Hertford College is one of 45 constituent colleges and halls of Oxford University and is known for its “progressive yet friendly” atmosphere and high academic standards. Hertford College is located at the heart of the medieval university opposite the Bodleian Library. The William & Mary partnership with Hertford College offers qualified students the extraordinary possibility to study in one-on-one tutorials with faculty of one of the world's greatest universities. In addition, visiting students are considered full members of Hertford College, enjoy the same university privileges as degree-seeking students, and are encouraged to join any of the academic or social organizations that interest them. Visiting students are automatically members of the Junior Common Room, which organizes social activities, runs a wide range of sports clubs, and provides general support for the well-being of its members.
The William & Mary faculty liaison will work with students accepted to Hertford College and with the Visiting Students tutor at Hertford to select suitable topics for their tutorials and identify the faculty with whom to pair them. Tutorials are available in African Studies, Anthropology, Art History, Classical Studies, Computer Science, Development, East Asian Studies, Economics, English, European Studies, Geography, Global Studies, History, Human Science, International Relations, Linguistics, Middle Eastern Studies, Music History, Philosophy, Government, Religious Studies, Sociology, and Women’s Studies.
Visiting students live "in college" at Hertford in single room accommodations.
The W&M faculty advisor for the Hertford College (University of Oxford) sponsored semester program is Dean of Arts & Sciences Professor Suzanne Raitt.
For more information on this program and the steps to apply, please review the Steps to Study Abroad on our website.
Hertford College, University of Oxford
Hertford College, University of Oxford Registered Visiting Student Program Video
NEW: November 2, 2023 Information Session Video
**Please note the Michaelmas Term is begins with a seminar about Humanities or History, open to all majors. For the final 8 weeks, students will be focusing on their individual tutorial interests.
Term: early September to Early/Mid-December
Application Deadline: January 12th. If the application deadline falls on a weekend the materials will be the following Monday.
Questions about the application process? Review this video here to learn more.
Eligibility:
* Sophomore status requires approval of W&M advisor (email smmitt@wm.edu for more information)
* Junior status while abroad
* Strong writing skills
* For study abroad in 2024-25, if you have a GPA between 3.4-3.69, please contact the advisor for this program. For 2025-26, the recommended GPA to be competitive for these programs is anticipated to be 3.7.
Language Requirement:
For applicants who are not from an English speaking majority country or have not been solely educated in English throughout the past two years at the time of application (educated in English for 2 years by deadline), we are required by the UK Home Office and Oxford University to assess your English language ability. All teaching at Oxford University is carried out in English (with the exception of some language-specific teaching) and tutors must be convinced that you have sufficient fluency in written and spoken English to cope with your course from the start. Therefore, the Hertford College Visiting Student Programme requires the following from a non-native English-speaking applicant:
IELTS: overall score of 7.0 (with at least 7.0 in each of the four components)
Course Information:
Academic Credits: 13 credits
Credits will appear as transfer credits on students’ William & Mary transcripts and will not be included in GPA calculations. Transfer credits must be pre- or post-approved.
Program Specifics: Ideal for history, english literature, politics, sociology, government majors.
Students take a 4-week seminar on History of Britain. It covers the social and political history of the 19th and 20th centuries and is taught by two excellent tutors - very lively and inspiring - Dr. Aurelia Annat and Dr. Luke Blaxill. It is called The Forging of Modern Britain - Politics and Society 1815-2015, and through 8 seminar sessions, it examines three intersecting themes, namely the changing character of politics, the relationship between citizen and state, and changes in class, race, and gender. By the end of the seminar, students have a much better understanding of both UK political system as well as social institutions such as the welfare state etc.
After the 4-week seminar is over students will pursue an 8-week tutorial style format at Hertford College with one Primary subject and one Secondary subject. Students can choose subjects based on their interests. Professor Suzanne Raitt works with the students and Visiting Students Tutor at Oxford to find the best matches for students. In the past, some students have taken Politics of Russia, Modern Iran, Slavery and Crisis of Union, Irish History, Medieval history, the Industrial Revolution, etc.
Program Fees:
For Michaelmas 2024, the fee is anticipated to not exceed $25,650. Please contact your Global Education Advisor for more up-to-date information.
Fees are paid to W&M and subject to change. An application fee of $75 applies. Fees include tuition, room, one meal everyday Monday - Saturday, and study abroad insurance.
We highly recommend that you meet with the faculty liaison,
Dean Suzanne Raitt, and GEO Advisor before applying due to the program unique tutorial and selection process.
