Study at Oxford

This page aims to provide advice for Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) students hoping to undertake graduate study at Oxford, knowing that most ANZ students are graduate students at Oxford. Brief notes for undergraduate study are provided at the bottom of the page.

Disclaimer: Please note that the information provided on this page is based on the personal experience and opinions of the OUANZ committee who are students studying at the University of Oxford, and is not reflective of official policies of the University of Oxford. Though we have done our best, we do not guarantee that information provided is factually correct and you should clarify and confirm information with departmental and college staff as appropriate.

Graduate Students

Application Process

Gaining admission to study at Oxford as a graduate student is a challenging and competitive process. Aside from the obvious requirement of academic excellence at an undergraduate level, many courses also look for applicants with work experience, community leadership and extracurricular achievement. Generally Oxford looks for students with a first- or upper-second-class undergraduate degree, as well as a demonstrated motivation to pursue research and/or relevant professional activities.

The application process varies greatly between courses, and is best explained using the university’s official application guide. For example, a DPhil application may only require a CV, academic/professional/character references, an academic record, and a brief research proposal. Other degrees, including the MBA and other professional degrees, may also require in-person interviews alongside multiple essays and personal statements.

Regardless of the degree you are interested in applying for, taking the time to research senior academics and previous graduates in the chosen department is extremely worthwhile. For DPhil applications, getting to know your supervisor before making an application is very helpful and well advised; they may be able to help in preparing an application and offer support for a research proposal. Similarly, getting in contact with past graduates of many taught masters courses will give you an idea of what to expect from the application process, as well as the course itself.

Choosing a College

All students at Oxford are affiliated with one of the university’s 38 residential colleges and private halls. Colleges are semi-autonomous bodies within the university that will usually provide facilities, accommodation, meals and financial support as well as academic and social events for their enrolled students. The official guide to colleges for graduate students can be found here.

When applying to Oxford, graduate students are allowed to preference ONE college that they would like to attend. There are pros and cons to all colleges at Oxford, and most students are very happy with whichever college then eventually attend (and it becomes their ‘home’). Nevertheless, choosing a college (which may seem daunting, due to the number and variation between colleges) is important and warrants careful research.

When undertaking a graduate degree, it is likely that a student’s experience will be similar to any other student in their program regardless of their college choice. As well as being a member of a college, masters and DPhil students are members of a university department. The department is where graduate students will undertake most of their research and receive supervision, and as such do not heavily rely on tuition from their college. Some colleges only accept students undertaking a limited range of courses, which will narrow the range of potential college choices for many students. Furthermore, most colleges have quotas each year for the number of students they are willing to take from a given course. For example, a college may decide to offer only two places each year to students doing DPhil degrees in Engineering Science. However, regardless of the degree undertaken, a student’s college can have a great impact upon their studies at Oxford.

Two of the best sources of information that will help with selection of a college are Wikipedia and the university’s official listing of the colleges, which contains links to detailed descriptions of the colleges. The Student Room also has some (mostly undergraduate) student opinions about the various colleges, which can be helpful, despite being subjective. There are two official videos on choosing a college from the University of Oxford website that may also be useful and can be viewed here (for graduates) and here (undergraduates).

The Magdalen Cloisters and Tower (photo credit: Dr Brett Tully)

Some factors to consider when choosing a college include:

