In addition to the short descriptions of core coures listed below, long descriptions (syllabi) are available on request in advance if you or your advisor needs further details -
email: lib-arts@stclares.ac.uk. We recommend a standard course loading of 4 core courses and either 1 tutorial or 1 language tutorial course. The Seminar Series is designed to be additional to the standard course load.

Notes for advisors and applicants:
• St. Clare’s reserves the right not to run any class
• Some courses and tutorials are offered in both semesters; some in either the Autumn or Spring semester only - applicants should ensure that the core courses they choose are offered in the semester for which they are applying - please take note of when the course runs
• St. Clare's recommends a standard course loading of 4 core courses and either 1 tutorial or 1 language tutorial course
• The Seminar Series can be taken instead of a core course or as an additional sixth course
• If a course is an absolute requirement (e.g. for next-semester graduation) this must be made clear in advance
• St. Clare’s requests at least four - and no fewer than three - alternative choices. When completing the course choices section of the application form, applicants should list their alternative choices in the box next to the corresponding first choice: e.g. if REL1 is the first choice and REL2 is the alternative choice the form should be filled in as follows:

AHI2 Art in England Survey: 1066-1600 (Lower or Upper)
The time from 1066 to 1600 is the period during which the most magnificent cathedrals, churches, castles, stained glass windows, and stone carvings were produced. On this course you will see a wide example of medieval art and architecture in Oxford and in other parts of the UK . The emphasis will be on methods and vocabulary for analysis of style and the relationship between style and civilisation. (Autumn)

AHI4 Art History Survey (Renaissance - Modern) (Lower)
This course covers the major stylistic periods in Western Art from the early Italian Renaissance to the 20th century addressing questions relating to the social position of the artist and the status of art objects in their respective societies. A broad introduction to analysing form, content and expression, the course will incorporate many visits to galleries and exhibitions in Oxford and London. (Spring)

AHI5 English Art and Architecture 1600-1850 (Upper)
Continues where AHI2 leaves off, combining introductions and survey with specialised study of chosen buildings and paintings, mainly in Oxford . The course surveys the principal developments of English Art and Architecture from the beginning of the Jacobean period to the middle of the Victorian era. The works of art and architecture will be studied in relation to their social, political and historical background. (Spring)

AHI7 Art Gallery Studies (Lower)
An introduction to different types of art museum. Main concerns of museum work will be considered: preservation, classification and display. Various types of museum architecture and organisation will also be examined. (Autumn & Spring)

AHI8 Modern and Contemporary Art (Upper)
This course will make full use of modern and contemporary art galleries, institutes, and museums in Oxford and London . We will consider the `expanded field' of contemporary art practice into new media such as multimedia performance, video art, video installation, and digital art, as well as considering the progress of traditional media such as painting. (Autumn)

AHI9 African Art (Lower)
In Oxford students will have a unique opportunity to study artefacts and to meet contemporary artists that have come out of Africa . To put these encounters in perspective, students will be introduced to readings, sources and documents which will help them to develop their knowledge and understanding of the context in which African artists have studied and worked in the past and today. (Spring)

CM1 European Media Analysis (Upper)
How the European media represents various views and political positions; includes study of media practice and of aspects of globalisation. (Autumn & Spring)

CM2 Rhetoric (Lower)
The study of the presentation of ideas; the use of rhetoric, the judgements applied to its use, and their evolution. (Autumn & Spring)

CM3 Film Studies (Upper)
An introduction to the theory, history and criticism of film. Different ways of interpreting cinema are explored, some of which are then applied to various selected films. (Autumn & Spring)

CM4 Cross-cultural Communication (Upper or Lower)
Critical skills for understanding media and communication across cultural borders. Draws on research in international cultural studies and post-colonial theory to focus on the shifting, insecure, uneven and unequal processes of cross cultural exchange today. Uses case studies from journalism, literary fiction, travel writing, television and cinema. (Autumn & Spring)

