Skip to content
University of Oxford
School of Geography and the Environment

 School of Geography and the Environment

Applying to Read Geography

Frequently Asked Questions

How does admission to read geography at Oxford differ from other universities?

Not much, any more, except that the majority of applicants are interviewed. As at other universities, Oxford makes conditional or unconditional offers to candidates, depending upon whether they have taken their A-levels. Decisions about whom to admit to read geography are made on the basis of information on candidates' UCAS forms, our assessment of candidates' submitted work and performance in interview. There is no written test before interview. At interview candidates are asked to write a summary of a short article.

How many geography places are there each year and what A-level subjects do I need to be considered for a place?

The School of Geography and the Environment admits approximately ninety students to read geography each year. For candidates offering A-levels, we normally expect A grades in geography and two other supporting subjects. These latter can be drawn from the 'arts' and 'sciences'. We offer places to students taking a wide range of A-levels, including 'traditional' subjects and those introduced into schools more recently. Occasionally, we take students who have not taken geography at A-level. We do not accept General Studies as a qualifying A-level for admission. The School also takes candidates offering the International Baccalaureate (IB), Scottish Highers and internationally-recognised equivalents of A-levels.

What grades do I need to get?

In order to gain a place in the School of Geography and the Environment you should be at the top of your geography set at school. We would normally expect anyone applying for geography to have a good string of A grades at GCSE and AS-level, and to be on course for getting A grades at A2-level. Conditional offers are normally based on three A grades. For the IB the standard offer is in the range 38-40 points.

Is there any advantage in waiting until after I have my A-level results to apply to Oxford?

No. We have no preference for pre- or post- A-level candidates.

Do I have to send in any submitted work before the interviews?

Yes. You must send in, through your school, two pieces of written work. This must be work you have prepared for your geography teachers during the course of your AS- or A2-level year and not specially written for your application to Oxford. The pieces of work you send in should be short essays, not project work or very short answer questions. They should be sent exactly in the form you received them back from your teachers, marks, comments and all! It is up to you to decide which pieces of work to submit, but it does help us if they are chosen from different parts of your geography syllabus. Written work should be sent directly to the Admissions Tutor at your 'first choice' college, and not to the School. Photocopies are acceptable.

Will I be interviewed?

Not all candidates who apply to Oxford for geography are interviewed, but the vast majority are. If you are not called for interview, it means that your application has not been successful.

What happens if I cannot come to Oxford during the interview period?

We expect all applicants from the United Kingdom and Europe to make themselves available for interview; this is why we publish our interview timetable so well in advance. We recognise, however, that certain overseas candidates cannot attend interviews, and we consider their applications without interviewing them. The same applies to home candidates who are ill during the interview period.

When will the interviews be?

The interview dates for geography are always at the beginning of December, and should be available from the University website quite early in the year. Some colleges may ask candidates to arrive in Oxford a day in advance of the schedule.

What will happen when I come up for interview?

You will stay in Oxford probably for two nights and you will be accommodated in a college. All candidates are interviewed by tutors in their 'first choice' college. In many colleges, candidates are gathered together before the interviews start, to meet their interviewers and to discuss any organisational questions. Most colleges give candidates two interviews for geography, one in physical and one in human geography. Interviews last from twenty minutes to half an hour. Before one of your interviews you will be given an hour to read a short article on a geographical topic and write a summary of the main arguments, and this will be read by the interviewers after the interview. In the interview you may be asked questions about the article. You may also be asked to comment upon a variety of pictorial, cartographic and tabulated data which will be given to you in the interview, and you may be asked questions arising from your submitted work. You will have an opportunity during the interview period to ask any questions you may have about geography at Oxford. You need not feel bound to ask questions, however.

Will I be interviewed by more than one college?

Not necessarily. There may be some second interviews to allow colleges which have not filled all their places to see candidates who might become available. In this way, the School of Geography and the Environment tries to ensure that college choice does not affect your chance of acceptance, and that no good candidates 'drop through the net'. Many of these extra interviews take place on the last day of the interview period.

Are some colleges more difficult to get into than others?

The ratio of applicants to places does vary between colleges, but we try to give everyone an equal chance. Some applicants to very popular colleges may be re-allocated before interview. Others may be interviewed at a second college (as discussed in the previous question).

How do I choose which college to put on my application form?

This is difficult to answer because so many different considerations can go into choosing a college. If, having read the brochures, visited Oxford, and talked it over with your teachers, you are unable to identify a preferred college, you should leave your application form blank and let our computer allocate you to a college where there is a favourable ratio of places to applicants. This then becomes your 'first choice' college. If you have decided which college you prefer, you should put this college down as your college of preference.

Can I apply for a deferred place (i.e. to start one year later)?

Yes. The School welcomes candidates both for deferred places and for places in the forthcoming year. As a general rule, if you would have been included in a college's final list for a place in the forthcoming year, you will be offered a deferred place, so long as you have indicated that this is what you want in your application. Applicants for deferred places are, however, not usually interviewed at other colleges.

What are the 'open offers'?

A small number of 'open offers' may be made each year. If you receive an open offer you are guaranteed a place at Oxford to read geography if you get your grades, but you will only know at which college after the A-level results in August.

When will I know the result of my application?

We aim to let everyone know the outcome of their application before Christmas. Pre- A2-level candidates who have been successful will be told the conditions that they will have to satisfy to take up their place in Oxford. Post- A2-level candidates whose applications are successful will have their place confirmed. In August, after the A-level results are out, colleges will confirm the places they have offered.

What is the course structure and how is teaching organised?

There is a great deal of detail about the structure of the course and how it is taught on this website. In summary, the Oxford course has at its core a concern with the integration of human and physical geography, but within this framework allows you to specialise in either of these branches of the subject. Much of your time will be spent working independently, reading and preparing for tutorials, as well as for submitted work in optional papers, and researching for your dissertation. College tutors take you for tutorials and small classes, as well as seeing you individually to discuss your general progress. Lectures, seminars and classes take place in the School of Geography and the Environment (OUCE) building, and the School organises the optional subjects in years two and three, and the field trips.

What are the Open Days?

The School of Geography and the Environment holds an annual Department Open Day in May, for which bookings are taken on a first-come first-served basis. The School also participates in the wider University Science Open Days which take place on two days in late June/July and on one day in mid September, and there is no need to book for these. On all Open Days you can attend a short talk and a question-and-answer session, see displays about the course and past field trips, and have a tour of the Geography and the Environment Library (which is part of the Radcliffe Science Library nearby). The dates for all the Open Days are posted early in the year on our website, along with other details.

Where can I get more information?
Write to:

The Undergraduate Coordinator,
School of Geography and the Environment,
Oxford University Centre for the Environment,
South Parks Road,
Oxford, OX1 3QY, U.K.

Telephone: +44 (0)1865 285070
Fax: +44 (0)1865 275885
Email:
Web site: http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/undergraduate/
(in particular please see the website for details of our Open Days)