University of Oxford, Lady Margaret Hall Partnership

CHART Your Course
Visit CHART, our easy-to-use tool to review tutorials recently taken by IFSA students.

Because of the individualized nature of the tutorial system, colleges at Oxford do not have an online class catalog. However, Lady Margaret Hall has list of available subjects on its Visiting Student page. 

The following is a list of recent tutorial subjects offered, with those denoted by an asterisk especially encouraged:

• Ancient History
• Biology
• Classical Archaeology
• Classics
• Economics*
• English Language and Literature
• History
• History of Art
• Law
• Mathematics
• Management
• Music
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Politics and International Relations*
• Psychology
• Theology and Religion

Fall Term students take two primary (major) tutorials (Extended Michaelmas Term). Spring Term students take one primary (major) and one secondary (minor) tutorial each term (Hilary Term and Trinity Term). Academic Year students take one primary (major) and one secondary (minor) tutorial each term (Michaelmas Term, Hillary Term, and Trinity Term). Academic Year Early Start students take two primary (major) tutorials during the Fall Term (Extended Michaelmas Term), and take one primary (major) and one secondary (minor) tutorial during each of the Spring Terms (Hilary Term and Trinity Term).

Students will be awarded 8 U.S. semester credit hours for each primary tutorial and 4 U.S. semester credit hours for each secondary tutorial. No credit will be awarded for additional work undertaken even if the University of Oxford approves it.

Students will earn:

• 16 U.S. semester credit hours for the Fall Term (Extended Michaelmas Term)
• 24 U.S. semester credit hours for the Spring Term (Hilary Term and Trinity Term)
• 36 U.S. semester credit hours for the Academic Year (Michaelmas Term, Hillary Term, and Trinity Term)
• 40 U.S. semester credit hours for the Academic Year Early Start (Extended Michaelmas Term, Hillary Term, and Trinity Term)

Science and math students may be required to attend university lectures or to take one or more short tutorials. Regardless of the number of tutorials or lectures required, science students will earn the same number of credits as other students.

Tutorial System
The hallmark of the University of Oxford academics is the tutorial system. The tutorial is typically a one-hour meeting between one or two students and the tutor. Tutorials usually meet once a week or every other week, and at the center of the tutorial is an essay on a topic the tutor previously assigned. The tutor will lead a discussion about the essay topic in an effort to provide new insights. At the end of the tutorial, the tutor will assign a new topic and may offer recommended reading. Tutorials are individually arranged, taking into account the subject to be studied and the tutor’s area of expertise. They are similar to independent study classes, but Oxford students bear even more responsibility for conducting independent research and maintaining good academic progress. The University of Oxford organizes weekly lectures on myriad academic subjects, and all students at the University, regardless of college, are welcome to attend. Lectures are not usually mandatory except for some science subjects, but tutors often recommend them as good supplements to tutorials and research.

Extended Michaelmas Term/Early Start
The Lady Margaret Hall Fall Term includes the Extended Michaelmas Term.

LMH offers Academic Year students the chance to spend more time at Oxford and more deeply immerse themselves in the tutorial system. Rather than taking one primary (major) and one secondary (minor) tutorial during the Fall Term, Early Start Academic Year students take two major tutorials and earn 16 U.S. semester credit hours instead of the traditional 12 U.S. semester credit hours. The first tutorial will begin in September and will continue into the regular Michaelmas Term.

Applicants wishing to study biology, economics, mathematics, and physics should include at least one option from another subject area on their list since these classes do not offer a September start date. However, these classes may be chosen for the regular Michaelmas Term. The subjects for which tutorials can be arranged in September are Classics, English, History, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, and Theology. 

LMH provides a full induction schedule including an Introduction to Studying at Oxford seminar, an individual meeting with the director of visiting students, a library induction, and a welcome meeting. The college offer an exciting slate of social activities including visits to local places of historical importance such as Blenheim Palace and Oxford’s premier museum and gallery, the Ashmolean Museum, as well as a walking tour of Oxford, and a student buddy program to help students settle into college life.

Lab & Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and course materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

Lady Margaret Hall encourages visiting students to follow the same classes as degree-seeking undergraduates. This means that for some subjects there will be small classes rather than tutorials available. You can select tutorials from a maximum of three subject areas. However, in order to achieve the greatest benefit from the Oxford tutorial system, it is recommended you select tutorials from only one or two subject areas.

The majority of degree-seeking students will be taking one subject, with a few taking two or three. Given the depth of study at Oxford, even those students taking classes such as Philosophy, Politics & Economics will only study two of these areas beyond the first year. The classes offered are typically those which will be studied by LMH’s degree-seeking students who have completed the first year of study in that subject. You will need to meet the prerequisite background knowledge for the classes in which you wish to enroll.

If you are accepted for a program of study, it may be possible to make minor variations, but you would be unlikely to be able to make a complete change of program.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Application Deadline
The application deadline is Dec. 15 of the preceding year for Fall Term, Academic Year, and Spring Term for all University of Oxford programs.

Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
• Admission to Oxford colleges is highly competitive. Students typically study abroad at Oxford their junior year, having completed two (2) full-time years of study at their home institution before the start of the Oxford term. Oxford colleges may consider an applicant with just one (1) full-time year of completed study, but those students will be competing with students who have completed greater study in their specific subject area. A student with less than two years of completed study may be limited to first- and second-year classes.
• Eligibility requirements can vary among host institutions. Please ask your IFSA Enrollment Counselor for specific information.

Application Acceptance
This program gives preference to students applying for the Academic Year over students applying for just the Fall Term or the Spring Term. Because even exceptionally qualified candidates may not gain admission, it is recommended you open a backup application to a non-Oxford IFSA program.

Recommendation Letter
Your application to this program will require two (2) academic letters of recommendation on home institution letterhead.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects classes taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.