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Studying in college
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Starting your application

This section of the Application Guide covers:

  • when to apply, and our deadlines;
  • managing your graduate applicant account and applications; and
  • how to complete the Application type and Course tabs of the application form. 

Once you've decided to apply for graduate study at Oxford, you should aim to do so as early as possible. It can take a number of weeks to obtain all of the documents you need and prepare a competitive application, and you should allow your referees plenty of time to submit your references.

To start your application, visit the course page of your chosen course and click the 'Apply' button on the How To Apply section of the page.

We strongly recommend that you submit your application form and all of your supporting documents at least two weeks before your chosen deadline. Don't wait until the day of the deadline! We may not always be able to answer your questions or help you to resolve any problems in time, particularly around our busiest application deadlines in December and January. 

Can I apply for graduate study if I'm currently studying?

Yes, absolutely. You can apply for graduate study at Oxford during your final year of your degree.

Most of Oxford's graduate courses commence in Michaelmas term (early October). If you receive an offer of a place, you'll usually be required to fulfil any conditions set by your department and college by the end of August. This will include arranging for a final official transcript to be sent to your department directly from the institution or accredited e-transcript provider. Alternatively, the hard copy original transcript can be posted to the department. For more information about providing transcripts, consult the Supporting Documents section of this guide.

If you're currently studying and won't receive your final degree results before the start of term in Oxford:

  • contact your department to discuss whether you might be able start in a later term (research courses); or
  • wait and apply to begin your study in the next academic year (taught courses).

Can I start my course in a different term?

The vast majority of our taught courses begin in Michaelmas term (October) and you won't be able to commence your study at a later point unless that is explicitly indicated on the relevant course page. For more information about Oxford's academic terms, visit our Dates of term page.

If you'd like to start a research course at the beginning of a term other than Michaelmas (October), contact the academic department directly.

Course deadlines

The deadlines for each course are stated on the course page. Most course deadlines are on a Friday at 12.00 midday UK time.

You can apply to any deadline given on the course page for your chosen course, but you should try to apply to the earliest deadline available.

If your course has more than one deadline, this means that applications are considered in two or more separate batches. You'll usually receive a decision from your academic department about 8 to 10 weeks after the deadline to which you have applied.

November deadline

Some courses have a November deadline. If you apply in time for this deadline, you'll be considered for Oxford scholarships. You're also likely to receive an earlier decision than those who apply for later deadlines.

December and January deadlines

Almost all courses have a December or January deadline. You can check which deadline your course uses on the course page. You must apply by the December or January deadline used by your course if you wish to be considered for Oxford scholarships, or any scholarship which uses these deadlines.

You're encouraged to apply by the earliest deadline for your course if:

  • you need a student visa, as you must have your Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) number from the University before you can apply for your visa;
  • you are declaring a disability or long-term health condition, as early notice will help us support you in the college admissions process if your application is successful.

Many courses will close to applications after their December or January deadline. 

Applying for Medical Sciences Division courses after the December deadline

The December deadline is the latest deadline shown on the course page for many of the courses offered by the Medical Sciences Division. However, some of these courses may stay open to applications for 2024-25 entry if places are still available. Your course page will indicate if the course is remaining open to applications. Please note that if you apply after the December deadline, you will not be considered for Oxford scholarships or any scholarship that uses the December deadline.

March deadline

Some courses also have a March deadline. If you apply for this deadline, you will not be considered for Oxford scholarships.

Applying after standard deadlines

After the March deadline, some courses may stay open to applications for 2024-25 entry if places are still available. Your course page will indicate if the course is remaining open to applications. Once the department wishes to close the course, the final closing date will be posted on the course page, usually one week in advance.

The majority of courses will have filled their places by this time, and will not remain open.

The admissions cycle ends at 12.00 midday UK time on Friday 23 August 2024. Any courses that have remained open throughout will close on this date. 

Course admissions status

Each course will have one of the following indicated on the page:

Open to applications

The course is open for admission. If the listed deadlines have passed, there are still places available for you to apply for and the course will stay open until these are filled. The final closing date will be advertised on the course page, usually at least one week in advance.

