Week 3 Seminars OUSSA
Join us in Oxford for a study holiday
Week 3: Saturday 25 July - Saturday 1 August 2026
The Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) is a residential summer programme held at Rewley House central Oxford, offering more than 60 week-long accredited courses for adult learners (18 years and over) covering a wide range of subjects in Literature, Archaeology, Architectural History, Creative Writing, History of Art, Philosophy, Biological Sciences, Theology and Psychology.
A selection of courses taking place during week 3 can be previewed below. To view all week 3 courses please select 'full listing'.
To learn more about this summer programme, and to browse courses taking place during other weeks, see full details of the OUSSA programme.
Upcoming courses
Summer schools • Short courses
From The Prince to Discourses on Livy, we explore, interpret and assess the key ideas and enduring significance of 'the father of modern political philosophy', Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527).
- Sat 25 Jul 2026 – 01 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
This is a thrilling exploration of a high-stakes digital battlefield where every insight gained could make the difference in the fight against hidden yet powerful criminal organisations.
- Sat 25 Jul 2026 – 01 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Jesus was a Jew: he was circumcised, attended synagogue, wore fringes on his garments. Today, Judaism and Christianity are separate religions. How did this come about? Explore the latest scholarship on the complexities of early Jewish-Christian relations.
- Sat 25 Jul 2026 – 01 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Explore the potentials and pitfalls of the fascinating world of psychedelics, where ancient wisdom meets cutting-edge science. This course offers a mind-expanding journey into the past, present, and future of these powerful substances.
- Sat 25 Jul 2026 – 01 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Charles Dickens’s autobiographical novels David Copperfield (1850) and Great Expectations (1861) reflect elements of the author’s childhood, upward mobility and romantic hopes. Compare Dickens’s changing recollections & reformulations of his fictive past.
- Sat 25 Jul 2026 – 01 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
The astonishing history and complex legacy of Captain James Cook. With three Pacific voyages in just eleven years, he helped shape the modern world through pioneering cartography, navigation and science.
- Sat 25 Jul 2026 – 01 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
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Oxford University Summer School for Adults
Undergraduate level. A residential summer programme offering week-long accredited courses for adult learners. Held at Rewley House on iconic Wellington Square.Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education
Study your passion and discover new ideas with Oxford’s flexible, part-time Certificate of Higher Education – designed for learners who want to learn widely, deeply, and on their own terms.