MSc Economic & Social History - Course Handbook

2024-25

Disclaimer

The information in this handbook is accurate as at October 1st 2024. Although it may be necessary for changes to be made in certain circumstances, as explained at www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/coursechanges, it is hoped to keep such changes to a minimum. If changes are made, the Faculty will publish a new version of this handbook together with a list of the changes and students will be informed.

The Examination Regulations relating to this course are available at https://examregs.admin.ox.ac.uk/ or Appendix 2 below.

If you have any concerns or queries please contact the Graduate Office at graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk.

This handbook has been prepared this for students starting the Master of Science (MSc) in Economic and Social History in Michaelmas Term 2024. We hope that it will be particularly useful to you when you first arrive in Oxford, but you are advised to refer to it throughout your course, as it will be of considerable help throughout the period of your study.

It contains information about the structure of the course, teaching and assessment deadlines, how to format and submit your work, and the exam conventions that set out how your work is marked. It also acts as a signpost to more general information, including useful contacts and locations around the Faculty and University.

Introductory events often take place during Week 0 of Michaelmas Term.

The term dates can be found here: Dates of Term | University of Oxford

As well as this handbook, you will also find these other sources of information useful:

The Economic and Social History Canvas pages: https://canvas.ox.ac.uk/courses/13943 To find information about your course, such as reading lists and available options.
The Oxford Historians Hub: https://ohh.web.ox.ac.uk/ To find information on studying history at Oxford, the termly lecture list, details of the Oxford History Graduate Network, how to present your work when submitting it, and other general information relating to your studies.
Examination regulations: https://examregs.admin.ox.ac.uk/. The definitive rules that govern the course.
Marking criteria and conventions in this handbook The rules by which your work is marked.

Your supervisor will review, monitor and comment on your academic progress using Graduate Supervision Reporting (GSR), which is accessible via Student Self Service (https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/selfservice). You are also encouraged to submit comments on this system.

An introduction to Oxford for new students is available on the University website: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/new.

This programme is convened and administered by the Faculty of History. If you need help or advice relating to your course, and can’t find the answer in this handbook or on Canvas, you should contact one of the following:

Details of the administrative staff that support the Master’s courses can be found on the Academic Administration page of the History Faculty website: https://www.history.ox.ac.uk/administrative-staff.

If you have any comments or suggestions about the content of this handbook, please email them to graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk.

Welcome to your Master's course in History at Oxford. I look forward to meeting you in person at some point in the coming year and wish you every success in the months to come. Above all, I hope that you enjoy postgraduate study here and find it rewarding.

Our Faculty is one of the largest history departments in the world. It brings together an extraordinary array of scholars pursuing an unparalleled range of research. This is reflected in the abundance of research seminars, regular graduate workshops, special lectures and discussion panels that take place throughout the academic year. As a postgraduate student, you will probably be spending more time in independent study than you did as an undergraduate, and the live, in-person discussion available at a regular research seminar can be important for both social support and intellectual stimulation. You will find events listed on the Faculty website; while you will need to prioritise attendance at lectures and seminars in your own specialist area, you are welcome to attend anything that interests you. In this respect, I also encourage you to explore Oxford's intellectual life beyond the Faculty, in the Colleges, the lecture lists and seminar series of other faculties and departments, and at TORCH (the Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities).

The Graduate Joint Consultative Committee (GJCC), made up of academic staff and student representatives, meets every term. It works in conjunction with the Oxford History Graduate Network (OHGN), a student-led forum that organises social and academic events and raises matters of concern to students with the Faculty's graduate office. You can find more details of both these organisations at the links above and I would encourage you to think about getting involved

The MSt and MPhil in History bring together nine "strands", or different areas of historical research. You therefore belong to two cohorts: a smaller one focused around your strand and a larger one encompassing all students on the master's program. In your first term, the Sources and Historiography seminar will be your introduction to your specific strand, and your Theories and Methods class will bring you together with other students on the larger degree course. We hope that you will benefit from both the stimulus of working with historians of other periods and places, and the specialist expertise of the tutors on your strand.

