Oxford Overview

Academic Objective

As there are limited places on the program (only 45!), you will gain a unique and exclusive insight into British and European culture, while taking part in new ways of learning with the guidance of top academics from your chosen field. The programme will teach you new ways to approach your degree back at Stanford, unlocking new potential throughout your university career and beyond.

Academic Prerequisites

There are no pre-requisites for this program, although English 66: A Model Island is a required course that can be completed before or during your abroad experience in Oxford. Admissions preference is given to students who have completed English 66 and to students who have taken the other related on-campus courses described below.

You can choose to study a tutorial in your area of major/minor expertise or on a subject you have some foundational knowledge of or, alternatively, to explore a new field. It is possible to continue to study a foreign language while abroad here, but it is not possible to begin a new language. Please refer to the tutorial guidance below.

Related On-Campus Courses

Please see the list of related on-campus courses for more detailed information.

Course Credit

The Oxford program offers courses that provide credit toward Stanford graduation and most classes also count toward an undergraduate major. You must enroll in a minimum of 12 units from the courses offered through the program in Oxford. For a list of all BOSP courses offered in the current academic year and planned for the next, and for information on which courses earn departmental credit or fulfill Education Requirements, please refer to the BOSP course database. For information on courses scheduled for the current academic year and for enrollment, please refer to Axess.

Academic Schedule

Over the 11 weeks of term you are expected to participate fully in at least one Stanford seminar. Our quarter always overlaps with the 8 weeks of Oxford University term, in which you will complete your 8 weekly essays. Typically you should expect to spend 10 hours of study on your seminar, and 20 hours of study on your tutorial each week.

Tutorial Program

Tutorials involve writing a paper, usually of about 2000 words each week over the 8 weeks of Oxford term, based upon a substantial amount of reading assigned by the tutor. Once written, a paper (‘essay’) is submitted to the tutor, and the hour-long tutorial is devoted to discussion, often based on the Socratic Method. For some subjects, however, tutorials may be organized around working on problem sheets.

Tutorials are an ideal way for you to deepen your knowledge of a subject in which you will be already well prepared and, in some cases, tutorials are a useful preparation for departmental honors work. Tutorials are not a vehicle for completing sequence course requirements. Under no circumstances can a tutorial satisfy one of the University's Ways of Thinking/Ways of Doing (Ways) or General Education Requirements (GERs).