MPhil in Islamic Art and Architecture

University of Oxford

The MPhil in Islamic Art and Architecture is a two-year course combining comprehensive training in the history of Islamic art and architecture, research, and language instruction. The course is designed for students with little or no background in Islamic art and architecture who also wish to learn Arabic, Persian, Turkish, or another relevant language.

The MPhil in Islamic Art and Architecture is suitable either as a stand-alone course or as a stepping stone to doctoral research.

In the first year, you will attend language classes throughout the three terms, whilst taking a broad year-long survey course entitled History of Islamic Art and Architecture, consisting of weekly lectures and discussion sessions (two hours per week), and bi-weekly individual tutorials.

During the second year, you will build up your independent research and critical skills by writing a thesis, while continuing to receive intensive language training. You will also complete a Portfolio of Practical Work, and take a specialist option relevant to your thesis research. For your Portfolio of Practical Work, you will attend sixteen hours of classes in museums, libraries and historic buildings in Oxford, introducing techniques to describe and analyse buildings and objects in a range of media (such as ceramics, epigraphy, manuscripts, metalwork, numismatics, and textiles). Your specialist option could either be a text-based option in the language you are studying, or a historical paper relevant to your research.

Available options will be given to you during the induction process and may include various topics depending on staff availability. Previous topics have included:

• Arabic epigraphy and palaeography
• Fatimid architecture
• Quranic calligraphy
• Ottoman illustrated manuscripts.

Up to sixteen hours of classes and up to six tutorials for this specialist option will taught in the first and/or second term of your second year.