Like any large institution, the collegiate University of Oxford is a complex place to navigate and it is entirely normal to find it difficult to get around both the place and its processes. Whenever you have questions that aren't answered in this handbook or elsewhere on the Faculty or University websites, you should contact your thesis supervisor or (for College or welfare issues) your College advisor, Tutor for Graduates, or College welfare team; your course tutors; or the convenor of your strand. You are also welcome to contact the Graduate Office, whether in person, by phone (01865 [6115011) or by email (graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk). If you still don't have an answer to your question, or if you have concerns you don't wish to share with your supervisor, tutors, or the office, please do contact either Richard Reid, the Convenor of the MSt/MPhil in History, or me.

While graduate study can be very exciting, it can (and should) also be challenging. We hope most of the challenges you face at Oxford will be intellectual ones, but other challenges – whether financial, personal, or related to physical and/or mental health – are not uncommon. If you feel you’re struggling for any reason, don’t go it alone: we may be able to help. So do reach out to one of the people mentioned or the Faculty’s welfare lead, Maya Blackwell (maya.blackwell@history.ox.ac.uk).

 

This handbook is intended to be a comprehensive guide to the teaching, assessment and administrative arrangements of the course (but please note that the formal rules governing the programme are set out separately in the University's Examination Regulations); it also contains useful information on other aspects of life in Oxford as a postgraduate historian. You can find further information about graduate matters on our Canvas pages.

Once again, welcome to graduate work in history at Oxford.

Dr Katherine Lebow

Director of Graduate Studies in History

1| Course Content and Structure

This unique programme in economic and social history teaches the techniques, skills and knowledge required to study historical societies and economies using the perspectives and approaches of the social sciences.

The course extends over eleven months and consists of:

Michaelmas Term:

Induction session:

Core papers:

Elective Papers:

Hilary and Trinity Terms:

You MUST check all deadlines against the Examination Regulations for your course. If there are any discrepancies with what is published here, the official Examination Regulations take precedence.

Extensions to deadlines for the submission of assessed work can be requested ONLY from the Proctors, where there is good cause, i.e. circumstances beyond your control preventing you from completing assessed work on time. Details of policy and procedure can be found here. Please note that you are responsible for the timely submission of your assessed work: submitting work, especially your thesis, after the original deadline may mean that your work will not be marked according to the usual timetable, and you must not make plans for graduation without first checking with the Graduate Office that your marks will have been ratified by the relevant Board of Examiners in time.  

Michaelmas Term

Week 1, Friday (5pm) Avoiding Plagiarism Certificate Send Avoiding Plagiarism certificate to the Graduate Office (graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk)

Week 4, Friday (5pm)

 Choose Advanced Papers A link will be circulated two weeks before the deadline for you to submit your options

Week 6, Thursday (11:59pm)

 Online Examination Entry

Complete online exam entry - Exam Schools will contact you with details of how to do this.

PLEASE NOTE that this is compulsory, and that Exam Schools charge a fee for late entries and modifications to exam entries.

Week 7, Friday (noon)

Quantitative Methods Take-Home Test

 The test will be sent out to students

 

 

Hilary Term

Week 1, Monday (noon) Quantitative Methods Take-Home Test Essay Submit your Quantitative Methods Take-Home Test Essay and your What Happened and Why Essay (see Section 2 [Submission & Assessment guidance] on how to submit)
What Happened and Why Essay
Week 6, Friday Advanced Paper Essay Titles Submit your Advanced Paper essay titles and your dissertation title. A link will be circulated two weeks before the deadline for you to submit your titles. Some Advanced Papers may have a later deadline for submitting titles*
Dissertation Title
Week 9, Friday (5pm) Annual Graduate Workshop abstract Submit 100-word abstract for Annual Graduate Workshop to the workshop organising committee

Trinity Term

Week 9, Monday (noon)

 Advanced Paper Essay submission

Submit all of your Advance Paper essays to Inspera (see Section 2 [Submission & Assessment guidance] on how to submit)
Week 9 Written Examinations Attend written examinations (timetables will be available in Trinity term)
Last Friday in August (noon) Dissertation Submit your Dissertation on Inspera (see Section 2 [Submission & Assessment guidance] on how to submit)

*Modification of your essay and dissertation titles is only possible up to five days before the submission deadline, and requires the permission of the course/option tutor or (for your dissertation) your supervisor. Once permission has been obtained, the new title should be sent to the Graduate Office by email (graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk).

