University of Oxford Graduate Prospectus 2014-15

Graduate Prospectus 2014 –15

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The majority of photographs used within this prospectus were taken by current and recent graduate students and were submitted to University photography competitions in 2011, 2012 and 2013. All photographs are credited to the photographer where they appear.

Cover photograph by Oxford University Images/Greg Smolonski Photograph by Michael Camilleri, MSc Computer Science (St Anne’s College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 3

Welcome to Oxford

Rob Judges

Our graduate students are vital to the University of Oxford. They form part of the academic research community, and the teaching and training they receive sets them up to join the next generation of leaders and innovators.

Graduate study at Oxford is a very special experience. Our graduate students have the opportunity to work with leading academics, and the University has some of the best libraries, laboratories, museums and collections in the world. Our colleges are an outstanding feature of an Oxford education. As multidisciplinary academic and social communities within a large university, they offer a wonderfully rich and supportive environment to all our undergraduate and graduate students.

Our graduate students are committed, resourceful and innovative, and they demonstrate great independence of thought. They come from all over the world, bringing different perspectives to their subject areas and helping create a uniquely stimulating academic environment.

I hope this prospectus gives you an inspiring glimpse into life as a graduate student here at Oxford, and that it will lead you to find out more about what the University has to offer.

Dr Sally Mapstone, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education)

Why Oxford?

•N ew graduate students at Oxford in 2014–15 will benefit from over 850 scholarships, worth over £70 million, from the University, its colleges and other supporters.

•O xford’s world-famous collegiate system means that all students benefit from being part of a small, multidisciplinary academic and social community as well as being part of a large internationally-renowned institution.

• The University attracted £409 million from external research sponsors in 2011–12.

•O xford has a deep commitment to close working relationships between supervisors and students, and small group teaching on Master’s courses.

•T he University offers outstanding careers support and has one of the largest alumni networks in the world.

•O xford is ranked first in the UK and joint second in the world in the Times Higher Education Supplement’s World University Rankings 2012–13.

4 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Contents 6 Oxford’s graduate students

32

Living in Oxford

8

Oxford’s graduate courses

34

Arriving in Oxford

10

Funding opportunities

36

Settling in to life at Oxford

12

O xford’s academic divisions and departments

38 Making the most of

14

Academic lifee

40

Sport in Oxford

16

Master’s-level degrees

42

Nightlife and music

18

Doctoral degrees

44

Museums and Botanic Garden

20

Part-time and flexible study

46 Libraries

22

Research impact

48

Careers

24

Sharing knowledge

50

Continuing support in your career

26

Oxford’s colleges

52

Joining Oxford’s alumni

28

Colleges as communities

54

How to apply

30

A supportive environment

56

Maps

your time at Oxford

Photograph by Yasemin Sengul, DPhil Mathematics (The Queen’s College)

Photograph by Selma Mezetovic, Magister Juris (Lady Margaret Hall) 

6 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Oxford’s graduate students There is no such thing as a typical Oxford graduate student. Our graduates are different ages, representing many different countries and cultures, and from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds. We attract graduate students of the highest calibre and offer them a vibrant environment in which to study and learn.

As a graduate student at Oxford, you will join a thriving research community of more than 9,800 other graduates, around 60 per cent of whom come from outside the UK. Oxford is one of the most international universities in the world. Our graduate student body represents 147 nationalities and our academics are drawn from more than 70 countries.

Graduate students at Oxford are central to the University’s research efforts, which span all areas of the globe and tackle issues of international significance. Research carried out at Oxford has, over the centuries, made an enormous impact on the world of ideas, on our fundamental understanding of the physical world, on disease prevention and treatment, on public policy, international affairs, the arts, business and much more. Graduate students carry out a lot of research at Oxford, helping to push the boundaries of knowledge and understanding in their fields, and joining academics in tackling some of the major challenges facing the world in the twenty-first century.

• 9,800 graduate students • 147 nationalities

“

Oxford is much more than a simple academic experience, it is a chance to meet the brightest, passionate, critical and innovative group of people from all over the world.”

Eunsong Kim, MSc Comparative Social Policy (Linacre College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 7

Photograph by Emily Dolmans, MSt English Literature (Exeter College)

Graduate qualifications from Oxford are recognised and valued all around the world. Our graduate students go on to work in some of the world’s finest organisations. Whether you want to join the next generation of academic researchers and teachers or build a successful career outside academia, you will benefit from the exceptional people and resources that Oxford has to offer.

Find out more about our students by taking a look at our online Wall of 100 Faces.

www.ox.ac.uk/videowall

“

I was amazed to find the different nationalities. I’ve never been in an environment where people ask: ‘Where are you from?’ ‘I’m from Iran.’

‘Where are you from? I’m from Iceland.’ Even within Africa, I’ve not had the opportunity to meet and interact with people from such diverse backgrounds.”

Nelson Oppong, DPhil International Development (Green Templeton College)

8 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Oxford’s graduate courses • 120 doctoral

programmes

• 200 master’s-level

courses

Graduate students at Oxford not only come from all kinds of different backgrounds, they also have diverse career goals and study a broad array of subjects, from archaeology to zoology. Graduate study falls into two broad categories: taught master’s courses and doctoral research programmes.

Taught master’s courses Students on taught master’s degrees study a range of core and optional courses, supported by lectures and seminars. Work is assessed through a combination of coursework, written examinations and a dissertation. Some taught programmes prepare students for further research, while others are more oriented towards a particular profession, leading to a career in law, finance or development, for example. Some courses are delivered in a part-time format and are aimed at particular groups of professionals, such as diplomats and senior managers, who want the opportunity to develop their knowledge and understanding of their field, while also catalysing their career development. Taught programmes usually lead to a master’s or master’s-level qualification and last one or two years.

Doctoral research programmes Students on doctoral programmes focus on a specific research project. Working closely with an academic supervisor who oversees their studies, students produce a thesis that represents a significant and substantial piece of work. Students in the experimental sciences are also likely to collaborate with their supervisor on shared laboratory work as part of a research team. After completing their DPhil (Oxford’s term for a PhD), research students frequently pursue academic careers or careers requiring advanced research skills. Most commonly, doctoral degrees last between three to four years.

Academic qualifications To be eligible to apply for graduate study at Oxford, you need to have a record of academic excellence.

As a minimum, you will usually need to have a bachelor’s degree with first or strong upper second class honours, usually equivalent to a US GPA of 3.5 to 3.8. However, there are some courses that will take relevant experience or alternative backgrounds into consideration. Some doctoral courses also require a Master’s degree in a relevant subject.

If English is not your first language you will also need to provide evidence of a high level of linguistic competence, since English is the language of instruction and examination for all courses at Oxford.

Oxford places emphasis on academic rigour and our graduate students are able to study independently and take the initiative, whether in exploring a new area of research, making connections, extending their networks, exploiting resources or acquiring new skills.

For more information on specific courses and their entry requirements, see our online Course Guide.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/courses

Photograph by Joseph Caruana, DPhil Astrophysics (Christ Church) 

“

We like to have people who think differently. We don’t want people who are just going to do what they’re told. We want someone who comes in with new ideas and new perspectives and can challenge us.”

Dr Lucie Cluver, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Social Policy and Intervention

10 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Funding opportunities New graduate students at Oxford in 2014–15 will benefit from over 850 scholarships, worth over £70 million, from the University, its colleges and other supporters.

University scholarships The University offers a variety of scholarship programmes based on academic excellence to give the brightest candidates from around the world the opportunity to pursue graduate study. Oxford’s Clarendon Fund is one of the UK’s largest university graduate scholarship schemes, offering over 120 full scholarships every year to new graduate students. The recently-launched Oxford Graduate Scholarships will offer full funding to more than 30 new students in 2014–15.

There are a number of other scholarship schemes unique to Oxford. The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and most prestigious international graduate scholarship in the world, awarding 83 scholarships each year. The Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme offers around 20–30 scholarships each year. Both schemes develop leadership potential and recognise commitment to public service as well as academic excellence and rigour. The Ertegun Scholarships are available to top graduate students in the Humanities and scholars benefit from a programme of lectures, seminars, concerts and other activities as well as dedicated study space at Ertegun House.

