Applying for Further Study at Oxford: From Idea to Application

Pursuing a postgraduate degree is a significant step in your career journey, and represents a substantial investment of effort and potential finances. It's therefore essential to consider your motivations and goals for further study carefully. Are you driven by intellectual curiosity and passion for your subject? A need to gain knowledge and skills to enhance your career prospects? Looking for a new experience or time to discover career directions?  

If you decide further study is right option you, you may be considering applying for a postgraduate degree at Oxford as an option.

Tips to help you navigate the postgraduate application process smoothly and effectively:

1. Explore degree options: 

Consult the graduate courses A-Z listing and decide which course(s) you wish to apply for. You can filter by course type, department and more. You can apply for multiple courses in the same cycle, but we would recommend focusing your efforts on one application (or perhaps two at most) per cycle. 

2. Review course details carefully: 

Read the course page carefully. The ‘About’ tab gives an overview of the course content and what to expect. ‘Entry requirements’ show the minimum conditions needed to apply to the course. ‘How to apply’ shows the exact documents you need to provide – these vary by course so check carefully what exactly is asked for. 

3. Consider Funding Options:

Check the course page for funding deadlines to apply by. This ensures you will be automatically considered for a range of the University’s graduate scholarships for that admissions cycle. It is also worth pursuing additional funding options and eligibility criteria on the fees, funding and scholarship search webpage. This shows funding sources that are worth £1,000 or more and require an additional application. Also consult the fees and funding pages for further details of funding sources. 

4. Start Early:

Start the application a couple of months or more before the deadline. This allows you to obtain your academic transcript, approach referees, contact a supervisor (if needed), and develop your CV, personal statement, and research proposal (if needed). Having all elements of the application ready can ensure you avoid deadline day panics. 

5. Submit Early:

We strongly recommend getting your application ready to submit at least two weeks before the deadline for your course. This will allow Graduate Admissions to contact you if we find any problems with your application, such as if you have submitted a wrong document, and allow you time in case your internet cuts out or you encounter any other technical problems. Unfortunately, we are unable to rectify mistakes that applicants have made after the deadline has passed.  

6. Consult the Application Guide:

For any further questions, consult the Application Guide, which takes you through the application step by step, or if you have course-specific questions, please contact the department using the contact details on the course page. 

7. Stay Updated:

Be aware that information on the graduate study website is generally only valid for that admissions cycle (September – August each year) and is subject to change. Updated information for the new cycle is published on or around 1 September each year.

Keep in mind...

Oxford is just one option within a diverse range of global opportunities for further study. What is most important is finding the right degree that matches your goals. Read our Further Study webpages to support exploration of your motivations, researching degree options, and preparing your applications, and book in a one-to-one advice appointment with a careers adviser to explore your thinking further.