The M.St. is a taught course for graduates seeking a higher academic qualification in language studies, specializing in General Linguistics (including Phonetics but not Applied Linguistics), Historical and Comparative Philology, or the linguistics of a specific language. All candidates work in Oxford under supervision for one year. There are three final examinations , one on general linguistic theory, and two chosen from a range of options. Teaching is done through lectures, seminars and individual tutorials. Candidates for the M.St. may offer a thesis of not more than 15,000 words in lieu of one of the papers.