Open Days

The University-wide Open Days tend to take place towards the end of June / early July and September. We also hold an online English Faculty Teachers' Conference and State Schools' Open Day earlier in the year. Please keep an eye on this page for exact dates. In the meantime, if you'd like to be added to our teacher mailing lists, please get in touch with our Outreach Officer on outreach@ell.ox.ac.uk.

Anyone thinking of applying to Oxford should sign up for the latest news on developments in undergraduate admissions and outreach. Our admissions timeline will also give you a useful overview of the steps involved in making an application. See below for more details on both in-person and online Open Days.

In-person Open Days

Students sat on fence in front of church and lawn

Photo: John Cairns

If you have the opportunity, it’s a great idea to visit Oxford before making an application, in order to get a sense of the place and to look round possible colleges. 

Our in-person open days generally follow the below timetable, but please note that Virtual Open Days will operate in a different format.

10.00am - Mini taster lecture (15-20 mins)

10.40am - Mini taster lecture (15-20 mins)

11.20am - Information talk 'English at Oxford' (approx. 40 mins)

2.30pm - Information talk 'English at Oxford' (approx. 40 mins)

3.20pm - Mini taster lecture (15-20 mins)

3.20pm - Joint Schools Q&A sessions (please see the programme for specific details)

It is not necessary to book for any English Faculty Open Day events. However, visitors are admitted on a first-come-first-served basis and our talks have traditionally been very popular; therefore we recommend you arrive in plenty of time to ensure you get a seat. The afternoon sessions tend to be a little quieter.

All talks will take place in the English Faculty building, on the corner of St Cross and Manor Roads. The day has been scheduled to allow flexibility in attendance, and visitors are welcome to pop in and out as suits their plans for the day. Staff and current students will be present throughout the day to answer questions about the course, studying at Oxford, and the application process. We welcome students interested in our joint schools (English and History; English and Classics; English and Modern Languages) at any of our talks.

Parents are welcome to attend the Open Days, but to avoid overcrowding we would ask that they do not attend the lectures and talks scheduled in the morning. However, there is often space available in the afternoon sessions. The University holds a range of events aimed at parents during the day; details are available on the main University website.

Making the Most of Your Visit

Students walking through the English Faculty building

For more information about visiting Oxford at other times, please look at the visitors page on the main university website

You may also like to try the University of Oxford Audio Admissions Tours that will allow you to explore Oxford on foot, along with information about the University of Oxford from a student perspective and guidance on how to apply for an undergraduate degree course.

Further Information

If you have any queries please contact the English Undergraduate Office at undergrad@ell.ox.ac.uk.

Virtual Open Days

You can watch previous Open Day recordings on the English Faculty YouTube channel. Browse some films from our Open Days below, or visit our YouTube channel to see all recordings, including admission support. You can also join us for our online State School Open Day which generally takes place in early Spring (March / April). Dates of upcoming events will be confirmed on this page.

English at Oxford: information talk (June 2024)

https://www.youtube.com/embed/TnlSQasRG4Q?si=F7y8mqfLAHfC8lC4

Admissions Panel livestream 

Ask our Ambassadors! Q&A with BA English undergraduates

Taster lecture: Shakespeare with Prof Emma Smith

Taster lecture: Wilde and Conan Doyle by Dr Sos Eltis