Degrees of the University of Oxford

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The system of academic degrees at the University of Oxford originates in the Middle Ages and has evolved since the University's founding in 1096.

Almost all undergraduate bachelors degrees at Oxford are titled Bachelor of Arts (BA), apart from the Bachelor of Theology (BTh) and Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA). At the same time, the University offers two bachelors degrees as postgraduate courses – the Bachelor of Civil Law (equivalent to a Master of Laws) and the Bachelor of Philosophy (equivalent to a masters degree in philosophy). Previously, other postgraduate courses awarded bachelors degrees, such as the Bachelor of Divinity, but the majority of such courses have since renamed their awards to masters degrees.

Seven years after matriculation, BA and BFA graduates may apply to the title of Master of Arts, which is an academic rank at the University and not a postgraduate degree. Integrated masters programs, comprising three years of undergraduate study and one year of postgraduate study, confer a single award (for example, the Master of Mathematics (MMath)). The University offers a number of postgraduate masters degrees – chiefly the Master of Philosophy, Master of Science, and Master of Studies. Professional programs such as the Master of Business Administration, Master of Fine Arts, Master of Public Policy, and Master of Theology are also awarded at Oxford.

Doctor of Philosophy programs at the University are typically abbreviated "DPhil" rather than PhD. Oxford also awards a Doctor of Clinical Psychology (DClinPsych) and Doctor of Medicine (DM), in addition to Dohigher doctorates such as the Doctor of Civil Law. In postnominals, "University of Oxford" is normally abbreviated "Oxon.", which is short for (Academia) Oxoniensis, or Oxf.^[1]