UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD Undergraduate Prospectus Undergraduate University of Oxford 2009 Entry Undergraduate Prospectus www.admissions.ox.ac.uk O33 OXF 2009 Entry www.admissions.ox.ac.uk Greg Smolonski Welcome to the Undergraduate Prospectus for the University of Oxford. This guide is designed for students wishing to apply for entry in 2009, or for deferred entry in 2010 – and for their parents, careers, teachers and other advisors. We hope that you can find all the details you need right here, but you can also find further information online at www.admissions.ox.ac.uk. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact our Admissions Information Centre, the , or come and visit us! We are usually open from 9 am until 5 pm, Monday to Friday, at 55 Little Clarendon Street, Oxford, OX1 2HS. See www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/admissionsi for directions, or see the maps on page 164 and the back cover of this prospectus. Tel: +44 (0) 1865 288000 Email: [email protected]/ Correspondence address: Undergraduate Admissions Office University Offices Wellington Square Oxford OX1 2JD UK Cover photographs: Rob Judges and Greg Smolonski The Undergraduate Prospectus is also available in audio format, braille or large print. University of oxford Undergraduate Prospectus 2009 entry All images: Rob Judges Rob Judges Rob Judges Ten reasons to apply to Oxford 1. Oxford University has a world-class reputation 6. Students have access to resources across for academic excellence. For information about the University: unrivalled libraries, sports undergraduate courses available, and how to facilities, laboratories, language-learning make your choice, see pp. 25–108. opportunities, computer equipment and music 2. Oxford University is accessible to all students of facilities. For further details on the facilities talent and ability, whatever their background. available see pp. 6–11. The generous Oxford Opportunity Bursary 7. Oxford University provides a diverse study ensures that finance should not be a barrier to environment: undergraduate students represent any UK student who wants to apply to Oxford. over 130 nationalities as well as all nations and Further details are on p. 21. regions of the UK. 3. Oxford is one of the few universities in the 8. With clubs, societies and events organised world that bases its teaching on the tutorial by both colleges and the wider University, as system, which means more individual attention well as a vibrant city nightlife, Oxford offers and teaching from your tutors, tailored to your opportunities for whatever social life you may learning needs. See pp. 4–5 for more be looking for. See some examples on information about studying at Oxford. pp. 10–15. 4. Many Oxford tutors are international experts 9. Most colleges offer student accommodation for in their chosen fields. This engagement with two years of your course, and many can offer research and scholarship enables students to accommodation for every year of your course, have an enhanced understanding of their saving you the trouble and expense of privately subject discipline. rented accommodation. For more information 5. College life is one of the University’s greatest on where Oxford students live, see p. 16. assets, since a close college community provides 10. Oxford University has an excellent graduate a friendly and welcoming home for students employment record. Students have the use of who are living away for the first time. Students the excellent careers service and enter a huge soon get to know each other, and tutors get to range of careers. Employers recognise that know students individually, enabling them to Oxford’s rigorously academic degree courses respond to their individual academic needs. give graduates a range of transferable skills, For information on Oxford Colleges, and how as well as breadth and depth in their chosen to make your choice, see pp. 109–145. subject. See pp. 18–19 for more information about careers. 2 Contents 4 Studying at Oxford 6 Libraries 7 Museums and collections 8 Computing services 9 Language Centre 10 Sport 11 Music, and organ and choral awards 12 Clubs and societies 14 The city and nightlife 16 Where will I live? 17 Welfare and student support 18 Graduate destinations 20 Student finance 23 International students 24 International students and scholarships 25 Courses 110 Oxford colleges - belonging to a community 111 How do I choose a college? 112 Which colleges offer my course? 113 Colleges and Permanent Private Halls 146 Undergraduate numbers by college 2007-8 148 Admissions statistics 149 Summary of written work and test requirements 152 Open Days 2008 154 Finding out more 155 Widening access to Oxford 156 Mature Students 157 Second undergraduate degrees 157 Visiting students All images: Rob Judges 158 How to apply 161 Interview timetable December 2008 162 Index 164 Map of the University Back How to get to Oxford 3 Studying at Oxford The University of Oxford is world-famous for The courses academic excellence. The best and brightest Oxford offers a wide range of courses: all have a students are selected, irrespective of their core element while also allowing plenty of scope to background, on their academic merit, and passion follow your own areas of interest. No matter which and commitment for their chosen degree course. college you go to, the course will be the same, since It’s not all work of course, and there’s more the University organises all lectures and practical about the social side of life on the following pages, classes centrally, and sets your main examinations. but studying is certainly at the heart of life for all All Oxford degrees are similar in their objective to Oxford University students. make students think logically, laterally and independently. Learning and teaching Your choice of degree is the most important Tutorials are central to teaching at Oxford, giving decision when applying for university and you students an invaluable opportunity to discuss their should make sure that Oxford will offer you the subject with world leaders in their field. Personal most appropriate course and the method of support in this way means that every student is teaching that best suits you as an individual. You encouraged and supported to develop to his or her must choose which course you wish to study when full potential. you apply, and it is not usually possible to change Tutorials take place in colleges, and are your course after you have started. There are a few supplemented by lectures, classes and practicals, exceptions to this, which are explained on the which are also important in developing students’ individual course pages. understanding. These usually take place in For a list of courses see p. 25. University department buildings, with students from all the colleges. This means that students have Joint schools personal tuition within their college but also meet Oxford offers a number of combined courses, or students from across the University in their joint schools, as they are often called. They allow departments. This combines the best of one-to-one you to choose the areas that interest you from more or small group teaching in college with the wealth than one different discipline, sometimes across arts of resources available at University level. and sciences, such as Physics and Philosophy. It does not mean that you have to do more than one What happens in a tutorial? degree – you simply choose from a selection of You will meet at least once a week with a college elements of each degree, sometimes with special tutor, either on a one-to-one basis or with one or link or combination papers. Please note that two other students, to discuss an essay or solutions competition for joint schools courses is particularly to set problems which you will have researched in strong, and you must demonstrate your aptitude for advance. The purpose of the tutorial is to review each element of the course. your answers and theories and to raise any new points that result from the discussion. How will my work be assessed? The tutorial system’s success relies on the active Arts students are normally examined twice: exchange of ideas between you, your tutor and preliminary examinations are taken within the first other students present. You do not need to be an year and must be passed in order to continue the experienced debater to do well in tutorials but you course, but do not count towards the degree. The must be prepared to give and defend your own second set of examinations (usually called the Final opinions, whilst conceding to others and accepting Honour School or Finals) takes place in your last constructive criticism and advice. term. Finals consist of several papers lasting three Through this method of teaching you will hours, which you sit within a two-week period. For develop your ability to think independently, which some subjects, such as Modern Languages, there is will not only benefit you academically but will an additional oral exam. In some courses one or two provide you with one of the many transferable exams can be replaced by a thesis and/or some skills employers find attractive when recruiting extended pieces of written work which will make Oxford graduates. up part of the final grade. Science students also sit preliminary exams Am I only taught in my own college? during the first year, which they must pass in order From time to time, your college may arrange for to continue the course. All science subjects then you to have tutorials in another college, particularly focus towards exams at the end of the third year, after the first year when you may choose particular although certain subjects sit some of them in the specialist options.