Research council awards Oxford receives some of the highest levels of Research Council funding of any institution in the UK, which is a reflection of the high quality of research being undertaken. The Research Councils are government-funded agencies that provide financial support to research students from the UK, EU, and in some cases overseas, across a range of disciplines.

Regional scholarship schemes Many graduate students receive funding from schemes such as the Marshall Scholarships, the Fulbright Programme, and the Commonwealth Scholarships. Government schemes, such as the China Scholarship Council, also offer scholarships to graduate students at Oxford from certain countries.

Project-specific scholarships Some of our graduate students benefit from scholarships for specific research projects. In some instances these are supported by charities; for example, the Wellcome Trust supports a number of research students via the Doctoral Training Centre courses offered in the medical sciences.

Loans Some students take out a loan to cover some or all of the cost of their graduate study. Loan funding is dependent on the student’s country of residence, as it is often linked to government or state-run schemes, the largest of which are available to students from the USA and Canada.

Find out more about the opportunities open to you, plus full information about fees and living costs, on our Fees and Funding website.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/funding

Photograph by Anna Veprinska, MSt English (St Cross College) 

Fees, Funding & Scholarship Search Our online search tool offers easy access to information about the cost of graduate study at Oxford and will help you identify potential graduate scholarship opportunities from an array of sources.

Compare costs Quickly find and compare the annual cost of studying and living at Oxford.

Find scholarships Search through hundreds of funding opportunities from specific departments and colleges within Oxford, as well as University-wide scholarships. Find potential scholarships tailored to the course you are interested in and your country of residence.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/fundingsearch

12 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Oxford’s academic divisions and departments As a graduate student at Oxford you will belong to an academic department or faculty. There are more than 70 departments locat• 5,700 faculty and staff ed around the city. Each one has its own academic community, involved in research dedicated to advancing knowledge in particular subject areas, but departments also work together to teach joint courses and to collaborate on interdisciplinary research projects.

Your department will be responsible for organising the lectures, classes and seminars that may form part of your course and for the supervision of your academic work. It will offer access to a flourishing research community and provide exceptional resources to support your studies.

• 70 departments

Academic divisions Departments belong to four broad academic divisions – humanities; mathematical, physical and life sciences; medical sciences; and social sciences – which coordinate skills training for graduate students and help foster networking and an interdisciplinary approach.

The Medical Sciences Division and Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Division both have Graduate Schools that coordinate research course opportunities, funding and skills training. The Social Sciences Doctoral Training Centre provides opportunities for sharing research training across disciplines and subject areas, and provides students with integrated general research skills, core and advanced methodological training, and personal and professional skills training. There is also a large and diverse Department for Continuing Education with its own Graduate School.

Skills training Graduate students benefit greatly from the resources and experiences made available to them for training and skills development. Most academic divisions and departments offer courses and seminars on various research methodologies and software, as well as helping develop a range of transferable skills such as research management, communication skills, and personal effectiveness. In addition to this, the University’s IT Services and Careers Service offer skills and professional development training.

Students undertaking doctoral degrees often choose to attend courses on specific research skills to ensure that they are not only accomplished in the practical and theoretical aspects of their research, but also able to manage themselves effectively and communicate their research findings to a wide audience. The broad areas covered by skills training include research skills and techniques, the research environment, research management, personal effectiveness, communications skills, networking and team working, and career management.

Graduate students are encouraged to produce research that creates impact through publication in top-tier journals, and can attend skills courses focusing on what they need to know in order to submit articles for publication in their field. There are also opportunities to help with lecturing and tutoring undergraduates, so that they can share their passion for their subject with junior members of the University.

Photograph by Alyona Rydannykh, MSc Environmental Change and Management (St Catherine’s College) 

“

People [in the department] leave their doors open and whoever it is, whether it’s a student or a professor or a lecturer, if the door’s open, they’ll pop their head around and say ‘hello’.”

Becky Waller, DPhil Social Intervention (Green Templeton College)

“

It’s very exciting and rewarding working with graduate students, because of the concentration on areas on which one is working oneself.”

Dr Angus Hawkins, Director of International Programmes, Department for Continuing Education

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 15

Academic life Departments facilitate knowledge exchange by hosting seminars, guest lectures and academic conferences, giving graduate students the opportunity to learn about and challenge each other’s work and to build relationships with leading scholars and professionals in their field of study. Events also foster multidisciplinary research in areas of critical importance such as climate change, energy policy, financial regulation, global governance, public health, poverty, migration and social inequality.

Facilities The University invests heavily to ensure its departments remain world class. For example, the University recently unveiled the new Radcliffe Humanities building following a £10 million renovation of the former Radcliffe Infirmary. The new building houses the Faculty of Philosophy and the Philosophy and Theology Libraries and is located in the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in the centre of Oxford. It provides an excellent workspace for academic staff and students and is home to The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH), which seeks to stimulate and support research that transcends disciplinary and institutional boundaries, as well as engaging the public in the latest research and discussions in the arts and humanities.

Laboratories Students in the sciences and engineering spend a lot of their time in the University’s state-of-theart laboratories. Examples include the £20 million Chemistry Research Laboratory, which houses 11 nuclear magnetic resonance machines, 11 mass spectrometers and an X-ray crystallography facility, and the £30 million Oxford Molecular Pathology Institute (OMPI) at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. Oxford’s laboratories have facilities for carrying out frontline research into the causes of diseases such as cancer, HIV, influenza, Alzheimer’s and heart disease.

Field work Oxford‘s researchers carry out field work all around the world; either alone or in teams. For example, an archaeology doctoral student is currently researching the rock art of pre-sedentary societies in India, and an earth sciences doctoral student was involved with the detection of recent volcanic activity in Santorini.

Conferences Many doctoral students receive financial support from their departments and colleges to attend conferences all over the world as well as training in presenting and networking so they can make the most of these events. They also contribute to some of the many academic conferences that are hosted in Oxford each year; often this will involve them in sharing their own ideas and research by presenting papers or posters.

“

There’s a kind of intellectual buzz about this place which is quite hard to find elsewhere.”

Dr Lucie Cluver, Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Social Policy and Intervention

 Photograph by Alyssa Ovadis, MSt History of Art and Visual Culture (St Peter’s College)

16 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Master’s-level degrees The University of Oxford offers approximately 200 taught master’s-level courses of various kinds.

Some combine academic rigour with a strong career orientation, for example some of the courses offered in law, finance and education. They range from full-time courses designed to immerse you in a particular subject to part-time courses designed to suit particular groups of professionals and others who need to study on a part-time basis. Master’s programmes may focus on a broad discipline such as archaeology, a sub-discipline such as theoretical chemistry, an interdisciplinary field such as mathematics and computer science, or a professional field such as cognitive behavioural therapy. In a number of subjects, master’s courses are a pre-requisite to progress to doctoral programmes.

Course types Taught master’s courses normally result in either a Master of Studies (MSt – often called an MA in other universities), Master of Science by coursework (MSc) or a Master of Philosophy (MPhil).

Other master’s-level taught courses include the world-renowned Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) and Magister Juris (MJur) offered by the Faculty of Law, and the Bachelor of Philosophy (BPhil) offered by the Faculty of Philosophy.

Course structure The composition of these taught courses varies according to the subject, but they normally comprise a range of core and optional modules, supported by teaching in the form of lectures and seminars. They are typically assessed through a combination of course assignments, a dissertation, and written examinations. Taught master’s-level courses take between nine and twelve months, and the MPhil degree takes two years to complete.

Professional focus Some of the full-time courses at Oxford may be suited to recent graduates looking to launch a career in a particular field, such as the MSc in Financial Economics, or to graduates who have already been working in a particular field for several years, such as the one-year MBA programme or the MSt in Diplomatic Studies.

Similarly, the globally-focussed, multidisciplinary Master of Public Policy (MPP) course at the Blavatnik School of Government is aimed at those already established in a career but seeking to improve their opportunities and widen their skills base. MPP students are taught the practice of government and leadership in ways that will strengthen communities, create opportunities and foster cooperation across the world.