Closing to applications

The course will close on the date indicated, usually on a Friday at 12.00 midday UK time. The specific date and time of the deadline will be given.

Closed to applications

The course isn't currently accepting applications for 2024-25 study. Occasionally a closed course may re-open later: for example, if studentships become available.

Admission via separate process

The course uses a non-standard application form, application process and deadlines, so the admissions status won't appear on the course page.

Funding deadlines

To be eligible for Oxford scholarships, you must apply by the December or January deadline used by your course. If your course uses a November deadline, applications submitted by this deadline will also be eligible for Oxford scholarships. 

Other scholarships may not use the standard course deadlines, and may require an additional application. You can find deadlines and other instructions via our Fees, funding and scholarship search.

Courses may remain open or re-open after the published deadline(s) if funding opportunities from the academic department, such as studentships, become available. These will be advertised on the department’s website. The course page will provide a link to further information about the studentship, including the closing date. The course page won't show studentship closing dates or notice of closure.

You can find more information about applying for Oxford scholarships and funded studentships as part of your application in the Funding section of this Application Guide.

What happens if I miss a deadline?

If your application isn't submitted and complete by your chosen deadline, with all mandatory supporting documents and at least two references, it won't usually be considered at that deadline. If your course has a later deadline listed on the course page, your application will be moved into that deadline for assessment by the academic department.

If your application is submitted or becomes complete after your course’s final deadline, it is unlikely to be considered at all.

If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – for example, under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to have your application complete and submitted at least two weeks in advance.

For an introduction to Oxford's graduate courses, visit our Courses section. You can browse our courses A-Z or by department.

Once you've decided on a course and are ready to start your application, read the ‘How to apply’ section of your course page and click ‘Apply’ to access the online application system. 

Make sure that you choose the correct course in your application. You won't be able to change this after you start your form or after you apply. To choose a different course, you'll need to start a new application. 

Can I use an agent to help me complete and submit my application(s)?

The University doesn't have any arrangements or relationships with agents. You must complete your application yourself, and provide your own contact details.

All of the information you need to apply for graduate study at Oxford is free and publicly available on our website. Our course pages provide details of all of our graduate courses, including the entry requirements, the required supporting documents and how to apply to the course, and this Application Guide contains all of the information you need to prepare and submit your application. Our international applicants section has guidance on applying to Oxford as an international student.

Create an account

When you click ‘Apply’ on your course page, you'll be prompted to create a new graduate applicant account, or log into your account if you already have one.

You can use one account to create as many applications as you wish.

On the Graduate Application Form login page, click the ‘Create Account’ button and complete the registration form. You must provide an email address, which will be the primary email address for your account. Make sure that you will have access to this email address until your course start date as this address will be used for important correspondence. If you become unable to access this email address during the application process, contact Graduate Admissions.

If you later enter a different email address in the ‘primary email address’ field of the ‘Contact Details’ section of the application form, this will change the email address associated with your account. You will then need to use the new email address to log into your account.

Current Oxford graduate students

If you're a graduate student currently studying at the University, you'll need to create a new application account rather than logging into your existing one. In this case, you can use the same personal email address that you used for your previous account. Any applications you submit will be merged with your existing student record.

Log into your account

You can access your graduate applicant account using the following link: www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/applyonline.

Use your email address and password to log in. If you forget your password, you can request a new one via the ‘Forgotten Password’ link on the login page. 

If you have forgotten your login email address, or you are unable to access your account even after resetting your password, contact Graduate Admissions.

Using the application form

The application form is compatible with most web browsers, including Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari.

The form is also compatible with most tablet devices, although some may not display it correctly.

Each tab of the application form will display a symbol that indicates your progress in completing the tab:

  • a blue 'tick'  indicates that you have answered all of the mandatory questions on the tab;
  • a red 'cross' indicates that one or more mandatory questions has not been answered, or that there is an error in one of the fields;
  • a white square denotes the page you are currently working on.

Mandatory questions are marked with an asterisk (*). If you see an error message when you try to leave a tab, you can click 'Cancel' to stay on the page and edit any fields that have an error, which will be highlighted in yellow. Alternatively, you can click 'OK' to proceed to the next tab of the application form and return later to make any corrections.

