and scholarship search which is a useful tool for finding any funding that you may be eligible to apply for.

If you submit your application by the January deadline you will automatically be considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships. There’s no separate scholarship application process or extra supporting documentation required for funding. Based on the information supplied in your graduate application, you will be automatically considered for scholarships where you meet the eligibility criteria with most scholarships using academic merit and/or potential as the basis on which award decisions are made.

However, please note, in addition to submitting an application form for your chosen course, the scholarships listed on the following page also require an additional application to be considered for them.