Our online Course Guide gives full details of specific course content and the relevant entry requirements.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/courses

Photograph by Joseph Caruana, DPhil Astrophysics (Christ Church) 

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 17

“

It taught me to think broadly, research, and find answers effectively, and to see problems from a variety of points of view. These are invaluable skills in my profession.”

Daniel Decker, MPhil Social Anthropology (Trinity College)

“

One of the key requirements for research students is to come up with a project, which needs to be a good combination of what is interesting, novel and ambitious, and what is doable.�

Professor Anton Van Der Merwe, Director of Graduate Studies, Medical Sciences Division

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 19

Doctoral degrees The benefits of studying for a doctoral degree at Oxford include the chance to become part of a pioneering research community, to acquire rigorous training in research methods, to stretch yourself to the limit in your field of interest, to benefit from working with other high-calibre researchers in your field, and to access the University’s exceptional physical and intellectual resources. Oxford’s main doctoral degree is called a DPhil rather than the more familiar PhD, which is used in most other universities, and typically lasts three to four years, so that you qualify earlier than with the longer doctoral degrees offered in some other universities worldwide.

Supervisors As a doctoral student in Oxford, you will enjoy a close working relationship with your supervisor or supervisors. They will help you to devise a programme that allows you to realise the full benefits of the resources available, and will meet with you regularly to stimulate your thinking and provide guidance about how to approach, implement and report on your research. Doctoral students often work closely with and receive advice from other academics as well as their own supervisor, including academics in other departments where research is interdisciplinary.

Expectations It usually takes three to four years to complete a DPhil, which is awarded on the basis of a thesis and an oral examination called a viva voce. The thesis must be a significant and substantial piece of research, conveyed in a lucid and scholarly manner, and must demonstrate that you have a good general knowledge of the field.

Some structured, four-year DPhil courses in specific subject areas are offered by our Medical Sciences and Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences divisions through their Doctoral Training Centres. These involve students receiving training and undertaking rotations in different laboratories across a range of disciplines before concentrating on a specific research project from their second year onwards.

Our online Course Guide gives full details of specific course content and the relevant entry requirements.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/courses

“

I decided to come to Oxford because of its outstanding reputation for academic excellence. My subject has one of the strongest international research outputs and top notch facilities and I think the three-year DPhil programme in Oxford can give me systematic and comprehensive training.”

Tiantian Jia, DPhil Inorganic Chemistry (Linacre College)

 Photograph by Owen Weller, DPhil Earth Sciences (Exeter College)

20 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Part-time and flexible study The University, particularly via its Department for Continuing Education, Saïd Business School, and Department of Computer Science, provides a range of high-quality, flexible, part-time graduate courses, including postgraduate certificates and diplomas, taught master’s degrees, and doctoral degrees in a number of disciplines.

The Continuing Education Graduate School The Department for Continuing Education offers over 30 part-time master’s-level degree, diploma and certificate courses ranging across the humanities, mathematical, physical and life sciences, medical sciences and social sciences, together with five part-time DPhil research degree programmes in archaeology, architectural history, cognitive behavioural therapy, English local history and evidence-based health care in its Graduate School. Its courses are innovative and flexible in structure and delivery and are designed to enable those with career and family commitments to study successfully at Oxford. The Graduate School and individual graduate programmes provide research skills training and the opportunity to interact with graduates from the same and different disciplines and professions in research seminars and other events.

www.conted.ox.ac.uk Executive Education at the Saïd Business School Oxford University’s Saïd Business School also offers opportunities for flexible and part-time study for an Oxford University qualification through its Executive MBA programme, MSc in Major Programme Management, and Oxford Diplomas in Strategic Management within its executive degree programmes suite. Short courses are also available within the open programmes offering. Ranked 1st in the UK and 7th in the world, the Saïd Business School’s executive education offers management, leadership, finance, strategy and custom programmes to help individuals progress through critical levels of their career.

www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/execed Software Engineering at the Department of Computer Science The Software Engineering Programme offers working professionals the opportunity to undertake a Master’s degree in Software Engineering or in Software and Systems Security on a part-time basis.

The courses make strong connections between theory and practice in software engineering, and are delivered by leading researchers and industry practitioners.

www.cs.ox.ac.uk/softeng Support for part-time study Studying for an Oxford qualification on a part-time basis can be exhilarating and challenging but also demanding, particularly if you have to balance the demands of home, family and work with your course requirements. The courses available have been designed with the needs of students of all ages in mind, while at the same time offering the opportunity for an intensive educational experience.

Photograph by Joseph Caruana, DPhil Astrophysics (Christ Church) 

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 21

“

The academic rigour of the programme was deeply engaging.

Simply put, the world’s foremost experts in international human rights law are directly involved in student development.”

Jason Wright, MSt International Human Rights Law (Kellogg College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 23

Research impact Oxford is one of the world’s leading research universities – a place where some of the brightest and best minds in the world look at advancing core research in all fields and addressing some of the toughest challenges facing the world today. These challenges include reducing poverty, tackling disease, preventing climate change, coping with ageing populations, developing new energy sources, and conserving biodiversity. In the course of its history, Oxford has produced over 50 Nobel Prize winners and its current academic community includes 80 Fellows of the Royal Society and 100 Fellows of the British Academy, the UK’s most distinguished academic bodies.

The scale of research activity at Oxford is substantial, involving more than 70 departments, more than 5,700 faculty and staff involved in research, and 5,500 graduate research students. In the last Research Assessment Exercise held at a national level in the UK, Oxford submitted the largest number of researchers of any UK university spread over 48 different fields, and was judged to have the largest volume of world-leading research (rated the top score of 4*).

Award-winning research Oxford academics are regularly recognised by prestigious international prizes. Recent examples include the Louis-Jeantet Prize for Medicine, given to Professor Fiona Powrie in 2012 for her pioneering research into the human immune system; the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO for Women in Science Awards, bestowed on Professor Frances Ashcroft in 2012; the International Balzan Prize, awarded to Professor Reinhard Strohm in 2012; and the Phyllis Goodhart Gordon Prize for Music to Professor Elizabeth Eva Leach. Our Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU) was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary prize for Higher Education in 2011, bringing the total number of Queen’s Anniversary prizes won by Oxford to eight, more than any other university.

To continue this tradition of research excellence, the University is committed to recruiting and retaining researchers of the highest potential and distinction, to attracting the very best research students nationally and internationally, and to providing a supportive research environment in which scholars, at every stage of their career, can flourish. It is also committed to fostering research collaboration regionally, nationally and internationally, and to building partnerships with other research institutions, research agencies, funding bodies, industrial and commercial partners, sponsors and benefactors.

www.ox.ac.uk/research

“

We have the best libraries, laboratories, museums and collections, and the best array of scholars in the world, I would say.”

Dr Sally Mapstone, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education)

 Photograph by Mimi Zou, DPhil Law (St John’s College)

24 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Sharing knowledge Oxford is committed to sharing its exciting research with the world and to maximising the benefits of its research by contributing to better public policy, improved health outcomes, economic prosperity, social cohesion, international development, a better quality of life, and more. To this end, the University disseminates, applies and commercialises research in numerous different contexts.

Oxford’s research in the media The University’s Press Office deals with more than 6,000 queries a year from media outlets all around the world, including many about newsworthy research findings. The Press Office promotes research in written and multimedia form; puts journalists looking for experts in touch with the right researchers, and can provide media training to researchers who are leading research projects likely to be of interest to the media. iTunesU and YouTube The University’s site on iTunesU features more than 4,200 free audio and video podcasts, including a vast number of lectures across all disciplines. It has attracted over 20 million downloads from 185 countries.

itunes.ox.ac.uk The University also has its own YouTube channel featuring lectures, reports of current events and information about applying to Oxford.

www.youtube.com/oxford Patents and spin-out companies Isis Innovation, the technology transfer company of the University of Oxford, helps researchers to commercialise intellectual property arising from their research, whether by patenting or licensing their discoveries, or by helping them to create spin-out companies. The company also identifies and manages consultancy opportunities for University researchers. It is the most successful university technology transfer company in the UK and filed 100 patent applications last year alone.