EB1 Introduction to Economics (Lower)
A pre-requisite for other courses in Economics, but complete in itself. Consists of microeconomics (supply, demand, distribution) and macroeconomics (income, employment, inflation) and the application of these to world problems. (Autumn & Spring)

EB2 International Economics (Upper)
Theoretical micro- and macroeconomic aspects of international trade, with particular attention to current issues for practical application. (Autumn & Spring)

EB3 Development Economics (Upper)
A general introduction to the economics of development and underdevelopment, in theory and practice; uneven development in the Third World , and also in First and Second world blocs. (Autumn & Spring)

EB4 Introduction to Business I (Lower)
Continues and develops from EB4, adding the role of marketing, production and finance departments in further detail, as well as business within the national and global economy. (Autumn)

EB5 Introduction to Business II (Lower)
Continues and develops from EB4, adding the role of marketing, production and finance departments in further detail, as well as business within the national and global economy. (Spring)

EB6 Economics of European Integration (Upper)
An analytical study of EU policies especially as these affect individual member states, and the economic implications of further integration. (Autumn & Spring)

EB7 Marketing in the European Union (Upper)
Analysis and evaluation of how businesses are adapting their marketing activities as the EU develops, with comparisons among different member states. (Autumn & Spring)

EL1 Shakespeare (Upper)
An introductory course with no knowledge of Shakespeare required. Three plays from different Shakespearean periods are studied, including one which can be seen at Stratford-upon-Avon. (Autumn & Spring)

EL2 Shakespeare Detailed Study (Upper)
For students who have a background in Shakespeare this course offers the chance of spending a whole semester on an in-depth study of a Shakespearean tragedy. Textual, historical, comparative and critical approaches are among those employed. (Autumn & Spring)

EL3 Oxford and Fantasy Literature (Lower)
Oxford has long been associated with fantasy literature, either as the city that appears to have inspired the creation of hugely imaginative fictions, or as a location, strangely suited to be the backdrop of extraordinary adventures. In this course, students will study works by Lewis Carroll. J.R.R.Tolkein, C.S. Lewis and Philip Pullman, all closely associated with Oxford. There will also be study trips to locations associated with either authors or texts. (Autumn & Spring)

EL4 Literature of the First World War (Upper)
Main emphasis of this course will be on the literature written by men and women with direct experience of the war. The course has a British slant, but texts by authors from other countries are included for comparison. The literature covered includes poetry, letters, novels, memoirs and a few texts in translation allowing for reflections on issues of genre, language, gender, culture and history. (Autumn)

EL5 Gender and Literature (Upper)
The course looks at the portrayal of women in works of fiction and drama from the 19 th and 20 th century. The works studied come from a variety of countries: Britain, America, France, Norway, Sweden and Russia . Both male and female authors are included. (Autumn)

EL6 Victorian Readings (Upper)
Writings by Dickens, Hardy, Tennyson, Browning, Morris, Hopkins, Wilde and others. There will be a particular emphasis on Oxford-related material (e.g., with Morris and the pre-Raphaelites), and there will be an excursion to Hardy's Wessex . (Autumn)

EL7 Romantic Poets (Upper)
The English Romantic Poets, first and second generation, partly against their European background. The course begins by looking at their pre-cursors, and concludes with their nineteenth and twentieth century heritage. (Autumn)

EL8 Modern Drama (Lower)
The evolution of modern British drama from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day, set in its wider European context. No practical experience of the theatre is required, but students are expected to get involved in practical work. (Autumn & Spring)

EL9 Studies in World Literature: the Short Story (Lower)
This course will study the development of the short story as a literary form during the 20 th century to the present day. The course begins with the short story in its more traditional narrative form and ends with an exploration of the experimental approaches of contemporary practitioners of the short story. The readings will include authors and works from around the globe. (Spring)

