Course Handbook - Faculty of History

B.3 Guidelines for Classification in the MPhil in Medieval History Part II
Assessment of Dissertations in MPhil in Medieval History
The chief criteria by which a dissertation may be assessed are by reference to topic,
sources and treatment:
An appropriate topic
Situation of the topic within its larger historical context
Situation of the topic in current knowledge and debate
Identification and study of primary sources
Original contribution to the subject from primary sources or by reconsideration of
existing accounts
Understanding, analysis and interpretation of sources
Organisation of argument and narrative
Capacity to summarise findings
Awareness of limits of knowledge
Style of writing
Quality of presentation
Few dissertations will satisfy all criteria equally, but patterns characteristic of the bands of
marks may be identified in broad terms. The final mark will be a balance among them. The
criterion of judgement in determining a pass in the MPhil is the achievement of “the
equivalent of an Upper Second in Part II of the Tripos, extrapolated for one year of study”.
However, in a number of significant respects the MPhil dissertation differs from the
dissertations submitted for Part II of the Tripos. The MPhil dissertation is the outcome of a
longer period of research and this is exemplified by a longer word limit of 25,000 words,
compared with that of the undergraduate Part II dissertation of 15,000 words. The MPhil
dissertation is expected to manifest a greater degree of originality and it is expected to
deploy the specific research skills learnt in the course. It is also the case that the MPhil
dissertation evolves from a preparatory piece of work, which has been formally examined
in Part I, in the form of the Historiographical and Bibliographical essay and Bibliography.
Furthermore, supervision of the dissertation has been provided at a level appropriate to
research degrees.
Special Note on Plagiarism, Footnotes and Word Count:
The word count must include appendices and statistical tables at 150 words per table, but
excludes all footnotes, references and bibliography. Candidates are required to note the
total word count on the cover sheet bound with the dissertation and to submit a CD file of
the dissertation which will be provided to each examiner so that if necessary the word
count may be verified; examiners should note any failure to do so in their report.
The Course Handbook stipulates:
‘No penalty will be imposed for an excess of 150 words over the maximum word limit, but
this allowance should not be abused. The MPhil sub-committee acting as a Board of
Examiners has the discretion to penalise dissertations which exceed the word limit. The
word limit (within the 150 words grace allowance) must therefore be strictly
observed. Students can expect to be severely penalised for exceeding the word limit.
Normally the penalty will be a deduction of up to 5 marks from the dissertation, but in
severe cases the dissertation may be marked as failed.
Footnotes should be restricted to the documentation of claims and the registration of
relevant caveats or observations in relation to the literature. Footnotes must not be used to
circumvent the word limit the dissertation. Students can expect to be severely penalised for
abusing the proper use of footnotes in this way. Normally the penalty will be a deduction
of up to 5 marks from the dissertation, but in severe cases the dissertation may be marked
as failed.’
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