Please note that most title changes that are approved consist of small adjustments to the title and/or focus of an essay or dissertation. Proposed title changes that radically alter the topic of a piece of work are unlikely to be granted approval at a late stage.

This is a short hands-on induction session, designed to acquaint students with the structure of the Master’s programmes and with basic tools, techniques, and resources available in Oxford. 

  • The first meeting arranged specifically for incoming Economic and Social History Students will take place from 10 am to 12 noon on Tuesday of Week 0 in the Chester Room at Nuffield College.  
  • You are also expected to go on a Bodleian and History Faculty Library orientation tour in week 0 or 1 (booking required) - a number of additional events are run by the Bodleian History Faculty Library. 
  • Additional, optional History Faculty training sessions are also available. These include courses on bibliographic software and mapping software, which some of you will find very useful. In particular, bibliographic software will make your life a lot easier, so if you aren’t already familiar with these programmes, you should attend a course.
  • You are also required to complete an online course on plagiarism and how to avoid it. On successfully completing this course you will receive a certificate, which you should email to graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk by the end of Week 1.

Teaching

The core course, ‘What Happened and Why?’, will be taught over the Michaelmas Term, commencing in Week 1.

Lectures are held on Wednesdays at 10:00 -12:00 in the Old Library at All Souls College. The Wednesday lecture introduces a particular topic in the themes, methods and approaches of economic and social history.

Classes for this course are held on Thursdays in the Old Library at All Souls College. The Thursday class gives you the opportunity to discuss the Wednesday lecture topic in the context of a particular historical debate. Students are expected to complete all the readings listed for each of the classes. Each week, 2-3 students will be assigned to lead the class session, but all students will be expected to do the reading in advance and contribute actively during the session.

Details of the reading lists can be found on Canvas.

Assessment

This course is assessed by an essay of up to 4,000 words, which must be submitted by the deadline given above. This essay will present the first stages of your dissertation topic, and you will be given guidance on how to approach it.

See Section 2 for guidance on submission, including information on word count.

A second component of assessment is a presentation at the Annual Graduate Workshop in Week 1 of Trinity Term based on your dissertation work.

What Happens and Why? aims to develop an appreciation of different epistemologies and methods, with a view to informing your research work.

You will be expected to demonstrate this theoretical awareness when you make your presentation to a forum of students and course tutors at the Annual Graduate Workshop (AGW) in the first week of Trinity Term (see below at 1.9). Full attendance and participation at the AGW are requirements for the successful completion of the qualifying course.

About

 You will take one of the courses below:

Quantitative methods (QM1)

Quantitative Methods (QM1) provides an introduction to applied statistical methods and is specifically targeted at economic and social history students. No mathematical or statistical background is necessary.

The course moves quickly, starting with descriptive statistics and ending with basic multiple linear regression.

By the end of the course, the students should have a good understanding of the main statistical concepts discussed in the course, as well as the practical skills to carry out simple statistical analysis using Stata.

Details of the course contents, timetable and reading list can be found on Canvas.

Advanced quantitative methods (QM2)

This paper is intended for students who have already been introduced to some form of quantitative methods. It introduces students to multiple regression and related methods for analysing data in economics and related disciplines.

Additional topics include:

  • regression with discrete random variables,
  • instrumental variables regression,
  • analysis of quasi-experiments,
  • regression with time series data.

Students will learn how to conduct – and how to critique – empirical studies. Accordingly, the emphasis of the course is on empirical applications.

The mathematics of econometrics will be introduced only as needed and will not be a central focus.

