About your studies

Each academic year at Oxford University is divided into three terms:

1. Michaelmas (October to December)
2. Hilary (January to March)
3. Trinity (April to June)

Most teaching and learning takes places in the eight weeks of each term known as ‘Full Term’. These weeks are numbered: 1st week, 2nd week, etc.

View dates of term.

You will normally receive details of your lectures, classes, tutorials and any other requirements at the start of each term.

New students are known as ‘freshers’. There is a ‘freshers’ week’ immediately before the start of Michaelmas term to help new students settle in, so you will probably be required to arrive in Oxford at the end of September or beginning of October in your first year. The exact date you will need to arrive may vary slightly between colleges.

Students may also be required to arrive in Oxford a few days before the start of each subsequent Full Term for any college exams. You may sometimes be required to stay in Oxford for a few days after the end of Full Term (into 9th week) to complete any outstanding work or attend classes or tutorials.

Some students arrange to stay in college accommodation (perhaps in annexes rather than on the main site) for a few days outside Full Term but this is at the discretion of individual colleges and is likely to incur additional cost. Some students also stay in Oxford until 10th week in Trinity term (in June/July) to help with University Open Days.

Some courses have extended terms where students will be required to be in Oxford for longer periods, usually in the later years of the course. These are explained in the course descriptions.

Some courses have optional papers which would require you to submit work by 10th or 11th weeks of Hilary term (usually March/April). Some students choose to stay in Oxford until this deadline.

The three holidays between the three terms are known as vacations: the Christmas vacation, the Easter vacation and the long summer vacation.

Students are usually required to leave college accommodation during these vacations, so many students return home or travel, and may undertake paid employment.

It is expected that students will use some of this time to consolidate learning from the last term and to read around their subject. You may also need to undertake pre-reading or work in preparation for the next term, or to revise for examinations.

Check the course page for assessment details for your course and read the information below in Your studies. 

The majority of our undergraduate Bachelor of Arts (known as BA) degrees last three years. This is not always the case, for example if you are doing a language degree which involves a year abroad, your course may be four years.

Exceptionally, a language degree may be five years long (for example, Classics and Modern Languages).

Other undergraduate degrees may also last four years. These include some science degrees and may result in a Masters in your subject - for example, Computer Science (MCompSci), Engineering Science (MEng) and Physics (MPhys).

Medicine is divided between a three year pre-clinical stage that includes studying towards a BA in Medical Science followed by a three year clinical stage.

Visit our course pages for details.

Typically the early years of your course will involve more compulsory and core modules. As you progress, you are likely to be able increasingly to choose from a wide variety of options. This may include options which are assessed by coursework or dissertation (an extended essay or thesis) rather than by timed examination.

Term-time teaching on our undergraduate courses normally takes place in central Oxford, usually in buildings belonging to your college or department though sometimes in other venues. Some courses also have field trips or other activities away from Oxford, as explained in the course descriptions.

Visit the Medicine course page for information about teaching locations for Medicine.

Unless doing a language degree, it is unusual to study out of Oxford during term time as we want all our students to benefit from the University's teaching expertise and resources. However, you will still have lots of time to travel or do internships in the summer vacation. 

Most Oxford courses are assessed by examinations. For some courses you may also be assessed on your practical work, or you may be required to submit a dissertation (extended essay). An increasing number of degrees now include the option of some coursework. Examinations are typically at the end of the first and last years but you may have assessments at other times and some courses have exams in the second year also. 

First year examinations are often called Prelims or Moderations, and you need to pass these exams to progress to the second year. You must pass your final year exams, or ‘finals’, to pass your degree. Finals determine the classification of your degree. 

Colleges may also set their own examinations, known as ‘collections’, at the start of each term. These exams are to check that you are progressing satisfactorily through the course. They do not count towards your final degree.

You will receive highly personalised feedback and support from your tutors each week during your tutorials. You would usually also receive feedback on your college examinations within four weeks.

Visit the course page for details specific to the courses you are interested in.

The University’s expectation is that undergraduate students treat academic study as a full-time commitment during Full Term. Students spend an average of 40 hours per week on focussed, concentrated academic work. However, some students spend more than this especially when preparing for exams. The current student website provides lots of guidance on studying.

Some courses, particularly those lasting four years, offer the chance to produce your own research and to work alongside other researchers at the University. These projects can lead to exciting careers or further study opportunities.

Find out more about research opportunities at Oxford and further study.