Ways to study at Oxford
The University of Oxford offers more than 330 graduate courses across the disciplines, with courses available for full-time and part-time study.
Full-time graduate study
Many of our taught courses are shorter than those at other institutions, making them intensive and fast-paced. A full-time taught course typically lasts none to twelve months, but some take two years to complete. Oxford’s main doctoral research degree is called a DPhil (our name for the PhD), and usually takes between three and four years to complete.
The University's residence requirements apply to all full-time students. This usually means that students are required to live both within a certain distance from the University (called limits in the regulations) and for a set period of time during their studies (called terms in the regulations).
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At Oxford, about one in five graduate students are studying part-time. We offer a range of part-time courses and many of our full-time courses are also offered on a part-time basis.
These courses are a flexible way to study for a graduate degree, allowing you to fit your studies around work, family or other commitments. They will often involve some online study from home as well as some short residentials in Oxford. A small number of our courses are conducted online-only. Teaching formats and patterns of study vary. If you'd like to discuss the requirements for a specific course, please contact the academic department directly.
Part-time and online students enjoy all the benefits the the University has to offer, including excellent tuition, supervision and study resources, and are valued members of our graduate community.
Part-time students are exempt from the University's residence requirements, but most part-time courses require students to attend face-to-face teaching in Oxford. If you require a visa to study in the UK, please read the information about visa eligibility for part-time courses.
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If you are a student from overseas and wish to spend a period of up to three terms (one academic year) in Oxford on a course related to the degree you are studying in your own country, you can apply to a college for a place as a registered Visiting Student.
Visiting Student status is typically intended for undergraduate students taking a year abroad. Visiting Students should be enrolled in a home institution. If you are a graduate student at your home institution you will follow the curriculum of an undergraduate course while you are registered as a Visiting Student at Oxford. Please note that there are no taught graduate courses available to graduate visiting students.
As a Visiting Student you do not matriculate at the University of Oxford but your name is entered on the University’s Register as a Visiting Student and you will be affiliated with a college, society or PPH (Permanent Private Hall).
If you are interested in undertaking a period of research under a supervisor, please see the Recognised Students information on this page.
Apply for Visiting Student status
Undergraduate Admissions provide instructions for applying for Visiting Student status at Oxford. If you are an applicant and have received a copy of the data entry form, please see our instructions for completing the form.
Undertaking your studies
As a registered Visiting Student you become a member of an Oxford college, and it is the college that will arrange for your tuition or supervision. Oxford does not award a degree or any other qualification for one year of study as a Visiting Student, but colleges are willing to provide a transcript, for example for credit purposes at the home institution. If necessary (for example, for an employer) the University would be able to confirm that you were listed on the Register as a Visiting Student.
You will have access to all college facilities and membership of the Junior Common Room (JCR) - the undergraduate student body. You also have access to a wide range of University facilities, including the Bodleian Libraries, faculty (subject) libraries, IT services, and the great wealth of lectures organised by the University throughout the academic year.
Fees and accommodation
The college that you are affiliated to will collect your tuition fees, a proportion of which will go to the University to cover the cost of access to the University facilities. You should also consider your living costs. Accommodation may be provided by your college and there may be additional charges associated with this.
Most colleges offer accommodation to visiting students, however, should this not be the case, you may wish to visit the Studentpad website for help with finding accommodation. Oxford SU (Student Union) manage Studentpad which is a platform where private landlords can advertise for tenants associated with the University.
Arriving at Oxford
Before you arrive, you will receive the University's contractual documents and a University card application form from your college. Your University card acts as a form of identity on college or University premises, provides admission to University libraries, IT services and the Language Centre, and in some departments can be used as a payment card or to access buildings.
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Recognised Student status is given to graduate research students who are registered with another university and have been admitted to undertake research for a minimum of one and maximum of three terms.
The status of Recognised Student is intended primarily for graduates of some years’ standing engaged in research elsewhere who wish to work in Oxford on a specific topic under the guidance of an academic familiar with the chosen area of study.
As a Recognised Student you are not affiliated to a college and will not receive a University of Oxford qualification or formal accreditation for your studies here.
It is not possible to be admitted as a Recognised Student if you have already been matriculated as a member of the University of Oxford. In such a case, the only possibility is to return as a matriculated non-award student, which requires a college place, and incurs course fees at the Home or Overseas rate. You can only hold your Recognised Student status for a maximum of three terms. Your status is formalised in the Examination Regulations.
If you are not a UK or Irish national (or do not have settled or pre-settled status through the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain) you will need immigration permission for study in the UK. Please refer to our visa and immigration information for recognised students.
Apply for Recognised Student status
Find out how to apply to become a Recognised Student at Oxford.
Undertaking your research
You will be allocated an Academic Advisor who will provide general advice about your research topic. Your advisor will not provide systematic instruction such as reading or commenting on written work because you are expected to be sufficiently advanced in your studies to undertake research largely unsupervised. Your advisor will expect to see you two or three times each term to discuss your work as a colleague rather than as a teacher, and will report on your academic progress using the Graduate Supervision Reporting (GSR).
You will be entitled to use the University libraries, to study/conduct your research in any University department (subject to the agreement of the head of department) and attend lectures. Lectures (including seminars, classes or informal instruction) are subject to the permission of the lecturer, and those given in any college building are subject to the permission of the college concerned.
Fees and accommodation
University tuition fees are payable to cover the cost of access to the University facilities and the guidance provided by your academic advisor. Tuition fees do not include college fees (as you will not be affiliated with any college), accommodation, or other course and maintenance fees. You should also consider your living costs.
Fees must be paid within 14 days of the start of term. You are strongly encouraged to pay your fees before arriving in Oxford by using the University's Online Shop or by bank transfer. Please contact your department for full instructions and guidance on how to pay your fees. All queries about the payment of fees should be made to the relevant department.
You are advised to organise accommodation before you arrive in Oxford. As you will not be a member of a college you will not have access to college accommodation. For help with finding accommodation, you may wish to visit the Studentpad website. Oxford SU (Student Union) manage Studentpad which is a platform where private landlords can advertise for tenants associated with the University.
Arriving at Oxford
For information about arriving in Oxford please refer to the Recognised Students page on the Oxford Students section of our website.
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