Getting help

You'll see a question mark symbol question mark symbol beside some of the questions on the application form. Hover your mouse cursor over this symbol for additional information or instructions. 

Follow the sections of this Application Guide as you complete your application form. You'll also find links to relevant FAQs on each page. 

Applying on paper

If there are exceptional circumstances that mean it is very difficult for you to apply online, please contact Graduate Admissions by letter or by email with full details. We strongly recommend contacting us at least 20 working days before the application deadline to ensure an appropriate solution can be found.

Email: ga@admin.ox.ac.uk
Address: Graduate Admissions, University of Oxford, Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JD, UK

Multiple applications

Can I apply to more than one course?

You can apply to multiple courses for 2024-25 entry, and many applicants apply to more than one course, where their interests cut across different courses. If you are applying to more than one course, check that you meet the entry requirements for each one and that all of the relevant courses are still open to applications. Please let your referees know that they may receive multiple reference requests if you are intending to apply for more than one course.

For each course to which you wish to apply, you will need to submit a full and separate application with all supporting documents, including references, and pay an application fee.  There are two exceptions:

  • applications to more than one Physics DPhil: these do not require a separate application.
  • if you are entitled to an application fee waiver you will not have to pay an application fee. However, you will still require  a full and separate set of supporting documents to be submitted with your application.

You will not be able to study a full-time graduate course alongside any other graduate course at the University of Oxford or any other institution.

How do I start another application?

You may use your graduate application account to create as many course applications as you wish. Only applications you've submitted will be visible to departments. All other applications will be deleted automatically at the end of the following admissions cycle.

To start another application, click the 'Apply' button on the relevant course page and log in to your graduate application account.

Alternatively, log into your graduate application account and select ‘Start New Application’ on the ‘My Applications’ screen. If you are currently working on an application, you may need to click the ‘Save and Close’ button at the bottom of the screen before you can start a new application. 

You will need to search for your graduate course using the search tool:

  • enter one keyword from the course title and select your course from the list; or
  • type in the course code, which is available in 'Key facts' section of each course page.

You will only be able to select courses that are still open to applications. If you don't see the course you're searching for in the list, check the course page to make sure that it is still open for the current admissions cycle. 

If you start another application, the application form will automatically fill in most of the information you have already provided.

Can I apply again to the same course?

You may re-apply to a course you have applied to in a previous admissions year, but only once to any particular course for 2024-25 study.

The only exception is that it may be possible to apply more than once to a research course (eg DPhil courses), if the applications involve significantly different research proposals and receive authorisation from the academic department. Contact the academic department to confirm whether a second application will be permitted.

If the department confirms that you can apply again, you must submit a separate application with all required supporting documents and references, and pay an application fee for the second application.

Our online application system does not permit an applicant to apply twice for the same course. Therefore, if the academic department authorises a second application, it will inform Graduate Admissions and a link will be sent to you via email which enables you to create this new application.

If your application is unsuccessful in the current admissions cycle, you are welcome to apply again to the same course in the next admissions cycle (for study in 2025-26). The application form will be available from September 2024.

Deleting or cancelling applications

You will not be able to delete your application yourself after you have submitted it. Unsuccessful or incomplete applications will be automatically deleted at the end of the following admissions cycle. 

If you wish to withdraw your application after submitting it, log into Self-Service and access your submitted application. Click ‘Withdraw application’ and select one of the reasons offered. Once completed, you will receive an email to confirm that your application has been withdrawn.

The relevant academic department and allocated college (if applicable) will be automatically notified of the withdrawal so you do not need to take any further action.

Please only withdraw your application if this is your final decision. It is not normally possible to make a second application to the same course for the same year.

Your application fee is non-refundable, even if you withdraw your application before it has been assessed by the academic department.

On the 'Application Type' tab of the application form, you must select an application type before you can proceed to any other part of the form. You can return later to change this.

If you select an application type that is not ‘Standard’, you will not be able to proceed to the next tab until you have entered a valid authorisation code.

Standard

You should select the standard application type if your application does not fall into one of the other application types that are described below.

If you select this application type, you will need to pay the application fee of £75 per application.