Does the college offer your course? This can be investigated by finding the course through this page, and then clicking on the “College” tab to find a range of colleges that offer it.
Does the college offer financial support? Some colleges offer scholarships (either to general members of the college or those studying in a specific research field) that may be available to ANZ students (see sections below on funding and scholarships). Information on scholarships can be found online on each college website.
Does the college offer accommodation? Some colleges guarantee graduate accommodation for the full length of a student’s degree, whilst other colleges offer no graduate accommodation at all. This can be investigated in the individual college pages linked here. Some colleges are also renowned for being able to offer couple’s/family accommodation. It is useful to speak to a former or current student at the college to fully understand the accommodation options as sometimes this is not specifically clear online.
What is the wealth of the college? Although a college’s wealth does not necessarily correlate with the level of financial support that it provides to students, some wealthier colleges provide cheaper food and accommodation, as well as favourable bursaries or research allowances. The college’s approximate wealth can be found on the Wikipedia page here. Some colleges are known for being able to provide generous financial support to students, including special grants for academic expenses, sporting excellent and travel.
What are the facilities provided by the college? Colleges will have different facilities for students to use and invariably the library, academic resources and sports facilities will vary between colleges. For example, some colleges will have an on-site gym and rowing centre, whereas other colleges will provide access to the university sport facilities on Iffley Road. Some of the larger colleges have extensive sports grounds, including soccer/cricket/rugby pitches, squash courts and lawn/hard tennis courts.
What is the makeup of the MCR? The MCR (Middle Common Room) is a term interchangeably used to both reference the body of graduate students, as well as the physical space that is available for graduate students to use in the college. The MCR may include a common room, games room, theatre room and computer room that are available for graduate students to use. Some colleges have a much larger MCR cohort than others, and some colleges are known for having a particular active and social MCR. This will of course change from year to year, and may be influenced by the way graduate students are accommodated in college.
Does the college excel in a particular extracurricular activity? Some colleges have choirs, orchestras, sports teams and drama societies for students to become involved with. For some of these groups (e.g. most choirs) it is possible to join if you are a student at another college. However, it is uncommon for a student to be a member of a sports team at another college. Throughout the year there are inter-college competitions (called ‘Cuppers’) across a large number of sports and some colleges are known for being particularly strong in a particular sport. Some colleges are known for attracting a large number of blues athletes and offering unique support (eg. larger food proportions served in the dining hall) to those who compete in a university sports team.
Does the college accept undergraduate and graduate students? A number of colleges will only accept graduate and/or mature age students (and not undergraduate students). This can affect the opportunity to engage with a wide range of students at social and academic events at college, although generally speaking there is minimal mixing between undergraduate and graduate students at college. Interestingly, it is often through sporting clubs and sports teams that there is a greater opportunity for graduate students to meet undergraduate students.
What is the size of the college? The number of the students at each college varies greatly (it can be found here) and does influence the atmosphere of the college. A smaller college may have a closer community of students, whereas a larger college may give you more people to meet! Permanent Private Halls (PPHs) are similar to colleges but are often relatively small and generally have a strong religious leaning, some are described here.
Where is the college located? Some students choose their college based on how close it is to their department or the university sporting facilities on Iffley Road. Other students will choose their college based on accommodation options. It is important to note that graduate accommodation is not necessarily (and often not) located on the main campus site and the opportunities for graduate accommodation should be specifically investigated for each college separately.
Are you intrigued by unique traditions? Each college has their own unique history, notable alumni, quirks and secrets. For example, Jesus College, Hertford and Lincoln all have deer on their crests and each year students from these colleges come together for a dinner where they eat deer. Magdalen College has a deer park on the main campus site. Choose one of these colleges if you like deer!
What is the history of the college? All of the colleges vary in size, style and tradition that is directly influenced by the history of the college. Some of the colleges (see list here) may have a style and historical flair to their quadrangles, cloisters or dining hall that is particularly appealing to you. If possible, the best way to get a sense of a college is to visit Oxford and walk through the grounds before making a preference on your application. Many colleges are often open to visitors in the afternoon during the week and are free for prospective students to visit. If it is not possible to visit Oxford before making an application, read about the colleges online and speak to former students, it is not a good idea to make a decision based on what you see on Google Images!

This list provides some general points to consider when choosing a college. It is important to reiterate that there are positive and negative aspects to all of the colleges and most students are happy with the college they eventually choose or are allocated. Obviously people will view each of the criteria and points to consider when choosing a college differently, depending on personal circumstance and preference. When applying to Oxford you can elect to put forward “no college preference” if you do not feel confident or are unwilling to suggest a preference and this is not uncommon. It is also not uncommon for applicants to miss out on their preferred college; in which case the university will allocate a college to the student.

Graduate Funding and Scholarships

Approximate Expenses

Approximate costs per annum for full-time study at the University of Oxford are as follows (in GBP):

Course fees (International students – courses starting from): ~18,000
College fees: ~3,000
Living Expenses: ~13,000

TOTAL: ~34,000 GBP p.a.

Further information on living expenses can be found here. A number of points should be noted concerning this rough approximation and more information is available online:

Course fees can vary significantly between degrees, and are much higher in some masters programs than what is quoted above (particularly in the professional masters courses, including the MPP and the MBA). The calculations above are reflective of the approximate fees for a DPhil student, but exact fees for given courses are listed here.
Course fees are generally charged for a maximum of three years, so that students who complete a DPhil within 4 years will not be required to pay course fees in their final year.
The fees listed above are for international students and will be applicable to most ANZ students. If an ANZ applicant has maintained residence in the UK for at least three years prior to the commencement of their course, they may be eligible for home-fee status. For further explanation of fee status at Oxford see here.
The living expenses mentioned above include accommodation, which comprises approximately half of the total living costs. The University provides an estimate range of 630 to 760 GBP per month for accommodation. The quality and cost of housing in Oxford, however, varies widely both in college rooms and private rentals (more information on the latter can be sourced through the OxGrad Housing Facebook Page).
Other living expenses will vary depending on the course (for example, some courses may require the purchase of textbooks).
Membership of sporting teams, embarking on a language course (see further information on OPAL Courses) or study trips away from Oxford will also contribute to an increase in living expenses.

