Oxford’s English course has been ranked as best in the world by the QS World University Rankings for the last eight years. Studying English here means that you will be immersed in a wide-ranging, historical course covering literature in English from its earliest origins to the present day.

As a member of the University’s English Faculty, you will be able to attend scores of weekly lectures and seminars where you can access cutting-edge research by academics across the Faculty and beyond, regardless of which college you belong to. At Hertford, we’ll organise your small group teaching sessions and provide you with a personal tutor who will usually meet with you once or twice a term to discuss your overall academic progress.

Our most important teaching method is the weekly tutorial – a pair of students with a tutor, working through essays and readings you have prepared during the week and developing your thought, understanding and expression. You will also attend classes with the rest of your year group. Your tutors here at Hertford will deliver most of the core syllabus.

Through both university-wide teaching and college tutorials, you will study prose, poetry and drama from a huge range of historical periods. You will have the opportunity to work alongside expert researchers, especially when completing your dissertation and other assessed work in your final year. As there are no compulsory authors for exam papers, you will be able to explore the writers and ideas which inspire you the most.

Because you will be able to develop your writing, time-management and independent research skills, an English degree from Hertford is an extremely flexible basis from which to launch your career. Some of our former students have taken professional qualifications in law, journalism and teaching, while others use their experiences to build careers in publishing, advertising, charity, arts and media organisations.

The Hertford English Society is our network of former students who can give you careers advice during your degree – it currently includes novelists and academics, as well as a diplomat, a winemaker, an opera director and a spy!

We take all aspects of your application into account when making admissions decisions. Alongside your UCAS form, we also ask you to submit a marked essay from school or college.

If you are shortlisted, you will have two 20 minute interviews with Hertford (and possibly with another college too). An hour before your first interview, we’ll give you a selection of poems from which you can choose one to discuss. This will probably form the main topic of discussion in your first interview. In your second interview, we might ask you about your submitted work and personal statement – if we don’t, rest assured that we have will have given them due consideration and weight as part of your overall application.

We’re looking for applicants who will benefit most from our specific teaching style and assessment methods and therefore take a holistic view of your application.
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4-year BA including a year abroad

This is an extremely flexible course, allowing you to tailor it to your own interests. On the English side, you’ll be able to choose from courses covering everything from Anglo-Saxon literature to contemporary world literature. The Modern Languages side supplements this with practical linguistic training and a focus on language and literature as a broader field of study.

Both our English and Modern Languages Faculties are among the largest in the UK, offering you a huge range of study subjects, expert tutors and extensive resources. You’ll have access to the English Faculty Library and the Taylor Institution Library (for languages). Both are a short distance from Hertford, and support the resources of the Bodleian Library and 24-hour college library on our doorstep.

See also: Modern Languages