“

There’s increasing emphasis on being able to communicate your research to the general public, and the college system provides opportunities for developing that ability.”

Professor Anton van der Merwe, Director of Graduate Studies, Medical Sciences Division

Photograph by Samantha Binding, DPhil Inorganic Chemistry (Worcester College) 

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 25

“

You can quite often get into just absolutely fantastic lunchtime conversations with people who are totally out of your field but doing very interesting work … it’s less a food service location and more of a social interaction.”

Morgan Wesley, DPhil History (Linacre College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 27

Oxford’s colleges As an Oxford graduate student, you will belong to a department or faculty which will provide your teaching and supervision. You will also be a member of one of the University’s colleges. Being a member of a college is one of private halls the most unique aspects of studying at Oxford and offers you a multidisciplinary community where you can interact with academics and fellow students from all over the world. You will have a college academic adviser to keep an eye on your academic progress, and usually have the chance to attend college research seminars or hear talks from prominent speakers.

There are 38 colleges scattered across the city, seven of which are solely dedicated to graduate students. There are also six permanent private halls, which were founded by different Christian denominations and still retain their religious character.

Each college has its own distinctive identity. Some are grand and ancient, some are modern with award-winning architecture, and some are small and intimate. Many feature stunning courtyards called quadrangles (‘quads’) and have beautiful grounds and gardens where you can read and reflect, play croquet or tennis, or catch up with friends. All are lively academic communities. The University’s oldest colleges were established by the thirteenth century, and the newest came into existence in 2008. Membership of colleges ranges from fewer than 100 students to nearly 800.

• 38 colleges • 6 permanent

Facilities Colleges and halls have their own libraries and study spaces, dining halls, bars and common rooms, plus sporting and social facilities. College teams compete with each other in sports such as rowing, hockey, cricket, netball and rugby; plays and concerts are staged in college auditoriums, chapels, gardens and quadrangles; and meals in hall are an excellent way to get to know other members of the academic community. Oxford is relatively small and most colleges are located in the city centre or are no more than about a 15-minute walk from the city centre.

When you apply you can either let us find a college for you, as many of our applicants do, or let us know your preferred college. Whichever college you go to, you can be sure of a warm welcome and you are likely to develop a strong loyalty to it that will last you for life.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/colleges

“

The primary advantage of being associated with a college is the chance to interact with students from all age groups and multiple disciplines. One usually develops strong bonds with people from different cultures and nationalities.”

Challenger Mishra, DPhil Theoretical Physics (Exeter College)

 Photograph by Danielle Thompson, MSt Film Aesthetics (Kellogg College)

OXFORD City Centre

All Oxford colleges are within easy walking distance of the centre of Oxford

28 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Colleges as communities Colleges are more than beautiful buildings; they are close-knit academic communities of fellows (the Oxford term for college academics), students and staff. They provide a rich academic base of people and activities which complements the particular focus of your own studies. At your college, you will have the opportunity to get to know people studying a range of different subjects and create a circle of friends. Colleges can offer a calm retreat, a quiet place to study, or somewhere to get together with other students and socialise.

As a graduate student, interactions with people at your college might range from asking the college librarian to help you find a book you need, to getting up before breakfast with other members of your college for rowing practice, or perhaps finding out more about astrophysics from a fellow student over dinner.

Common rooms All graduate students belong to a college common room, which is often known as the Middle Common Room (MCR) or sometimes the Graduate Common Room (GCR). The MCR is both a community of graduate students within the college as well as a physical space in the college that is dedicated to their exclusive use. It is a hub for graduate social life and usually has facilities such as a kitchen, television, DVD collection, computers, games and sports equipment. Graduate student volunteers on the MCR committee organise a programme of graduate social events such as bops (large themed parties), film nights, lecture suppers, guest dinners, sporting events and cultural trips.

Graduate colleges Seven of Oxford’s colleges – Green Templeton, Kellogg, Linacre, Nuffield, St Antony’s, St Cross and Wolfson – are dedicated to graduate students only, and provide tailored support to over a third of Oxford’s graduate population. Graduate colleges are home to a diverse, international student body and provide a friendly and supportive environment for master’s-level and doctoral students.

Support University life can be demanding and all colleges offer a strong support system. Each graduate student has a college adviser, who is a member of the college’s academic staff, and will be able to offer support and advice. Virtually all colleges offer medical support via college doctors and nurses; in addition, many offer support to those of any faith, or none, via a college chaplain or pastoral adviser, and peer support from student welfare officers, mentors and trained peer supporters. The vast majority of colleges also have their own chapels, and many people of different religious beliefs and none enjoy taking an hour out of their day to appreciate the experience of listening to their college choir.

“

There’s always a friendly face to be found in the college and a cup of tea in the MCR, which helps with just about any challenge.”

Emma Lochery, DPhil Politics (St Edmund Hall)

Photograph by Jessica MacArthur, MSc Water Science, Policy and Management (Harris Manchester College) 

“

The college allows the student an additional dimension: a kind of escape route from the pressures of the academic side of their work.

It is still an academic community, but a more informal community focused on pastoral support, domestic provision and intellectual connections.”

Dr Anne Mullen, Senior Tutor (St Anne’s College)

30 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

A supportive environment Colleges offer a great deal of support to graduate students. A range of University-wide services and societies are also on offer to help graduate students and their families settle in, to provide financial, personal, emotional and social support, and to help them get the most out of their studies.

Clubs and societies Although you might be leaving your home country for a while, you don’t have to leave behind your culture, your sense of national identity or your religion. Oxford has a huge number of national, regional and religious societies set up and run by students, so that you can meet other Oxford students from your own part of the world with similar backgrounds, political views or beliefs. Examples include the Baha’i Society, the Sikh Society, Democrats Abroad, the Chinese Society, the Nigeria Society, the Middle Eastern Society, the African and Caribbean Society, and many more. These clubs can also serve as a way for you to introduce your nation and culture to other students from all over the globe.

Language Centre The University has a large and well-equipped Language Centre that is open to all students. Foreign language courses are offered in several languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Japanese. The firstclass language library has text, audio, video and computer-based material in over 150 languages, satellite reception in 13, and a directory of online language learning sites. The Centre also runs popular English language courses that are aimed at improving students’ communication skills and academic writing. You can also take a pre-sessional course before you start your academic studies at Oxford, or book a place once you have started your course.

OUSU As a student at Oxford, you will automatically become a member of the Oxford University Student Union (OUSU). OUSU exists to represent students in the University’s decision-making, to act as the voice for students in higher education policy debates, and to help students to get the most out of their time at the University. Each year a small number of students are elected to full-time sabbatical positions, including that of a Vice-President who is specifically dedicated to graduate students, acting as a spokesperson for the graduate student body and helping to shape University policy.

Counselling Service If you need personal support, the University has a professionally-staffed Student Counselling Service that is confidential and free to graduate students. The counsellors are accustomed to helping people from many different backgrounds and cultures with a wide range of issues.

Nightline is a telephone helpline, run by students for students; it operates from 8pm to 8am during term time. OUSU also has a Student Advice Service, which offers information, advice and support.

These services are confidential, impartial and non-judgemental, and have no religious, political or social bias.

Photograph by Alex Money, MSc Water Science, Policy and Management (Kellogg College) 

Other support services available to graduate students at Oxford include: the Student Financial Support team, which offers advice to students suffering financial hardship; the Disability Advisory Service, which supports students with disabilities; and the Student Information and Advisory Service, which advises students on a range of issues including visas and immigration. If you are planning on bringing your partner or children to Oxford, you may like to know about the Oxford University Newcomer’s Club, which provides a meeting point for partners of newly-arrived graduate students and staff or the dedicated Childcare Services that can help arrange childcare in one of the University or college nurseries.

