The Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) is a residential summer programme held at Rewley House central Oxford, offering more than 50 week-long accredited courses for adult learners (18 years and over).
These cover a wide range of subjects including literature, archaeology, architectural history, creative writing, history of art, philosophy, biological sciences, theology, psychology and more.
If your preferred course is full, we recommend adding yourself to the course waiting list. Should a place become available before 1 May 2025 we will contact waitlisted individuals via email. If you have not heard from us by 1 May 2025, you should assume that no places have became available and we will not be able to enrol you on the course in summer 2025. You may wish to also explore other summer schools on offer by the Department.
Participants are taught in small seminar groups of up to 12 students, and receive two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor.
During the course you will:
Listen to what students have to say in the video, below:
The daily timetable will normally be as follows:
14.00–16.30 - Registration
16.30–17.00 - Orientation meeting
17.00–17.30 - Classroom orientation for tutor and students
17.30–18.00 - Drinks reception
18.00–20.00 - Welcome dinner
09.00–10.30 - Seminar
10.30–11.00 - Tea/coffee break
11.00–12.30 - Seminar
12.30–13.30 - Lunch
13.30–18.00 - Afternoons are free for tutorials, individual study, course-related field trips or exploring the many places of interest in and around Oxford.
18.00–19.00 - Dinner (there is a formal gala dinner every Friday to close each week of the programme).
A range of optional social events will be offered throughout the summer school. These are likely to include: a quiz night, visit to historic pubs in Oxford, visit to Christ Church for Evensong and after-dinner talks and discussions.
Beyond the summer school, Oxford is a vibrant and cosmopolitan city with a busy cultural and social scene offering a wide variety of plays and shows, concerts, films and exhibitions.
Participants are required to undertake preparatory reading and complete a pre-course assignment of 1,500 words. Although this does not count towards credit, it is seen as an important way of developing your ideas and is mandatory. The pre-course assignment is typically due in the first week of June.
You will be assessed during the summer school by either a 1,000 word written assignment or a presentation supported by individual documentation. Participants will attend two one-on-one tutorials with their tutor during the week.
All summer school courses are taught through group seminars (12 during the week) and individual tutorials (2 during the week). Students also conduct private study when not being taught and there is a well stocked library at OUDCE to support individual research interests.
OUSSA is an accredited summer school taught at undergraduate level; each one-week course carries 10 CATS (Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme) points at FHEQ (Framework for Higher Education Qualification) Level 4. Credit is awarded by the Board of Studies of Oxford University Department for Continuing Education.
To successfully gain credit (10 CATS points) students should attend all classes and complete the on-course assignment. Students will receive a transcript of the amount awarded. Replacement transcripts are available for a nominal sum.
A maximum of 30 credits earned from OUSSA can be transferred towards our flexible Certificate of Higher Education.
This part-time programme lasts between two and four years depending on how intensively you want to study. Study when and where it suits you by gaining credit from short courses, including short online courses, weekly classes and OUSSA, and build your way to an Oxford University award.
Find out more about the Certificate of Higher Education.
View full details of accommodation at the Department.
Please note that twin rooms are only available on a shared occupancy basis. If you wish to book a twin room each person should complete an enrolment form and email it to us at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk as these rooms cannot be booked online. (Forms may also be posted to us at: OUSSA, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, UK).
If you need a room on a ground/lower floor, please complete an enrolment form and send this to us via email.
If you require an accessible room please see information below for participants with a disability.
We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have meals (lunch and dinner) at Rewley House, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere.
Disabled students who have registered or are planning to attend OUSSA summer programme with the Department should please contact the Programme Administrator, via email at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk, to discuss any support needs.
Students with a mobility impairment can consult the University Access Guide and should contact the Programme Administrator at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk to request any accommodations they need in this regard.
There is a special access ramp and a self-contained bedroom suite on the ground floor at Rewley House, equipped for use by people with mobility problems with an adjoining room for carers. Two public disabled parking bays provided by Oxford City Council are situated on Wellington Square close to the Department. If you need this accessible room, please indicate this on your enrolment form, or contact the Programme Administrator prior to your arrival. Please also let us know of any support needs you may require.
If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please indicate this on your enrolment form or contact the programme administrator prior to your arrival.
If you would like more information about support available to students with disabilities, please see: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/students-with-disabilities.
Registration closes on 1 May 2025. Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.
Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.
Single accommodation, double room for 1 person and non-residential places may be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button in the 'Course details' box of each course page.