It is not uncommon for students to undertake some paid work to partially support full-time study at Oxford. Working as a student at the University of Oxford is discussed further here.

Front Quad at Worcester College (photo credit: Dr Brett Tully)

Funding Sources for ANZ Students

Whilst gaining admission to Oxford as a graduate student is a challenging and competitive process, attaining funding and securing a scholarship can be even more difficult. Many graduate students may gain graduate admission to the University of Oxford but find themselves unable to take up their offers due to a lack of financial support.

Scholarship application deadlines vary; whilst some can be secured prior to submitting an application, others are obtained as part of the usual Oxford admissions process, and some scholarships require an existing offer of a place before submitting an application. It is important to be aware of the various application deadlines and allocate enough time to complete the scholarship applications, as many require lengthy and time-consuming applications that may include a number of essays and research proposals.

Funding sources are generally separated into three different categories; Oxford-specific scholarships, general graduate study scholarships for ANZ citizens, and industry-based funding.

Oxford-specific scholarships

There are a number of scholarships and funding opportunities tied to the University of Oxford that can be secured by students wishing to study specifically at Oxford.

Clarendon Scholarship: The Clarendon Scholarships are offered by the University of Oxford to fully fund the course fees and living expenses of students pursuing masters or DPhil degrees. Award of these scholarships is judged based on academic merit. No additional application is required to be considered for the scholarship and each applicant is invited to tick the “Want to be considered for Clarendon” box when completing the standard application to Oxford. For students that have already sourced partial funding elsewhere, in some cases Clarendon scholarships will be partially awarded to cover part of the student’s expenses (for example, living expenses).
Rhodes Scholarship: The Rhodes Scholarship is a competitive scholarship offered to students from a range of countries across the world. Like the Clarendon Scholarship, it will fund course fees and living expenses for two or three years, depending on the program. Rhodes Scholars usually fund either a DPhil, two-year MPhil or two one-year masters degrees. Award of the Rhodes Scholarship is based on academic merit, professional experience, community service, leadership and sporting achievement. Other requirements for the scholarship include a maximum applicant age, which is different for countries across the world and has recently changed in Australia: currently requiring applicants to not have passed their 26th birthday by October 1st in the year in which they intend to commence study at Oxford. Each year 9 scholarships are awarded to Australians, and 3 to New Zealanders.
Oxford-Australia Scholarships: The Oxford-Australia scholarships are open to Australian citizens, and are judged based upon academic merit. They are used to partially fund graduate study at Oxford and do not offer full funding. Some additional information can be found here.
Charlie Perkins Scholarship: The Charlie Perkins Scholarship offers funding for people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who wish to undertake postgraduate study at Oxford or Cambridge. The scholarship is judged based on academic merit and covers course and college fees, as well as a living stipend.
Governor Phillip Scholarship: This scholarship funds Australian candidates hoping to study International Relations/Politics/Policy at Oxford. Applicants are judged based on academic excellence, leadership, integrity, tolerance, and compassion. It covers course/college fees, as well as living expenses for the duration of a one- or two-year masters degree.
College-Specific / Miscellaneous Scholarships: The individual constituent colleges of Oxford offer a range of funding opportunities which some ANZ students may be eligible for, depending on their chosen course, ancestry, or gender. These are best found through the Oxford scholarship search engine located here. Generally such scholarships will not provide full funding (covering all college fees, course fees and living expenses) but can be used in combination with other funding sources or personal savings. As many of these scholarships are tied to specific colleges, their availability can provide a strong motivation for choosing one college over another.
Department / Topic Specific Scholarships: Scholarships may be awarded through department or UK funding bodies to students undertaking degrees focused on specific subject matter. Though ANZ citizens will not be eligible for many of these (for example, most EPSRC PhD scholarships, which fund many British DPhil students), some are open to foreign students. For example, the Cancer Research UK Oxford Centre funds a number of DPhil students each year. Other examples of topic-specific scholarships include the Christopher Welch Scholarship in Biological Sciences.

For an updated list of additional scholarships that may be available to ANZ citizens studying at Oxford, see the university’s External Scholarships page here.