“

The African Society gave me an opportunity to identify with people like myself who are here and have similar ambitions, and I have found that very, very useful, especially thinking about what we can give back to Africa as a continent.�

Photo taken by Nam fugia dolut fugit et rem assuntore poreiusaped quisi Nelson Oppong, DPhil International digenda et aperiandunt eate doles que nem est doluptat.Met, temTempleton aut abor Development (Green College)

32 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Living in Oxford Oxford is about 60 miles (90km) north-west of London and is only an hour away from Heathrow Airport. Historic and beautiful buildings dominate the city, but it is also modern and cosmopolitan, offering everything you could want in the way of amenities and entertainment.

Accommodation Many colleges are able to offer accommodation to their graduate students, and some have accommodation suitable for couples and families as well. College accommodation is not always on site, and may be in a separate annexe or in college-owned houses or apartments elsewhere in the city. As the availability of college accommodation is limited, it is a good idea to submit your application relatively early in the admissions year.

The University’s Accommodation Office can help you to find somewhere to live if college accommodation is unavailable, or if your college is unable to provide the type of housing you need.

The Office may be able to help you find accommodation particularly suited to couples and families.

The Office lets and manages 800 residential units for graduate students, their partners and families on several sites in Oxford. It also manages a website where private housing is advertised.

Living out Both college and private accommodation is spread throughout the city, so you may wish to consider in advance which area of Oxford you want to live in. Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) publishes a guide to ‘living out’, describing different areas of the city and covering issues such as finding accommodation, financial issues, legal standards and health and safety.

www.ousu.org

Oxford’s popular student areas

Summertown

residential with nice shops and cafés

Jericho international restaurants, bars, pubs and an independent arts cinema

Oxford

Botley Rd close to the train station and the Saïd Business School

Headington close to

the John Radcliffe Hospital and Old Road Campus

City Centre

Cowley Rd ethnically diverse, with many international eateries

London

Abingdon Rd

near the river and great for keen rowers

Iffley Rd close to the University sports ground, gym and swimming pool

“

The best thing is that you can cycle everywhere in Oxford in about 10 minutes, and there are lots of nice bars and restaurants, and even though there’s constantly the opportunity to party and have fun if you want, you never get disturbed by it.”

Mark Stevenson, MPhil Classical Archaeology (St Hilda’s College)

Photograph by Caitlin McMillan, MSc Migration Studies (Blackfriars)

34 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Arriving in Oxford The University and colleges offer a range of services to help support your move to Oxford and to help you settle in. We offer advisory services, including help with visas, finding accommodation, arranging medical care and childcare. Nearly 60 per cent of our graduate students come from outside the UK, and we have extensive experience of welcoming and caring for international students.

Visas If you are an overseas student from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, one of the first things you will need to do before you come to Oxford is apply for a visa in your home country to get permission to come to the UK to study. Our Student Information and Advisory Service provides specialist advice on visa and immigration processes.

‘Meet and Greet’ service If you are flying to the UK, the University offers a ‘meet and greet’ service at Heathrow for new students on certain days in late September and early October. Representatives from the University will meet you, accompany you to Oxford and explain how to get to your college or accommodation, and will help you with any questions you may have about your first few days.

Childcare If you are bringing your family to Oxford, the University offers a comprehensive range of childcare options. Childcare Services manages multisite nursery provision which comprises four bespoke University nurseries and a further eight nurseries where dedicated nursery places are available for University staff and student parents. Various holiday play schemes exist which offer discounted rates to University parents during the vacations. Four colleges also have their own nurseries – Balliol, St Anne’s, Somerville and Wolfson.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/childcare IT Before you arrive you will be given a University of Oxford IT account that allows you to access student computing services both on-site and remotely. The University’s IT Services provide online information about how to set up your own computer here in Oxford and how to make the most of the University’s IT resources.

www.it.ox.ac.uk Health services Once you are in Oxford, your college will help you to arrange health care with a local National Health Service (NHS) doctor, or you can choose to register with another local medical practice. For minor complaints, most colleges have a college nurse and provide sickbays or have special arrangements for students who are confined to bed. Like all doctor–patient relationships, those between college doctors, college nurses and students are confidential.

Further details of these and many other services designed to make your move to Oxford as smooth as possible are available via the Student Gateway.

www.ox.ac.uk/students Photograph by Ali Gumusay, MPhil Islamic Studies (Magdalen College) 

“

People were very supportive; the system is constructed to really help you every step of the way.”

Farida Makar, MSt Middle Eastern Studies (St Antony’s College)

“

Two weeks into being here, I felt like I’d been here forever.”

Farida Makar, MSt Middle Eastern Studies (St Antony’s College)

“

It’s pretty awesome that everything you could want or need is all within a square mile.”

Stephanie Dobrowolski, DPhil Social Intervention (Jesus College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 37

Settling in to life at Oxford When you first arrive in Oxford, it may take a little while for you to find your way around its historic streets. The University is a large organisation that is fully integrated into the city and has been evolving for 800 years. Some of the first things our students do when they arrive include finding a bicycle to help with getting around the city, setting up a bank account, setting up internet access, finding their department, getting to know their college and identifying the best places to study and socialise.

Orientation International students are invited to an orientation day at the start of the academic year. Sessions run throughout the day that give practical information about living and studying in the UK and introduce you to staff and current graduate students from all over the world who will be able to help and advise you. The day covers studying and learning in the Oxford system, how to access University services, information on living in Britain and cultural differences, as well as addressing practical issues such as employment, immigration and visas, health and safety. You can choose which talks to attend and at the end of the day there is a social hour so you can meet other students.

Matriculation One of the major events you will experience shortly after ‘coming up’ to Oxford is matriculation; one of Oxford’s many traditions that has endured since the Middle Ages. Matriculation is the ceremony at which you are formally admitted to the University and is held at the University’s beautiful Sheldonian Theatre.

College dining Another good thing to experience early on is college dining. Most colleges have a tradition of regular formal hall dinners, which consist of three or four courses, and the ambience of an evening out in a nice restaurant. On some of these occasions you can invite people to your college for dinner and then they may return the favour. In this way, you can get to know people studying your own and other subjects at the same time as visiting many of the college grounds and dining halls.

Further information on your first few weeks at Oxford is available on our Student Gateway.

www.ox.ac.uk/students Hear what our students have to say about life in Oxford by visiting our Wall of 100 Faces, which features videos of students talking about their experiences

www.ox.ac.uk/videowall

 Photograph by Jaani Riordan, DPhil Law (Magdalen College)

“

You can listen to a head of state give a guest lecture, head to the pub, go to an orchestra performance, eat dinner at formal hall, and do your research, all on the same street, in the same day.”

Daniel Decker, MPhil Social Anthropology (Trinity College)

“

Oxford offers a plethora of opportunities to develop holistically.

During my two-and-a-half years at Oxford, I have been involved with a range of fun activities including caving, stargazing, college rowing, wine tasting, dancing and yoga classes. I have also recently started taking piano lessons during my free time in the evenings.”

Jayati Jain, DPhil Biochemistry (Keble College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 39

Making the most of your time at Oxford The start of your time at Oxford would not be complete without a visit to the Freshers’ Fair. The Freshers’ Fair is organised by the Oxford University and societies Student Union (OUSU) and is an annual event that is open to all new students, with stalls representing every University club and society, including charities, musical and dramatic societies, sporting clubs, student newspapers, religious groups, political and campaigning organisations, and more. In the same week, colleges often hold their own events, where students can find out about and sign up to college clubs and societies.

• 450 clubs

OUSU As a student at Oxford, you will automatically become a member of OUSU, which exists to represent students in the University’s decision-making, to act as the voice for students in higher education policy debates, and to help students to get the most out of their time at Oxford.

The Arts Oxford is also well known for drama, with about 30 student productions being staged each year and the large and very popular Oxford University Dramatic Society (OUDS). The musically minded can listen to the world-famous choirs of New College and Christ Church or get involved with one of the many music societies in Oxford, including the Oxford Chamber Choir, the University Orchestra and the Oxford Philharmonia.

Charity There is a flourishing community of socially aware and socially active students at Oxford who make a positive difference to others’ lives by volunteering. One way to contribute is through Raise and Give (RAG), OUSU’s fundraising organisation, which offers a way for students to raise money for charity while having fun. Recent RAG activities have included a charity football tournament, a comedy night and the first ever University-wide charity ball, which raised £50,000 for charities including Helen and Douglas House, a local children’s hospice in Oxford, and Shelter, a nationwide homeless charity.

