St Peter's College, University of Oxford

Academic and Professional programmes

The St Peter’s College Summer Schools normally run for four to six weeks from early July to mid-August and are designed to offer students from North America and elsewhere direct experience of Oxford’s traditional approach to university education.  Academic Courses, designed and taught by Fellows and Lecturers of the College and the wider university with overseas students in mind, have a British and European focus. 

Our strong links with partner universities are maintained by regular and direct contact with faculty and international offices.  Visiting faculty make welcome guest contributions from time to time in the Academic Courses.  Our Professional Programmes are best developed in jointly-taught partnerships, currently covering International Business, Trade and Intellectual Property Law at Masters and professional levels.

Academic programme - courses and options

Tutorials

The first five weeks of the Summer School are teaching weeks, with the emphasis shifting to concluding reviews and study field visits in the sixth week.  Courses are taught through an integrated programme of tutorials, seminars and lectures in combinations varying from Option to Option. 

The weekly tutorial is at the heart of every Course, with a small group of 1-5 students discussing papers, prepared in advance, with their tutor.  Seminars bring together a larger group of perhaps 10-15 students to participate in more general discussions of common subjects related to the various Options of each Course.

Keynote Lectures & Seminars

While the tutorial stimulates exploration of subjects in detail and depth, seminars provide opportunities to broaden the debate and widen understanding of the issues involved.  Keynote lectures may be used to provide a foundation to each Option. 

Tutorials and seminars, usually of 1.5-2 hours duration, involve intensive preparation and writing of essays by the students, through guided but independent reading.  Many students are registered as readers with the world famous Bodleian Library, with incomparable holdings and stately reading rooms, as well as the College library and other appropriate university and department libraries.

Interdisciplinary Lectures

Beyond coursework, students from Academic and Professional Courses attend weekly evening interdisciplinary lectures on cultural, political, historical, literary, environmental and other issues of topical interest. 

Given by distinguished speakers from the university and wider world, they range from the serious to the light-hearted, set in a social context of receptions and banquet dinners.  One such week is usually devoted to a musical event.