Consent Training

Oxford is a safe and inclusive university. Sexual violence and harassment are never acceptable, and we expect all our students to contribute to a respectful community of learning.

Consent is an important aspect of our day-to-day lives, whether we’re borrowing someone’s phone, hugging a friend, or navigating sexual activity.    

Understanding consent means we're all able to have more safe, healthy and enjoyable experiences. When it comes to sexual consent, it’s more than just avoiding breaking the law or meeting your ethical obligations. It’s about making intimate experiences work for everyone involved, respecting others, having strong communication and ensuring everyone has a good time.

Completing the Consent for Students training is a requirement for all students at the University of Oxford.

Taking the course

Consent for Students is a free online, interactive consent programme for all students and staff at the University of Oxford. This training is being used in a number of universities across the UK. It has been written, designed and developed by Brook, the only national charity to offer sexual health services, education and wellbeing services and training and support.

The course covers sexual consent, including the law, myths, and different factors which may affect someone’s understanding and experience of consent. It will also support you to talk about consent with others and provides advice on what to do if you or a friend experiences harassment or violence, including support and reporting options.

To book onto and complete the training, please follow these steps:

• Click this Consent for Students direct link. You will need your Single Sign On to access the training.
• You will find ‘Consent for Students’ in your shopping basket in CoSy (Oxford’s internal training platform).
• Checkout (you will not pay for the training) and you will receive an email confirmation that the training is available to you.
• The training will appear in the ‘My eLearning’ tile on your CoSy dashboard ready for you to begin. You can also click the link in the email sent to you upon checking out.
• Press 'Play' to start the course, then follow the link to launch the session. The training will open in a new popup window.
• When you have finished the course, exit the training by clicking the cross in the top right hand corner. A certificate will be sent to your inbox.

Please note: The course is free and you will not be charged anything at 'checkout'.

It is recommended you access the training via an up-to-date browser, such as Chrome or Edge. If you have any issues along the way, please refer to our FAQs below. If you are using a Mac, please use Chrome not Safari. We recommend upon completion of the course, you exit and wait until you receive a copy of your email certificate before opening the course again. 

The course will take between 60 and 90 minutes to complete. You need to work through and interact with each module of the course in order to finish the training and receive your certificate.

To receive a text-only version of the course, please email [email protected].

Student feedback on the course

Over 5,000 students have completed the online Consent for Students course in Michaelmas term 2025.

In a survey of 200 students, 80% felt they had a strong understanding of consent after the training, and confidence in supporting others impacted by sexual violence more than doubled.

Here's what some students who have completed the course said about it:

“Excellent work dismantling myths about consent.”

“Made me more comfortable talking about these topics."

“This is the best training about equality that I have ever received.”

Oxford Against Sexual Violence

Consent for Students forms part of the University’s Oxford Against Sexual Violence campaign, sending a clear message that sexual harassment and violence of any form is unacceptable.

The consent training complements the existing measures of the wider campaign, including the University’s Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service.

Support for students

The Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service provides a safe and confidential space for students to be supported, independent of their college or department.

The Service offers free support and advice to any student who has been affected by sexual harassment or violence; whoever you are, whatever has happened and whenever this was. They also support students impacted by domestic abuse and stalking.

FAQs

How do the modules work?

This is a single course with five modules. You only need to book once, and you will see all five modules when you start the course. You need to interact with the module to work through it, selecting ‘continue’ to access the next section. If you are unable to 'continue', double check you have submitted your answers or worked through everything required. You can track your progress using the progress bar at the top right of the screen. Once you have reached the end of the module, you will be able to access the next module or select the ‘menu’ button to see your overall progress.

You need to interact with the training content, including completing activities and working through material, before you can continue to the next part of a module. Some activities ask you to 'submit' answers before you can continue. Once you have completed the activity, the continue button will change colour, allowing you to navigate to the next section.

How do I return to the course if I open an external link?

External websites will open in a new window in your browser. The Consent for Students course page will remain open in the initial window. To return to the course either minimise the external website window, or tab to the original page.

Is there a test or a pass score?

There is no test or pass ‘score’ required for this course. If you interact with all the essential participatory aspects and navigate through each module, then you will have completed the course and will receive your certificate.

I've completed the modules - what next?

