St Stephen's House

Many of the college's students are training for ordination in the Church of England or other churches of the Anglican Communion. 

From September 2023 St Stephen’s House will have the status of an Anglican Theological College and will no longer be a Permanent Private Hall of the University of Oxford. St Stephen’s House will continue to welcome applicants for University of Oxford graduate qualifications in Theology and Religion through the normal Graduate Admissions process, but candidates must be ministers of religion, genuine candidates for the ministry, or exercising lay ministry.

Accommodation and meals

St Stephen's House is situated a short distance over Magdalen Bridge opposite the University's Iffley Road Sports Complex. All accommodation is on one site, either study bedrooms in the historic main college building, or flats and houses in the modern Moberly Close.

Accommodation in study bedrooms is available on a half-board basis in the main hall building on a term-only or year-round basis. One-, two-, and three-bedroom flats and some houses are available on a year-round basis and are particularly suitable for families.

Accommodation is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, though it is generally available for most students for the duration of their fee liability. The hall is also able to offer some car parking facilities for residential students, allocated on the same basis.

Further information about accommodation at St Stephen's House is available on the college website.

Meals are provided in the hall’s dining room for all students, with early continental breakfast provision for PGCE students. There is a weekly formal guest night during term.

Further information about catering services at St Stephen's House is available on the college website.

Library and IT services

The 15,000-volume theological library is open at all times. The library also holds key texts for courses in the Department of Education.

Wi-Fi is available throughout the hall. Desktop PCs and a printer/photocopier are available in the library. The hall's IT manager provides technical support for all students.

Sport, music and college facilities

St Stephen's House participates actively in the sporting life of the University. In recent years members have made full use of the nearby University sports facilities, and represented the hall in a variety of sports including rowing, cricket, polo, shooting and croquet.  

The hall has a good musical tradition with a student choir that sings ambitious choral music at the principal chapel services, two organs and several pianos. The hall is home to SJE Arts, a concert and arts venue based in the grade-one listed church of St John the Evangelist, which serves as the college chapel.

Facilities for students with disabilities

The hall works actively to improve access for students with disabilities and is committed to making all possible reasonable adjustments to support their studies.

Further information about accessibility at St Stephen's House is available on the college website.

MCR

St Stephen's House has an active and lively common room for students that organises social and sporting events throughout the academic year, and which is represented on the hall’s governing body. The hall bar is student-run and is open regularly each week in term for formal guest dinners, Sunday lunch and other social events.