Bachelor of Philosophy
The B.Phil.'s earliest form is as a University of Oxford graduate degree, first awarded in 1682. Originally, Oxford named its pre-doctoral graduate degrees the Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) (a two-year degree, partly taught and partly by research) and the Bachelor of Letters (B.Litt.) (a two-year research degree). After complaints, especially from overseas students, that this naming convention often meant that graduate degrees were not being recognised as such, the University renamed them Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) and Master of Letters (M.Litt.). However, the Philosophy Faculty (then a Sub-Faculty) argued that its B.Phil. degree had become so well known and respected in the philosophical world that it would be confusing to change the name. In philosophy, therefore, the degree continues to be called the B.Phil. Those who pass the degree are given the choice of taking a B.Phil. or an M.Phil.; few if any choose the latter. (Note that Oxford also offers a number of other graduate degrees labeled as baccalaureate degrees: the law faculty's BCL; and the music faculty's B.Mus)
Faculty of Classics, University of Cambridge
At postgraduate level, the faculty offers two degrees: Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). It also contributes to the teaching of the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) in Classics offered by the Faculty of Education. The MPhil is a nine-month taught course, which is examined by three essays and a 10,000 word thesis, or two essays, a language-exam/exercise, and the thesis. The PhD is a three-year research course, and it is examined by a doctoral thesis of up to 80,000 words. There is no formal teaching as the degree is completed through independent research. However, doctoral students may attend graduate seminars, undergraduate lectures, and can receive additional training in languages and/or specific disciplines (such as epigraphy or numismatics).