This summer programme is an excellent opportunity for university undergraduates to earn credits to transfer to their home degree. What better way to improve your grades and advance in your studies than to take courses in the city of Oxford. Students can choose to take either one or two courses, earning 3 or 6 credits.

Follow this link to apply online today. Contact us for more detailed information about the programme or any questions you may have about enrolment. Email manuela.williams@stclares.ac.uk or call +44 1865 517707.

The subjects we offer during the 4 week programme are listed below. Take a look at the course summaries and make your choice.

Oxford Art and Architecture (art history, 3 credits)

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to explore the direction and nature of change in the built environment of Oxford, a city famed for its architectural beauty and history. There is a continuous tradition of civic, ecclesiastical and collegiate architecture spanning almost a thousand years. This is the background to any proposed conservation or change in the city. The topics to be explored include the range of period styles and diversity of building types to be found in the city. From these students will focus in on a particular architect, building, collection, or individual work of art for further independent study in greater depth.

The Pre-Raphaelites: Romantics and Dreamers (art history, 3 credits)

This course will focus primarily on the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, founded by a group of English artists in 1848, which at every point is closely connected with Oxford. The course focuses on the many connections between development of the Pre-Raphaelite movement and Oxford. We will view many examples of art and design associated with the major contributors to the Pre-Raphaelite movement, including works by William Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and William Holman Hunt in a variety of media from paintings and murals to stained glass and tapestry. The course will make full use of the resources of the Ashmolean Museum and field trips to Oxford University buildings and colleges which include Pre-Raphaelite work, such as the Oxford Union, Exeter College and Christ Church College. The course will also seek to make connections with the literature, architecture and history of Victorian England and the resurgence of interest in the Middle Ages and the ‘Gothic' which the Pre-Raphaelites painted in such vivid colours.

United Crowns - Divided Kingdoms: England, Scotland and Ireland in the 17th Century (history, 3 credits)

The Seventeenth Century was one of the most turbulent periods experienced by the peoples of the British Isles since the Norman Conquest. This course will consider the profound influence that the various monarchs and leaders had on the three kingdoms of England, Scotland and Ireland, and assess their impact from political, social and cultural aspects.

Political Philosophy, Ethics and Rhetoric (philosophy, 3 credits)

This interdisciplinary, study abroad course will approach the question of what is political philosophy through the question of ethics and rhetoric, examining contemporary and early and late modern alternatives, the former represented by Fish and Rorty, the latter by Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Burke, and Shakespeare. Each of these thinkers is wrestling with such themes as, what would a world that is just and merciful look like? What are the philosophical foundations for the best political community that seeks to achieve peace and civil harmony? Is such a world possible? The city of Oxford shall serve as our setting for study of the most interesting philosophical debates in modern philosophy. Students will gain insight into not only Oxford's rich past but also some of England's greatest philosophers and literary geniuses.

Eastern Religions (religion, 3 credits)

This course aims to give students a stimulating introduction to the major religions of Asia, focusing on Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism, and also exploring Shinto and Confucian traditions. The Indian and East Asian views of the cosmos have shaped the lives of half the globe, and continue to have an increasing influence on Western culture. We will look at the philosophy of reincarnation and liberation, and the arts and rituals of Hinduism and Buddhism. We will go on to see how the movement of Buddhism into South and East Asia blended Indian influences with Taoist, Confucian and Shinto traditions to create profound new approaches to life. Our approach will show how key philosophical ideas give rise to the beliefs and practices that shape people's lives today.

Shakespeare (English literature, 3 credits)

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the plays of Shakespeare, giving a survey of his development as a playwright in terms of both the written text and stagecraft. Students will be encouraged to assess Shakespeare's continuing cultural relevance from within a supportive critical environment. As part of this course, students will have the opportunity to attend a number of Shakespearean plays.

The Literature of Oxford (English literature, 3 credits)

Some of England's greatest writers have lived and studied in Oxford, and many have set their works of literature in the city and the university. This seminar will examine several Oxford novels with special reference to the influence of setting on character and plot. Among the works to be considered are: Jude the Obscure, by Thomas Hardy; Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh; Jill, by Philip Larkin and The Dead of Jericho, by Colin Dexter as well as a selection of Oxford poems. Field trips to the actual settings of the works will be a regular feature of the course, and day trips to London and other sites are planned.