The course will provide an introduction to probability and distribution theory, the theory of estimation, the econometrics of the classical regression model, and a module on time-series analysis.

Details of the course contents, timetable and reading list can be found on Canvas.

Teaching

The Quantitative Methods papers are taught over Michaelmas Term, Weeks 1 to 8 or 9.

All students will be provided with a copy of Stata at the beginning of the term. It is crucial that you have your laptop available for computer practical, as you will have to use it for all the empirical exercises.

QM1

There will be a 1-hour lecture each week and a 1.5-hour practical each week. Students will be informed of the teaching timetable by email at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term.

QM2

There will be a 1-hour lecture each week and a 1.5-hour practical each week. Students will be informed of the teaching timetable by email at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term.

 

QM1 & QM2 Quantitative Methods Surgeries

A 1-hour quantitative methods surgery will be held as a drop-in session each week. Students will be informed of the teaching timetable by email at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term. If you would like to attend a surgery, please email the course tutor beforehand so that they have an idea of how many people will show up: edgard.dewitte@economics.ox.ac.uk

Assessment

Homework assignments are due every week. These cover both theoretical concepts and empirical techniques.

This course is then assessed by a take-home test, to be completed over the Christmas vacation; the test will be sent out to students in Week 8. It must be submitted by noon on Monday Week 1 of Hilary term. See Section 2 for guidance on submission.

Details of the test can be found on Canvas.

Economics for economic historians (elective)

Economics appears, probably more than any other social science, alien to anyone not familiar with its language and method. Still, it is one of the most dynamic, versatile, and useful approaches to the study of social behaviour. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the principles and way of thinking of economics. Over eight sessions, we will explore the various elements in the economist’s basic ‘toolbox’, placing a special emphasis on how these elements are applied to describe and understand the real world. Since it does not assume any prior knowledge in the field, the course is particularly suited for graduate students who have not previously studied economics and need to understand the main concepts and the jargon used in the discipline. Students with some knowledge of economics, however, might also find it useful for reviewing concepts or clarifying ideas.

Teaching

The paper consists of eight sessions of two hours each. These will take place from Weeks 1 to 8 in Michaelmas Term. Students will be informed of the teaching timetable by email at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term.

Assessment

Assessment for this paper will take the form of a student presentation in Week 8 of Michaelmas Term. The presentation applies the concepts covered to a topic of interest chosen by the student.

Presentations should be about 10 minutes long to leave room for questions and feedback from the other students. The purpose of the presentation is to get students used to applying the concepts of economics in their own research, and is for self-monitoring and will serve as good training for academic or commercial life. It has no impact on degree results.

History for economic historians (elective)

As a highly interdisciplinary degree, our programme attracts students with diverse disciplinary backgrounds. This eight-session course is an optional introduction to (or refresher in) historical methods for graduate students in economic and social history. Each class is organized around a type of source that researchers may use either as the backbone of an historical study or as additional material for context and colour in their scholarship. The hour-long classes are loosely thematic. Each will introduce a type of source, how it is used, and where it can be found.

Teaching

The paper consists of eight one-hour sessions spread over two terms, Michaelmas and Hilary.  In Michaelmas Term the sessions will be held in Weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7; in Hilary term, they will be held in Weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8. Students will be informed of the teaching timetable by email at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term.

The bibliography for this course can be found on Canvas.

Assessment

The paper will culminate in Week 8 of Hilary Term with a brief (5-10 minute) presentation by each student, using a primary source or sources not previously discussed in class to illuminate a topic in economic and/or social history. It has no impact on degree results.

MSc students must take two Advanced Papers.

The list of papers being offered in any particular year tends to change: not all papers are offered every year.

The papers are normally delivered in eight sessions over one or two terms, typically through two-hour sessions, as a small class. They are taught by experts on subjects close to their research interests, and thus offer the opportunity to experience cutting-edge research, as well as to be initiated into the craft of scholarship.

The Faculty reserves the right to not run an option if insufficient numbers enrol.

