Oxford university management system. Diverse student life

Oxford is one of the "best" universities in the world. In terms of age, it is second only to Bologna, and in the UK and the English-speaking world it is the oldest institution of higher education. It is not easy to enter here, it is difficult to study here, and having an Oxford diploma, one of top universities world, very prestigious.

Story

Unfortunately, we do not know the exact date when Oxford University was founded, but it is known from ancient documents that education was conducted here as far back as 1096. In 1167 began fast development university and turning it into one of the world's largest educational centers: the fact is that the French king Henry II issued a decree according to which the British could no longer study at the University of Paris, so those who wanted to gnaw at the granite of science had to look for an educational institution in their homeland. Oxford became the place where young minds rushed.

Around 1190, the first foreign student arrived at Oxford, and the tradition of the university's close international relations began. In the 12th century, the first colleges within the university were formed, and just a century later Oxford was recognized as one of the leading universities of its time.

At first, Oxford, like all higher educational institutions of the Middle Ages, was exclusively a place for the training of future clergy, but gradually it became almost mandatory. educational institution for members of high society. Until now, Oxford is one of the most prestigious and famous universities in the world.

Programs

At Oxford, you can study in a variety of areas and study mathematical, physical, social, humanitarian and natural Sciences and medicine. Oxford offers degree programs leading to bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, as well as short courses without a degree.

Number of students

2 thousand students. Of these, almost 12,000 are undergraduate students. 62% of undergraduate and postgraduate students came to the UK to study from abroad. Each year, Oxford has about 3,200 undergraduate (with 17,000 applications) and 4,500 graduate and postgraduate (with 20,000 applications) places.

Famous Alumni

Over its centuries-old history, Oxford has produced many students who have become famous in various fields. Oxford University is the alma mater of the poet John Donne, the philosopher Thomas More, the economist Adam Smith, the writer Jonathan Swift, the architect Christopher Wren, the poet Percy Bissy Shelley, the writer Oscar Wilde, the philologist and writer J. R. R. Tolkien, the writer Aldous Huxley, the physicist Stephen Hawking, English kings Edward VII and Edward VIII, British Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and David Cameron and many other representatives of science, politics and culture. There are many Nobel Prize winners among Oxford alumni.

UNIVERSITY STRUCTURE

Oxford is a collegiate university, that is, its structure consists of a central university (Central University) and colleges (colleges). Central University includes academic departments and research centers, as well as administrative departments, libraries and museums. There are 38 colleges in Oxford. These are self-governing and self-financing independent educational institutions that belong to the central university. In addition, there are six dormitories (private halls) founded by religious orders. Dormitories do not have college status and are still Christian in nature.

The central university and the colleges have different functions.

University defines content training courses which are taught in colleges, organizes lectures, seminars and laboratory work, provides teaching and learning resources (libraries, laboratories, museums, computer labs, etc.), provides administrative services, admits and examines graduate and graduate students, and determines the knowledge assessment system, and awards degrees.

The colleges are responsible for the admission of undergraduate students, as well as the selection of graduate students after they are admitted to the university, provide students with housing, meals, libraries, sports opportunities and participation in student clubs. In addition, colleges are responsible for the education of undergraduate students.

It is believed that the collegiate structure of Oxford is the key to the success of the university. Its students, on the one hand, belong to a large, internationally recognized university, and, on the other hand, have the opportunity to study in a small interdisciplinary community. In this way, the structure of Oxford helps to connect leading scientists and students from different fields of knowledge, age groups, countries and cultures. Interdisciplinary approach - business card Oxford and its pride.

Another feature of Oxford is its tutoring system. It assumes that each student has a mentor (tutor) in the chosen specialty.

In addition to colleges, there is a prestigious Saeed business school at Oxford, where in two years you can get MBA degree.

ENTRY CONDITIONS:

With the collegiate structure of the university and a large number of colleges, applicants face the question of choice. In fact, everything is much simpler. Upon admission, there is no strict requirement to choose a college. Applicants may indicate the desired college (for example, based on its location or scholarship opportunities), but this is not required. Other Oxford colleges may also invite you for an interview and, if successful, offer you a place. According to statistics, 34% of accepted students receive an invitation from a different college, which they designated as desirable upon admission. Regardless of which college you go to, you will receive a high quality education.

Oxford's colleges are non-specialized and run a wide variety of courses. On the university website you will find information about which colleges offer certain programs. For example, if you are interested in earth sciences, you will find that you can study them in one of the six colleges. Computer science is taught in thirteen colleges, and history in thirty-two. 7 of Oxford's 38 colleges only accept students for undergraduate and graduate studies.