Those requiring twin or double accommodation should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked online. Please send the completed enrolment form to the email address below. Both the PDF and Word option of the form below are editable, so you can complete them online before saving and sending to us as an email attachment. You do not need to print and scan them. (Please use these forms only if you are booking for two people for a twin or double)
Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.
Those who do not wish to register online or who have specific requirements (e.g. the accessible bedroom) should contact the Programme Administrator directly at oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or OUSSA, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA, UK
As students are expected to participate fully in seminar discussions and are required to produce written work it is important that applicants can demonstrate an appropriate level of proficiency in the four language skills - listening, reading, writing and speaking.
If English is not your first language, you must provide evidence of your proficiency in the form of an original certificate or a certified copy that is not more than two years old on the date the summer school starts. You must satisfy one of the following requirements:
TOEFL iBT - minimum overall score of 110, with not less than 22 for listening, 24 for reading, 25 for speaking and 24 for writing
C1 Advanced (formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced or CAE) - minimum overall score of 191, with not less 185 in each of the four components.
For further information on English language qualifications:
The requirement to provide English language test scores may be waived in either of the following circumstances:
The Department welcomes international students on all its courses. However, it is the responsibility of successful applicants to ensure that they conform to UK immigration law.
If you are not a UK or Irish national, you might need to apply for a visa before coming to the UK depending on which passport you hold. You can check if you need a visa before coming to the UK on the UK Government’s website. We strongly recommend that you establish whether you will require a visa before submitting your application.
The Programme Administrator will provide non-UK/Irish nationals enrolled on the summer school with a standard format pdf letter by email confirming enrolment and course details once their fees have been paid in full. These letters are issued on a request only basis.
If you will require a visa, you should ensure your summer school application is submitted as early as possible to allow yourself sufficient time to complete the visa application process (see current visa processing times).
For legal reasons the Programme Administrator is not permitted to provide any visa advice to applicants; any queries should be addressed to student.immigration@admin.ox.ac.uk.
Information regarding visiting the UK to study is available on the UK Government’s website as well as Oxford University’s Student Immigration website.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have taken the necessary steps to enable you to be admitted to the UK. The university takes no responsibility for a visa being denied at any point before or during a course.
Please note that the standard cancellation policy applies in all cases. (See "Cancellations", below.
Details of fees can be found on each individual course page. Tuition and meals are included in the programme fee, with both residential and non-residential options available.
Course change administration fee: Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances; however, in accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.
Please be aware that all payments (and refunds) are subject to exchange rates at the time of processing.
Concessionary rates are available on a non-residential basis for those that qualify, more information can be found here
Unfortunately we do not offer any specific scholarships or funding opportunities for OUSSA programme, but you can visit our departmental funding webpage, where you may be able to find a particular source of funding that matches your requirements alongside meeting the funding criteria.
Participants who wish to cancel must inform the Programme Administrator in writing: by email to oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk or by post to OUSSA, OUDCE, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.
The following cancellation and refund policy applies in all cases:
Where there is good reason, OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course by giving you notice in writing at any time before the course is due to start. In these cases, we will endeavour to offer a transfer to another available course if practical and acceptable to you, subject to payment or refund of any difference in the course fees. Alternatively, we will refund the course fees that you have already paid. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred. The status of this course will be reviewed on 1 May 2025. If it is likely that the course may be cancelled, anyone affected will be notified by email within 7 days; if you have not heard from OUDCE by 8 May 2025, you should assume that your course will be running. You may wish to delay finalising your travel arrangements until after this date.
OUDCE reserves the right to cancel a course at short notice in exceptional circumstances that would prevent the course from being delivered e.g. tutor illness. In these rare instances, we will notify you as soon as possible and arrange a transfer to another available Oxford Experience course. If we cancel a course, our liability is limited to the fees that we have received from you; this means that we will not compensate you for any pre-booked travel costs or any other expenses incurred.
Where course fees have been paid in currencies other than pounds sterling, refunds will be subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.
The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check cancellation policies carefully and to purchase travel insurance.
Students are encouraged to bring a laptop to Oxford to assist them with their studies.
For residential students, wireless internet access is available in all bedrooms; for all students, wireless access is available in communal spaces of the college.
All students will be eligible to use the computers and printer at the Department for Continuing Education, Rewely House, computer room.
Dates: 12 July - 16 August 2025
Location: Rewley House
Level: Undergraduate FHEQ Level 4
Questions? Email: oussa@conted.ox.ac.uk
