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Oxford Academia at

Oxford Academia at

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OXFORD ACADEMIA AT

University of Oxford: Honors Session

Oxford, United Kingdom

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28 days

$14,900 (£11,345)

Completing grades 9–12 (motivated rising 9th graders will also be considered)

10-12 students

Highlights

Live and study at the University of Oxford for a full four weeks, immersing yourself in its academic and cultural traditions
Delve into one major seminar, engaging in deeper research, advanced discussion, and extended mentorship from your faculty
Complement your major study with two minor seminars—one for each half of the four-week session—for breadth and variety
Pursue an independent capstone project throughout the duration of your study, culminating in a formal presentation with feedback from a panel of experts
Experience Oxford’s world-renowned colleges, libraries, and museums through exclusive access and field visits

Esteemed Faculty & Staff

Each program is run by on-site Directors, Deans, Residential Life staff, and faculty. Expert guests and engaging speakers join frequently throughout the program.
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Exploration & Excursions

The Radcliffe Camera, Bodleian Library, Ashmolean museums, The Sheldonian Theatre, Blenheim Palace, Stonehenge, and more!
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University of Oxford

Spend four weeks on our Oxford Academia Honors Session this summer, living and studying at historic Corpus Christi College at the University of Oxford. Take university-level instruction with preeminent scholars, bridge theory with practice, and leverage the resources at the University of Oxford and its history to create a research project in concert with your academic advisor. Living in the historic city center at one of Oxford’s oldest colleges, students benefit from access to libraries, museums, and academic facilities at the most storied institution of higher learning in the world. The medieval college walls, quadrangles, and grounds, dating back to 1517, offer an intimate and enriching academic setting for students eager to challenge themselves intellectually and prepare for university life. Over the course of this extended Honors Session, students develop crucial skills, developing capstone projects from research to writing to presentation, preparing them for their future studies.

Academic Excellence

The Oxford Academia Honors Session embodies the university’s long-standing tradition of scholarship and mentorship. World-class faculty teach rigorous seminars inspired by the Oxford-Cambridge tutorial system. Seminar groups are small and students benefit from discussion-based and individualized instruction. Students work closely with faculty—scholars, researchers, and professionals with deep expertise in their fields—to pursue a single subject of major study over four weeks. The extended, four-week format allows for more discussion, independent study, and the development of sustained projects, presentations, or research papers.

Vibrant & Supportive Community

Beyond the individualized support students receive from faculty in their seminars, Oxford Academia stands apart for the community we cultivate and the support every student receives during their experience. Our students and their families have found the experience our Residential Life team provides to be far more robust than other summer programs, because we recognize the importance of a supervised and structured learning and social environment. Deans, Student Deans, Junior Deans, and Activity Coordinators live in the residences with students and focus solely on student life. They prioritize the well-being of each student from the moment they arrive, working proactively to ensure students are happy, comfortable, and safe while forming new friendships and making the most of their time throughout the program.

Growth & Outcomes

The Oxford Honors Session is designed for students seeking to further their studies through extended engagement with a major seminar. In addition to completing an independent capstone project, students receive a Certificate of Completion and a comprehensive written evaluation from their major seminar faculty, recognizing their accomplishments and growth. Students also return home with a tangible portfolio piece or presentation that demonstrates the rigor and depth of their work—an asset for future academic pursuits.

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Program Structure

After breakfast in the college’s paneled Tudor Hall, students convene with their major seminars, which often venture out to local historical sites or museums, or include visits from guest experts. Students take lunch independently in small peer groups, then head to their minor seminars or afternoon activities. Afternoons and evenings offer opportunities to explore the city, pursue their interests through elective workshops, and take part in exciting extracurricular activities.

After dinner back in the dining hall, students and faculty from all seminars convene for evening activities, which may include hearing a special guest speaker, taking in a play or concert, or attending a Q&A session on the college admissions process. Students on the Oxford Honors Session spend a total of 60 hours in their major seminar and 12 hours in each of their minors.

Seminars

Students on the Oxford Honors Session choose one major seminar to pursue in depth for four weeks, and two minor seminars to study for two weeks each. Major seminars meet six days a week for three hours each day, typically at your own residential college. Minor seminars meet three days a week for two hours per day. Begin with classroom discussions that frame your seminar concepts and identify key issues. Then take the learning beyond the classroom with site visits, meetings with experts, and guest lectures from distinguished academics and renowned scholars. Finally, piece it all together with a research project of your choosing under the guidance of your major instructor.