Undergraduate

17% of undergraduate students are foreigners. With the exception of the specialty “Medicine”, Oxford does not have a quota for foreign students, which gives applicants from different countries equal opportunities.

Find out in advance by what date you need to apply. As a rule, the application must be submitted one year before the planned start of studies. You can fill out an application online on the centralized portal UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) for applicants to British universities. The application must, among other things, indicate why you want to study this particular discipline, as well as provide recommendations from teachers. Copies or original documents are not required. For admission to most programs, you must also pass tests and / or submit written work.

Applicants who pass the initial selection are invited for an interview, with the inviting college providing accommodation and meals for the duration of the potential students' trip to Oxford.

Foreign applicants must also prove high English proficiency and pass the IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or other exams (check the points requirements on the Oxford website in advance).

The Russian certificate of secondary school education is not sufficient for admission to Oxford, so Russian applicants will first have to unlearn at least one year in a bachelor's degree at a university in Russia.

Information for undergraduate applicants: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/undergraduate

Portal for applying to UK universities: www.ucas.com.

Master's degree

Those who already have a bachelor's degree and who speak English well (you need to provide IELTS, TOEFL or Cambridge Certificate test results) can enter the Oxford master's program. The application must indicate why you want to study in this particular program, as well as provide official transcripts of existing diplomas and three recommendations.

PhD

The admissions process for an Oxford PhD program is similar to the application process for a Master's program, but there are some differences. Those who already have a master's degree can enter graduate school, and the application must indicate what kind of research you would like to do and why.

Information for graduate and graduate applicants: www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate

Oxford Masters and Postgraduates Portal: www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/applyonline

MBA

You can get an MBA from the Said Business School at Oxford. Requirements include a bachelor's degree, excellent English proficiency, confirmed by the IELTS or TOEFL test, successful delivery GMAT exam. You will also need to write an essay and provide recommendations. Work experience is highly desirable. On average, students MBA programs Said Business School have 6 years of work experience.

COST OF TRAINING (per year)

The cost of studying at Oxford depends on whether you are a British or EU citizen or not, as well as the level of education you receive. Russian students cannot count on financial assistance from the British government, and the cost of education for them is also higher than for subjects of the British crown and citizens of the European Union.

• Undergraduate. From 15 to 22 thousand pounds. There is also an annual college fee of £7,000.
• Master's degree. From 15 to 30 thousand pounds. In addition, each college will collect its own contribution of £7,000 annually.
• Said School of Business (MBA): 42 thousand pounds.
• Postgraduate. From 15 to 30 thousand pounds. As a rule, the cost of education is covered by a grant or scholarship.

Scholarships: Russian students will most often have to pay for undergraduate studies themselves. In master's and postgraduate studies, there is an opportunity to receive a scholarship or grant, which will partially or fully cover the cost of education. Every year, Oxford provides about a thousand different scholarships. Each of them has its own requirements (including the country of residence of the future student, the university where the bachelor's degree was completed, the chosen specialty and Oxford college). Scholarships are provided by the university, college, department, or external organizations.

Founded at the end of the 11th century, the University of Oxford is the oldest institution of higher education not only in Great Britain, but also in Europe. Today, more than a quarter of Oxford students are foreigners.

The University of Oxford (Oxford University or University of Oxford) consistently occupies a leading position in the ranking of the best universities in the world, sometimes yielding, and sometimes overtaking its closest competitors - Cambridge and Harvard. Every year, millions of tourists come to watch the traditional Oxford May Day, see Christ Church College, where Harry Potter was filmed and Alice in Wonderland was written, and enjoy the medieval atmosphere of a unique ancient university.

Among the teachers and graduates of Oxford - 40 Nobel laureates, 25 British prime ministers, 6 kings, 12 saints, about 50 Olympic medalists, about 20 managers of the 100 largest businesses in the world (FTSE 100), thousands of leading politicians, scientists, people of literature and art. Such famous figures as Margaret Thatcher, Lewis Carroll, John Tolkien, Clive Staple Lewis, Tony Blair, Felix Yusupov and many others studied and taught here. Oxford University has also left its mark on the history of Russian science and literature. Honorary degrees of the university were received by such Russian writers as V. Zhukovsky, I. Turgenev, K. Chukovsky, A. Akhmatova and I. Brodsky.

