Imagine yourself sitting in class, listening to your world-class professor speaking about Shakespeare’s plays, and Winston Churchill’s life. But you’re not at your home university—you’re learning in Oxford where it all began! This is your chance to study at one of the most renowned universities in the world: the University of Oxford.
Our program offers you the opportunity to directly enroll in St. Catherine’s College, one of the 38 self-governing colleges that together make up the University of Oxford. In 2011, the University of Oxford ranked as the 4th best university in the world, according to Times Higher Education.
Enjoy studying at one of the oldest universities in the world—teaching existed here in some form as early as 1096. Today, Oxford has a total student population of more than 21,000, with more than 140 nationalities represented in its student body, and is a renowned seat of learning and tradition. The student body at the University of Oxford is diverse, as well as its professors—about 40 percent of the University of Oxford’s academic staff are citizens of countries other than the United Kingdom. What a great way to meet new people from across the globe!
You have the opportunity to attend St. Catherine’s College for the fall semester, spring/summer term, or the full academic year. Like all Oxford colleges, St. Catherine’s utilizes the tutorial education system. This allows you to select a highly personalized course of study, based on previous coursework at your home institution and your academic interests. You meet with a tutor on a regular basis, either alone or with another student, to discuss the written work produced for each meeting. These tutorials are supplemented by lectures.
Oxford will also be your classroom. Enjoy the vibrant intellectual and social life that Oxford has to offer. Explore the city’s stone buildings and classic cloistered colleges that are integrated into the fabric of the town center. Get to know the faculty and students who come from around the world to live and work in this beautiful city. Welcome to study abroad!
We want you to feel at home in Oxford, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life in England. Selecting an Accommodation Block (see the Housing & Meals sections) is a great way to make friends with local students.
These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.
IES Abroad’s mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. That is why we partnered with St. Catherine’s College at the University of Oxford.
Because of the high academic rigor of this program, a 3.85 GPA (out of 4.0) is required to participate.
IES Abroad Pre-Semester Tutorial in London - Required for Fall Students Only To ensure fall semester-only students receive the 15 credits per semester required by IES Abroad, fall-only students participate in a 3-credit pre-semester tutorial (TU399 Rhetoric, Research & Writing: Preparing for the Oxbridge Tutorial) in London. You live and study in London for three weeks prior to the start of the term in Oxford.
Designed to prepare you to succeed at the University of Oxford, this independent study tutorial sharpens your skills in oral and written rhetoric. You work one-on-one with IES Abroad London tutors (some of whom also teach at Oxford), and are held to the same standards as matriculated Oxford students. The subject for the tutorial is directed and shaped by your own academic interests. The specific discipline designation replaces “TU” on your final transcript. While in London, you will live in apartment-like residence halls.
St. Catherine’s College St. Catherine’s College, whose foundation stone was laid by Her Majesty the Queen on November 4, 1960, welcomed its first undergraduates two years later. Although St. Catherine’s is the youngest college in Oxford, it is also one of the largest with 450 undergraduates and 160 postgraduates, as well as 70 fellows and lecturers.
In addition to its formal academics, St. Catherine’s is known for its extracurricular opportunities in music, drama, and sports, and is generally regarded as one of the friendliest and most open colleges in Oxford.
The college was designed to be a modern reflection of a traditional Oxford college. At the heart of the college lies a rectangular quad, its sides flanked by student rooms built in the conventional Oxford “staircase” format, its ends consisting of the Dining Hall and Library.
The facilities also include a large junior common room with a debating pit, television and game room, small theater, and music house. Squash courts, a weight room, and punt house are also on-site. You can also utilize a boathouse and playing fields for rugby, soccer, and field hockey nearby.
Courses Study abroad students usually apply to one or sometimes two academic departments and then select courses from these and/or other departments. St. Catherine’s offers a wide range of disciplines.
For a list of subject options, visit the College's Subjects and Places page.
Past IES Abroad students have taken courses like:
Oxford Academic Environment & Expectations: The Tutorial System University education at St. Catherine’s is based on the tutorial system. Typically, you have two lectures per week for each class and one tutorial, or small group meeting, that you’re expected to prepare a list of readings and topics to discuss. There is a high expectation that you will put in a significant amount of independent study in addition to classroom, laboratory, and tutorial hours.