Seminar Offerings

AI: Applications & Ethics

Architecture & Design

Business & Entrepreneurship

Business & Entrepreneurship (Honors Major)

Creative Writing

Debate & Public Speaking

Engineering & Innovation

English Literary Studies

History of Art & Architecture: Oxford

International Relations (Honors Major)

International Relations & Diplomacy

Math: Statistics & Probability

Medicine

Medicine (Honors Major)

Sports Business & Media

War & World History

World History (Honors Major)

Outstanding Faculty & Experts

We are proud of the truly outstanding faculty and staff members who join students each summer in Oxford. They are Rhodes, Marshall, Gates, and British Academy scholars, with teaching posts at Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, The American University of Paris, Columbia, and other top institutions. In addition to seminar instruction, our faculty become mentors to students, pushing them to explore their interests, exposing them to new ideas, and often remaining in touch after the end of the summer.

In addition to the incredible faculty who teach seminars each summer, Oxford Academia programs feature guest speakers and experts who are leaders in their fields. Through evening lecture series and workshops with individual seminars, students enjoy unparalleled access to inspirational thought leaders, entrepreneurs, authors, and historians.

Program Details

Accommodations & Meals

Oxford Academia programs are based at two of Oxford’s most renowned colleges, Corpus Christi and University College, immersing students in the true Oxford experience. Students and residential faculty stay in private singles or doubles, each with either bathrooms ensuite or on the hall. Student Deans and Residential Life staff members live in residences with students throughout the program. Students begin each day with breakfast at their college, and enjoy dinners in the colleges’ historic dining halls. Lunches are a combination of restaurants in the city and picnics in nearby parks and greens. Please note that lunches are not included in the tuition.

Teaching Methodology

At Oxford Academia, learning is an immersive and transformative educational experience. We combine rigorous academics in the tradition of the Oxford-Cambridge tutorial system with hands-on exploration and cultural enrichment. Whether studying history, science, literature, or the arts, students have the opportunity to engage deeply with their passions while discovering new ones. Guided by expert faculty and surrounded by peers from around the world, students leave each program with a profound sense of achievement and inspiration. Click here to read more about Our Approach to Learning.

Final Projects, Certificates, & Evaluations

On the program’s final evening, all students present their Major seminar achievements and projects during a commencement event for all students, faculty, staff, and Directors. This celebratory evening includes presentations, a formal dinner, and culminating social events to celebrate with peers and new friends. During Commencement, each student is presented with an Oxford Academia Certificate of Completion in acknowledgment of their hard work and accomplishments, signed by the Oxford Academia Director and Professor James Basker. A digital copy of the certificate is also available upon request after the program. Additionally, each student and their family will receive a personalized written report from their Major instructor in which the instructor summarizes the curriculum and content learned, and provides an individualized assessment of each student’s achievements, progress, and growth. The commencement events and instructor feedback serve to inspire and motivate students to continue their academic pursuits and encourage them to achieve their highest potential.

Weekend Excursions

On weekends, either with your seminar groups or on staff-led excursions, students have the opportunity to travel outside of Oxford. Head to nearby Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, to explore the palace as well as its vast parks and gardens. Some seminars may continue their studies on visits to some of London’s most impressive museums, or experience modern London while appreciating its role as an important muse to Charles Dickens. Or journey to Stratford-upon-Avon, birth- and final resting place of William Shakespeare, to catch a performance from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Travel Logistics

The program dates reflect the days that students commence, and consequently complete, travel to and from their program. For Oxford, this assumes students will fly on an overnight flight to Europe, though students have multiple options for travel to and from the program.

Oxford Honors Session:
July 3–overnight travel to program
July 4–program officially begins
July 29-final presentations and commencement events July 30–program ends, onward travel home

Families are responsible for arranging travel to and from the program. For students wishing to travel accompanied by an Oxford Academia staff member, families may choose to book a ticket on an identified Escorted Flight from New York (JFK). Alternatively, families may book a different flight and arrive using our arrival and departure window guidelines. For students arriving at and departing from London Heathrow Airport during the designated arrival window, Oxford Academia will arrange group transportation to/from their University of Oxford residence. This fee is $65 each way.

Tour of Blenheim Palace

Blenheim Palace

Head to nearby Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, to explore the palace as well as its vast parks and gardens.

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Punting on the River Cherwell

Go for a punt on the River Cherwell and learn the history of this traditional activity.

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Ashmolean Museum

Marvel at the architecture and the collections of the Ashmolean Museum, the oldest public museum in Britain.

“I left the program having made amazing connections with teachers and peers, and having discovered the beauty and history of Oxford.”

“I learned what university life is like, and made so many new friends and strong connections I value deeply.”

“Lizzie gained independence traveling in another country, and gained confidence in her ability to make friends and navigate new situations. The academic level was very appropriately challenging and the seminars were fun!”

Next Steps

Join us this summer in Oxford! Start your application today, or connect with us to discuss the right program for you.