Year of foundation

Location

Central England

Number of students

Student satisfaction

Academic Specialization

Despite the fact that the main emphasis at the University of Oxford is on humanitarian disciplines, here you can also successfully engage in exact sciences, law, art, music, security environment, medicine and many other disciplines.

The academic year at Oxford begins in October and is divided into three semesters (trimesters): Micklemass (autumn), Hilary (winter) and Trinity (spring). During the year, the student attends lectures, seminars, practical and laboratory classes, as well as tutors - special individual lessons with a teacher.

The staff of Oxford teachers is so large that there are on average 4-5 students per lecturer. Thanks to unique system tutorship (individual guardianship of a student), each applicant receives a set of not only basic, but also specialized knowledge.

Oxford University is divided into faculties and 38 colleges, as well as the so-called "hostels" (halls of residence). On admission Special attention should be given not only to the choice of the direction of education, but also to the selection of the college. By attending faculty lectures and seminars, the student spends most of his free time in college; there is a social, sports and everyday life student. Each college is a separate structure that contains residence halls, a library, a computer center, lecture buildings, sports and gyms, a park, a dining room, a choir, a theater, a music room, a chapel and much more. That is why, when applying for admission to the University of Oxford, it is extremely important to choose exactly the college that best suits your taste.

When choosing a college, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• college Academic Profile,
• location,
• prestige,
• providing a place in a hostel,
• appearance.

The most common way to prepare international students for Oxford is through a two-year course, which English students usually take in the last 2 years of pre-university education. It's called GCE Advanced Level or for short. A levels. Oxford Tutorial College is one of the UK's leading independent colleges for preparing students for A-Levels exams. The standard A-levels preparation course at Oxford Tutorial College can be taken in the form of small group or individual lessons, or a combination of both forms.

The University of Oxford is the oldest institution of higher education in the UK and the second oldest in Europe. Teaching has been going on here since the end of the 11th century. Getting into this university is difficult, studying is even more difficult, but having a diploma from Oxford University is incredibly prestigious. For graduates with such an education, the doors of the most respectable companies in the world are open. Only an absolutely uneducated person does not know about the existence of such an institution. Millions of students dream of entering Oxford, but only a few manage to fulfill the dream.

History and development of the educational institution

The University of Oxford is located in the UK, in the city of Oxford (Oxfordshire). The exact date of the opening of the university is unknown, but, as mentioned above, scientists were able to establish that education has been conducted here since the 11th century. The university began to develop quite quickly. He gained particular popularity after 1167: at this time, Henry II issued an order prohibiting students from England from studying at the Sorbonne.

As a result, most of the students and teachers were expelled from the Sorbonne, and they had to move to the UK, namely to Oxford. After a while they were joined by colleagues from other countries. Since 1201, the chancellor has been considered the head of the university. The University of Oxford changed a lot during the Renaissance: the changes affected both the content of the institution and the teaching system in it.

In 1636, Bishop of Canterbury William Laud approved the charter of the university, which existed unchanged until the middle of the 19th century. During this period, some amendments are made to it, for example, written examinations are introduced instead of oral entrance examinations, and four colleges for women are opened.

How to get into Oxford?

Oxford University puts forward complex requirements for its applicants. It is equally difficult to enter it as graduates of European or American schools, and schoolchildren studying in domestic educational institutions. Russian secondary education is not enough to enter a university of this level. In order to enter the University of Oxford, you need to study in the UK under the A-levels or International Baccalaureate (IB) program for at least two years. At the same time, it is necessary to graduate with the highest marks.

Insofar as studying proccess takes place in Oxford English language, then foreign applicants are required to confirm the level of knowledge of the language. To do this, you need to pass one of the international level exams. For example, IELTS total score which must be 7.0, or TOEFL, the average mark for it must not be lower than 600 points. In addition, a number of some specialties require prospective students to pass special written tests. Such tests are passed for admission to biomedical specialties, specialties in literature and others.

After successfully passing the tests and exams, students receive an invitation to a personal interview, which takes place in mid-December. Based on the results of exams, tests and interviews, a decision is made as to whether the applicant will study at Oxford or not.

What the cost of studying?

But knowledge is not yet enough to enter Oxford (University). The cost of education here is quite high. Therefore, before you start preparing for admission, you need to carefully consider whether you or your parents can pay for the education. For foreign applicants (not from the powers of the European Union), the price of the issue is from 15 to 30 thousand pounds per year. The amount depends on the specialization and additional payment to the college where you plan to study (the University of Oxford includes several colleges). This surcharge is equal to the amount of seven thousand pounds per year. In addition, you will need money for accommodation (approximately 12 thousand pounds for one study period).

