14-17 year olds, girls and boys (Minimum English Level: Upper Intermediate B2)
Oxford University Subject Exploration Summer Courses are designed for ambitious high school students to explore four degree subjects within a particular academic streams, so they can better choose what to study at university. All subjects are taught by Oxbridge tutors. Students live and study at renowned Oxford University, just like the University’s own undergraduates.
Oxford University Subject Exploration Summer Courses are ideal for students entering their penultimate year and still unsure which subject they prefer to study at university. The course allows students to explore 4 degree-level subjects within a particular academic area per fortnight. This will allow them to find that they are truly interested in.
Students choose from one of the following three Academic Schools, and within each School, they will study 4 degree-level subjects across 2 weeks. The subjects covered are:
- STEM – Engineering, Maths, Physics and Computer Science
- Biomedical Sciences – Medicine, Psychology, Chemistry, Biology
- Humanities – Law, Economics, Politics, History
Taught by Oxbridge tutors in small tutorial groups, the two-week programme includes 40 hours of degree-level teaching across 4 subjects in each academic school. Two days per fortnight are spent on each subject, and the 4 subjects are fixed for students within each School. By the end of the programme, students will have a much clearer idea of what exactly they want to study at university. It is possible to study two different Academic Schools over 4 weeks. No content will be repeated across the four weeks. Siblings and students who book two courses are entitled to a 5% discount on course fees.
Students also have opportunity to get expert advice on university applications, especially gain advanced G5-specific academic support and practical application guidance on Oxbridge and G5 university applications. Ambitious students may opt for an EPQ Summer Camp to gain half an official A-level qualification.
Students will live and study in beautiful Linacre College of Oxford University, a few minutes’ walk to Oxford city centre. Outside of lessons, all students will enjoy an action-packed social programme and excursion trips to complement the academic programme, and to network with like-minded, high-achieving students from around the world. In addition, all students will be invited to dress up, dine by candlelight in the magical surroundings of a Oxford University college’s dining hall to enjoy traditional Formal Hall meal – a three course, silver service evening meal, to sample authentic life as a real Oxford student.
Course Essentials:
Oxford University Subject Exploration Summer Courses include:
- 40 hours of teaching per fortnight from Oxbridge tutors
- 4 different degree subjects over two weeks
- Guest lectures and Workshops
- Visit to a linked school of study
- Advice on the UK university system and G5 university application
- 3 full day excursions every two weeks, including a field trip related to chosen study area
- Full social programme of activities on site and around Oxford.
- Formal Hall in Oxford University college dining hall
- Certificate and academic transcript
- Insurance – Comprehensive summer school insurance
- Airport transfers to/from Heathrow and Gatwick on specified transfer days.
Subjects Outlines:
Social Programme:
Students will also enjoy a full social programme including 3 excursions over two weeks, including London and Cambridge. Possible excursion and visits include:
- Punting
- Buckingham Palace
- Houses of Parliament
- West End Musical
- Natural History Museum
- Hyde Park
- Tour of UCL/Imperial College
- London Eye
- British Museum
- Southbank Walking Tour
- Oxford Street
- Oxford
- Cambridge
- Tour of Cambridge University Colleges
A sample timetable of two-week Academic School in STEM:
A sample timetable of two-week Academic School in Humanities:
A sample timetable of two-week Academic School in Biomedical Sciences:
Boarding:
Students will stay in Linacre College of Oxford University in twin rooms with en-suite bathrooms. Girls and boys are accommodated separately. Porters’ Lodge entrances are manned 24 hours a day.
Linacre College is a graduate college with a campus next to the famous University Parks and a few minutes’ walk from the most famous sites in the centre of the Oxford. Linacre College was founded in 1962 but the main buildings date back to 1886 with newer accommodation blocks on the same, enclosed and secure site.
Meals:
Well balanced, nutritious three cooked meals are provided. Packed lunches are provided for excursions. At the end of the course, every student will also enjoy a traditional Oxford University Formal Hall meal – a set menu evening meal which lets students sample life as a real Oxford student.
Facilities:
All students will live on-site at the College in comfortable accommodation with Wi-Fi access. There are also common rooms with TVs, extensive gardens, lawns, and sports ground.
Laundry:
Coin operated washing and drying machines on college premises, paid by summer school.
In the UK, few universities are as demanding as Oxford University. Oxford University is the hardest university to get into the UK, with a mere 19.1% acceptance rate and an average UCAS score of 571. The University of Oxford, informally referred to as Oxford University or simply Oxford, was the first University in the English-speaking world. The university has a long history. After a dispute with townsfolk, some academics left Oxford and established the University of Cambridge. These two “ancient universities” share many common features and regularly contends with each other for first place in the UK league tables, and are often collectively referred to as Oxbridge.
Oxford has been producing leaders for 800 years. Throughout its rich history, Oxford has produced gifted men and women in every sphere of human endeavour who have studied or taught at the University. Among these are 30 British Prime Ministers, at least 30 other international leaders; 70 Nobel Prize winners; 7 current holders of the Order of Merit; at least 12 saints and 20 Archbishops of Canterbury; and some 150 Olympic medal winners.
Achieving and sustaining world-class excellence in every area of teaching and research is at the heart of the University of Oxford’s mission. The University of Oxford is consistently ranked among the foremost universities in the world. Oxford is regularly ranked within the top five universities in the world, and has been named the best university in the world for a record seventh consecutive year in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2023. It held the number one position in the Times Good University Guide for eleven consecutive years.
With its prestigious status and a distinctive and personal method of teaching, the University of Oxford is a great place to be a student. Each year, Oxford welcomes talented students from over 140 different countries and territories which make up a third of student population of over 20,000. However, like Cambridge University, the University of Oxford picks the best and brightest students purely on their academic merit and passion for their chosen course. Most applicants who are called for interview will have been predicted at least three A-grade A-level qualifications relevant to their chosen undergraduate course, or the equivalent in other qualifications.
