University Of Oxford

Requirements:

University Entrance Certificate with National Certificates in Educational Achievement (NCEA) at Level 3 with 80 credits and with a grade of Excellent in the majority of subjects taken or University Entrance Certificate with the New Zealand Bursaries Certificate, with a score of 400+.

English Language and Literature

Written work

Candidates are required to submit one recent example of writing, by 10 November 2011. This should be a marked essay produced in the normal course of your school or college work and should not have been rewritten after marking. Preferably it should be an analytical discussion of a topic or topics in the field of English literature though an English language topic is permissible. It should not be a short timed essay, critical commentary on particular passages of text (practical criticism exercises), or piece of creative writing.

See further guidance on the submission of written work. 

Written test

All candidates must take the English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT), normally at their own school or college, on 2 November 2011. Separate registration for this test is required and the final deadline for entries is 14 October 2011. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that they are registered for this test. See the website for further details.

What are tutors looking for?

Successful candidates will tend to be those who can give evidence of wide, enthusiastic and thoughtful reading. Tutors appreciate that you may be nervous in interview. You should not be afraid to defend your views or to suggest authors whose work you would particularly like to discuss.

Selection criteria

Candidates may wish to refer to the selection criteria for English.

Archaeology and Anthropology

Written work

As part of your application you will be required to submit, by 10 November 2011, two recent marked essays written as part of a school or college subject, preferably in different subjects, plus a statement of up to 300 words setting out your understanding of the relations between archaeology, social and cultural anthropology, and biological anthropology.

For further details please see the course pages at www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses. 

Written test

You do not need to take a written test when you apply for this course.

What are tutors looking for ?

Tutors will primarily be looking for an interest in and enthusiasm for the study of humans and their material culture, ideally from both arts and science viewpoints, combined with an ability to digest and assimilate significant quantities of data and argue from evidence. No prior experience of archaeology or anthropology is required, but any fieldwork experience and general reading in the subject further demonstrates your interest and commitment. If you are shortlisted for interview you will normally be asked to talk about the relationship between the sub-disciplines and to consider problems from archaeological and anthropological points of view. You may also be given artefacts, maps or other material to interpret. 

Many sources of information can be useful but we suggest the following books as possible starting points: suggested_reading (55 kb)  (opens as pdf).  

Selection criteria

Candidates may wish

Classical Archaeology and Ancient History

Written work

As part of your application you will be required to submit two recent marked essays written as part of your school or college course by 10 November 2011.

See further guidance on the Submission of written work.

Written tests

You do not need to take a written test when you apply for this course.

What are tutors looking for?

Tutors are looking for intellectual potential, the specific visual, textual and reasoning abilities that are required for this course, and of course serious interest in and commitment to both classical archaeology and ancient history. Tutors will consider all the available information – past and predicted examination results, the personal statement, academic reference and interviews – to assess the individual candidate’s potential to benefit from the course provided by Oxford, and their potential to be a good tutorial student, and to attain good results in examinations. The weight given to the different criteria will vary according to the individual background and circumstances of each candidate. 

Selection criteria

Candidates may wish to refer to the selection criteria for Classical Archaeology and Ancient History.

Experimental Psychology

Written work

You do not need to submit any written work when you apply for this course.

Written tests

All candidates must take the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), normally at their own school or college, on 2 November 2011. Separate registration for this test is required and the final deadline for entries is 14 October 2011. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure that they are registered for this test. See website for further details.

What are tutors looking for?


In addition to a very good track record of academic achievement, tutors are keen to see whether you appreciate the scope of scientific psychology, can evaluate evidence, are able to consider issues from different perspectives, have a capacity for logical and creative thinking, appreciate the importance of empirical evidence in supporting arguments, and could cope with the quantitative demands of the course.



Selection criteria

Candidates may wish to refer to the selection criteria for Experimental Psychology (page 7 of this document).

Philosophy, Politics and Economics

Written work

You do not need to submit any written work when you apply for this course.

Written tests

All candidates must take the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), normally at their own school or college, on 2 November 2011. Separate registration for this test is required and the final deadline for entries is 14 October 2011. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure they are registered for this test. See www.tsaoxford.org.uk for further details.


What are tutors looking for?

Tutors will want to find out if you can think clearly and analytically. They are not so much concerned with what you know as how you think about it and how you use it. They will seek evidence of your interest in social and political concerns and your ability to discuss them critically. In addition to reading a good quality daily newspaper applicants may enjoy reading one or more of the following introductory texts.

There are many introductions to philosophy: Myles Burnyeat and Ted Honderich’s PhilosophyAs It Is is a very useful collection. Martin Hollis’s An Invitation to Philosophy and Simon Blackburn’s Think are also recommended. If you have trouble finding these, or would like more suggestions, please feel free to contact the Faculty of Philosophy by email. Politics is a very wide-ranging subject, encompassing both theoretical approaches and the study of real world institutions and processes. Jonathan Wolff’s An Introduction to Political Philosophyand Adrian Leftwich’s edited collection, What Is Politics? The Activity and Its Study, are useful introductions.

The best introduction to the use of economic analysis, whether or not you have studied Economics at school, is to read the economics and business pages of newspapers, particularly The Economist.

Selection criteria

Candidates may also wish to refer to the selection criteria for PPE.

Psychology and Philosophy

Written work

You do not need to submit any written work when you apply for this course.

Written tests

All candidates must take the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA), normally at their own school or college, on 2 November 2011. Separate registration for this test is required and the final deadline for entries is 14 October 2011. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure they are registered for this test. See www.tsaoxford.org.uk for further details.

What are tutors looking for?

In addition to a very good track record of academic achievement, tutors are keen to see whether you appreciate the scope of psychology and philosophy, can evaluate evidence, are able to consider issues from different perspectives, have a capacity for logical and creative thinking, appreciate the importance of empirical evidence in supporting arguments, and could cope with the quantitative demands of the course.

Selection criteria

Candidates may wish to refer to the selection criteria for Psychology and Philosophy.

Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics

An exciting new course in Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics may be available for 2012 entry. Details will be published here as soon as they are available.