What are they studying here?

In many specialties gives knowledge of Oxford (University). The faculties most often chosen by students are the humanities, medicine, mathematics, physics, and the faculties of natural and social sciences. These departments train graduates in various fields. The university has 38 colleges, where most of the basic subjects are taught. There is a mentoring system here, thanks to which there is no clear division of students into specialties. The university provides training in almost all existing industries and areas for undergraduate studies. The Master's program includes everything except accounting.

The staff of the institution has 8.5 thousand employees, three thousand of which are teachers. Roger Bacon and Margaret Thatcher studied here.

One of the most popular colleges

Another popular university in the city of Oxford is Oxford Brooks. The university was opened in 1865. Then it was called the Oxford School of Art. From 1970 until 1992 the institution was called Oxford Polytechnic. The university received the status of a university only in 1992.

The college got its name in honor of John Henry Brooks, its first rector. The modular form of education was first introduced at Oxford Brooks. The university has more than 130 various programs of study for a bachelor's degree and more than a hundred programs for masters.

Every Oxford Brookes University building provides free internet access. All campuses have computer rooms that can be used around the clock. There are also libraries, restaurants, recreational facilities, sports complexes and student shops at the disposal of students and teachers.

Education at Oxford through the eyes of its graduates

Tourists will also be pleased to visit Oxford - the university where the soul and heart are located. modern science. The institution has given the world 40 Nobel Prize winners, fifty heads of government and infinite number the most famous scientists, philosophers, politicians and writers. All those who graduated from this institution say that studying in it is incomparable with any other education system. Graduates say that studying here is incredibly difficult. They claim that the professors at Oxford teach independent work and ask quite a lot of reading.

So, according to those who graduated from the University of Oxford, we can conclude that every week a student needs to read one thousand pages of texts and write 45 pages each. own compositions. At Oxford, they teach to express their thoughts, so students constantly write various essays.

But none of the students regretted the years spent at this university. Most of them today occupy honorary and prestigious positions, speak English fluently and can keep up a conversation on almost any topic.

According to legend, the learned monks of Oxford are first mentioned in connection with many days of academic debate that Alfred the Great had with them in 872.

During the early Middle Ages, several monasteries were founded around, such as the Augustinian monastery of St. Friedeswide (1122), Osney Abbey (1129), the college of secular laws of St. George's Church at Oxford Castle. It is from this college, founded by Robert d'Wally and Roger d'Ivry in 1074, that the real story Oxford University. In the history of the university in the 12th century, only a few isolated facts about the courses of lectures given by the most famous English religious thinkers of the time have survived. Among them were Robert Pullen, Robert de Chesney, Theoboldus Stampensis. The impetus for the development of the university was the conflict between King Henry on the one hand and Archbishop Becket and the Pope on the other. As a result, in 1167, Henry ordered all students who had studied in France to return home and subsequently forbade them from going abroad to study without a royal licence. Many of the students who returned went on to study at Oxford.

Emblem of the University of Oxford

In the early 13th century, the university achieved a privileged position in the city. It all started with the fact that in 1209 two students were hanged on charges of murdering a townswoman. This led to conflicts between students and residents of the city, as a result of which students and teachers were forced to leave Oxford. Some of them moved to Cambridge and founded the University of Cambridge. Soon the city, whose main livelihood was serving the needs of the university, felt a decrease in income. In 1214, with the help of a papal legate, an agreement was reached to return the university to Oxford. At the same time, students and teachers received tangible privileges in the form of reduced rent for accommodation, discounts on food and other goods they needed, and most importantly, immunity from local authorities. From then on, they were subordinate only to the diocesan authorities. The townspeople were required to hand over to spiritual authority any member of the university who was arrested by them. This was the first step towards the independence of the university from the city and the basis of the immunity of its members from jury trials, an exemption that exists, albeit in a different form, to this day. In the same year, the first chancellor of the university, Robert Grosseteste (1175-1253), was appointed.

Old house in Oxford

At first, students rented apartments from the townspeople. In the 13th century, they were founded, who received the right to own land. On this land, they built their own buildings, which they used not only as an auditorium, but also as a hostel for students. During the 13th and 14th centuries about ten colleges were founded. Balliol and Merton Colleges, founded in 1264, are the oldest. After 1410, students were generally forbidden to rent apartments from the townspeople. They had to live in colleges, in primitive student dormitories, under the control of the chancellor's administration.

