Open-access short courses

Part-time learning at Oxford University – online and in Oxford
Start your learning journey at Oxford Continuing Education, at any time of life! You’ll join a highly diverse learning community: students of all ages, from all backgrounds and from all over the world.
Learn more about the different types of courses we offer below.
- Day and weekend events run in person or online, with some offered in both formats. Explore a topic in depth over one or two days with multiple speakers or hone your skills in small workshops and hands-on practical sessions.
- Weekly learning programmes are studied over one or two terms. These include courses that meet in Oxford, online courses with live-time sessions, and flexible online courses. Most of these courses are taught at undergraduate level, require coursework and may be studied for credit.
- Lecture series are a series of six weekly lectures on a given topic, providing a comprehensive introduction to your chosen subject. All are held in person in Oxford, with the majority also being livestreamed.
- Summer schools: Join us in Oxford for personal enrichment, academic progression or professional development. Many summer schools can be taken for credit; others require no coursework, and are non-assessed.
Upcoming courses
Online - live • Short courses • Hybrid - in person or online
An exploration of the artistic movement that came to embrace both art and music, looking at the major visual and musical works of the Impressionists, and tracing the roots of this aesthetic upheaval that laid the foundations for modernism in the arts.
- Sat 22 Feb 2025
- 9:45am – 5:00pm
Online - live • Short courses • Professional development
Gain a solid understanding of the global financial system, covering key institutions, market dynamics, monetary and fiscal policy, and risk management. Ideal for financial professionals, new entrants to the profession and students wishing to deepen their
- Mon 24 Feb 2025 – 07 Mar 2025
- 4 meetings
- 7.00pm - 8.30pm (UK time)
Online - live • Short courses • Lecture series • Hybrid - in person or online
Explore British art during the interwar period. How did British artists react to the arrival of Surrealism in Britain? Featured artists include Barbara Hepworth, Paul Nash and Henry Moore. Part of the 'Art in Britain' lecture series.
- Wed 26 Feb 2025
- 2:00 – 3:15pm
In-person weekly • Short courses
To what extent could an elite females exercise power in ancient Egypt? How were some women able to rise through a male dominated hierarachy to rule Egypt? This course examines exceptional female rulers including Hatshepsut and Cleopatra VII.
- Thu 27 Feb 2025 – Thu 27 Mar 2025
- 5 meetings
- 1:30 – 3:30pm
In-person day/weekend • Short courses • Lecture series
Described by Horowitz as the most difficult piano piece ever written, legend has it that this sonata came to Scriabin in a dream. This lecture is part of the 'A Pianist Explores' lecture series – providing a musical journey through the piano repertoire.
- Fri 28 Feb 2025
- 11:00am – 12:15pm
In-person day/weekend • Short courses
2025 marks the centenary of the chicest international exposition of the 20th century. One of the defining events of Jazz Age visual culture, the event brought together some of the most exciting designers in Europe and gave its name to the Art Deco style.
- Sat 01 Mar 2025
- 9:45am – 5:00pm
Don't miss out
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