Once you have reached the end of Module five, you will see a message saying 'YOU'VE REACHED THE END OF MODULE 5: HELP AND SUPPORT'. Exit the training to finish the course and receive your certificate, which will be sent via email to your Oxford University email address. Your CoSy eLearning page should say Progress = Complete; Status = Passed. You can expect to receive your certificate by email within an hour. If you still have not received an email within 1 hour, contact [email protected].

I have not received an email confirming I have completed the course.

If you do not receive a confirmation email, please check the following:

1. You have completed all five modules.

2. You have exited the course by closing the browser window / selecting Exit.

3. Your Oxford email account. The email will be sent to your Oxford email address, not any personal accounts such as Gmail.

Check your spam mail in your Oxford account. If you have checked the above and the certificate has not arrived, please contact [email protected] for advice.

I have gone back into the course to press the ‘Exit’ button and my progress has disappeared – do I need to complete the course again?

If your progress has disappeared, please contact [email protected] who will check your account.

When will the training be available until?

You can complete this training any time after you have received your SSO (Single Sign-On), but your college may have a deadline for completion, which they will communicate to you.

Can I return to complete the course another time?

Yes, if you return to take the course on a different day, you do not need to book or begin the course again - go to your ‘My eLearning tile’ and continue where you left off.

Do I need to complete the training every year?

All first year students are required to complete the training, and we would encourage all students to complete the training annually. This ensures you receive the most up to date information, as amendments are made each year to content in line with student and staff feedback. It also offers a refresher of the support services available to students.

Brook's position statements 

You can read more about Brook's positions on key topics such as gender terminology, trans and non-binary people and experience, pornography and pleasure on their website.

Can I be exempt from completing the course?

Consent is relevant to everyone and is an essential foundation for a safe and respectful community of learning at the University of Oxford. All new students are required to complete the training, and staff are encouraged to do so.

However, we appreciate there are a number of reasons why someone may not wish to engage with this topic. If you are really concerned about completing the eLearning, you can opt out. You can also contact the Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service ([email protected]) if you would like to arrange an appointment for some confidential and independent practical and emotional support for any matters relating to the consent course. 

I am under 18 - is the course appropriate for me?

If you are over the age of 16, we would still recommend you complete the course. If you are between 13 and 16, please speak to your college welfare team and ask that someone supports you whilst going through the training. If you are under 13, you can be exempt from completing the training. There is also a text-only version of the training, available from the Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service. Please email [email protected] to receive a copy.

Can I skip the case studies?

If you’re concerned that some of the content may be upsetting or distressing, you may wish to skip the case studies. From the Menu, you can choose which modules you are able to complete. There is also a text-only version of the training, available from the Support Service. Please email [email protected] to receive a copy. 

I found the content triggering/distressing, what shall I do?

If you found the content triggering, there are several options for support. For immediate support, you can contact the 24/7 Rape Crisis Helpline, on 0808 500 2222 or visit their website for webchat, and further information including grounding techniques. Your college Welfare Team can provide support and signposting. Student Welfare and Support Services offer Counselling, as well as the Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service for students who have experienced any form of sexual harassment or violence (whenever and wherever it happened). There is a separate service for students who have been reported of sexual misconduct.

I have feedback around the content, who shall I discuss this with?

Please contact the Sexual Harassment and Violence Support Service by emailing [email protected]. They are collating feedback around content for ongoing discussion with the provider - Brook - as the course continues to develop. We are aware of some typos and some suggestions around the inclusivity of the content, which will be taken into consideration for future iterations of the training.

Who will see that I’ve completed the training?

Select staff in your college and Student Welfare Support Services can see which students have completed the training. This allows them to monitor engagement and the number of students completing the course. As this is required training for all new students, some colleges might ask students to share their certificate.

What does CoSy record about my training?

The system records your name, email address and affiliations at the University. It records the status of your booking – whether it is booked, in progress or completed. It records some answers to questions within the training (which you can also see on the Overview Page in the My eLearning Tile). Any reflective text you input to the free text boxes is not recorded.

I am a staff member - do I need to complete the course?

Consent is relevant to everyone and is an essential foundation for a respectful community of learning at the University of Oxford. We would encourage staff to complete the training. This means all Oxford members can have a shared understanding and language of consent, and that you have an overview of the learning your students’ will have completed. The more people that engage with this topic, the more we can create a consent culture that tackles sexual harassment and violence at the University.