Oxford Academia

Immerse yourself in the full Oxford experience this summer, living and learning at a constituent college of Oxford University, one of the world’s oldest and most esteemed institutions. Pursue your chosen major and minor subjects amid Oxford’s iconic architecture, historic halls, and storied streets. With the guidance and insights of faculty, scholars, and guest speakers, find your place in Oxford’s renowned academic tradition.

Oxford University

As one of the oldest universities in the world, Oxford remains the epicenter of scholarship and learning. Live and take courses in one of its most historic colleges, immersing yourself in British academic life, with full access to the college’s beautiful facilities. Find intellectual inspiration in the museums and lecture halls, on the cobbled streets, and in the picturesque countryside—an environment that has inspired some of the greatest minds in history.

History & Tradition

For centuries Oxford has drawn scholars and leaders from around the world, making it an ideal location for the curious, globally minded students of today, eager to expand their intellectual horizons and explore university life. This summer, marvel at the architecture of the Radcliffe Camera, the Bodleian Library, the Pitt Rivers and Ashmolean museums (Great Britain’s oldest), and the Sheldonian Theatre, and follow in the footsteps of world leaders, scientists, medical researchers, business leaders, and artists.

Program Structure

After breakfast at their residential college, students dive into their major seminar, which begins in classrooms, labs, or meeting spaces and often ventures out to local historical sites or museums, or includes visits from guest experts. After lunch taken independently in small peer groups, students head to their minor seminars, often at another college. Afternoons and evenings offer opportunities for students to explore Oxford, both independently and on structured excursions, pursue their interests beyond seminar topics through elective workshops, and take part in exciting extracurricular activities.

After dinner in the college’s portrait-lined 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. On the final days of the program, students focus on completing their independent projects within their seminar groups. The final afternoon brings a convocation celebration at which faculty have a chance to share the incredible learning that each seminar group has accomplished and students receive their Certificates.

Workshops & Guest Speakers

In addition to in-depth major and minor seminars, explore other interests and topics in elective lectures and workshops offered by instructors and visiting guests alike. Try your hand at botanical illustration during a sketching session at the Botanical Gardens; join a walking tour on “Oxford’s Secret Places” with Professor Basker; spend an afternoon punting from the Cherwell boathouse; or enjoy a gastronomic experience during a course on British cheeses, complete with visits to the cheesemonger and ample taste tests. Evening workshops and keynote speakers offer opportunities to speak with and learn from world-renowned educators, entrepreneurs, actors, and historians, with the opportunity for Q&A and discussion.

Featured Guest Speaker

Craig A. Masback, Yale Law School, J.D., Princeton University, B.A., Public & International Affairs

Craig has spent over 40 years working in and around sports as a professional track and field athlete, TV sports commentator who covered five Olympic Games for NBC, founder of an innovative sports marketing/ sports media venture, lawyer, CEO of USA Track & Field, and senior executive at Nike. He has taught classes at Yale Law School and Stanford on sports law and sport and society. Craig has a special connection to Oxford, where he studied at Trinity College for two years as a Keasbey Scholar and ran his first sub-four-minute mile on the Iffley Road track, where Sir Roger Bannister ran history’s first sub-four.

Seminars

Oxford Academia is designed for intellectually curious students to pursue an academic interest at one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Students choose a major seminar and a minor seminar, taught by academic faculty and active professionals. Majors meet each morning and minors alternating afternoons, and students engage with course material through lectures from guest speakers and scholars, small group projects, classroom discussion, and experiential learning.

Architecture, Design, & Sustainability

Explore how we interact with space through hands-on exercises paired with critique sessions, small-scale construction projects, and guest designers. Dive into how the concepts of design and sustainability are inextricably linked, and gain insights into sustainable building materials, energy-efficient technologies, and sustainable urban planning. Discover how architectural design can be a catalyst for positive environmental change, addressing pressing global issues. Learn how the concepts of use cases, impact studies, material life cycles, and functional aesthetics overlap and inform both products and policies focused on design.

Bioethics

Drawing on Oxford as a center of medical and scientific research, as well as ethics and moral philosophy, this seminar investigates the many dimensions of human interaction with the biological world. Explore diverse and complex topics, including genetic testing and modification, animal research, cross-species implants, rewilding and extinction reversal, euthanasia, drug-testing, CRISPR technology, and climate change.

Creative Writing

Whether you want to write your first novel or create a poem that captures a specific emotion or experience, this workshop-style seminar is a step toward finding your voice and pushing your boundaries as a creative writer. Through personalized exercises and feedback sessions led by published authors, develop skills in the genre of your choosing while exploring important craft challenges such as dialogue, imagery, narrative structure, word choice, theme, and storytelling technique.

Politics & International Migration

In this interdisciplinary seminar, delve into the interplay between political systems, human rights, and the complex landscape of international migration. Explore how political structures impact migration policies, refugee rights, and the broader global landscape. Analyze case studies, international agreements, and crucial documents to explore issues ranging from the ethics of humanitarian intervention to the challenges of managing and protecting the rights of migrants and refugees. Leveraging Oxford’s rich resources and its proximity to influential institutions such as the Refugee Studies Centre and the Oxford Human Rights Hub, students will have access to cutting-edge research and practical insights.

Shakespeare, Drama, & Performance

In this workshop-style seminar led by a theater professional, focus on voice, scene and line interpretation, and movement in the service of dramatic performance of all kinds. Drawing on Shakespeare as well as modern playrights such as Shaw, Pirandello, Miller, and Stoppard, students will gain personal skills and enjoy the opportunity to develop a live performance piece of their own choosing.

Sports Business, Media, & Law

Probe the ways that societal and economic trends are driving changes in the organization and practice of sports around the world. Study and debate the key issues facing sports and sports organizations today, including gender, college athletics, athlete rights, drug testing, the challenge of staging global games, the role of the media, and emerging sports and leagues. See how sports intersect with business, law, and media, while learning from industry experts about their careers and business strategy, negotiations, deal-making, and contract drafting.

More Seminars:

• Art History

• Business, Banking, & Markets

• Comparative Economics

• Criminology & Justice

• Debate & Public Speaking

• Engineering

• English Literature

• The Future of Finance: Cash to Crypto

• The Future of Medicine

• History’s Secrets

• International Relations & Diplomacy

• Jewish History in Europe: Middle Ages to Present

• Law & Society

• Medicine

• Philosophy

• Psychology

• Sociology Today

• War & World History

• World Geography in the Anthropocene Era

View all seminar descriptions at oxfordacademia.com