Program Description

Oxford Advanced Studies Program

Summer in Oxford, England
Oxford, England


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For More Information, Contact
The Registrar
Oxford Advanced Studies Program
P.O. Box 2043
Darien, Connecticut 06820
203-966-2886
Fax: 203-966-0015
E-mail: info@oasp.ac.uk

Type of Program: Academic enrichment and acceleration, college credit, cultural visits, recreation, and theater
Participants: Coeducational, ages 16–21
Enrollment: 100
Program Dates: July 7–31, 2009
Head of Program: Ralph Dennison, B.A., PGCE, Director, Oxford Tutorial College

Location

The program takes place in the medieval city of Oxford, England, 60 miles northwest of London. Oxford is the oldest university in the United Kingdom and is renowned throughout the world as a center of learning and education. Oxford Advanced Studies uses the superb facilities at Lady Abraham House, Lincoln College, one of the colleges of Oxford University, giving students a real taste of life as an Oxford student.

Background and Philosophy

The Oxford Advanced Studies Program is in its twenty-fifth year. It offers American and other international students the opportunity to combine an in-depth and inspiring educational experience with an exciting and stimulating range of social and cultural activities. Courses have been carefully designed with college credit in mind. Experienced British university graduates teach students in small lecture classes and seminar groups; an outstanding feature of the course is the provision of two weekly individual tutorials in each subject. Students are regularly set challenging academic assignments and are encouraged to develop tutorial-style relationships with their teachers, the hallmark of the educational system at Oxford and Cambridge. The academic experience is balanced with visits around England; workshops in debating, film production, and mime, dance, and drama; and a varied sports and social itinerary. This enables everyone to have a recreational as well as an intellectually rewarding experience. The goals of the program are achieved through close individual attention and interaction.

Program Offerings

Students select two or three classes from a wide range of options. Classes are divided into two groups, each with a rather different teaching structure.
    The first group of classes is subdivided into seven faculty areas. They are as follows: the arts (History of Art, History of Architecture, Film Studies, Creative & Academic Writing); English literature (The Novel, Shakespeare, Poetry); history (Monarchy and Revolution, Industry, Democracy and Empire, The Denial of Democracy); politics (The Greeks, International Relations, British and European Politics); consciousness and belief (Psychology, Foundations of Philosophy, Comparative Religion); economics, business, and law (Introduction to Economics, Introduction to Law, International Business Management); and science (The Environment, The Physical World, Medical Biology). Students have two tutorial sessions a week in each of their classes to explore selected areas of their chosen subject in depth. To provide context for their studies, they also attend lectures in all the classes within that faculty area.
    A second group of classes includes mathematics, modern languages, and SAT preparation. Mathematics classes available include algebra, trigonometry, precalculus, calculus AB, calculus BC, and probability and statistics. In modern languages, each of the major European languages is available at any level, from beginner to advanced; introductory classes in Japanese, Chinese, Arabic, or Hebrew are also offered. Classes in this group are taught by a combination of individual tutorials and small seminar groups.
    Classes may be chosen from either of the above groups or from both. Courses may also be available in other subjects. Students should contact the registrar for details.
    A series of course assignments is set in each subject, and final grades and reports are based both on those and on all-round classroom performance. Students are recommended to receive 2 college credits for work completed in each of their academic subjects and are requested to check with their counselor to confirm the transferability of credits earned during the course.

Enrollment

Oxford Advanced Studies students are enrolled from throughout the United States and from international schools and colleges worldwide. The program is limited to students from public and independent high schools who will have completed their junior year, or equivalent, by the start of the program; to high school graduates; and to those already attending college.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Most afternoons and evenings are taken up with various cultural and social activities, some of which take place in Oxford itself, including visits to other colleges, galleries and museums, and theatrical and musical events. In addition, students are taken to visit historic and cultural sites, such as Stratford-upon-Avon (to see a play at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre), Blenheim Palace, Warwick Castle, and London, where visits include the South Bank, including the Tate Modern gallery, Kensington and its museums, and Covent Garden, including a West End theatre production. Guided tours are offered on weekends.
Sports are not neglected; if they wish, students can participate in soccer, basketball, baseball, tennis, swimming, and squash. The traditional river pastime of punting is popular with many students, and the mysteries of the noble English sport of cricket are explained, culminating in a staff-student cricket match.

Facilities

The Oxford Advanced Studies Program takes place in Lady Abraham House, Lincoln College, Oxford. Founded in 1427, Lincoln includes John Wesley, John Le Carré, and Dr. Seuss among its alumni. Originally a row of historic town houses, Lady Abraham House is an attractive modern conversion. Students live in comfortable en-suite rooms, where they are carefully supervised by residential staff members. Students have breakfast and evening meals during the week in the dining area across the landscaped courtyard garden. Special dietary needs can easily be met. The accommodations are individual study bedrooms, with separate dormitories for each gender and common-room areas for social gatherings and small-group activities. There is Internet access in each room.

Staff

The course is supervised by Ralph Dennison, Director of Oxford Tutorial College, one of Oxford’s leading independent further education colleges. A gifted educationalist with more than thirty years’ teaching experience, he has brought together an excellent team of tutors, all of whom are highly qualified academics and natural communicators. The majority of course tutors are Oxbridge graduates, and many are still actively engaged in academic research. Most have taught in the program for a number of years and are familiar with U.S. and international high school and college curricula and aware of the needs of students from the U.S. They offer a dynamic and enthusiastic approach, which engages students’ interest and invites active participation and discussion. The staff-student ratio of 1:4 allows for close attention to each individual student and a less formal teaching approach. The residential staff members work closely with students to create a vibrant, sympathetic community and keep a careful eye on student welfare.

Medical Care

Residential staff members may be consulted if a student is unwell, and appointments may be made with the college physician, as required. The renowned John Radcliffe Hospital is very close, in case of any emergency. Because of the English National Health Service, all medical treatments are available at a reasonable cost. However, it is required that students take out a comprehensive medical policy before traveling to England.

Religious Life

Oxford Advanced Studies Program is nondenominational, but provision can readily be made for students to attend places of worship in the Oxford area.

Costs

There is a registration fee of $400. The all-inclusive course fee for the four-week program is $8950, payable by May 15. This covers all the program costs, including single room, breakfast, and dinner from Monday to Thursday; tuition in two subjects; extracurricular activities; transportation; and entrances. It does not cover airfare, lunches, and personal expenditure. A third academic course may be added for a fee of $950.

Transportation

Lady Abraham House is easily accessible by good public transport services from nearby airports around London or from Birmingham International Airport. The service from London Heathrow is the most convenient of all. Students are given details of these services. Alternatively, a reliable car pick-up service can be recommended.

Application Timetable

Early application is advised to increase the likelihood of being accepted. Applications are received from December 1 through May 15. In addition to an application form, students must submit a recent transcript and a letter of recommendation. Applicants are notified of their acceptance immediately upon evaluation by the Admissions Director in Oxford, and a formal acceptance is then issued.