EL10 Eighteenth Century Literature (Upper)
The course focuses on a selection of writers and works of the period 1700-1790. Alongside an appreciation of the writers and their works, the course will provide students with an understanding of 18 th c life in England . This class is taught as a seminar and includes, as opportunity permits, field trips, concerts and plays. (Spring)

EL11 Contemporary Women Novelists (Lower)
British women's fiction, principally from the 1980's and 1990's. The reading list is regularly updated. The novels are studied against the traditions of women's writing, and provide an introduction to some aspects of contemporary feminist literary theory. (Spring)

EL15 European Crime Writing (Lower)
Crime fiction, like any fiction, throws light on the values and idiosyncrasies of the culture from which it originates. In the hands of the best contemporary practitioners deserves the same serious literary attention as other contemporary fiction. This course focuses on contemporary crime fiction from a selection of European countries. (Autumn & Spring)

EL16 Renaissance Studies (Upper)
The focus of this course is on the poetry and prose of the 16 th and 17 th century. Includes the work of Sidney, Spencer, Donne, Herbert and others. (Spring)

EL17 Gothic Fiction (Upper)
The emphasis of this course will be on three most famous novels of the 19 th c: Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. As an introduction to the gothic we look at The Mysteries of Udolpho. Henry James' more modern treatment of the gothic, The Turn of the Screw, will form the conclusion. There will be an attempt to understand the current very high profile of fictions like Frankenstein and Dracula, both in popular culture and in academic criticism. (Spring)

HI1 Kings, Queens, Parliaments and Peoples (Lower)
A chronological study of the main political, social and economic developments in British history since the late fifteenth century, leading to a broad overview of modern Britain. (Autumn & Spring)

HI2 Absolutism, Enlightenment and Revolutions (Lower)
A detailed study of some principal movements which transformed Europe through war and revolution. It charts the development of liberalism, democracy and nationalism, especially in France, Germany, Italy and Russia. (Autumn)

HI3 British History: Reform Reaction and Rebellion 1485-1714 (Upper)
The early history of modern Britain under the Tudors and Stuarts. The main constitutional, political, social, economic and religious developments of the period will be studied, including the Civil War. (Autumn)

HI4 Political Globalisation: World History from 1945 (Upper)
A study of a selection of the main themes in world history since the Second World War; typical topics are the Chinese Revolution; The Cold War and Détente; Southern Africa, racism and revolution. New topics are introduced to reflect current concerns. (Autumn & Spring)

HI5 Division and Reconciliation: European History since 1945 (Upper)
European History since 1945, with special reference to the impact of the Cold War on individual European countries. Key themes are the union of western Europe and the collapse of communist systems of the East. (Autumn & Spring)

HI6 Britain: the Rise and Fall of a Great Power (Upper)
The development of modern Britain through its main constitutional, political, social and economic changes. A selection of the given topics is studied in any one semester, and students may concentrate on topics of particular interest. (Spring)

HI7 War, Fascism & Communism: Europe Divided 1870-1945 (Lower)
The period of Europe's world ascendancy and its subsequent decline. Principal areas are the rise of Germany, World War I, the Bolshevik Revolution, the Third Reich and World War II. (Spring)

HI8 War and Peace in the Middle East: 1900 to the present day (Lower or Upper)
This course explores 20th century history of the Middle East, concentrating on the fertile crescent. Focusing on the unique political, social and economic character of the region, contemporary issues will be placed in their historical context. The starting point is the dying days of the Ottoman Empire ending with 9/11 and its aftermath. Topics covered include the collapse of the Ottoman Empire; Turkey's drive to establish a modern state; the Arab experience of colonialism; the rise of Arab nationalism and Zionism; secularism vs Islam; the impact of the Cold War and the pivotal conflict between Arabs and Jews. (Autumn & Spring)

MA1 College Algebra (Lower)
A general course in pre-calculus math, comprising radicals, exponentials, logarithms and equations; theory of functions, composites and inverses; polynormal functions and trigonometry. (Autumn)