The Oxford Hub is a student-led charity founded by Oxford students that helps students find out about and get involved with charities and social enterprises. The Oxford Hub’s community volunteering programme has started up 20 student-led projects and sent out more than 800 student volunteers into the local community.

Students sometimes put the skills they are learning in their studies to use for a particular cause.

Graduate medical students, for example, can get involved with Medsin, the International Federation of Medical Student Associations, which takes volunteers all around the world to promote equality in health care and health education.

The Oxford Union One of Oxford’s most famous societies that many students join is the Oxford Union. Founded in 1823, this prestigious debating society has attracted speakers ranging from Malcolm X to Albert Einstein, and from Benazir Bhutto to the Dalai Lama, and has offered students the opportunity to ask them searching questions.  Photograph by Yixing Wu, DPhil Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (Hertford College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 41

Sport in Oxford For centuries, Oxford’s tradition of academic excellence has gone hand in hand with a reputation for sporting excellence. Oxford’s top medal winners sporting men and women are known as the Dark Blues, in contrast to • 85 sports clubs Cambridge’s Light Blues. The University’s best athletes who compete in annual interuniversity matches in certain sports gain the status of ‘Blue’ – an accolade that stems from the first boat race in 1829, when Cambridge tied light blue ribbons to their boat and Oxford adopted Christ Church’s dark blue.

• 126 Olympic

College sport You don’t have to be a world-class rower or rugby player to enjoy sport at Oxford. With more than 85 University sports clubs as well as college clubs to choose from, you are sure to find something to suit you. From golf to gymnastics, pentathlon to punting, and windsurfing to water polo, sport at the University of Oxford caters for everyone, from complete beginners to Olympic athletes.

Venues and facilities Sport takes place in a variety of venues across the city. In 1954, Sir Roger Bannister first broke the four-minute mile at Oxford’s Iffley Road running track, and the Iffley Road sports complex is still a focal point for sporting activity at Oxford. Facilities include an Olympic-standard hockey pitch, the 25-metre Rosenblatt swimming pool, fitness centre, Boat Tank building, cricket school, and a martial arts dojo, not to mention lawn tennis courts and stadiums for football and rugby.

Another focal point for sport is the University Parks, a large, peaceful area of parkland to the northeast of Oxford city centre, mostly on the west bank of the River Cherwell. The Parks comprise large sports fields and landscaped gardens featuring rare and exotic plants. They are best known for cricket and contain a cricket pavilion and the only first-class cricket ground in the UK where spectators can watch for free. There are also facilities for football, lacrosse, croquet and tennis.

The Marston Road Sports Grounds are situated in east Oxford, across the river from the University Parks, and are dedicated to the women’s football, rugby and cricket clubs and have their own clubhouse. Graduate students can also participate in sport via the University Club on Mansfield Road, which has a gym and hosts several University Club sports sections, and via the colleges, which often have facilities of their own such as sports grounds, squash courts, boathouses and punts.

www.sport.ox.ac.uk

“

I have thoroughly enjoyed playing cricket in Oxford. I can’t get enough of Oxford’s beautiful and picturesque cricket grounds.”

Anup Surendranath, DPhil Law (Balliol College)

 Photograph by Ralph Williamson, Postgraduate Diploma in Psychodynamic Practice

42 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Nightlife and music For a relatively small city, where it seems nothing is ever more than 15 minutes away, Oxford attracts the best in arts, culture and entertainment. What most surprises newcomers is the sheer variety on offer. Oxford offers opera and classical music, club nights and live gigs, formal dining and decadent cocktails, pubs and bars, plus places that serve food from all over the world and to suit all budgets.

City scene As compelling as college life is, it is also well worth venturing out and seeing what the city has to offer. This includes both mainstream and art-house cinemas; a number of theatres, staging everything from West End shows to classic drama and experimental theatre; and a variety of pubs, bars, clubs and live music venues.

Music and comedy Oxford’s live music scene is thriving. The O2 Academy is a well-established stop on the UK touring indie bands circuit, including frequent visits from big names. A number of other venues offer live music and club nights featuring all types of music including indie, hip-hop, punk, pop, jazz and folk.

Many of the UK’s top comedy acts regularly visit Oxford, often performing at the New Theatre, and the Glee Club Oxford hosts live comedy nights every weekend.

Special events Special events happen in Oxford throughout the year, including Party in the Park, the Oxford Folk Festival, the Jericho Street Fair and Oxford Pride, and many events rooted in Oxford’s history. For example, on the first day of May crowds gather on the High Street and Magdalen Bridge to listen to choristers sing an invocation to summer from the top of Magdalen College Tower at sunrise. Over the years this has turned into a major celebration, with balls and parties taking place the night before and lasting through into the morning. Most colleges also hold their own themed party nights, known as college ‘bops’, and these provide a great opportunity to invite friends from other colleges.

London is only a bus or train ride away, where a whole other world of entertainment and experiences awaits.

“

The University Parks are amazing, and the cafes are always surprising, with poets and musicians performing on a daily basis. The graffiti art in Cowley reminds me of Brazil.”

Diego Scardone, MSc Latin American Studies (St Antony’s College)

Photographs by (top) May Chan, DPhil Comparative Philology and General Linguistics (Worcester College); and by Yunli Song, DPhil Systems Biology DTC (Lady Margaret Hall) 

44 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Museums and Botanic Garden • 2 million visitors

each year

• Free museum

entry

Together, Oxford’s university museums constitute the greatest concentration of university museums in the world. Not only do they act as popular tourist destinations – free to visitors – but their world-class collections also provide unparalleled possibilities for teaching and research, and many graduate students work with the collections as part of their studies.

Ashmolean The Ashmolean – often regarded as the greatest university museum in the world – is the UK’s oldest public museum, and was established in 1683. Its collections of art and archaeology span four millennia, from the civilisations of Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, to early India, China and Japan, through Renaissance Europe, to the present day. The museum has undergone a major transformation in recent years. A new building, behind the famous 19th-century façade, has provided the Ashmolean with 100 per cent more display space and comprises 39 new galleries, including four exhibition galleries, a new education centre, and state-of-the-art conservation studios. In 2011 the museum opened six new galleries of Ancient Egypt and Nubia.

Natural History The Oxford University Museum of Natural History houses the University’s collection of 4.5 million zoological, entymological and geological specimens. As well as promoting research and teaching, the museum has also won awards for its work in public education. The Museum is located in a Grade One listed building, and is as famed for its spectacular neo-Gothic architecture as it is for the Oxfordshire dinosaurs and the dodo in its collections.

Pitt Rivers The Pitt Rivers Museum houses the University’s collections of anthropology and world archaeology.

Its atmospheric displays, with artefacts drawn from all corners of the world and all periods of human history, have influenced novelists, poets and film-makers. The museum also takes a leading role in contemporary research and museum curatorship.

Other museums The Museum of the History of Science is housed in the world’s oldest surviving purpose-built museum building – the Old Ashmolean. It displays an unrivalled collection of early scientific instruments and stages an innovative programme of public events on the history of science in its widest sense. Other specialist University collections include the Bate Collection of musical instruments and the Christ Church Picture Gallery.

Botanic Garden The University’s Botanic Garden is one of the most compact and diverse collections of plants in the world, and is the oldest such garden in Britain. It acts as a reference collection for 5,000 types of plant, supports teaching and research and is a member of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. As well as this, it has a beautiful location next to the river which makes it a delightful place to explore.

Photograph by Richard Passmore, DPhil Atmospheric, Oceanic and Planetary Physics (Lincoln College) 

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 45

Together, the museums and collections of Oxford offer an extraordinarily rich resource for viewing and exploration. An ever-changing programme of temporary and visiting exhibitions ensures that there is always something fresh and interesting to see, both in the University’s museums and also at the Bodleian Library, which regularly hosts its own temporary exhibitions.

www.museums.ox.ac.uk

46 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Libraries The Bodleian Libraries, the world-renowned group of research libraries of the University of Oxford, form a global powerhouse for research and learning, offering a vast range of collections and services from ancient Egyptian fragments of papyrus to cutting-edge digital technologies.

