Question for Oxford Students: What is an Mst?

I am interested in studying at Oxford for a 2nd Master's degree, and browsed the oxford site. I came across a qualification called "Master of Studies" or MSt.

Is this a genuine type of MA, or is it a half way solution between a full MA/MSc and say some sort of graduate diploma.

Specifically, I am interested in the MSt History.

http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/caz/hist.shtml

Reply 1

Derek_The_Hamster

3

The MA(Oxon) is equivalent to a BA elsewhere, so the equivalent of an MA elsewhere is titled the MSt(Oxon) to avoid confusion*. It's a full masters degree in the sense of any other university.

* it's still confusing, but less so than the way Cambridge do it, where they use the title of what would be a research degree at other universities (MPhil)

Reply 2

bored_stiff

OP

And this MSc (coursework) qualification, that too is a fully fledged Masters program?

Reply 3

Derek_The_Hamster

3

bored_stiff

And this MSc (coursework) qualification, that too is a fully fledged Masters program?

Sorry, I can't see anything labelled MSc(coursework) on the page you've linked to - I'd guess so, in that it would be very surprising if it weren't, but it's hard to say exactly without knowing exactly what you're referring to. An MSc at Oxford is the same thing as you'd understand at msot other universities certainly, rather than a different name for something else.

[utterly irrelevant aside: what's now the MSc at Oxford used to be called the BSc, which was a trifle more confusing :wink:

However, it was much more logical when put in the context of the Oxford degree system as a whole, but then the logic of said system has been fairly comprehensively shredded over the last century or so with the introduction of the DPhil, MSt, MJur, etc. ]

Reply 4

bored_stiff

OP

http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/msc.shtml

I was refering to the programs listed above.

Reply 5

bored_stiff

OP

Also, is the work load for an Oxford MSt/MSc (cw) ridicilously much?

Reply 6

thomasjtl

9

according to the grad student i've just been chatting to, who's doing a DPhil in history, an MSt is a one year course, half taught, half research requiring a 15-20k dissertation. An MPhil is 2 years, all research, requiring 50k words, and a DPhil is an additional two years, with an additional 50k words added to your mphil dissertation.

Reply 7

bored_stiff

OP

15-20k? :eek

Can you find out how much the dissertation is for MSc (coursework).

Thanks

Reply 8

the_alba

12

I'm currently doing an MSt, and for my subject (English) the dissertation is not 20k but 10k words. They dont give us much time to complete it though, and there are three other long essays plus an exam, plus lots of unassessed but nevertheless "important" presentations / papers to give. It probably will be the most intense amount of work I ever do - far more strenuous than undergrad, but in a much shorter timeframe than DPhil - and I'm only really doing it for funding purposes. Still, it puts hairs on your chest.

Reply 9

$Avatar for sTe\/o$

sTe\/o

16

fredsmith365

The MA(Oxon) is equivalent to a BA elsewhere, so the equivalent of an MA elsewhere is titled the MSt(Oxon) to avoid confusion*. It's a full masters degree in the sense of any other university.

* it's still confusing, but less so than the way Cambridge do it, where they use the title of what would be a research degree at other universities (MPhil)

As far as I know, Oxford and Cambridge both award MPhils and they both award MSts, so I don't know what you're talking about. :confused:

Reply 10

Derek_The_Hamster

3

sTe\/o

As far as I know, Oxford and Cambridge both award MPhils and they both award MSts, so I don't know what you're talking about. :confused:

I stand corrected, a quick search reveals Cambridge does indeed have the MSt these days.

I'm trying to disentangle the Statutes and Ordinances (http://www.admin.cam.ac.uk/univ/so/ , specifically chapter VII of the ordinances) to work out what they actually are, but they appear to be written far far more obtusely than those of Oxford - the Cambridge MPhil appears to come in one- and two-year varieties, whereas the Oxford one generally comes in only the two-year form, and the Cambridge M.St. appears to only come in a two-year version whereas the Oxford one generally is generally one-year (but this is just what I can tell from a skim, so CBW)

They really don't make things easy, do they? :wink:

Reply 11

$Avatar for sTe\/o$

sTe\/o

16

fredsmith365

They really don't make things easy, do they? :wink:

On that I can certainly agree. :p:

Reply 12

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

20

The Cambridge MSt is the part time version of their MPhil. The MSt is either a stand alone part-time course, or a fairly direct re-scheduling of an MPhil course, to be taken over 2 years.

For example, the MPhil IR and the MSt IR are almost identical in content. The MPhil is a term and a half of lectures, followed by a 15k dissertation completed in the remaining term and a half, so is completed in one year. The MSt is a year of lectures taken over the course of 4x2 weeks residential sessions, followed by a year working on the dissertation, so is completed over two years. Courses offered, staff contact, exam style etc are more or less identical, within the bounds of what is suitable for part-time study.

Reply 13

Derek_The_Hamster

3

threeportdrift

The Cambridge MSt is the part time version of their MPhil. ......

Thanks, that clears it all up a lot :smile:

Question for Oxford Students: What is an Mst?

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