MA2 Introduction to Probability and Statistics (Lower)
Elementary data analysis, frequency distributions; measures of central tendency and dispersion; probability theory, independent and conditional events; use of bionominal and normal distributions. (Spring)

PHL1 Introduction to Philosophy (Lower)
For beginners or as a refresher course. Aims to clarify the nature of philosophical enquiry and to train the students in techniques of philosophical thinking. (Autumn & Spring)

PHL2 Ethics (Upper)
In addressing the fundamental question ‘how should I live?', the course divides its time each week between theoretical ethics (moral philosophy) and a problem in everyday practical ethics. (Autumn & Spring)

PHL4 Ethics, Values and the Law (Upper)
A study of the ethics which underlie the law, considering rights and duties, legal and moral aspects with emphasis on conflicts and dilemmas. (Spring)

PHL5 Business Ethics (Upper)
The study of ethical theories and case histories, and their application to problems arising from the practice of modern business. (Autumn & Spring)

PHL6 Philosophy of Human Nature (Lower)
What is a human being? Are we essentially physical creatures or do we have a spiritual aspect? What happens to us when we die? Are human beings basically good or fundamentally wicked? What motivates us? These are just a few of the questions that will be considered in this course. We consider the ontology of the human person and then move on to examine religious, philosophical, psychological and biological conceptions of the human person. (Autumn & Spring)

PHL7 Philosophy of Love & Personal Relationships (Upper)
This course surveys the problems involved in understanding philosophically the nature of love and human relationships. Beginning with an account of the view of sex and marriage held in primitive society, we move on to consider Greek thought and neo-Platonism, before assessing Christian teaching on sex, celibacy, and the body. We continue with more modern attempts to understand the nature of sexual relations (de Sade, Kant, Schopenhauer, Kierkegaard, Freud) and proceed to explore some central questions in sexual ethics. (Autumn & Spring)

PSY1 Introduction to Psychology (Lower)
Includes approaches to psychology; biological and development approaches, perception and consciousness, learning, motivation, 'tests', personality, mental health and social psychology. (Autumn & Spring)

PSY2 Theories of Personality (Upper)
Explores and contrasts various major theorists, including Freud, Jung, Rogers, Kelly, Cattell and Skinner. (Spring)

PSY3 Social Psychology (Upper)
This course provides an overview of the how people form and maintain relationships. Topics covered include: development of personality, social cognition, emotion, language and communication, social relationships, interpersonal relationships, interaction in groups, development of moral reasoning, social perception, attitudes and actions, social psychology of the workplace, health and illness and altruism and aggression. (Autumn)

PSY4 Cross-Cultural Psychology (Upper or Lower)
The course examines the influences of cultural factors on developmental psychology, social psychology, personality theory, cognitive psychology, language development, emotion, perception, acculturation and intercultural relations, health, intercultural communication. The goals of cross-cultural psychology and the impact of Western psychology on the rest of the world are examined. (Autumn & Spring)

PSY5 Development Psychology (Upper)
A survey of the growth and development of the individual from childhood to adulthood and old age. The course focuses on theories, issues and methods of studying development. Some of the topics covered include psycholinguistic development, memory and mind, self-concept and identity, friendship and bullying, observing children, adolescence, adulthood to old age and relating childhood to adulthood. (Autumn)

PSY6 Abnormal Psychology (Upper)
This course explores the history of mental disorder, the establishment of moral/abnormal and models of abnormality. A number of mental disorders are considered as well as alternative forms of therapies. (Spring)

REL1 Comparative Religion (Lower)
Includes consideration of features of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Eastern and Primal religions, studied comparatively under such headings as Ideas of God, Ritual and Religious Experience. (Autumn & Spring)

REL2 The Concept of God (Lower or Upper)
Analysis, based on close study of major philosophers, of the central philosophical and religious questions concerning the existence and nature of God. (Autumn & Spring)