They include iconic reading rooms such as the medieval Duke Humfrey’s Library and the reading rooms of the circular, domed Radcliffe Camera, as well as specialist departmental libraries ranging from the historic Taylor Institution Library for linguists to the twenty-first century Sainsbury Library at the Saïd Business School.

• 100 libraries • 11 million printed items • 50,000 e-journals

Diverse collections The Bodleian Libraries house unrivalled collections of published literature and primary source materials – manuscripts, rare books, scientific papers, ephemera, maps, music and photographs – spanning continents, ages, languages and subjects. Among the Libraries’ many treasures are four copies of the Magna Carta, Shakespeare’s First Folio and the oldest surviving manuscript of Euclid’s Elements (c. 888 AD). Access to the Special Collections for approved research is an important and unique element of graduate study at Oxford.

Digital resources Twenty-first century digital technology is opening up the academic riches of Oxford’s libraries. In addition to its vast print and archival collections, ‘the Bod’ (as it is known in Oxford) offers access to over 50,000 e-journals as well as licensed electronic databases and reference works. The Bodleian has already digitised more than a million items from its collections and, through the Oxford Digital Library, the University is leading the way in digitising manuscripts. As a partner in Google’s Book Search initiative, the Bodleian has scanned many of its nineteenth century books. Other partnerships involve the digitisation of maps, manuscripts, music, and rare books from its collections and archives.

Subject-based and college libraries In addition to the Bodleian Libraries, there are other specialist libraries connected to the University including departmental and college libraries, which offer collections and services tailored to the needs of their members.

Subject-based libraries offer specialist materials and their staff can help provide assistance in identifying books and journals and using electronic resources, and liaise with academics to provide tailored research training and support. In Science and Medicine, the physical library services are complemented by an active outreach programme to academics and researchers delivering training and other hands-on support from specialist librarians within departments, laboratories and medical wards.

Typically, college libraries offer long opening hours, a friendly service, generous lending terms, and a comfortable, quiet place to study.

www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk Photograph by Selma Mezetovic, Magister Juris (Lady Margaret Hall)) 

“

We have a labyrinth of libraries in Oxford. It’s fantastic!”

Morgan Wesley, DPhil History (Linacre College)

48 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Careers • Typical starting salary £3o,000 to £38,000*

Our graduate students are encouraged early on in their course to develop their longer-term goals and aspirations. The University is committed to helping its graduates find high-level employment, embark on satisfying careers, and fulfil their personal and professional potential.

Careers Service From the very beginning of your time as an Oxford student, the Careers Service can help support you to define and then achieve your future plans. The Service offers workshops and training to help you put together a strong CV, develop an effective job search strategy, make competitive job applications and develop your interview skills. Regular events are held for Master’s students, and a termly programme of workshops supports research students embarking on either an academic or a non-academic career.

Getting the job of your choice often depends on getting the right experiences throughout your time as a student. Many employers like to see evidence of activities beyond your course. The Careers Service offers a number of programmes that help you learn more about various careers while getting valuable first-hand experience and skills development, including the Internship Programme and the Student Consultancy.

Internship Programme The Internship Programme offers global summer internships to current undergraduate and graduate students, most of which are provided by Oxford alumni or through business and educational partnerships. The aim of the programme is to provide opportunities for Oxford students to gain valuable professional experience in a variety of sectors and cultures all over the world. Opportunities include work with prominent, groundbreaking organisations and companies, on highly competitive, innovative, dynamic, exciting and unusual projects which would not otherwise be readily available to students.

Student Consultancy The Student Consultancy is an innovative and unique programme that links Oxford students with local businesses and community organisations in eight-week placements alongside their academic studies. Students get a crash course in management consultancy and the chance to embed themselves in a local business as part of a team working on real strategic and management projects. It gives local SMEs (small to medium-sized enterprises), charities, community organisations and businesses access to free consultancy and creative thinking. Over 750 students have now participated in the programme and have used the experience to gain new skills, friends and experiences that boost their CVs. Careers fairs The Careers Service hold several careers fairs throughout the year in Oxford that provide students with a valuable opportunity to meet hundreds of potential employers face-to-face. Fairs are also *Median average for postgraduates only is £30,000. Mean average for postgraduates only is £38,000 (DLHE data 2011)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 49

Photograph by Chun Yu Chong, MSc Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition (Lady Margaret Hall)

held each year in Hong Kong, Beijing, and Shanghai, offering Oxford’s students a unique way to meet with recruiters based in mainland China and Hong Kong.

The Shed Designed to be an incubator for budding student enterprises, The Shed offers support for those who think they have the beginnings of a great business or would like to start a company but need inspiration. Weekly innovation workshops cover business basics from finance to teamwork, and the programme provides hot-desking space, networking opportunities, and one-to-one mentoring to convert an idea to a draft business plan.

www.careers.ox.ac.uk

“

The internship helped me get the job I wanted in that it clarified my thinking about what I wanted to do, it gave me good examples of why I wanted to do it, and it’s something that obviously looked good on my CV, and was good to talk about in interviews. It’s certainly something that makes you stand out.”

Marcus Garvey, MPhil Modern Chinese Studies (Christ Church)

50 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

Continuing support in your career The support of the Careers Service does not end the day you graduate. Many alumni continue to benefit from the services on offer, whether through the provision of information, details of job vacancies, or through access to individual advice and workshops.

•7 ,000 job opportunities advertised each year

Electronic resources The University subscribes to a wide range of electronic resources for the use of students and alumni.

These include job-related information sites such as the Going Global Careers Guide and Ethical Job Sites, as well as online practice aptitude test sites, and worldwide volunteering listings.

CareerConnect CareerConnect is an online service that allows you to stay in touch with the Careers Service both while you are a student and after you graduate. It provides an information hub, updated daily, with a searchable database of graduate job vacancies, development opportunities and available mentors.

You can also create a personal profile on the system, and upload your CV and other documents. Some employers also allow you to apply for jobs directly from your CareerConnect profile.

Oxford Careers Network Many people find that the most valuable resources are the ones that enable Oxford’s students and alumni to make contact with each other. The Oxford Careers Network is a searchable database of Oxford alumni who have agreed to act as informal e-mentors to current students and other alumni.

Many of the network members welcome email enquiries on career-related matters.

Networking events The University Alumni Office, in association with the Careers Service, hosts a number of activities and sector-specific professional networking events throughout the year and recent topics have included how to ‘do’ networking, careers in science communications and ethical careers. There is also an annual Alumni Careers Conference in London focusing on career change.

Many alumni find that as their careers progress, they want to give something back to the University and its students. Alumni are encouraged to advertise job vacancies or internships through the Careers Service and many successful alumni take up this opportunity.

Alumni can also take advantage of discounted rates on a number of Continuing Professional Development and Executive Education courses offered by the University.

www.careers.ox.ac.uk

Photograph by Abi Stone, DPhil Geography and the Environment (Keble College) 

“

My degrees from Oxford have helped me develop professionally in my field and have also given me access to a worldwide network of peers and professors, with whom I have consistently kept in touch.�

Varun Divgikar, MSc Computer Science and MSc Financial Economics (Hertford College)

“

The student is not only challenged by this intellectually stimulating environment, but it helps to develop – unconsciously – that rare form of confidence which prepares him or her to assume leadership roles in different situations.”

Emefa Amoako, DPhil Education (St Anne’s College)

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 53

Joining Oxford’s alumni

• 200 groups worldwide • 92 countries

Oxford degrees are conferred at a degree ceremony which usually take place in the Sheldonian Theatre or at the Examination Schools. For many students, this is a highlight of their Oxford experience, a chance to get dressed up in full academic regalia and celebrate their achievements with family and friends.

Part of a large community Having graduated, you become part of the extensive Oxford alumni community. There are numerous ways to stay involved, no matter where you are or what you are doing. Every year, the University hosts a popular and well-attended Alumni Weekend in Oxford, and colleges also host special reunion events. You are encouraged to join any number of alumni networks; Oxford boasts one of the most extensive alumni networks in the world, with more than 200 groups spanning 92 countries.

