International College
These courses are perfect for students preparing for university, taking a break during their studies, or taking a course before starting their career
“The college exceeds expectations” – ISI PFE December 2022
Your choice between Study Abroad or Preparation for University
St Clare’s offers a first-class education and cultural experience exclusively for adult students who are looking for:
- a Gap Year course between finishing school and starting university
- a preparation course for students who want to apply to a university that requires certain academic results and a specific level of English
- a Study Abroad semester for students at US universities who want to be challenged in class and transfer credits to their home university
- an English course to develop their English language skills after university but before they start their career
For many students, their time in Oxford is a truly life-changing experience and all value the internationalism, the opportunity to progress from one course to another, and the benefits for their future — at university, in their career, and for life.
Themes of the Week
Autumn Term 2024
Week 1 - Society: British social behaviour
- How different/similar is the UK from your country?
- Queueing, (over) politeness, punctuality, dress codes
- Avoiding embarrassment – questions not to ask
Week 2 - Society: Digital society – Big Brother is watching you!
- Sir Tim Berners-Lee – World Wide Web creator
- ‘Big Data’ from social media, mobile phones, cookies, etc
- Scams, spam, spoofing, hacking, malware – security risks
Week 3 - Society: Education in Oxford
- Widening access: privileged private vs. basic state education
- University timeline & number of colleges
- Famous alumni: Blair, Clinton, Tolkien, Hugh Grant, ‘Mr Bean’…
Week 4 - Society: It’s criminal
- Crime statistics vs. newspaper scare-mongering
- Gang ‘culture’, sink estates, blue vs. white collar crime
- British legal system and its idiosyncrasies
Week 5 - Values: Human Rights
- Racism, sexism, ageism, cultural imperialism, colonisation, etc
- The Internet & children’s/women’s/ethnic minorities’ rights
- The language of propaganda & persuasion
Week 6 - Values: Moral vs. business ethics
- Big banks & businesses and moral/environmental/health issues
- Pay-day loans, online gambling, tobacco products, etc
- Copyright issues, industrial espionage, sabotage, etc
Week 7 - Values: Personal values
- Happiness, pride & achievement
- Moral compass & ethics – knowing right from wrong
- Live and let live, tolerance of diversity
Week 8 - Customs: Multicultural Britain
- Ethnic diversity in the UK, a legacy of the Empire?
- Customs taken from other cultures – Notting Hill Carnival
Week 9 - Customs: Freedom from oppression
- Guy Fawkes & modern-day protest movements
- Types of authority: dictatorship, monarchy, oligarchy, etc
- Famous orators (Churchill, JFK, Obama, Mandela)
Week 10 - Customs: Remembrance
- Red/white poppies – 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month
- War art, literature & poetry
- War, conflict & reconciliation in 2020
Week 11 - Oxford literature & film/TV adaptations
- The Hobbit; Lord of the Rings; Chronicles of Narnia
- Alice in Wonderland; His Dark Materials
- Inspector Morse & Lewis
Week 12 - Traditions: Culture & language
- Colonialism & the birth of a world language
- US/UK cultural & economic imperialism today
- Endangered minority languages
Week 13 - Traditions: Christmas is coming
- Dickens, Prince Albert: the invention of Christmas
- Pre-Christmas customs elsewhere: Santa Lucia; Sinter Klaas
- Pagan celebrations & symbols: Saturnalia, Winter Solstice, Yule, Mumming, Wassailing, mistletoe, holly, ivy, wreaths, candles
Week 14 - Traditions: Seasonal food & drink
- Christmas cakes, puddings, gingerbread, stollen, panettone
- Turkey, stuffing, gravy, sprouts(!), redcurrant jelly – why?
- Mulled wine, eggnog, hot toddy, punch, hot buttered rum!
International College brochure
International College courses
Please fill in this form to submit an enquiry about our courses.
You may also wish to get in touch to arrange a campus tour or find out what it is like to live and study in the city of Oxford.
Contact us:
+44 1865 517706