Duke sophomores interested in applying to this program are invited to file an application in the Office of Study Abroad, 2016 Campus Drive via the on-line application. Once the on-line application is submitted, you will receive an email detailing additional items required for admissions. All students applying to Oxford Direct must make an appointment to see Assistant Director Leslie Davis before filing their applications.

Advantages to Students

The students selected for the program are directly enrolled in one of the world’s oldest and most respected universities. The junior year is spent studying with British students, enjoying full involvement in the life of the college. Eight course credits are transferred towards the Duke degree for successful completion of the academic year at Oxford. As with all transfer credit, individual courses should be approved in advance by the appropriate department at Duke (although this is generally not possible with Oxford tutorials), and letter grades do not appear on the Duke transcript.

Costs

Students will be billed directly by both Pembroke and St. Peter's College Oxford. Fees paid to Pembroke College will cover tuition and housing during the three terms (housing during the vacation periods will be available at a small extra charge of no more than £5 per day). Fees paid to St. Peter’s College will include tuition and room during the three terms, and housing during the vacations. Students attending either college will be responsible for the Duke study abroad fee, set at $2,350 for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Selection

Selection for this program is highly competitive and all final decisions are at the discretion of the University of Oxford. The Office of Study Abroad screens potential applicants to ensure that those who apply have at least an average of 3.5 in both their overall record and in the subject they wish to study at Oxford, and are generally well-qualified in this chosen subject. Students must also have taken at least two courses at Duke in their chosen subject and must submit a sample of written work in that subject (students in the sciences may submit a copy of a recent examination). The application also requires a 300-400 word statement describing your reasons for wanting to study a particular subject at Oxford and your qualifications to do so. Two confidential letters of recommendation from Duke professors and a copy of your transcript are required to complete the application. After preliminary screening, the applications are sent to Oxford where the final admissions decisions are made.

Important Note: Duke cannot guarantee acceptance at Oxford for the students it endorses, although every possible effort will be made. Admission to Oxford as a Visiting Student is highly competitive and depends in part on the availability of tutors; certain fields are oversubscribed, and the availability of tutors may vary from year to year.

Last revised: 26 November 2007