General Graduate Scholarships

There are a number of scholarships that allow ANZ citizens to undertake graduate study at any international institution of their choice and funding that may be used for, but is not specific to, graduate study at the University of Oxford:

General Sir John Monash Scholarship: The General Sir John Monash Scholarship is a very competitive scholarship awarded to up to 20 Australian citizens each year and funds graduate study at an overseas institution. Currently, a Monash Scholarship offers 70,000 AUD p.a. to cover course fees and living costs for up to three years at any university outside of Australia. Monash Scholarships are awarded based on academic merit, leadership potential, personal character and likely future benefit to Australia. Whilst Monash Scholars can study at any academic institution across the world, it is common for a number of scholars each year to attend Oxford (and Cambridge)!
Ramsay Postgraduate Scholarships: A recently announced program funding Australian citizens to study overseas for two (or potentially three) years.
Commonwealth Scholarships: The Commonwealth Scholarships provide funding for students from Commonwealth countries to study in the UK. ANZ citizens are eligible for some of the Commonwealth scholarships, which can potentially pay course fees and living expenses. Some of the application criteria is quite specific and there are a limited number of eligible courses that can be undertaken, which should be investigated.
Chevening Scholarships: The Chevening Scholarships fund students from a number of countries to study for a Masters degree in the UK. The scholarships have a number of eligibility criteria, including that applicants have at least two years of work experience, and that they return to their home country for (at least) two years following their study in the UK. Some Chevening awards are co-funded by the University of Oxford.
Menzies Scholarships: Menzies Scholarships have previously funded Australian students that wish to undertake overseas study. Applications were not opened this year, but may be again in the future.
Australian Bicentennial Scholarships: The Australian Bicentennial Scholarships can provide up to 4,000 GBP to support Australians looking to undertake graduate study in the UK.
Roberta Skyes Scholarship: The Roberta Skyes Scholarships offer funding (up to approximately 30,000 AUD p.a.) for people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent who wish to undertake graduate study outside of Australia. This amount of funding is approximately half of what is likely required to cover living expenses and course fees.
Rutherford Foundation Scholarships: The Rutherford Foundation Scholarships are available to New Zealand citizens, and contribute in part to PhD research at a prestigious international institution. Generally they will not cover an entire degree, so may need to pursued in combination with other funding sources.
William Georgetti Scholarships: The William Georgetti Scholarships are available to New Zealand citizens who wish to pursue postgraduate study and research for up to 45,000 NZD per year. Award of these scholarships is based on academic merit and personal character.
Lionel Murphy Endowment Postgraduate Scholarship: Available to Australian citizens to fund overseas study for one year.
Australian University-Based Scholarships: A number of Australian academic institutions offer scholarships to former students to allow them to pursue graduate study overseas. For example, the University of Sydney Travelling Scholarships or the Gowrie Scholarships (at ANU) could be used to partially fund study at Oxford.
Rotary Global Grant: Rotary scholarships support students seeking to purse a graduate degree (i.e. MSc, MPhil & DPhil) at an international university, such as the University of Oxford. The grants support a variety of areas categorised into Rotary’s six “areas of focus”. These include: 1) water & sanitation, 2) maternal & child health, 3) basic education & literacy, 4) peace & conflict resolution, 5) disease prevention & treatment and 6) economics & community development. Potential students must apply to their home Rotary District or Club in Australia and New Zealand first. Once applications are short-listed locally, they are submitted to the International Rotary Foundation who make the final decision on the application. If accepted, scholars are hosted by the Oxfordshire Rotary District 1090. Each year, there are approximately 20 Rotary Scholars in District 1090. The District offers a range of support to scholars including social activities and community engagement opportunities.
NIHR SPCR Doctoral Studentships: The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Primary Care Research (SPCR) offer studentships to individuals who wish to develop a career in primary care research (i.e. the DPhil in Primary Health Care at Oxford). This award will fund tuition fees up to the value of Home/EU fees, college fees and an annual tax-free stipend however, students with overseas status are welcome to apply but will need to fund the remainder of their fees from alternative sources.

Industry-Based Funding

Industry-based sponsorship is another route commonly used to fund study at Oxford. Established consulting/legal/finance firms may be willing to fund an employee’s study (commonly a professional degree, such as the MPP or MBA), though this usually requires the employee to return to work for a number of years after completion of their studies. Many ANZ students have been fortunate to secure funding for graduate study with corporate support.

For further information and some FAQs on Oxford scholarships see the university’s official page located here.

