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Summer schools > Oxford University Summer School for Adults
Accredited week-long courses over four weeks
from 7 July to 4 August
The Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) brings together participants from around the world and from all backgrounds to study in Oxford with some of the finest tutors in the country.
This year's summer school offers 40 accredited one-week courses. Choose from a wide range of topics, examples from the 2012 programme include: An Introduction to Macroeconomics, Learning to Look at Paintings, Cyprus - from the Neolithic period to the Romans, as well as Environmental Ethics and many more!
At OUSSA classes are kept to a maximum of twelve students to facilitate discussion and to provide a generous amount of one-on-one time between you and your tutor. All of our tutors are experienced in teaching adults from a wide variety of ages and educational backgrounds. (We've been running summer programmes in Oxford for well over a century, and were among the first in the world to do so.) OUSSA courses are accredited and taught at university level. This means you will come away with a satisfying depth of knowledge and if successfully completed your course will have obtained credit (10 CATS points). OUSSA credit can be transferred to other qualifying institutions and used towards undergraduate degree programmes.
One aspect that distinguishes OUSSA is the opportunity to have two Oxford style tutorials during the week. As one student from the 2011 programme said: ‘Attending OUSSA was an outstanding experience. This was my first experience of the tutorial system and I was able to realise what a valuable system it is. By doing the reading and working on my papers I was able to absorb so much more at the seminars. It was hardwork, but it was worth it.’As well as the time spent in serious study, there will be opportunities to visit Oxford's amazing colleges, museums and art galleries. (You can read more about these on our visitors' pages) In the evening students may choose to go on theatre trips, concert outings and walks to historic pubs. Film showings are also arranged in our comfortable lecture theatre. Above all, at the summer school you will meet interesting people, develop new ideas, and immerse yourself in learning.
The only entrance requirement for an OUSSA course is enthusiasm for the subject, as well as a commitment to attend all classes and undertake the required assignments before and during the summer school. Please click to download a pdf detailing the 2012 course titles:
Download the 2012 Course List (revised 27.01.12)