Oriental Studies offers a flexible range of taught Masters courses for South and Inner Asia. These share in common a commitment to the appreciation of the region’s history, literatures and cultures through the medium of its vernacular and classical languages. There are a wide range of language options available for graduate study, including Avestan, Bengali, Brajbhasha, Hindi, Nepali, Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Urdu.

The M.St. in Oriental Studies is a one-year taught course, in which students work closely with one or more nominated supervisors, and courses can be tailored very much to a student’s individual interests.

The M.Phil in Classical Indian Religions, the M.Phil in Modern South Asian Studies, and the M.Phil in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies are two year taught courses. These allow language study in greater depth, and a chance in the second year of the course to tackle a major dissertation subject, where students have the opportunity to use the language skills gained over the course of the first year.

These courses may be taken in their own right, or as offering an excellent preparation for those students wishing to go on to doctoral work.

Oxford offers outstanding facilities for these courses. Students and staff in Oriental Studies work closely with other Faculties and Departments in the University where South Asia is studied. Students will be able to draw on Oxford’s wealth of archival, library and material culture collections. Teaching takes the form of lectures, language classes and the small-group tutorials which are a distinctive feature of tuition in Oxford.