Postgraduate courses
Taught courses
An increasing percentage of postgraduate students at Oxford are enrolled in one- or two-year taught master's courses. You will want to consult your course's handbook (produced by your department) and the Examination Regulations (provided by your college when you arrive) for more information about the structure and requirements of your particular programme. Generally speaking, you will be required to attend regular classes or lectures, but the number of class hours per week will be specific to your programme. You may also be required to attend labs (of the language or scientific variety) and/or tutorials. Tutorials are small group or one-on-one meetings with a member of the faculty during which students discuss essays that they have prepared for the occasion.
In many taught courses, students are evaluated primarily through written examinations at the end of the programme. In most two-year courses, students are also required to pass qualifying exams at the end of their first year. You may find it helpful to look at old exams early on in your course to get an idea of the types of questions you may be asked. Old exam papers from 1999 onwards can be found on OXAM (Oxford Exam Papers). Bear in mind that you will need to apply to sit certain examinations at Oxford. You needn't worry too much about it before you arrive in Oxford, but once you do, make sure that you get all the necessary information and correct enrolment form from your college.
In most disciplines, your department will assign you a supervisor when you begin your course. He or she will monitor your general academic progress and help you with any difficulties that you may experience during your studies. In some cases, you may also be assigned a new or different supervisor for your dissertation.
Research courses
From a research student a greater degree of autonomy is expected.Most students on research courses are initially admitted as Probationer Research
Students (PRS). If you have PRS status, you will probably have been admitted
for an initial period of six terms (that is, two academic years), by the end of which you will have to
transfer your status through a formal procedure in order to continue studying
towards doctoral degree. ‘Doctor of Philosophy’ is abbreviated to DPhil (rather
than PhD) in Oxford.
Requirements for transfer of status can vary from one department to another, and you should consult your department's Notes of Guidance and the Examinations Regulations early on. You will need to make sure that you are constantly up to date on any changes in the requirements and assessments that apply to you. This is generally seen as your responsibility and not your supervisor's. You will also want to discuss the process for transfer of status with your supervisor at an early stage to gain a better sense about what the expectations are in terms of the standard of work.
Students on research courses are largely self-directed, and you are likely to find yourself working alone in the library or the lab most of the time. While you have PRS status, you may be required to attend a few seminars, lectures and/or research training modules. You will likely be required to present your research at one or more of these. Overall you'll spend very little time in class. You will find that you might not be required to submit regular assessments. You will also not be taught, in the conventional sense of the word. You will simply be supervised, making your academic experience in Oxford one that is individual and that places the onus for making satisfactory progress towards your degree mainly on your own shoulders. Once you transfer status, you will find yourself being increasingly left to your own devices or to work undisturbed in your own lab space, with no requirements to attend seminars or lectures in most cases. However, you will be expected to present at various seminars, workshops and/or conferences in Oxford and elsewhere. This may not be a formal requirement in some departments, but it is something that you are simply expected to do.
Supervision tends to take the form of one-on-one meetings with your supervisor. Again, how often you will have these meetings varies from person to person. However, your supervisor is required to submit a report on your progress three times a year, which means you should meet with him or her at least that number of times. You will find that there is no set format to your supervision meetings, and what you and your supervisor both expect from a tutorial will evolve with the progress of your research. Generally, tutorials tend to last approximately an hour. The time is an opportunity for you to discuss your research ideas, questions, and problems with your supervisor and you will want to be proactive about this. At first, your supervisor will probably want to monitor your progress carefully. He or she may request that you submit a thesis chapter or carry out certain experiments by the end of term. As you progress, supervision will increasingly take the form of suggestions and comments on your written work or results.
In case you are not satisfied with the quality of your supervision, you should talk to your college advisor. Although he or she may likely tell you that ‘your supervisor is a great person’, you should raise your concern clearly and be firm in asking for an improvement in your supervision. If you are still unhappy with what you are receiving in terms of academic provision, talk to your elected class representative, who will represent you to the lecturers—you do have a say! For more information, we advise you to read the OUSU Survival Guide.
Because you will be working on your own a lot of the time, you may find yourself getting isolated at times. Staying involved in the academic life of your department is, therefore, extremely important. If your department offers workspace for research students, you may want to apply for one. Workshops, seminars and lectures are often open to all students, and you should consider attending some regularly to meet people whose research interests may lie close to yours and with whom you can discuss ideas. Attending conferences is another way to stay in touch with the latest developments in your field of research.
Doing a research degree at Oxford requires a significant amount of indepence and a proactive attitude and approach, although there is also plenty of support from different sources if you need it, such as your department's Director of Graduate Studies or the Office of Graduate Studies. Don't be afraid to ask for help and clarification if there's anything you don't understand. The University is here to help you as much as possible to succeed in your academic aspirations!