Life in Oxford
Combining ancient college buildings and quadrangles with contemporary architecture, bustling shopping centres and a modern transport infrastructure, Oxford mixes centuries of tradition with a cosmopolitan vibe. Boasting a diverse range of museums, galleries, theatres, bars and restaurants, Oxford is an exciting place to live and a perfect host to the academic departments, multidisciplinary colleges, graduate student common rooms, sports clubs and student societies that connect students across the city and provide endless opportunities to socialise and have fun.
Canadians are the University’s fourth largest group of international students and are well-catered for through sports and societies. For instance, there are ice hockey teams including the Oxford University Ice Hockey Women’s Blues and Oxford University Alternative Ice Hockey Club.
The Canadian Society organises social events, many with other national societies, for its substantial membership of over 120, and promotes talks, sporting activities and opportunities such as employment following your studies. You can visit the Canadian Society Facebook Group to find out more.
Oxford University Student Union
The Oxford University Student Union (OUSU) represents the student body to the University and the outside world. OUSU offers advice, support and training to students and colleges, as well as a number of other services.
Health and welfare
You can rest assured that you will be well taken care of as a student in Oxford. The University offers a range of services, from the college porters and security patrols that keep premises safe to the student Counselling Service.
As a student you will also be able to register with a medical doctor, either through your college or at a local health centre. The UK's National Health Service allows you to visit a doctor - known as a General Practitioner, or GP - free of charge. If you need medicine, the GP will issue you with a prescription which can be taken to any nearby pharmacy. 24-hour advice is available via the NHS Direct service.
Colleges
As an Oxford graduate student, you will belong to a department which will provide your teaching and supervision. You will also be a member of one of the University’s forty-four colleges.
Being a member of a college is one of the most unique aspects of studying at Oxford. Colleges offer you an immersive community of fellow students and academics from a diverse range of backgrounds and interests.
Colleges offer students a space to study, socialise, and grow. They can also provide:
- Library access
- Dining facilities
- IT provision
- Welfare support
- MCR Membership*
*The MCR, or Middle Common Room, is both a physical space and an organisation that provides graduate students with social events, support, and a community of fellow graduate students.
Seven of Oxford’s colleges are dedicated to graduate students only, providing uniquely tailored college support for over a third of our postgraduate population. In addition, thirty colleges and all six permanent private halls admit students for both graduate and undergraduate degrees.
“The college system is Oxford's most unique feature. The opportunity to meet and engage with so many peers in varied fields is not something that many graduate students in Canada experience. I encourage every new graduate to fully immerse themselves in college life! The DPhil is much shorter than a PhD in Canada; 3 years instead of 4 or 5, although there is no coursework for a DPhil. Plan to work proportionately harder.”
Danna Gifford (Ottawa)
DPhil Zoology, Somerville College
Do I need to find a college?
Every student who is offered admission by a department will also be accepted by one of the colleges. If you wish to apply to a particular college, you can state one preference on your application form. Alternatively, you can let us find a college for you, as one in three of our applicants did last year. Whichever college you are placed with, you can be assured of a warm, welcoming community. To get an idea of what colleges have to offer, explore a few of their websites via our College Guide.
Main photograph by Nesrine Abdel-Sattar (Mansfield College); Modern Art Oxford photograph by Edward Sanderson