Because of the high academic rigor of this program, a 3.85 GPA (out of 4.0) is required to participate. St. Catherine’s sometimes considers applicants with a GPA slightly below 3.85 who include an exceptional set of essays or an original and compelling personal statement. St. Catherine’s will not consider applicants with a GPA lower than 3.7.
Using the resources available, you must engage in extensive independent reading and research under the broad guidance of a tutor. Your tutorial sessions will require you to discuss your weekly reading and essay. This methodology sharpens the learning skills of critical evaluation and organization of ideas. You are taught by the same tutors, in the same manner, and held to the same standards as matriculated Oxford students.
Location St. Catherine’s buildings, located on the east side of Oxford, are modern—the result of an international competition won by renowned Danish architect Arne Jacobson.
Even though you’re directly enrolling in one of our partner universities, there’s something IES Abroad wants you to know: we’re here for you if you need us.
Advising Choosing and directly enrolling in courses abroad can be confusing and overwhelming. This is why we offer you predeparture advising that’s specific to your needs. Our goal is to provide support and guidance throughout your application and enrollment process.
But our advising services don’t stop there. While you’re in Oxford, our staff in London is available to help you transition into your new home.
Support The support services we offer IES Abroad direct enrollment students are specifically designed to help you achieve your study abroad goals as effectively and smoothly as possible. We know studying abroad is an adventure, and, at times, you may need help or just someone to talk to—that’s why our staff will be there for you.
St. Catherine’s is dedicated to finding you the tutors that best meet your specific academic and personal goals, making this a truly unique and unparalleled learning experience. Staff members at St. Catherine’s place you with a tutor before you’re even admitted, based on the interests you indicated upon applying to the program.
Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Oxford, it will feel like home.
As part of IES Abroad’s direct enrollment services, we offer well-located, comfortable housing for all students, since securing housing independently can be challenging. IES Abroad offers housing options that meet our safety and security standards.
Accommodation Blocks – You’re housed on campus in either single or double rooms with shared facilities. Wherever possible, IES Abroad and St. Catherine’s try to pair a St. Catherine’s student as a roommate if you select a double room. All rooms have Internet access.
You will have access to basic kitchen facilities, and the college has a dining hall on campus that provides meals throughout the week. When you arrive, you are issued a pay-as-you-go photo ID card, which is debited every time you take a meal and can be added to throughout the term. You are responsible for loading money onto your own card—meals are not included in the program fee.
Like all Oxford colleges, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all cooked on-site and served in the dining hall at set times. Meals are available to all enrolled students, not just to residents living on campus.
Nido King’s Cross Residence Hall (Fall semester only) – This international students’ residence hall is located in central London, and you and another IES Abroad student will share a double room and a bathroom (en suite). Amenities include:
Part of making you feel at home in Oxford is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.
Fall-only students – The IES Abroad orientation program starts in London, and is designed specifically for direct enrollment students. The orientation program introduces you to St. Catherine’s, your fellow students, and to London. You also become acquainted with the teaching methods of British professors. Noteworthy activities may include a bus tour, discussion groups, and walking tour of the city.
Following the IES Abroad orientation in London, you participate in an orientation program at St. Catherine’s that covers topics such as accommodation, academic policies, registration, student life, travel, and safety.
Spring/Summer Students – Fly into London, stay the night, and the following day take the train to Oxford with IES Abroad staff. You participate in a short orientation by St. Catherine’s that covers topics such as accommodation, academic policies, registration, student life, travel, and safety.
Academic Year Students – Participate in an IES Abroad orientation program that begins in London. You stay in London for one night before moving into campus housing at St. Catherine’s. Academic year students participate in an orientation program at St. Catherine’s that covers topics such as accommodation, academic policies, registration, student life, travel, and safety.
University Clubs & Events While you’re in Oxford, joining a social or sports club is a great way to meet local students. We encourage you to get involved in the many clubs and societies covering almost every interest at St. Catherine’s—from sport and music to drama and art.
Although your adventure begins in Oxford, our field trips take you to other great locations in England to provide contrast and context for what you are learning in Oxford. These trips are organized by IES Abroad London. You share a portion of the cost with IES Abroad. As these field trips typically depart from London, past Oxford students have also found it convenient to visit some destinations independently as well. IES Abroad field trip destinations, activities, and length of stay may vary according to term and availability.
