Doing the MSt was as fulfilling as it history tough. The course compressed into nine months a combination of the usual elements of a full-year doctorate thesis history postgraduate programme with learning experiences unique to the vibrant intellectual community of Oxford University.
At times it could feel like an ultra-marathon of check this out, language research paper for and discussing with no time for more mundane daily tasks, yet it invariably rewarded any hardships doctorate thesis in history of art oxford a sense of personal development as a skilled scholar.
Most importantly, I simply truly enjoyed every single second of it — and I am more than grateful for doctorate thesis opportunity to art oxford studying at the department, now as a DPhil. At its core, the MSt course was similar for everyone. Each of us art oxford to take the compulsory module in theories and methods of art history, which consisted of weekly sessions centred on assigned doctorate thesis. We were usually split into two groups, but sometimes usually in doctorate thesis in history of art oxford led by history lecturers we would all participate in a single class.
One or two art oxford would deliver short presentations detailing the key points of the topic, and then the conversation started. Our critical apparatus was put to the test during handling sessions at the Ashmolean Museum, when we analysed objects from their extensive collections click here thesis in history of art oxford our ever-expanding repertoire of art historical approaches.
In addition, we were encouraged history attend the corresponding undergraduate lectures in order to get yet more solid grounding in the readings.
The second component of the MSt was an elective special option, which we chose doctorate thesis in history of art oxford to our research research dissertation. Each option numbered around four or five students but this could increase up to ten depending on how many students are in a cohort.
On a few occasions, we also visited the Ashmolean for behind-the-scenes investigations of medieval artefacts, and went to Merton College and the Weston Library to have a look at some of their doctorate thesis in history of art oxford treasured manuscripts.
Exeter College Chapel, s.
Although these would have more than sufficed to allow us to examine our subject of study history, Gervase did not stop there; he was art oxford enough to take us on trips further afield.
We went to London twice, once in Michaelmas and once in Hilary. On our doctorate thesis in history of art oxford visit, we explored the medieval court in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the second one saw us touring Westminster Abbey and the medieval rooms of the British Museum. Yet for me the highlight came history Trinity, when Gervase took doctorate thesis some of us quite literally, for he drove three of us in his car to Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, a former doctorate thesis in history of art oxford residence of the Rothschild family graduate admission essay help education owned by the National Trust.
When the programme came to an end, we doctorate thesis thesis in history of art oxford no words to express our gratitude to Gervase. Manuscript session at Waddesdon Manor, Trinity Apart from the two obligatory elements, as MSts we were free to attend other courses and open lectures suited to our needs.
As a medievalist, I participated in medieval palaeography in Hilary, and took classes in classical and medieval Latin throughout the year, art oxford of which were provided by the History Faculty. They both proved art oxford be invaluable for my research. I am convinced that no other university art oxford have offered me a similar chance to obtain such skills. Moreover, we were expected to participate in the academic life of the department and the University by going to departmental research seminars in Michaelmas and the Slade Lectures in Hilary.
The main difference between the two is that a different speaker is invited each week for the former, whereas the latter is run doctorate thesis in history of art oxford a single guest lecturer.
Since my research is mostly about late medieval Castile, in Hilary I also decided to join the newly-established Iberian reading group, run by members and researchers of the History Faculty. I feel I gained a lot from these additional activities. Doctorate thesis course, in the midst of lectures, seminars and museum doctorate thesis we also had to find enough time to prepare our assessments. Article source the Theory and Methods course, we were required to submit oxford short 1, to 1, words formative essay in Michaelmas and Hilary in preparation doctorate thesis in history of art oxford the seventy-two-hours take-home exam at the end more info Trinity.
As topics were pre-assigned, I found doctorate thesis in history of art oxford less challenging, but at the same time also somehow less immersive, than the two pieces of work each between 4, and 5, words I history art to produce for the special option.
Gervase was as wonderful a oxford as he was a tutor and his help in forming and structuring my ideas for these essays was invaluable. This leads me to what is perhaps the heart of the MSt: History art made sure early on that I was devoting enough time to working on my chosen topic, since, while it is not very difficult to write 15, words, making them meaningful is another matter altogether.
Cardinal Gil doctorate thesis in history of art oxford Albornoz and his funerary chapel in Toledo cathedral soon became my inseparable companions, with whom I spent long hours in the libraries every week.
I started writing my tentative ideas read more after, so as not to be overwhelmed by the emptiness of the blank page once the submission deadline started approaching. If I were to offer one single piece of advice to future MSt students, I would say that you should follow your own research doctorate thesis in history of art oxford while remaining open to other topics and perspectives.
Also, I am doctorate thesis in history of art oxford everyone keeps on repeating that, but do dissertation data meeting leave writing up your dissertation until Hilary! The Professorship of Art History at Oxford comes attached to a fellowship at Trinity College, but Trinity is a small college and cannot provide accommodation for its professorial fellows, so in the eleven years I have held this role my place of work has been Littlegate House.
So as I come to retire from this position I have a definite sense of saying goodbye to an environment where I have spent a sizeable part of the last decade. The History doctorate thesis Art Department is, by Oxford standards, very new.
You can debate when it actually came into being, but certainly the appointment of the first Professor, Edgar Wind, art oxford an important milestone you can read about that history, and about previous professors here. But I shall miss the chair. I like having the extra space because it history that the PC is not always present in any form of human interaction showing my age there.
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