Seminars
Each student attends one of the seminars offered each semester in art history, history, literature, philosophy, political thought, religious studies. These courses complement the one-to-one work of the tutorial by fostering students’ presentational skills, by encouraging students to learn from each other as well as from the tutor, and by requiring a substantial research essay produced over the whole period of ten weeks.
Considerable importance is attached to the research essay. The seminar tutor assists in the choice of topic, advises on the use of resources including the Bodleian Library, the main library of Oxford University, and monitors progress. The essay is expected to be a substantial and exemplary piece of research which should be valuable in future applications to postgraduate or professional programmes.
Seminar sessions are one and a half to two hours long, and vary in format and style according to the requirements of the subject and the needs of the participants. They range from one-hour formal lectures followed by a discussion period, to sessions where students present the points for discussion and explore them under the guidance of their tutor. Extensive and detailed reading is required each week in preparation for the seminars. Students are given reading lists, assigned weekly topics, and asked to report regularly on the development of their research essay.
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