Accepting your offer

Once you have a confirmed place, consult the University pages on arriving as a new student to assist you in answering any questions you might have before you arrive and in your first few weeks in Oxford.

This information is part of the Student Gateway website, designed to provide a single point of access to services and resources that you may require throughout your studies. 

Your department will send you the University Student Contract, which you need to sign and return together with a passport photograph. This will enable you to become an enrolled student.

Please note that if you do not meet the conditions of your offer by the deadlines set by the department and the college, the offer will be withdrawn.  

The University does not normally accept requests for deferral of entry. You will normally be expected to start your course on the date and term indicated on your offer letter. However, you may apply for a deferral of entry if:

1. Unforeseen and unforeseeable circumstances that are outside your control will prevent you from taking up your offer. This might include, for example, ill health or bereavement. In some instances, deferrals can also be requested because of visa application issues,
   
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2. You have met all the conditions of your offer, including your Financial Declaration. 

Deferrals will only be granted if they are approved by the department that has made you an offer, as well as the college that has accepted you.

If you have been granted a deferral, please note that the University cannot guarantee the following for your deferred year of entry:

• that there will be availability of supervision,
• that the programme will remain open, and
• that the programme will not be amended.

If supervision were to become unavailable or the programme were to close following the granting of a deferral to you, the department would inform you that it has become necessary for them to withdraw its offer of a place.

Requesting a deferral because of visa application issues

If you have received an offer for a research programme (e.g. DPhil) and have had your visa application delayed or rejected you may be granted a deferral for one term at a time (up to a maximum of three terms).

If you have received an offer for a taught course (e.g. MSc, MSt or MPhil) you cannot apply to defer on these grounds.

Length of deferral

If you have received an offer for a research programme (e.g. DPhil), and you meet the criteria given above, you can apply to defer for either one, two or three terms (i.e. a full academic year).

If you have received an offer for a taught course (e.g. MSc, MSt or MPhil), and you meet the criteria given above, you may only apply to defer for a full academic year.

Deferrals are not granted for more than one year.

Requests for deferral

Deferral requests must be made in writing to the department that has made you an offer before the start of your programme if you meet the criteria outlined above. You will get a letter back from your department or faculty letting you know if your deferral has been granted.

Other options

If you are not eligible to apply for a deferral, or if you want to defer for more than a year, you can always submit a completely new application (and you will need to pay the application fee) for the year in which you wish to start.