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Fee liability

Your length of fee liability is the length of time that you have to pay course fees to the University. Your normal period of fee liability will usually be the same as the standard length of your course.

For information on how fee status is decided and changes to status see Fee Status.

Fee liability information

You are required to pay your course fees for the year no later than Week 1 in the term in which you commence study or seven days after the actual start date of your course if this is later. We recommend you contact your college to check payment arrangements.

What fees or charges are payable after I've reached the standard period of course fees liability?

Currently some colleges apply a termly continuation charge once students have exceeded the standard period of course fees liability. 

The University will apply a continuation charge for graduate students starting research study in 2011/12 or later (this includes any students progressing from a postgraduate taught degree to a research degree in 2011/12). The charge will apply to all students regardless of Home/EU or Overseas fee status.  

Further information about University and college continuation charges can be found on the Continuation charges page.

Fees may also be payable if you need to re-sit an examination, change your options after the deadline re-submit a thesis or dissertation, or need a transcript beyond the first copy. 

Does the University apply any fees or charges in addition to course fees?

Some charges are made in addition to course fees, for example if you need to re-sit an examination, change your options after the deadline, or need to re-submit a thesis or dissertation, or need a transcript beyond the first copy. More details on these fees are available on the other charges page available from the right hand side of this page.

I'm a research student and I'm conducting research outside Oxford, do I still have to pay course fees?

Yes, course fees are payable whether you are in Oxford or are conducting research elsewhere. Research programmes have a standard period of fee liability, more information on this is available below.

Standard completion times and standard fee liability by qualification

Maximum liabilities quoted on this page are taken from detailed information contained in the University's Regulations on Financial Matters, which are the definitive source for information on University fees.

Undergraduate qualifications

  • Expected completion time: dependent on course but usually three to four years.
  • Standard fee liability: fees are payable for every year a student is registered on course.

Postgraduate certificate/postgraduate diploma

  • Expected completion time: dependent on course.
  • Standard fee liability: fees are payable for every year a student is registered on course.

PGCE

  • Expected completion time: one year.
  • Standard fee liability: fees are payable for every year a student is registered on course.

BCL/MJur

  • Expected completion time: one year (three terms).
  • Standard fee liability: fees are payable for every year a student is registered on course.

MLitt

  • Expected completion time: six terms.
  • Maximum fee liability: six terms unless an examination is failed.

MSt, MSc (by coursework)

  • Expected completion time: three terms.
  • Maximum fee liability: six terms unless an examination is failed.

MSc (by research)

  • Expected completion time: two to three years.
  • Standard fee liability: six terms, continuation charges may be payable beyond six terms.

MFA

  • Expected completion time: 40 weeks.
  • Maximum fee liability: six terms unless an exam is failed.

MBA

  • Expected completion time: 32 weeks (excluding vacations).
  • Maximum fee liability: six terms unless an exam is failed.

MTh

  • Expected completion time: two years (six terms) when studied full-time.
  • Maximum fee liability: six terms when studied full-time unless an examination is failed.

MPP

  • Expected completion time: three terms.
  • Maximum fee liability: six terms unless an examination is failed.

BPhil, MPhil

  • Expected completion time: six terms.
  • Maximum fee liability: six terms unless an examination is failed.

DPhil

  • Expected completion time: three to four years (nine to 12 terms).
  • Standard fee liability: nine terms (for exceptions see 'DPhil - Interdisciplinary Doctoral Training Centres' below). Continuation charges may be payable beyond nine terms, see 'What fees or charges are payable after I've reached the standard period of tuition fee liability?' above.

Students already awarded an MPhil, BPhil or MSt Legal Research by the University of Oxford may have their DPhil fee liability reduced by three terms. Students who started their graduate study prior to September 2006 may have a different reduced fee liability, please contact the Student Fees Team.

DPhil, Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) and Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTP)

  • Award: All these programmes lead to the award of a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil if completed at the University of Oxford; PhD if completed at another partner institution). For the Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures CDT programme, it is also possible to follow a programme leading to the award of a Doctor of Engineering (DEng).
  • Expected completion time: Four years (12 terms) from admission to the programme.
  • Standard fee liability: 12 terms (four years), however, please refer to the individual course listings below as this can vary between programmes. Continuation charges will be payable beyond the standard period of fee liability. For these programmes only, terms enrolled at another university as part of your doctoral training programme are counted towards the standard period of fee liability. Continuation charges may be payable beyond the standard period of fee liability.

