Choosing what you would like to study is exciting but it is also something you should think carefully about.
Many of Oxford’s courses require you to choose what you are going to major in at the time of applying. This means you will be spending several years studying this subject in depth. It is also worth bearing in mind that it is typically very difficult to change your course once at Oxford.
Why not take a look at our advice and guidance on choosing what to study and visit the full list of our undergraduate courses. Remember that you cannot combine courses if they are not listed as a joint course.
Applying to Oxford requires you to understand both the general UK application process and aspects that are particular to Oxford.
The good news is that the application process is the same for all students and there is no international quota for any of our courses, except for Medicine (please see the guidance for international applicants for Medicine). All applicants must apply via UCAS by Tuesday 15 October in 2024.
Before you start your application, you will need to:
Visit our international qualifications page to find out whether we accept your international qualification and what grades we would expect you to achieve.
If we do not accept the qualifications you are taking and you would like to apply, you will need to undertake further study of qualifications that we do accept.
As well as grade requirements, many courses have specific subject requirements, so please carefully read the subject requirements for your course on the relevant course page.
You do not need to have your final results before you apply to Oxford. However, for every exam you are yet to take, you will need a predicted grade. We understand that in many countries predicting grades is not part of the usual process of applying to university. Your academic referee can find advice about predicting grades on our teachers pages.
Instead of submitting transcripts or certificates with your application to Oxford (or if studying in the US sending any scores via the College Board), you should self-report all details of your qualifications, standardised test scores, and grades on the UCAS application form under ‘Education’. Please visit the UCAS application section of our Guide for applicants for further details. You will only need to produce certificates or transcripts if you are offered a place.
Applications are assessed by our tutors using the selection criteria for each course.
As well as looking for academic ability and potential, our tutors are looking for students with a deep interest in the subject they are applying to study. You can find some reading ideas listed for each course on our suggested subject resources page and in our Digital Resources Hub.
Some universities outside of the UK value extra-curricular activities highly and consider these activities when shortlisting candidates. At Oxford, extra-curricular activities are not taken into account when your application is assessed unless they are relevant to the course you are applying for and help to demonstrate the selection criteria for your course. There is advice on how to write about extra-curricular activities in your personal statement on our UCAS application page.