REL3 Religion and Globalisation (Lower)
A course examining the place and nature of religion in the modern globalized world, undertaken from the interdisciplinary perspectives of theology, philosophy and social science. (Autumn & Spring)

SSC1 Introduction to Sociology (Lower)
The emergence of Sociology as a distinct discipline and its adoption of natural science methods. Centred on areas which include family, gender roles, education, religion, class and health. (Autumn)

SSC2 Comparative World Political Systems (Upper)
Themes include constitutional concepts, issues and structures; party politics and ideology; the state and individual rights - studied post-1945 in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. (Autumn)

SSC3 The European Union (Upper)
The origins and development of the Common Market, and its inexorable development towards European union. (Autumn)

SSC4 Urban Sociology of Oxford (Lower)
Key ideas in urban sociology, studied locally within Oxford, including an introduction to survey methods of social investigation, and field work. (Autumn & Spring)

SSC5 Polictical Ideologies (Lower or Upper)
This course will focus on the origins and development as well as the strengths and weaknesses of modern political ideologies. A deeper understanding of the scheme of ideas which lie at the basis of both political theory and contemporary political systems will be developed by considering the major philosophical thinkers and their critics. (Autumn & Spring)

SSC6 Terrorism (Lower or Upper)
This course considers various definitions of the concept of terrorism. It traces the historical antecedents of the phenomenon, considers its motivations, organisational structures, support networks and the response of liberal democratic states and the world community. Philosophical and moral issues are explored and illustrated with up-to-date practical, political examples. (Autumn & Spring)

SSC7 International Relations (Lower or Upper)
Focused on enduring issues in the field of international relations: the nature of war and conflict; the sources and restraints of cooperative interactions among states; the functioning of the international political economy. Contending theoretical approaches to these issues are examined. We will consider more topical issues including terrorism, globalization, environmental problems, the role of the USA in the current international system and their impact on the international system. (Autumn)

SSC8 Sociology of Food (Lower or Upper)
This course highlights how values and ideas are socially constructed by focusing on the relationship between food and society. A multidisciplinary analysis and approach is used to examine food production, distribution and consumption across time and space. The first half of the course considers how food has been produced over time and the related issues of distribution including food insecurity and the economics of food production. The second half of the course will consider how values and ideas associated with the consumption of food are socially constructed, for example, the rituals of eating, proscriptions on food, ‘food scares' and anxieties, and the relationship of food and the politics of the body. (Autumn & Spring)

SSC9 Political Thought: Ancient to Modern (Lower)
This is a survey course focusing on a close textual reading of some of the key texts in western political thought. The text covered include Plato's Republic, selections from Aquinas' Summa, Hobbes Leviathan, Rousseau, Social Contract, selections from the works of Marx. (Autumn & Spring)

STA1 Fundamentals of Drawing (Lower)
Basic approaches to developing a visual vocabulary, exploring the use of charcoal, pencil, ink, chalk and pastels, mainly in the studio but also out and about in Oxford. (Autumn & Spring)

STA2 Advanced Drawing (Upper)
A second course in drawing, exploring more advanced techniques of graphic expression, concentrating on the human figure and on the structure and movement of the body. (Autumn & Spring)

STA3 Painting I (Lower / Upper)
An introduction to various media and techniques used in painting, including working in acrylics, oils and water-colour. Areas include still-life, portraiture, nature and the human figure. (Autumn)

STA4 Advanced Painting (Upper)
A second course in painting, emphasising the application of colour using both water-based and oil-based materials. Students will examine their own visual language in relation to major styles from European Schools. (Autumn & Spring)

STA8 Photography (Lower)
This course will give students the opportunity to develop their own photographic vision in both chemical and digital photography. There will be a focus on developing the craft of photographic processing and printing in our well-equipped darkroom. The presentation and evaluation of work will also be part of the course. The course will be structured around a series of project assignments which will allow students room for individual interpretation. This class is open to beginners and/or improvers. Students must provide their own camera (35mm or 2¼ format) and supplies. (Autumn & Spring)