Standard fee liability by programme of study:

  • Autonomous Intelligent Machines and Systems, ESPRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Biomedical Imaging, EPSRC and MRC CDT: Students admitted by the University of Oxford are liable for 12 terms of course fees. Students admitted by the University of Nottingham are enrolled at the University of Oxford for three terms in the first academic year of their programme and are liable for three terms of course fees at the University of Oxford.
  • Cyber Security, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Diamond Science and Technology, EPSRC CDT: Students admitted by the University of Oxford are enrolled on the MSc in Diamond Science and Technology at the University of Warwick for one academic year and will be liable for fees at that university at their fee rates. Subject to meeting the progression criteria, students are then enrolled by the University of Oxford and are liable for a further nine terms of course fees at the University of Oxford.
  • Environmental Research, NERC DTP: 12 terms.
  • Gas Turbine Aerodynamics (Future Propulsion and Power from 2019/20), EPSRC CDT: Students admitted by the University of Oxford are enrolled on the MRes in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics at the University of Cambridge for one academic year and are liable for fees at that University at their fee rates. Subject to meeting the progression criteria, students are then enrolled by the University of Oxford and are liable for a further nine terms of course fees at the University of Oxford.
  • Healthcare Innovation, RCUK CDT: 12 terms.
  • Health Data Science, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Industrially Focused Mathematical Modelling, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Inorganic Chemistry for Future Manufacturing, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Interdisciplinary Bioscience, BBSRC DTP: 12 terms.
  • Life Sciences Interface, EPSRC DTC: 12 terms.
  • Mathematics of Random Systems: Analysis, Models and Algorithms, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Modern Statistics and Statistical Machine Learning, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms. 
  • New and Sustainable Photovoltaics, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Oil and Gas, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Partial Differential Equations: Analysis and Applications, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Renewable Energy Marine Structures, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Science and Application of Plastic Electronic Materials, EPSRC CDT: Students admitted by the University of Oxford are enrolled on the MRes in Plastic Electronic Materials at Imperial College London for one academic year and are liable for fees at that University at their fee rates. Subject to meeting the progression criteria, students are then enrolled by the University of Oxford and are liable for a further nine terms of course fees at the University of Oxford.
  • Science and Engineering in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology, EPSRC CDT: Students admitted to this CDT are enrolled on the MRes in Science and Engineering in Arts, Heritage and Archaeology at University College London for their first year and are liable during that period for fees at that University’s fee rates. Subject to meeting the progression criteria, those students who are then enrolled by the University of Oxford are liable for a further nine terms of fees at the University of Oxford.
  • Science and Technology of Fusion Energy, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Statistical Sciences, EPSRC and MRC CDT: Students admitted by the University of Oxford are liable for 12 terms of course fees. Students admitted by the University of Warwick are enrolled at the University of Oxford for three terms in the first academic year of their programme and are liable for three terms of course fees at the University of Oxford.
  • Sustainable Approaches to Biomedical Science, EPSRC and MRC DTC: 12 terms.
  • Synthesis for Biology and Medicine, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Synthetic Biology, EPSRC and BBSRC CDT: 12 terms. Students admitted by the University of Oxford are liable for 12 terms of course fees. Students admitted by the University of Warwick or the University of Bristol are enrolled at the University of Oxford for three terms in the first academic year of their programme and are liable for three terms of course fees at the University of Oxford.
  • Systems Approaches to Biomedical Science, EPSRC and MRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Systems Biology, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.
  • Theory and Modelling in Chemical Sciences, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms. All students are enrolled on the MSc in Theoretical and Computational Chemistry for three terms, and are liable for three terms of course fees. Following this, and subject to meeting the progression criteria, students remaining at Oxford are enrolled on the Theory and Modelling in Chemical Sciences programme and are liable for a further nine terms of course fees. Those enrolled at the University of Southampton or the University of Bristol for years two to four of their programme will be liable for fees at those universities at their fee rates, and on successful completion of their programme will be awarded a PhD by the university where they have been enrolled.
  • Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures, EPSRC CDT: 12 terms.

DPhil, Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre programmes

  • Expected completion time: four years (12 terms) from admission to the programme.
  • Standard fee liability: 12 terms (four years), however, please refer to the individual course listings below as this can vary between programmes. Continuation charges may be payable beyond the standard period of fee liability.

Standard fee liability by programme of study:

Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Doctoral Training Partnership

  • Standard fee liability: DPhil programmes within the AHRC Doctoral Training Partnership are subject to the standard period of DPhil fee liability (see DPhil Fee Liability, above).

Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Doctoral Training Centre Programmes

  • Standard fee liability: The standard period of fee liability for programmes studied within the ESRC Doctoral Training Centre is the same as the standard fee liability for the particular award being studied for. For example, DPhil programmes within this Doctoral Training Centre are subject to the standard period of DPhil fee liability (see DPhil Fee Liability, above).

EngD

  • Expected completion time: four years (12 terms).
  • Standard fee liability: 12 terms, continuation charges may be payable beyond 12 terms (see 'What fees or charges are payable after I've reached the standard period of college fees liability?' above).