The streets of Oxford at night (photo credit: Dr Brett Tully)

Undergraduate Students

There are a number of students from Australia and New Zealand who study undergraduate degrees at the University of Oxford (whether as a first degree or after already studying an undergraduate degree) although it is less common than studying at a graduate level. A point on terminology: unless you’re doing a natural science (or one or two other subjects), you’ll be reading for a ‘BA’. So you’ll leave with a BA in History, for example, or a BA in Jurisprudence (i.e. Law). This is purely cosmetic; don’t be confused.

The Application

It is important to emphasise that it is a challenging and competitive application process for foreign students—and domestic ones, for that matter—and funding opportunities are minimal. There are some funding sources for undergraduate study that can be found here and through the undergraduate funding search tool here. Let’s highlight a couple of differences between the application for a graduate and for an undergraduate degree. First, for undergraduate degrees the application is done through the UCAS site, and a guide can be found here. Second, and importantly, undergraduate admissions aren’t managed in the first instance by the University, but by the College you apply to. If they don’t take you there’s still a good chance that you might end up at another college, but it’s not quite the simple process that applies to graduate students. The admissions process at Oxford is quite different to gaining entry to most Australian and New Zealand universities. Whilst admission in Australia is dominated by ATAR/ENTER/TER, high-school grades are only one part (albeit one of the most important) of the application to your Oxford college. In addition to grades, a personal statement is required, and there is significant emphasis placed on interviews (see below). Many undergraduate degrees require you to sit aptitude tests of one form or another, for example the LNAT for the BA(Jurisprudence). It is important to know the deadlines for sitting these tests, and have them done in time. The University’s website has more information on which tests you’ll have to sit as well as information on testing centres in Australia and New Zealand.

Interviews

Shortlisted applicants must usually attend interviews at the college they apply to. The interview is critical; the college tutors are assessing how well you will flourish within the weekly tutorial system, which frequently involves three-, two-, or one-on-one contact with academics. Coming from Australia or New Zealand to attend these interviews may seem daunting, but bear in mind that many international students do this each year and Oxford has attempted to make this easy. Free in-college accommodation is offered during interviews, often extending over multiple days either side of scheduled interviews for students that have come from abroad. Most (if not all) colleges offer Skype interviews, and students are certainly admitted on the back of these, although bear in mind that it might be harder to impress your interviewers if you’re doing it at 3am and there are internet connection or video feed issues.

Second undergraduate degrees

As a preliminary point, you might be thinking ‘I’ve already done one degree—does that change anything?’ At a formal level, no. England has no conception of combined degrees, or of reserving subjects like law or medicine for graduate-only study (though Oxford does also have a graduate medicine programme in parallel to its undergraduate programme), so your application (and academic study) will be handled as though you were an undergraduate. Having said that, in practice there are a few differences. First, and most obviously, having good results in your first degree is a way of showing that you’re clever and will excel at Oxford. Second, your choice of college is a bit more nuanced. For instance, some will treat you purely as a member of the Junior Common Room (JCR) meaning that in your social, administrative and accommodation arrangements you’ll be treated like an undergraduate students who is straight out of school. Other colleges will treat you for (in some instances) as though you are a graduate student and a member of the MCR, which means you’re more likely to get to know older students closer to your age. It should be noted that Harris Manchester College only accepts mature age students (older than 21 years) and those doing second degrees. Third, the option of studying a degree with ‘senior status’ is open to you. This is essentially an accelerated degree programme, whereby (for example) a three year degree is completed in two years. Not all degree programmes have a senior status option, and not all colleges offer senior status degrees. One obvious benefit is that the cost is reduced because you’re studying for a shorter period. One disadvantage is that you have to cover the same amount of ground in less time than your peers. Another is that, if your first degree was essay- and research-heavy, you might benefit from the introduction to Oxford’s heavily examination-centric attitude provided by sitting first year exams.

Oxford or Cambridge?

Obviously Oxford is the answer to this question! But more seriously, it is worth noting that undergraduate students can only apply to either Oxford OR Cambridge in any one year. Both universities offer a similar student experience in many respects, and so this decision is often based on subject strengths, course particulars and the possibility of securing funding.

Settling into Oxford

There are many opportunities whilst studying at the University of Oxford and it is important to make the most of your time in the UK. However, it is first and foremost a priority to maintain academic commitments and balance a healthy workload. Some students find it difficult to adjust to the unique learning style at Oxford and it is important to take time to feel comfortable with the academic work. Students will always be offered support from both the department and college and can seek help from their college advisor, academic supervisor and welfare team at college (which includes the Junior Dean). It is perhaps advisable that new students take time to settle into life at Oxford and ensure they understand the academic pressures of Oxford before looking to take on additional paid work or extracurricular activities.