FAQs: IU

The IU Oxford Certificate Programme is an intensive short-term academic study abroad summer programme exclusively designed for IU students. It is offered by Worcester College, one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford, for IU students.

The Oxford Certificate Programme for IU students is held in Worcester College, one of the University of Oxford’s constituent colleges. Worcester College is over 300 years old, making it one of Oxford’s ‘newer’ colleges. Worcester has a proud history and many distinguished alumni, as well as world-famous members of the faculty.

Worcester has around 400 undergraduate and 200 postgraduate students across all sciences and humanities degrees. It is a vibrant and driven academic community.

The Oxford Certificate Programmes for IU Students are generally held in the University Vacations, and especially the long Summer vacation between July and September.

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IU Students may choose to participate in one, two, three or four weeks of the programme. Each week has a workload (including preparation time) of 5 ECTS (3 ECTS from the lectures, 2 from pre-module reading and preparation work). Therefore for all four weeks, 20 ETCS are available.

Academic courses at the Oxford Certificate Programmes at Worcester College are taught by leading academics in the field: including academic tutors and lecturers, senior post-doctoral researchers and PhD Students from the University of Oxford and/or the University of Cambridge.

This Programme is offered on a first come, first served basis. The average module size is 30 to 40 students, and we have always have a waiting list if any students drop out. Students should make full payment to secure their places on the programme of their choice.

It is strongly recommended to apply as early as possible as you need time to arrange your travel to England (by air, train, car) and you might need to apply for a visa to enter the United Kingdom.

A strong command of the English language is recommended as all modules and relevant module material are delivered in English, but no formal proof of English language level is required.

From Monday to Friday, you will attend academic lectures in the morning or afternoon each day. Each session consists of two 90-minute lectures with a break between. During the other half of the day, one cultural activity will be offered. On two or three evenings there will be other activities before or after dinner, such as a welcome reception or an evening talk. The rest of your days will be spent doing module reading, preparing for the assessment or networking with other participants on the programme. If you join the programme for two weeks, an excursion to Cambridge will be offered on the middle Saturday.

During the programme you will also be invited to your farewell lunch or dinner in college.

Alongside lectures from academics from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge and module work, participants are kept fully engaged with a variety of Oxford and English cultural immersion activities.

These might include: Oxford City walking tour; visits to the Oxford University Bodleian Library; visits to one or more of the three historic towers in Oxford (St. Mary’s Church Tower, Saxon Tower and Carfax Tower); visits to museums in Oxford (Ashmolean Museum, Museum of Natural History or Museum of History of Science); evening talks on various academic or cultural subjects; and much more.

Students staying for two weeks will be offered a one-day excursion to Cambridge.

At the Oxford Certificate Programme, your safety and security are extremely important to us. Porters of all colleges in Oxford supervise the entrances 24 hours a day and are available at all times. Colleges also operate CCTV and during the Welcome and Orientation we will outline all necessary health and safety procedures to make sure you have an enjoyable stay. The porters lodge, and a member of the Programme staff is on call 24/7 to help in any emergency.

For health and safety reasons, cooking is not allowed in the dormitory rooms or college kitchens. Laundry facilities are available for use on the college campus and minor charges will apply. If you need to do your laundry during your stay, please speak to a member of the team who can assist you.

Breakfast is included and takes place in the historic college dining hall every morning. Lunch and dinner are not provided. There are many options nearby for both eat-in and takeaway meals. Our team are always happy to provide recommendations for restaurants in Oxford.

Internet collection is available throughout college via The Cloud. You will be provided with WiFi access details on arrival.

All participants are invited to stay in college dormitories, which is a great way to experience authentic university life in Oxford. College rooms are randomly allocated to individual participants.

Depending on the type of passport you hold, you may need a visa to travel to the United Kingdom. For more information about visa requirements for the UK, please see the UK Visas and Immigration website https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

Worcester College (University of Oxford) will provide a formal invitation letter confirming your place on the programme once you have paid and your place is confirmed if this is required for your visa application.

Oxford is approximately 60 miles (90km) north-west of London and has excellent road and national rail links. Regular coach services connect Oxford with London and also with Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham and Luton airports.

Here is some information about transport links:

By plane

You should book a flight to one of London or Birmingham’s airports: Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, London City, or Birmingham International. The closest airport to Oxford is Heathrow, which is approximately 1 hour by coach.

At Heathrow and Gatwick airports there are buses to Oxford operating 24 hours a day. For information regarding fares, timetables, and stops, please visit: http://airline.oxfordbus.co.uk/

By train

A convenient way of reaching Oxford is by train. A complete map of stations and train times is available on the National Rail website: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/

By coach

If you are travelling direct from central London, the Oxford Tube is a 24/7 coach service linking Oxford and London directly. Services start from the Victoria coach station but also pick up passengers near Victoria train station and at two or three other stops in London. Tickets can be purchased in advance or on the day with cash or card. Full details are available on the Oxford Tube website: https://www.oxfordtube.com

The day of arrival is generally reserved for participants to check in to the programme and settle into the new surroundings. Once participants are checked in and have had some time to find their way around the College, there will be an opportunity to meet some of the programme staff as well as fellow students.

As some students may arrive late, the Welcome and Orientation talk will take place on Monday and a welcome reception will be held on Monday evening.

The Oxford Certificate Programme will end on Saturday. All participants are invited to a Farewell Lunch or Dinner where certificates, with certificate usually awarded beforehand. As not all students will be able to check out at the same moment, check out slots will be arranged before 10am on the day of departure.

All students of IU can join the programme.

The programme fee for 2024 is:

• Tuition, Single Room & Breakfast for one module (6 nights): 2,080 GBP
• Tuition, Single Room & Breakfast for two modules (13 nights): 3,890 GBP

The programme fee includes:

• Lectures and seminars, including materials and hand-outs
• Certificate of Attendance and an academic transcript
• Internet connection (subject to availability)
• Cultural visits and extra-curricular activities
• Evening talks
• A welcome reception and farewell lunch or farewell dinner
• Accommodation in a single room with shared bathroom facilities
• Breakfast and farewell dinner in the beautiful college dining hall
• An excursion for participants who book for two consecutive weeks

• Travel and transportation costs
• Costs for arranging a visa
• Lunches and dinner (apart from one farewell lunch or farewell dinner)
• Personal expenses / Pocket money

Students who attend over 90% of classes will receive a Certificate of Attendance and Achievement issued by Worcester College (University of Oxford).

Students who successfully finish the programme will also receive an Academic Transcript with a summary of the programme content and academic performance issued by Worcester College (University of Oxford).

The Certificate of Attendance and Achievement will state that you have attended a course of the Oxford Certificate Programme at Worcester College (University of Oxford) with the dates of your course. The Academic Transcript will list all modules you have taken, results of your final assessment (if applicable), and the workload the module or modules were equivalent to in ECTS credits.

Each one-week module has a final assessment. Depending on the nature of the module, this will be either a presentation or a multiple-choice test. The final assessment result will be listed on your academic transcript, which you will receive upon successful completion of the programme.