Colleges

Oxford is a collegiate university, meaning that all graduate students are associated with a college and a department when they are admitted. You can specify a college preference when you apply.

Colleges are small, multidisciplinary communities, where students meet academics and fellow students from around the world, and often from a broad range of subjects.

All colleges provide library and IT facilities, accommodation, welfare support, and sports and social events. Graduate students benefit from the Middle Common Room (MCR) in their college – both a physical space and an organisation, it provides a link to the graduate community including social events and advice.

Your college will have a tutor for graduates or senior tutor whose role includes general oversight of all graduate members of the college, although your academic studies will be directed by the Department. Each graduate student has a college adviser, who will be a senior member of the college’s staff who can offer support and advice.

The collegiate system gives students and academics the benefits of belonging both to a large, internationally renowned institution and to a small, interdisciplinary academic community.

For further information about Oxford colleges please see the information for prospective graduate students on the University webpages.