The £75 application fee will be waived if you are eligible for a waiver. Application fee waivers for standard applications are available for:

  • UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and
  • those resident in low-income countries.

You can check if you might be eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply. Full instructions about how to apply for an application fee waiver, including any deadlines, can be found on the Declaration and Payment page. 

Application fee waivers for UK applicants from low-income backgrounds

Applicants from low income backgrounds may request a waiver of the application fee. You can start your application using the 'Standard' type while your eligibility for an application fee waiver is being considered. If it is determined that you're eligible for an application fee waiver, you will be asked return to this tab of the application form, select the 'Standard - application fee pre-paid or Readmissions' type and follow the instructions below, using a code that will be provided by email. If it is determined that you're not eligible for an application fee waiver you can continue with your 'Standard' application, but you will need to pay the £75 application fee before you are able to submit it for assessment. Further details and instructions can be found on the Declaration and Payment page.

Application fee waivers for those resident in low-income countries

If you indicate on your application form that you are resident in an eligible country (please refer to the list of eligible countries), you will be asked additional questions relating to this waiver scheme. If your answers to these questions indicate that you are eligible for this waiver, you won't be directed to the payment screens when you submit your application. Further details and instructions can be found on the Declaration and Payment page

Standard - application fee pre-paid or Readmissions

You should select this application type if you are making an additional application to an eligible research course that is closely related to your first application. You can check whether the course is eligible by verifying that it is on the permitted list of closely associated courses and that all other conditions of this scheme have been met. You will need to request an application fee waiver code and enter it in the application form. You will not be able to proceed to the next tab until you have entered a valid code. The £75 application fee will be waived for eligible applications of this type.

You should also select this application type if you are making an application for which the application fee has already been paid (eg via the University's Online Store) or a further payment is not required (eg if you're a UK applicant from a low-income background and your eligibility for an application fee waiver has been confirmed). You will need to provide a valid authorisation code and will not be able to proceed to the next tab until you have entered one.

You should also select this application type if you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and applying for a research course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply for readmission. The £75 application fee will be waived for eligible applications of this type. You must meet the same deadlines and requirements as other applicants.

The following Oxford students are eligible to apply for readmission:

  • MSt, MSc, MPhil, MPP, MFA, BCL, MJur, BPhil or MTh students applying to any DPhil course except the DPhil in Management;
  • BCL, MJur or MSc in Law and Finance students applying to the MPhil in Law;
  • PGCert in Nanotechnology students applying to the MSc in Nanotechnology for Medicine and Health Care.

Please note, MSc by Research students are not eligible.

To apply using this application type, you will need to obtain an authorisation code from your student self-service account and manually enter (do not copy and paste) it into the application form. You will not be able to proceed to the next tab until you have entered a valid code.

Where can I find my readmission code in Student Self Service?

After you've logged into Student Self Service, select ‘Academic and Assessment Information’. Under the ‘My student record’ heading, select ‘Check my details’ and locate the ‘Display Authorisation Code’ button at the bottom of the screen.

Once you've found your authorisation code, return to the ‘Application type’ tab of the online application form. Select ‘Application fee pre-paid or Readmissions' from the drop-down menu and enter your authorisation code into the text field that appears.

The authorisation code must be entered manually, without full stops, spaces or other unnecessary characters. Copying and pasting the code may cause an error.

Rhodes Scholar - new/enrolled/readmission

Please select this application type if you are a newly-selected Rhodes Scholar making a graduate application to Oxford. 

Please select this application type if you are a Rhodes Scholar currently enrolled at Oxford and applying for a further taught or readmissions course with confirmed Rhodes funding.  

In this section of the application form, you'll see a number of questions relevant to your course. Depending on the course to which you're applying, you may see some – but not all – of the questions below.

Proposed field and title of research project

If relevant for your course, you'll be asked to state your chosen research field and the title of your proposed research project.

You should not use this field to type out your full research proposal. You'll be able to upload your research proposal on the Supporting Documents tab.

Proposed supervisor

If relevant for your course, you'll be asked to provide the name or names of your proposed supervisor(s).