Choosing options

There will be an Advanced Papers Event in Week 2, consisting of a brief presentation by each option-course tutor followed by student questions about that course.

At least one Advanced Paper must be selected from Schedule I (i.e. from within the MPhil and MSc Economic and Social History programmes). A full list of available courses can be found on Canvas.

Schedule II courses

In addition to the option-courses offered within the Economic and Social History Master’s Programme, it is possible to take one option-course from graduate offerings elsewhere in the History Faculty and in other faculties and departments, including economics, sociology, criminology, and anthropology (these are referred to as Schedule II courses). Choices under Schedule II must be approved by your supervisor, the Economic and Social History Programme convenor and the convenor for the paper in question. They must fit into the timetable of compulsory Economic and Social History courses, and candidates must have an adequate background in the subject.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Students taking an option paper from a programme other than that in which they are enrolled will be assessed on that paper according to the regulations of the programme under which the advanced paper is offered. This means that deadlines, length of assessed work, teaching timetable, and mode of assessment may be different to option papers being taken by other students on the same course. If you take a paper from another programme, please consider the impact on your workload based on the other deadlines for your own programme. The modes of assessment and deadlines for the other course elements of the programme for which the candidate is registered are unaffected. Advanced or Option papers from other programmes may run for 8 weeks. Please contact graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk if you have any questions. 

Assessment

Different Advanced Papers have different assessment methods.

The most common assessment methods are:

  • a three-hour unseen examination;
  • submission of two 5,000-word essays;
  • submission of one essay of up to 10,000 words.

The method of examination offered for each Advanced Paper is at the discretion of the tutor for each paper.

In the case of an essay submission, the Examiners expect that the essay(s) submitted will be the work of the candidate alone. You may consult your supervisor about the subject of the essay(s), but you must not consult any other person, including your supervisor, in any way concerning the method of handling the themes chosen.

The essay(s) must clearly relate to the subject of the paper on which you are being assessed. Essays should address a well-defined question clearly distinct both from that treated in the other essay (where two are submitted), and also from the core argument of your planned dissertation.

Essay titles

The draft title of the essay should be as descriptive and precise as possible, posing a question or proposition that can reasonably be dealt with within the word-limit (either 5,000 words or 10,000 words, depending on the specific Advanced Paper). Please consult with the course tutor for the relevant Advanced Paper. See Section 2 on guidance on submission.

Written examinations

Written examinations of Advanced Papers are provisionally scheduled for the first half of Week 9, Trinity Term. You will be notified of the time and date by Examination Schools.

The exam(s) will typically last for three hours (for some Advanced Papers, it lasts for two hours). It will consist of a list of questions on the general topics covered by the paper. You will be required to write essay-type answers to (typically) three of these questions. The Examiners will expect you to draw on the breadth of your individual reading and learning over the whole year, as well as on the coursework for the paper.

Please note that the following papers will be taken as  in-person typed examinations in Trinity 2025:

  • History from Below
  • International Money and Finance since 1945 (TBC as may not run in 2024-25)
  • Problems in European Historical Demography
  • Topics in African Economic History

Further information on sitting in-person typed exams can be found at this link https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/exams/completing-an-exam

You are advised to consult past examination papers published by the Examination Schools in order to familiarise yourself with the nature of such question papers: Exam Paper Archive

When attending this examination you must wear academic dress, as specified in the Examination Regulations (i.e., sub fusc, gown and mortar board).

The Annual Graduate Workshop is a two-day workshop held on the Monday and Tuesday of Week 1 of Trinity term.

At this workshop, you will make a twenty-minute presentation to a forum of students and course tutors.

Your presentation will consist of a preliminary account of your dissertation project:

  • the topic,
  • the current state of knowledge,
  • your specific research question(s),
  • possible and chosen approaches,
  • source materials
  • and – for the very advanced – any preliminary findings.

The Hicks lecture, Feinstein Dissertation Prize Award (MPhil), and Thirsk Dissertation Prize Award (MSc) are also components of the Workshop.

A small number of students will be elected to the organising committee for the workshop, and they will be required to design the programme, arrange for the chairing of sessions, and organise the conference catering.

