Oxford's graduate programmes

Oxford’s graduate programmes are internationally renowned. They are both shorter and more intense than equivalent courses at some other universities, allowing you to move on faster to the next stage of your career. Varied training courses will support your academic and personal development. The University offers more than 300 graduate programmes in the Humanities, Social Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences as well as through the Department for Continuing Education. Make sure to visit the Course Guide for a full list of programmes and their requirements.

Oxford’s Master’s courses

Oxford’s Master’s courses typically range from 9 to 12 months, although the Master of Philosophy programme (MPhil) and Master of Science by Research programme take two years to complete. On Oxford Master’s courses you can expect to attend lectures, classes and seminars, with assessment usually being by examination and often, in addition, a thesis.

The Oxford doctorate

The Oxford doctorate (called DPhil rather than PhD) typically lasts between 3 and 4 years. You will work closely with your supervisor throughout on a major research project.

Essential requirements for graduate study

• The normal minimum entry requirement for graduate study at Oxford is the completion of a Bachelor’s degree with a first or upper second class honours, which equates to a US GPA of between 3.5-3.8 based on the 4.0 system. Students applying for a doctoral course usually need to complete a Master’s degree first.
• The full requirements for each course are listed in our Course Guide in the right-hand column for each departmental page under ‘Key Facts’.