Virtual open events bring Oxford to you



Our part-time Oxford qualifications programmes attract students from all over the world. They are designed for those whose work or other commitments make full-time education impractical.

But not everyone can easily come to Oxford for an open day to learn more about these programmes - so the Department has begun offering 'virtual' open events for those who live at a distance. Links to the six presentations we've produced so far are listed below.

These hour-long presentations go out live online, and offer participants an opportunity to meet course directors, tutors and course admins, and to ask questions in real-time.

Once an open event finishes it is automatically archived on our website, where it is freely accessible.

Of our six virtual open events, four are for postgraduate programmes: our MSt courses in Literature and Arts, Creative Writing and History of Design, and our Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques. The remaining two are for undergraduate awards - our Certificate and Diploma in History of Art programmes, and our Certificate of Higher Education.

The first online open event was presented just over a year ago. Since then, the six presentations listed below have been viewed 2,569 times by prospective students in over 50 countries worldwide.

All but two of these programmes are currently accepting applications for a Michaelmas 2012 start; the exceptions are the MSt in the History of Design and the MSt in Creative Writing, both of which will begin recruiting again in the autumn of 2012 for the 2013 start.

The Certificate of Higher Education

This undergraduate award programme enables students to use the credit that they obtain from taking weekly classes, short online courses, linked day schools, practical weekends and attendance at the Oxford University Summer School for Adults to count towards gaining a qualification from the University of Oxford. Students choose one of nine main subject disciplines in which they do most of their classes - Archaeology, Architectural History, Creative Writing, History, History of Art, Italian, Literature, Philosophy or Spanish - and they combine this with study in other academic subjects.

The Certificate of Higher Education open day is presented by Course Director Dr Elizabeth Gemmill, Dr David Grylls, Director of Studies in Literature and Creative Writing, and Claire Kelly, manager of the online and weekly classes programmes.

 

Undergraduate awards in History of Art

Undergraduate Certificate and Diploma in History of Art are the equivalent of the first and second year of study at university level, respectively. These courses are the perfect starting point for those who have little or no study at university level, or who are new to the subject.

Having graduated from either of these programmes, you will no longer simply 'like' art, but you will be able to analyse and interpret its significance in the history of human culture - and, as a result, you will like it more than ever! You will do this in a supportive and encouraging environment guided by expert tutors and in the company of students travelling the same path as yourself.

 

Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques

The Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques is a one year, part-time, modular programme. It aims to train practitioners in ecological survey techniques through an effective mixture of online, face-to-face and experiential learning, equipping students with the knowledge, understanding and confidence to conduct ecological field surveys. It also provides the opportunity to build knowledge, skills and capacity in environmental conservation more generally, and provides participants with the evidence base to guide decision-making in biodiversity conservation and management, and related issues.

The PG Cert in Ecological Survey Techniques open event is presented by Course Director Dr Jocelyn Hughes, tutor Damien Farine and portfolio manager Lindsay Campbell.

 

MSt in Literature and Arts

Our two-year part-time Masters Degree in Literature and Arts is one of our most popular new Master's programmes. The course offers the opportunity to study the literature and arts of three different periods of English history (ranging from the c16th to the c19th) in an interdisciplinary manner over four five day residences and two online modules.

The online open day is presented by Course Director Dr Cathy Oakes and course tutor Dr Sandie Byrne.

 

MSt in Creative Writing

Our Master of Studies in Creative Writing is hugely popular. It's a two-year, part-time programme offering a unique combination of high contact hours, genre specialization, and critical and creative breadth. The emphasis is on the cross-cultural and cross-genre, pointing up the needs and challenges of the contemporary writer who produces his or her creative work in the context of a global writerly and critical community. The master's degree in creative writing offers a clustered learning format of five Residences, two Guided Retreats and one Placement over the two years.

The MSt in Creative Writing open event is presented by Course Director Clare Morgan, poetry tutor Jane Draycott and programme administrator Rebecca Rue.

 

MSt in History of Design

Our Master's in the History of Design is a taught Master's Degree offered part-time over two years, comprising nine monthly Saturdays and one residential weekend per annum. The syllabus focuses particularly on the period from 1851 to 1951 in Europe (including Britain) and America. Combining close visual and material analysis with historical methodologies, the course explores decorative and applied art, the design of interiors and public spaces, and for performance and industry. Please note: this programme runs every other year and will accept applications in the autumn of 2012 for the October 2012 start.

The open event for the Master's in the History of Design is presented by Course Director Dr Claire O'Mahony.

 

Published 26 April 2012