Oxford, UK

Oxford Program

Located some 60 miles northwest of London, Oxford is a medieval town that houses the oldest university in the English speaking world.  Instruction at Oxford dates to the 11th century.  Oxford’s 30 colleges are self-governing units, each of which offers a full university curriculum.  The oldest of these was established in 1249.  New College, where Notre Dame students live and study, opened in 1379.  A list of Oxford alumni is a who’s who of prominent figures in politics, philosophy, literature and science.  Included among those who have taught or studied at Oxford are six kings, 46 Nobel prize-winners and 25 British Prime Ministers, the latest of which is Tony Blair.

The Oxford Program provides seven Notre Dame students the opportunity to spend one year studying at New College, Oxford.  While at New College, students participate in Oxford’s renowned tutorial system.  They work one on one with Oxford tutors to pursue their academic interests in great depth.  Tutors are full-time faculty at Oxford and represent some of the premier scholars in their fields.

Students must commit to the entire academic year.  During this time, they live in private rooms in the college and take meals in the college-dining hall.  

The Oxford Program is open to students in the colleges of Science and Arts & Letters who have at least a 3.7 cumulative gpa.  Qualifying students are invited to apply in the fall of their sophomore years for placement in the following year.

Academics

The Oxford tutorial system allows students to work in small groups or even individually with renowned scholars and teachers.  Tutorials are taken instead of traditional classes in most disciplines or in addition to classes in math and the sciences.  The tutorial system provides an opportunity for highly motivated students to do advanced work in their major fields.  The Program provides ideal preparation for students wanting to undertake honors theses.  After graduation, they are also excellent candidates for top graduate and professional schools, as well as prestigious scholarships such as Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell.  Previous Oxford Program students have gone to post-graduate programs at Harvard, Princeton, UCLA, and Stanford.  Some have even returned to pursue advanced degrees at Oxford.

Although New College determines which academic fields can be accommodated in any given year, students can be placed in most science and humanities subject areas.  Past Oxford Program students have studied philosophy, English, history, political science, psychology, anthropology, math, physics, biology, chemistry and computer science.  Students have also been able to take tutorials in Arabic, Chinese and Latin.

Finances

Students pay Notre Dame tuition and receive full tuition at New College, a private room, dinners in the college dining hall, round trip airfare to London and transportation from London to Oxford. 

While enrolled at Oxford, students are eligible for free medical care through England’s National Health System.

Social Life and Travel

Oxford Program students are entirely integrated in the life of New College and Oxford University.  They live with, eat with and socialize with other Oxford students.  They have the same access to academic resources, athletic facilities and social organizations.  There are numerous university groups that allow students to pursue interests in art, music, film, drama, photography, computer gaming and a variety of others.  In previous years, Notre Dame students have been able to do everything from playing on Oxford’s soccer team, to debating in the Oxford Union to ballroom dancing.  A comprehensive list of student organizations can be found at: http://users.ox.ac.uk/~scug/clubs/all.shtml

Students may also use the breaks between terms for travel; Oxford is ideally placed for exploring London, the rest of Britain, Ireland, and continental Europe.

Application Procedure

Students apply in the fall semester of their sophomore years to study at Oxford in the following year.  Meetings for interested students are held in the fall semester.  Students in the colleges of Science and Arts & Letters who have at least a 3.7 cumulative grade point average are invited to apply in September.  Some students are selected from among the applicants for interviews.  Selections are announced in the first week of November, in time for those not selected to apply to other overseas study programs.

More Information

For more information about New College and Oxford, see the university’s website:  www.ox.ac.uk

For more information about the Oxford Program, contact

Dr. Joseph Stanfiel
The Oxford Program
153 Hurley Hall
Notre Dame, IN 46556

Tel:  (574) 631-7414
Email:  stanfiel.1@nd.edu