The Workshop and Hicks Lecture are important events, constituting a component of the qualifying course.

Attendance is mandatory for the full duration, and absences of any length may jeopardise progress through the degree.

All students in the MSc are required to submit an abstract of no more than 100 words no later than 5pm on Friday Week 9, Hilary term in the first year of their course for inclusion in the Annual Graduate Workshop proceedings. Abstracts are to be emailed to the student organisers of the Workshop.

During the admissions process you are assigned a supervisor to direct your intended individual research. In the course of the first term, your research focus may change – and in some cases this may lead to a change in your supervision arrangements. If this happens, you should complete a GSO.25 form (change of supervisor or appointment of joint supervisor) and submit it to the Academic Office so that the student record system can be updated: https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/academic/guidance/graduate/progression.

Your supervisor’s primary responsibility is to advise you on the programme of work necessary to complete your dissertation or thesis. To this end, they should maintain a general overview over your course work and academic development. They should help you to identify and acquire the knowledge and skills needed to complete your dissertation or thesis, and to further your aims for study or employment, insofar as these build upon the programme of graduate study.

You should agree a definitive title with your supervisor(s) and inform the Graduate Office of the title by the deadline (see 1.2 | Course Timeline above). The dissertation should be on a topic falling within the scope of this programme.

The Examiners will expect your dissertation to be clearly distinct from coursework essays in either chronological or geographical range, or historical issue. The dissertation is expected to include some study of original source material, whether in printed, manuscript, or other form (e.g. archaeological, numismatic, visual evidence, etc).

The following notes provide rough guidance for students and supervisors. Individual progress rates will vary, depending (for example) on the level of your background knowledge; whether you need to acquire new technical skills; the speed at which you identify a workable topic; the accessibility of sources in Oxford or Britain; the time needed to process data; the extent to which the research programme makes feasible the drafting of chapters while research is in progress, etc.

Michaelmas term:

  • Meet supervisor, and identify any training needs
  • Plan lecture/seminar attendance and a programme of secondary reading necessary to set the scene for proposed research
  • Undertake initial exploration of primary sources
  • Discuss subject and nature of the research proposal you plan to submit as part of your examination
  • Expect to spend one day a week on preparing your dissertation project, and arrange to see your supervisor at least once after the initial meeting

End of Michaelmas Term:

  • Discuss whether you wish to apply to undertake doctoral research in Oxford or elsewhere, and if so decide upon nature of doctoral research proposal (deadline for submission of the application is mid-January)

Christmas vacation

  • Proceed, against the background of continuing work as above, to refine definition of dissertation topic
  • Definitively identify and establish familiarity with primary and secondary sources central to your proposed Master’s research
  • If applying for re-admission to doctoral programme, AHRC funding, or other funding requiring a doctoral research proposal, work with supervisor to refine that well in advance of the application deadline

Hilary Term

  • Finalise plan of work remaining for dissertation and agree this with supervisor
  • Revise the structure of your Master’s dissertation in the light of this ongoing exploration
  • Expect to step up work on your dissertation project to about two days a week
  • Again, arrange to see your supervisor for at least two sessions

Easter vacation/Trinity Term

  • Complete research, modifying plan and structure as necessary in process
  • Produce draft – make sure draft is in supervisor’s hands in plenty of time for supervisor to comment (supervisors are not expected to comment on drafts received later than Monday of 6th week)
  • Revise in light of comments: make the most of the opportunity to work full-time on your dissertation up to submission, extensively consulting original sources and carefully revising your dissertation, giving it a tightly argued structure and presenting it in idiomatic English which makes it accessible to a non-specialist reader.

The dissertation must be submitted by the given deadline (see 1.2 | Course Timeline above). Refer to Section 2 for guidance on how to submit your dissertation, and for guidance on the presentation and submission of essays and dissertations.

The dissertation should consist of up to 15,000 words. It must be accompanied by a short abstract which concisely summarises its scope and principal arguments, in about 300 words; the abstract should be included in the dissertation, immediately after the title page. Please see Word Count in Section 2, for detailed guidance on what is included and excluded from the word count. 

