what's M.Phil.?

[Page Stephens]

The Ph.D. in the US is called a D.Phil by Oxford.

I don't know about other universities but D.Phils Oxon have prettier robes
to wear at graduation ceremonies than Ph.Ds from other universities get to
wear. In addition they are allowed to wear those cute "beefeater" hats.

I do not know if this is the case in other disciplines but back in the
middle ages when I got my Ph.D in anthropology from The University of
Illinois the requirements for a D.Phil Oxon were far less rigorous than the
Ph.D requirements at The University of Illinois.

I am on Oxford's side on this because I would argue that the requirements
were and are far too rigorous, i.e. silly in the US.

On the other hand perhaps because of the prestige of Oxford and even
partially because of the color of their robes US academics kowtowed to those
who those who had D.Phils Oxon despite of the fact that Oxford demanded less
of them than our own did of us.

Page Stephens

----- Original Message -----
From: "Wendalyn Nichols" <wendalyn at NYC.RR.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 4:31 PM
Subject: Re: what's M.Phil.?


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Wendalyn Nichols <wendalyn at NYC.RR.COM>
> Subject:      Re: what's M.Phil.?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> An M.Phil is also a legitimate two-year degree in England; it's what I got
> at Oxford. It's kind of a hybrid between their traditional undergraduate
> tutorial system, which involves weekly tutorials, seminar papers, and a
> barrage of examinations but usually no thesis;  and the D.Phil, which is
> basically the degree you get after you take three years to write a
doctoral
> thesis of about 250-300 pages. The M.Phil is both taught and examined,
like
> the undergrad degree, and requires a thesis of around 150-200 pags.
>
> Wendalyn
>
> At 04:30 PM 2/27/03 -0500, you wrote:
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Laurence Horn" <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> >To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> >Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 12:11 PM
> >Subject: Re: what's M.Phil.?
> >
> >
> > > >Hello!
> > > >Is there anyone who can tell me what an "M.Phil." is? it sounds like
an
> > > >accademic title... but i am not sure.
> > > >
> > > Master of Philosophy.  As the title implies, it's on the same scale
> > > as PhD ("Doctor of Philosophy") but further down.  At many
> > > universities, it's what you get if you are a candidate for a PhD,
> > > having completed all requirements but (and that's a big "but")
> > > writing your dissertation.  (The "philosophy" here is not necessarily
> > > philosophy, any more than it is in PhD.)  Informally, this is
> > > sometimes referred to as "ABD" = 'all but dissertation', but the
> > > latter is not an actual degree.
> > >
> > > Larry Horn
> >
> >I was about to say what Larry says.
> >
> >A related question if I may: I have often wondered what L.Ph. (sometimes
> >Ph.L.) stands for in the States. I know it is common in Canada; it's in
the
> >list of abbreviations at the end of Canadian Who's Who, U. of T. Press,
> >which also has M.Ph.,  though no M.Phil., but the full form of L.Ph. is
> >given as Licence en Philosophe (probably from Laval U.) whereas Ph.L. is
> >"Licentiate in Philosophy" (no idea from where). To digress a little
about
> >values, I am reminded of someone who mentioned his "First Class Honours"
> >B.A. to
> >a dean of admissions at Wayne State U. (no offence to Wayne Staters) and
> >after being told the actual marks, he commented, "Just made the grade,
uh"?
> >
> >Tom Paikeday
> >www.paikeday.net