Oxford10 Oxford10 is a special network for graduates who left Oxford in the past ten years, who would like to stay involved with the life of the University and in touch with their peers. Based in London, Oxford10 runs regular speaker events and informal drinks evenings throughout the year, as well as careerfocused events.

Oxford graduates go on to achieve success in a staggeringly wide variety of fields and endeavours.

If there is a connecting theme that unites Oxford graduates, however, it is that they have experienced a particular form of education that prizes the ability to work independently, think rigorously, ask questions, analyse, and set out evidenced, nuanced arguments. Many graduates share the belief that these are the vital skills that set them up for their future career success, no matter which field of employment they enter.

www.alumni.ox.ac.uk | www.oxford10.com

 Photograph by Jin Lee, DPhil Experimental Psychology (Pembroke College)

54 | Graduate Prospectus 2014–15

How to apply 1. Choose your course Think carefully about the type of course that would be right for you. Are you interested in a master’slevel taught course or are you in a position to embark upon a doctoral degree?

See our course listing for the graduate courses on offer. For the most up-to-date information see our online Course Guide, which includes full information about the courses and how to apply.

It also includes links to departmental websites, which offer more detailed course information and advice on how to contact the department if you have any specific questions about course content, research projects or your academic suitability.

English proficiency requirements please see the Apply section of our website.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/apply

3. Explore funding opportunities It is worth thinking about how you will fund your study as early as possible. Our Fees and Funding website has full information about how to fund your study and other financial issues that you will need to consider. The online Fees, Funding and Scholarship Search will help you find out what you might be eligible to apply for, including awards from specific departments and colleges, as well as University-wide scholarships.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/fundingsearch

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/courses

4. Check the application deadlines

2. Check the entry requirements

The University has a number of application deadlines throughout the year and these vary by course. Every course has a main application deadline in January, these are:

Previous academic excellence is a key requirement for graduate study at Oxford. Successful applicants tend to be those who achieved the very highest results of their graduating class.

The normal minimum qualification to be eligible for admission as a graduate student at Oxford is the completion of a bachelor’s degree with first or strong upper second class honours, usually equivalent to a US GPA of 3.5 to 3.8. For guidance on how international degrees compare, you can take a look at the UK NARIC website.

www.naric.org.uk Not all programmes require an undergraduate degree in the same subject area and there are some courses, in particular some of those offered by the Department for Continuing Education, which will take relevant experience or alternative backgrounds into consideration. Specific entry requirements for each course are detailed in the online Course Guide.

English is the language of instruction for all courses at Oxford and this also applies to thesis and examination papers. For full information about

Friday 10 January 2014 – Medical Sciences, Computer Science, Philosophy, and Politics and International Relations Friday 24 January 2014 – All other subjects You will need to submit a completed application by the January deadline if you would like to be considered for one of our scholarship schemes.

Check our Course Guide to find out the application deadlines that apply for your course.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/courses Some courses may accept applications after the main deadlines if places and funding are still available. Some also offer separate application deadlines for specific studentships so make sure you check our Course Guide for full course-specific information.

After each application deadline, the department evaluates all applications received up to that date, first against the published academic selection criteria, and secondly in comparison with each

Graduate Prospectus 2014–15 | 55

other. Decision letters are sent out by departments after the relevant application deadline, usually by email.

The application deadlines are really important – especially the January deadline if you are hoping to be awarded one of our scholarships – so it is a good idea to plan ahead and gather all your application materials together as early as possible.

5. Decide if you have a college preference All Oxford’s colleges and halls are equipped to cater for graduate students and will give you a very warm welcome. Our online College Guide gives an introduction to Oxford’s colleges and the unique benefits they offer graduate students.

You can either let us assign a college for you as many of our applicants do, or state your preferred college. Letting us assign you a college, or stating a college preference, will not affect how your department assesses your application and ultimately whether or not they decide to make you an offer.

If you are offered a place on a course by a department, you will be guaranteed a college place but this may not be at your college of preference, if you indicated one. Please note that the offer of a college place does not necessarily mean that you will be guaranteed college accommodation as well.

For a full list of courses and the colleges and halls that accept applications for them, please use our online College Search tool.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/colleges

6. Collect together supporting materials and submit your application It is really important that we receive all your supporting materials including your references (along with a completed application form and payment) by the application deadline to be guaranteed that your application will be considered.

Please check our online Course Guide and Application Guide to see exactly what is required for

your course – at the very least this will include your CV, research proposal or statement of purpose, an academic transcript and academic references.

It may also include written work, documentary evidence of your English proficiency (if applicable) and other items.

It is your responsibility to ask your referees to write a reference for you and to ensure that they have submitted it by the deadline. Make sure that you give them plenty of notice and that you make them aware of the deadline.

Please note that there is a non-refundable application fee to pay for each application you make.

Make sure your application is complete in time for the application deadline; otherwise it will not normally be considered by the department.

The University typically receives a very high volume of applications the day before the application deadline and the day of the deadline itself. This can mean that we are unable to respond to queries as quickly as we might wish, and if you encounter any difficulties with submitting your application we may not be able to help you. With this in mind, we would strongly recommend that you prepare and submit your application as early as possible, well in advance of the deadline so there is plenty of time for us to support you.

Application Guide For detailed information about application deadlines, supporting materials, and full guidance for completing and submitting the application form, please see our online Application Guide.

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/apply

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Photograph by May Chan, DPhil Comparative Philology and General Linguistics (Worcester College)

A matriculated student at Oxford University is a member both of the University and of one of its constituent colleges or permanent private halls. The two relationships are governed by separate, though interlinking, contracts.

The form of contract with the University is a complete and exclusive statement of the terms of the contract between each matriculated student and the University.

If and when an unconditional offer is made to you, you will be supplied with the form of contract with the University, and you should study this carefully before accepting the offer. If you are also supplied with a form of college contract, you should give this similar attention.

No contract with the University is formed until an applicant in receipt of a confirmed offer has signed and returned the contract.

The University will deliver a student’s chosen programme of study in accordance with the descriptions set out in the Course Guide at www.ox.ac.uk/graduate/ course_guide. However, where courses or options depend on placement at another institution or on specialist teaching, availability in a given year cannot be guaranteed in advance. The University also reserves the right to vary

the content and delivery of programmes of study: to discontinue, merge or combine options within programmes of study: and to introduce new options or courses. Changes in course provision may arise from desirable developments in the relevant subject or alterations in teaching practice and/or facilities, as well as from causes such as resource constraints or staff movements. Changes in course provision may occur either before or after admission, but will take account of the reasonable expectations of any student admitted to or engaged on a specific programme of study. In the unlikely circumstance of the University deciding to make substantial and material changes to a programme of study after acceptance of a place by a student, the student will be able to withdraw from that programme of study.

Please note that any dates which may be given to you for the sitting of examinations or the notification or publication of results are estimates only. If the University is prevented from meeting those dates by adverse circumstances beyond its control, the University will take all reasonable steps to put alternative arrangements in place as quickly as possible, and to keep you informed.

Did you know?

•O xford is the oldest English-speaking university in the world.

• Oxford has educated 26 British Prime Ministers and at least 30 additional world leaders.

• Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries consist of more than 100 separate libraries, with a combined collection of more than 11 million printed items and 50,000 e-journals.

•O xford is linked to over 50 Nobel Prize winners.

•O xford is home to more than 9,800 talented graduate students representing 147 different nationalities. xford is ranked first in the UK and joint second in the world in the Times Higher Education Supplement’s •O World University Rankings 2012–13.

•O xford is about 60 miles (90km) north-west of London – only an hour away from Heathrow Airport and 90 minutes from Gatwick Airport.

Contact details Graduate Admissions and Funding www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ask Tel: +44 (0)1865 270059 (admissions) Tel: +44 (0)1865 280487 (funding)

@oxfordgradstudy www.facebook.com/oxfordgradstudy

www.graduate.ox.ac.uk