FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Our annual summer programme comprises two week summer courses for 12-15 years old, 16-19 years old and 19-25 years old students as well as an Executive Programme for over 28 years old. The program runs between July to early August and encompasses a balance of academic, extracurricular and social activities. This includes tutorial sessions with Oxford scholars on students’ chosen subjects, coaching in debating and public speaking, academic and career counseling, along with field trips, sports, and entertainment activities. Students live at the Oxford University Campus and use facilities normally exclusive to Oxford students. The programme’s intimate nature is conducive to providing a holistic and personalised experience for students, aimed to foster individual initiative, expression and creativity.
While the Institute is not formally connected to the University of Oxford, it is established and operated by current and former Oxford students, academics and scholars of Oxford University. We are a non-profit organisation and are accredited by the British Accreditation Council on our teaching practices, student safety, and education standards. Our Programmes are held on the premises of Oxford University and its colleges, including the use of facilities such as accommodation, lecture rooms, dining and social areas. All our students are provided an opportunity to experience life as an undergraduate student at Oxford through our program – the Oxford Experience.
We offer a diverse range of courses in the broad fields of Natural Sciences (Medicine, Engineering, Biology, etc.), Social Sciences (Economics, History, Law), and Humanities (Arts, Music, Literature). You can access our list of courses at this link. However, all teaching is performed in daily tutorial sessions comprising 1-3 students per tutor. Our tutors are researchers and scholars at Oxford University, working at the cutting-edge of their fields. Tutors also help students perform independent research to write a final essay and deliver a presentation at the end of the course.
We are the only summer programme in Oxford that places Oxford University’s unique tutorial system at the heart of our teaching approach. Students take their chosen courses in intensive daily tutorial sessions with Oxford’s leading scholars, at a ratio of 1-3 students per tutor. Tutorial sessions provide individual attention to each student, and require interactive and comprehensive discussions of the subject matter between the student and tutor. Thus the specific topics discussed in each set of tutorials is customised based on the interests of the student and their evolving interaction with the tutor. Tutorials take a curiosity-driven, intensive approach to learning. Students are encouraged to ask questions, think critically and engage in dialogue and debate.
The fee includes charges for lectures, tutorials, and other academic sessions delivered during the Summer Programme, as well as workshops on debating, career and academic counselling. Further, it includes the costs of student accommodation in individual rooms, along with daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the duration of the Programme. Finally, it includes charges for weekend and evening activities organised by the Programme, such as sports, field trips, excursions around Oxford, social, and entertainment events. Transport to and from the airport is also included, if needed.
Besides learning in tutorials, students are also taught how to conduct independent research on a chosen subject area. At the end of the course, students are graded based on their research essay and a brief oral presentation on their research work. Adequate time and facilities along with individual guidance is provided for these tasks. A certificate is awarded at the completion of the Programme, along with a detailed course report with individual feedback on all components of the course from their tutors.
Please view our Schedule section for key dates and other information.
