Week 4 Seminars OUSSA
Join us in Oxford for a study holiday
Week 4: Saturday 1 - Saturday 8 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 4 can be previewed below. To view all week 4 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
Explore the role plague and disease played in seventeenth-century England. From the lived experience of diarists, plague searchers, victims and medics to its expression in works of literature by Shakespeare, Dekker, Jonson and more.
- Sat 01 Aug 2026 – 08 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Every religion has rituals that the human body experiences with different senses. Explore the importance of sensory experiences in understanding ancient societies including their religions, which is a growing focus in archaeological research.
- Sat 01 Aug 2026 – 08 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Discover astronomy through the history of the breakthroughs in observation, technology and theory that have propelled the field forward, culminating in our current astronomical and astrophysical models.
- Sat 01 Aug 2026 – 08 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
How should we understand gender, sex, race and diversity in the 21st century? What defines identity today? If you are interested in these big questions and related debates, then this is the right course for you!
- Sat 01 Aug 2026 – 08 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Berthe Morisot and Mary Cassatt are the two major women artists of French Impressionism. They fought hard to overcome obstacles and to succeed in the Paris art world. This course will examine their achievements and their place in art history.
- Sat 01 Aug 2026 – 08 Aug 2026
- 9:00am – 12:30pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Uncover how the myths of the British Isles, shaped by landscape and legend, continue to haunt modern culture through text, film and drama – from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to The Wicker Man.
- Sat 01 Aug 2026 – 08 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
A flexible, part-time route to an Oxford University qualification. Gain credit from flexible short online courses, weekly classes, and the Oxford University Summer School for Adults. Explore a wide range of subjects in this multidisciplinary programme.