During the Middle Ages, books were a great luxury, so attending lectures was the main way to gain knowledge. Ancient philosophers such as Aristotle were considered to be the possessors of true knowledge. At lectures, teachers were engaged only in commenting on ancient authors. Only in the Renaissance did the desire to acquire new knowledge appear.

The academic course consisted of humanities, Medicine, Civil Law, Ecclesiastical Law and Theology. The largest and most influential was the department of humanities. It included grammar, rhetoric and logic, arithmetic, music, geometry and astronomy. Students studied according to the works of Aristotle, Boetius, Euclid, Donatus and other ancient authors. After listening to lectures for about four years and taking part in debates, a student could become a candidate for a Bachelor of Arts diploma. If his application was approved, he received a license from the chancellor, and could lecture in his chosen direction of the humanities. Between Bachelor's and Graduate degree Master's degree must have been completed for at least three years. During this time, the bachelor continued to participate in philosophical debates and attend lectures by colleagues. After the approval of the candidacy and obtaining a license, the master became a full-fledged teacher and had the right to lecture and solve issues of the life of the faculty, related to his competence. Having received a master's license, he became a member of the board of the faculty and had to lecture for another two years. Two years later, he could remain on the board "at will" and teach for pay. When he stopped teaching, he left the faculty board. Many Masters of Arts have reached high administrative positions in their colleges.

The procedure for obtaining master's licenses in other faculties was similar to this, but with some additions. To obtain a master's license in medicine, it was necessary to study the works of Galen, Hippocrates and other famous physicians for six years. At least nine years were required to study the Bible in order to obtain a doctorate degree in the Department of Theology.

In the 14th century the University of Oxford rose to prominence as one of the best centers of learning. From the early years of its existence, Oxford has been a place where ideological disputes have boiled. His students and teachers created religious and political theories that spread throughout the country, captivated thousands of people, changed religious beliefs and political structure Great Britain. For centuries, people from Oxford University have become leading political figures, famous scientists, architects, writers, defining cultural and public life states.

Starting in 1878, women were allowed to study at the University of Oxford, but it was not until 1920 that they received full membership. Since 1974, all colleges have changed their statutes and allowed co-education of women and men.

During the 20th century, the University of Oxford added to its traditional liberal arts courses new modern areas of natural and applied sciences, including medicine. This strengthened its position as a scientific international center and a forum for intellectual debate.

Today at Oxford University more than twenty-two thousand students study at the same time, including 11,772 undergraduates and 9,850 graduate students. Getting an education here guarantees successful career. 94% of Oxford graduates are employed within six months of graduating.

Name of this English city translated primitively and funny - "ox ford". It is said that the first travelers who gave the area such a toponym saw just such a picture - a herd of cows being driven. History has become a special page in the world book of memory for a completely different reason. This city hosts the most famous university planet, which gave the world not only thousands of specialists in various fields, but also more than 50 winners of the most famous - the Nobel Prize.

From origins

It is customary for scientists to keep the history of Oxford from 912, then this locality first appeared in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. It is clarified that there was a monastery in these places - this means that the countdown of the existence time must be started much earlier. By the way, it was the monastery complex that contributed to the fact that in these places there is now a world-wide famous university. The initial plans of the church elite included the foundation of an educational institution where local clergymen could receive education.

This settlement became a real university city during the reign of Henry II. One legend is associated with this educational institution. When in 1355 during the pogrom died a large number of students, a fine fell on the city. Residents paid a symbolic amount to the university for the next 470 years.

The history of Oxford, even in summary, cannot be described without the history of the university, just as the architecture of the city does not exist without university buildings, many of which are masterpieces.

Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on who founded this beautiful settlement on the banks of the Thames. Archaeologists echo historians, proving that people lived here in the Neolithic era. Mounds related to Bronze Age, prove that the territories were suitable for life.

Oxford in the Middle Ages

On the one hand, at that time the city was actively built and developed, on the other hand, troubles did not bypass it. The following sad events remained in the history of the city:

• the terrible fire of 1138, which destroyed almost all the buildings;
• the capture of Oxford by Empress Matilda in 1142;
• the plague of 1348-1350, which greatly reduced the number of city dwellers.

In addition, the political situation could not be called stable - kings, queens, their heirs succeeded each other, not forgetting to put to death their opponents and sympathizers with them.

More or less peaceful time in the life of the townspeople came only in XVIII century. Then began new stage- it is at this time that the most famous monuments architecture of Oxford, the buildings that became the educational buildings of the colleges of the university.