The dissertation must not exceed the permitted length. If it does the Examiners will reduce the marks awarded.

Part of the exercise of writing a dissertation lies in devising a topic that can be effectively handled within the word limit. However, in exceptional circumstances – for example if a large section of your dissertation is taken up with translations or lengthy appendices – you can apply to the Director of Graduate Studies for permission to exceed the word limit. This should be supported by your supervisor.

Formative feedback

This is offered through:

  • small classes or tutorial groups, which allow constant monitoring of development
  • submission of written work on a regular basis
  • meetings with supervisors, which occur several times a term. The dissertation is guided and monitored on a regular basis by a specialist supervisor. You and your supervisor should also submit termly reports on the Graduate Supervision Reporting (GSR) system.

Summative feedback

  • The examiners will provide feedback on your assessed essays and your dissertation. Written feedback for your summative assignments will be shared via Canvas by the Graduate office. Feedback for your dissertation will be shared the same way, however, given the proximity to the summer Exam Board, this will only be released alongside, or shortly after, your final classification.
  • Please note that marking is inherently subjective, and it is not uncommon to receive two separate pieces of feedback that may differ in tone or perspective.

The programme of teaching will be supported by regular seminars.

There are two seminar series in Economic and Social History.

You are expected to attend these two seminars unless you have a very strong reason for absence, and you are strongly encouraged to participate in the discussion. Participation in research seminars is an important part of your professional training as well as providing intellectual stimulation which will feed into your own dissertation project.

There are other graduate seminars which run throughout the academic year and are attended by graduate students and staff.

Details can be found in the Lecture List on the Oxford Historians Hub, but note that a weekly email alert will tell you about all the seminars, lectures, and visiting speaker presentations organised by the Faculty of History.

It may be possible to change programme from the MSc to the MPhil, but this requires the approval of your supervisor, of the convenor of the MPhil progamme, of the Faculty’s Director of Graduate Studies, and of your College, subject to space and teaching capacity on the MPhil course, and consideration of your progress on the MSc. The MPhil is a separate programme, with a separate admissions quota, and admission to the MSc does not confer a right of admission to the MPhil (or to any other graduate course in the University). Please note that if you do change programme, this may have an effect on your funding and/or visa status. Applications to change programme must be made during Hilary term; if you are considering this, you should make inquiries as early as possible. It will not usually be possible to consider such applications after Friday of 8th Week of Hilary Term.

The Change of Programme of Study form for this process (GSO.28) can be found here.

Appendix

The History Faculty is able to provide some support for student research through its trust funds, but you are expected to explore also other sources of support such as your college. Details regarding trust funds can be found on the Oxford Historians Hub.

The Faculty also offers annual prizes for the best dissertations. A central list of all University prizes can be found here.

The regulations of the Board of the Faculty of History are as follows:

1. Every candidate must follow for at least three terms a course of instruction in Economic and Social History and must upon entering for the examination produce from his or her society a certificate to that effect.

2. The examination will consist of the following parts:

Qualifying test

Every candidate must pass a qualifying test. The test shall consist of two courses. These are:

(1) Methodological introduction to research in the social sciences and history -What Happened and Why

(2) Quantitative Methods course. Candidates can choose either Quantitative Methods 1 or Quantitative Methods 2, depending on their mathematical and statistical background.

The methodological introduction course will be assessed by an end-of-course essay of up to 4,000 words. The essay must be submitted by noon on Monday of Week 1 of Hilary Term. A quantitative methods course is assessed by an assignment to be completed over the Christmas Vacation; the completed assignment must be submitted by noon on Monday of Week 1 of Hilary Term. No candidate who has failed the qualifying test of two courses will be permitted to supplicate for the degree. Candidates who fail a qualifying course once will be permitted to take it again, not later than one year after the initial attempt.

Final examination

The examination shall consist of two papers and a dissertation.