Yorkshire 2 Days Explore the north of England, including a night in the historic town of York. Other sites of interest include stunning national parks, the Bronte Parsonage, Castle Howard, and Fountains Abbey.
Stonehenge, Bath and Salisbury 2 Days | Fall Visit mysterious Stonehenge, the ancient Roman baths in Bath, and the Salisbury Cathedral, one of the finest examples of the early English Gothic architecture style in Britain. This field trip is only available for students enrolled in the Fall semester.
Stratford 1 Day Visit Shakespeare’s house, place of birth, Hall’s Croft, and place of his burial, Holy Trinity Church.
East Sussex 1 Day Enjoy a locally-sourced lunch at a working farm or country pub, and visit the country meeting place for the group of artists and intellectuals known as the Bloomsbury Group.
Brighton 1 Day Explore the historic maze of twisting alleyways and enjoy an optional visit to the royal pavilion, one of Europe’s most exotic royal palaces.
Cambridge 1 Day See the beautiful university town of Cambridge, situated north of London. Explore the different colleges and visit the world famous King’s College.
The IES Abroad London Center, situated in the central London neighborhood of Bloomsbury, is a two-minute walk from the British Museum.
Features include:
John OckeyIES Abroad Director John brings over 12 years of experience with IES Abroad, including seven years with IES Abroad Milan and nearly three years with IES Abroad Siena before coming to IES Abroad London. During his time in Siena, John developed and implemented a banner program with a strong focus on cultural immersion and academic rigor. In Milan, he played a key role in improving and developing the Milan program, notably in the areas of student housing, student activities, orientation, and supervision of the student services staff. Prior to working for IES Abroad, John received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Italian Literature and Art History from Brigham Young University and worked in Geneva for the United Nations.
IES Abroad Staff Diane Atkinson Academic Advisor
Vanessza Kaloczy Student Affairs Coordinator
Elaine Staunton Assistant Director
Alice Coltofeanu Academic Programmes Manager
Martin Hannan Accounts Administrator
Zosia Rutkowska Senior Programme Coordinator
Beth Lehlbach Internship Liaison Officer
Faculty Diane Atkinson,Cultural History Doctor of Philosophy Writer and Curator
Jennifer Bailey,Theater Studies Doctor of Philosophy Head, Extramural Studies and Continuing Education, City University
Caroline Beery,International Business BA in History Founding Partner, Coghill and Beery International, Lecturer and Consultant
Marina Caldarone,Drama Studies BA in English Playwright and Producer
Julie Charalambides,English Literature Master of Arts Writer and Editor, Blackstone Press Limited
Mary Condé,Literature Doctor of Philosophy Lecturer, Queen Mary
Kate DomailleMedia Education MA in Film & Media Studies in Education
Michael Drolet,History and Political Science Doctor of Philosophy Lecturer, Royal Holloway College, University of London
Colin EllwoodDirector of the Theatre Directing Program at Rose Bruford College
Yolanda ErasoHistory of Medicine PhD in the History of Medicine
Lucinda HawksleyAuthor, Curator, Spearker
Andrey Jichev,Business and EU Issues MBA Management Consultant and Lecturer
Maria JichevaManagement and International Business MA and BA degrees from the University of Sofia, Bulgaria MBA from The American International University in London Intercultural Communication and Management Specialist
Rajiv MalusteEconomist PhD, MPP, MBA
Andy Pankhurst,Fine Arts HDFA, Fine ArtsSlade School of Fine Art, University College London
Cinzia PezzolesiPyschology PhD
Dianna PierceTeleviesion, News, Journalism, Politics, Public Relations BA
Alan PowersArt History PhD
Julian Putkowski,British Studies, History BA, Senior Lecturer, Historian and Broadcaster Kings College, University of London
Naomi SeekingsArt Education, Video Production
Alejandro Martin SposatoCross Cultural Organizational Behaviour Lecturer PhD Candidate
Sylvia TijmstraHuman Geography, Political Science PhD
Suzanne WatersHistory of Art and Architecture Teaches at Birkbeck College, University of London Teaches Modern Art and Architecture at the University of Westminster Heritage Consultant
Richard WeightCultural and Ethnic Studies Doctor of Philosophy, Author and Historical Consultant Lecturer, University of East London/Kings College London
Marianne WilliamsonEnglish Literature, Education
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