Applicants to DPhil (PhD) courses are often encouraged to contact potential supervisors before submitting an application, in order to discuss their proposed area of research and the likely availability of funding.

Your course page will state whether you're expected to identify a potential supervisor or supervisors before you apply, and whether you should approach them before submitting your application.

For most taught courses (eg MPhil, MSt and MSc courses) you won't be required to arrange supervision before applying. If you're accepted onto the course, your academic department will usually assign a project supervisor to you.

Your course page will have a 'Research staff' or 'Academic staff' link, which you can follow to find staff profiles and contact details for that academic department.

Dates unavailable for interview or visit

Not all courses hold interviews as part of the application process. The Entry requirements section of your course page will indicate whether applicants are interviewed, and if so, the method of interview (in person, via telephone or video call) and what format the interview will take. 

If you have queries about interview arrangements for your course, contact the relevant academic department. The contact details are available on your course page.

What is a college?

‘College’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 44 of the University’s colleges, including the five Permanent Private Halls (PPHs). Our Colleges section explains what a college is, and provides a profile of each college, as well as guidance on choosing a college.

All ‘matriculated’ students belong to a college. Matriculation is the formal process of becoming a member of the University, for students who are enrolled at the University on a degree-level course. 

Not all colleges accept students for every course. The Courses section of each college page will show you a list of all the courses for which that college accepts students, and the Colleges tab of your course page will show you which colleges are available for that course. 

Not all colleges accept part-time students, so your college options may differ depending on whether you're applying to a full-time or part-time version of a course.

Non-matriculated courses

Students on non-matriculated courses don't become formal members of the University and aren't members of a college. 

If a course is non-matriculated, this will be stated on the Colleges section of the course page. When making an application to one of these courses, you won't be able to select a college preference on your application form. 

Indicating a college preference

On the 'Course' tab of the application form, you should select either:

  • one preferred college, from the available list; or
  • ‘I have no college preference’.

The application form will only display the colleges that accept applicants for your chosen course. You may indicate one college preference.

You will not be able to change your college preference after you submit your application, or to indicate a college preference if you previously chose not to do so. 

Graduate students are first admitted by a University department. Stating a college preference will not affect how an academic department considers your application or whether you will be offered a place.

If you receive an offer from an academic department, you're also guaranteed to receive a college place if you're studying for a matriculated course. If your preferred college isn't able to offer you a place, you will be offered a place at another college. Once you receive an offer from a college, you won't be considered by any other colleges. You must accept this college offer in order to take up your place on the course. If you decline the college offer made to you, you are also declining the offer of the place on your course.

For information about the timeline for getting a college place after you receive an offer from your department, visit our Decision timeline page.

How do I apply for college scholarships?

A number of colleges have scholarships available for graduate students. You can use our fees, funding and scholarship search to find out if you're eligible for any of these and whether an additional separate application is required.

For the majority of college scholarships, you're not required to choose that college as your preference on your application form or complete a separate scholarship application. All eligible applicants who apply by the deadline will be considered. If you're selected for a college scholarship, we'll move your application to the relevant college.

What college preference should I give if I'm applying to more than one course?

If you're applying for more than one course in any given admissions cycle, you must indicate the same college preference in all your applications, unless the college doesn't accept applications to your course(s).

Can I stay at my current Oxford college?

If you'd like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it accepts applications for the course to which you are applying. If it does, you can indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. 

If your college indicates that it is willing to consider your application for a course it doesn't usually accept, or if you're a fellow of All Souls College, please contact Graduate Admissions before submitting your application.

If you wish to stay at your current college but apply for scholarships at other colleges, you should choose your current college as your college preference when you apply, unless you're applying for a scholarship that explicitly requires you to choose a specific college as part of your application. Your application will be available to other colleges for scholarship consideration, even though your current college is indicated as your college preference. 

If you choose a college other than your current college and you are not accepted by that college, your application will go through the same college allocation process as all other applications. It won't automatically be sent to your current college and you cannot request to be routed back there. 

If you're applying for a scholarship that explicitly requires you to choose a specific college as part of your application and you are not awarded the scholarship, your application will go through the same college allocation process as all other applications. It won’t automatically be sent to your current college and you cannot request to be routed back there.

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