I. One advanced paper selected from Schedule I below.

II. Either (i) one paper in a relevant discipline or skill or sources or methods selected from Schedule II below;

or (ii) a second advanced paper selected from Schedule I or from any additional list of papers for the M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Economic and Social History approved by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Board of the Faculty of History and published in the definitive list of Advanced Papers as set out in Schedule I.

For I and II, the assessment requirements for the individual papers set out in Schedule I (‘Advanced Papers for M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Economic and Social History’) and Schedule II below will be determined by the Faculty of History and specified in the course handbook. The assessment will take the form either of a timed written examination, or the submission of one essay of 10,000 words, or the submission of two essays of 5,000 words each. The essay must be the work of the candidate alone. The candidate must not consult any other person, including their supervisor, in any way concerning the method of handling the themes chosen. The themes chosen by the candidate must be submitted for approval by the Course Tutor of that Advanced Paper by the examination entry date. The finished essays must be submitted by noon on Monday of Week 9 of Trinity Full Term.

III. A dissertation of not more than 15,000 words, including appendices but excluding bibliography, on a topic approved by the candidate's supervisor. The dissertation must be submitted not later than noon on the last Friday in August of the year in which the examination is taken. The presentation and footnotes should comply with the requirements specified in the Regulations of the Education Committee for the degrees of M.Litt. and D.Phil. and follow the Conventions for the presentation of dissertations and theses of the Board of the Faculty of History. 

Each dissertation must include a short abstract which concisely summarises its scope and principal arguments, in about 300 words. This is not included in the dissertation word limit.

3. In an invigilated examination, examiners will permit the use of any hand-held pocket calculator subject to the conditions set out under the heading ‘Use of calculators in examinations’ in the Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations.

4. A candidate who fails the examination of an advanced paper will be permitted to re-take it on one further occasion only, not later than one year after the initial attempt.

5. Candidates who have initially failed any element of assessment shall not normally be eligible for the award of merit or distinction. 

6. All submitted essays for assessment should be accompanied by a declaration that they are the candidate's own work. 

Schedule I

Advanced Papers for the M.Phil. and M.Sc. in Economic and Social History

A broad range of the course resources are shared with the corresponding courses in History of Science, Medicine, and Technology, and Advanced Papers are therefore available in the subject areas listed here.

1. Economic and business history

2. History of science and technology

3. Social history

4. Historical demography

5. History of medicine

A descriptive list of Advanced Papers will be published by the Board of the Faculty of History in September for the academic year ahead (not all options may be available in every year). 

Schedule II

The paper in a relevant discipline or skill may be:

1. One of the papers from the M.Phil. in Sociology or in Comparative Social Policy.

2. One suitable paper from another Master's degree under the auspices of the Faculty of History approved from time to time by the Graduate Studies Committee of the Board of the Faculty of History.

3. One suitable paper in a related skill or discipline other than those specified in paragraphs 1 to 2 above on the recommendation of the candidate's supervisor and endorsed by the Course Convenor.

Choices under Schedule II have to be approved by the Course Convenor not later than Monday of the fourth week of Michaelmas Term. Candidates wishing to take a paper under 1 or 3 will also need the approval of the of Course Convenor of the Master’s Programme in Economic and Social History and the person responsible for the delivery of the requested option/advanced paper, who need to be satisfied that each candidate has an adequate background in the subject. Not all options may be available in every year. Such candidates will be assessed according to the regulations with respect to the form of assessment and deadlines governing that option (i.e. the regulations of the programme under which the advanced paper is offered), but the modes of assessment and deadlines for the other course elements of the programme for which the candidate is registered will remain in force. 

Contacts

Director of Graduate Studies: 

  • Dr Simon Skinner

Programme Convenor: Dr Rebecca Simson (rebecca.simson@history.ox.ac.uk)

The main office contact for all graduate matters is: graduate.office@history.ox.ac.uk

Graduate Officer: Joe Shepherd

Assistant Graduate Officer: Maya Blackwell

Teaching Officer: Callum Kelly

Admissions Officer: Liz Owen

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