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MSc Modern Chinese Studies

There seems to be very few, if any, posts relating to Oxford's 1 year MSc in Modern Chinese Studies. Why is this?

Are postgraduate courses at Oxford not as competitive as the undergrad degrees?

What is the admissions programme like? What kind of student will Oxford seek out?

Has anyone been a member of this programme? If so, what was it like?

How does this MSc compare to, for examle, Cambridge's programme 'Oriental Studies', SOAS, Yale etc?

I'd really appreciate some feedback concerning postgraduate study at Oxford and/or this programme in particular.

cheers

Reply 1

naia

The MSc in Modern Chinese Studies is new - this is its first or second year I think. The more established programmes are the 2-year MPhil in Modern Chinese Studies and the 2-year MPhil in Modern Chinese Art and Literature. The MSc is primarily for social science graduates who want to re-focus their studies towards China - as far as I know, it doesn't have much of a language component compared to the MPhil courses, which have very large language components. I'm pretty sure that for the MPhil programmes you have to pass a language test at the end of the first year to proceed to the second year.

The postgraduate courses are competitive, but since this is a new course no one will have any concrete numbers on it yet.

I have no idea how it compares to programmes at other universities.

By the way, there are 4 different Masters programmes run by the Institute for Chinese Studies, each with a different focus (MSt in Chinese Studies, the two MPhil courses, the MSc course). You should research them all and pick the one that most closely fits your interests.

Reply 2

Andante

That sounds about right! I believe that you have to demeonstrate a good level of Chinese ability to apply for this course and hence it only lasting for one year. I must have a look at what the setup of the MSt is.........

Reply 3

naia

I think the MSt is more literature-based - I know a couple of people who did it, and their theses were on Chinese theatre, literature, poetry etc. You have to study either Classical Chinese or (modern) Japanese as a component for the MSt - it's assumed that your modern Chinese will be of degree-standard already. If you already know a substantial amount of Classical Chinese, you must take Japanese instead.

Btw, if you take Classical Chinese you take it with 3rd or 4th year undergrads, with the same homework etc.

Reply 4

Andante

Finished and submitted my application, so fingers crossed! I noticed that Oxford has recently changed the 6 gathered fields procedure to 3 application deadlines. This means that it'll probably be the new year before I find out if my application is successful! Is anyone else applying for this course?

Reply 5

Andante

Any other takers? I have had one other person mention that they are interested in taking this degree. What about students in the first batch this year?

Reply 6

penjy1

I am currently on the MPhil Modern Chinese Studies if anyone has any questions

hi penjy1¬

sorry, what are the differences between the MPhil, Msc and Mst? I'm a little confused.
Which would be suitable for someone with no prior knowledge and hoping to focus mainly on language, with a good modern languages degree?

Reply 9

Multicoloured

Anyone else have an offer for 2012/2013?

Reply 10

bookfaces

Original post by Multicoloured

Anyone else have an offer for 2012/2013?

Yep, I do

Original post by penjy1

I am currently on the MPhil Modern Chinese Studies if anyone has any questions

Hi penjy1, I know it's been a few years since you posted this but I was wondering, how did you go about funding your MPhil? Did you find an external funding source? I have an offer for both the MSc and the MPhil, I would rather do the MPhil but can't pay the 52k they've asked for. Any help would be appreciated!

Reply 11

dugdugdug

Original post by Andante

Would it be correct to assume these degrees (BSc or MSc) in Chinese would not admit a Chinese student if they were already fluent in Cantonese / Mandarin, even if they don't know much of the literature?

Reply 12

tash276

Original post by Multicoloured

Anyone else have an offer for 2012/2013?

I do too, can't wait! :smile:

Reply 13

Multicoloured

Original post by tash276

I do too, can't wait! :smile:

Thats awesome! Well done. Add me on facebook. [mod edit - it is advised that you do not post facebook urls on the open forum]

Reply 14

biffboff

This is a question about the MSt in Chinese Studies - since it's been mentioned here and I can't find anything elsewhere, it's worth go:

Does anyone actually know what the course is like? I'm confused because it's a taught masters, yet the description reads more like a research degree:

From the website:

If your interest is in history, art or literature, and you have a specific research proposal in mind then this could be the right course for you.

I'm looking for a course which will teach a range of texts and periods, but it sounds here like you have to arrive (or rather, apply) with your exact topic in mind.

Grateful for any insights!

Reply 15

jz11

Original post by penjy1

I am currently on the MPhil Modern Chinese Studies if anyone has any questions

Hello! I have a question regarding the statement of purpose needed for the application to the MPhil in Modern Chinese. - - Do we need to include a study proposal? I'm quite confused as there's no mention for the need of a proposal in the 'How to Apply' section yet under 'Entry Requirements' it states there is need for 'evidence of motivation for and understanding the proposed area of study'.

What did you do for your application? Thank you very much for your time! This is driving me crazy :P

Reply 16

jz11

I have a question - do you need to include a research proposal in your statement of purpose when applying to the MPhil in Modern Chinese Studies at Oxford? I ask because the website is not that clear - in the 'How to Apply section' there is no mention of the need for a research proposal yet the 'Entry Requirements' section states you must display 'evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study'. What did you do when you applied to this course?

Thank you very much!