Short courses and events
Study with Oxford online or in person
Start or continue your learning journey with Oxford Lifelong Learning at any time of life!
You’ll join a highly diverse learning community: students of all ages, from all backgrounds and from all over the world. Learn more about the different types of open-access short courses we offer below.
- Day and weekend events run in person or online, with some offered in both formats. Explore a topic in depth over one or two days with multiple speakers, hone your skills in small workshops and hands-on practical sessions, or explore the city of Oxford with a walking tour.
- Lecture series are a series of weekly lectures on a given topic, providing a comprehensive introduction to your chosen subject. All can be watched online, with many taking place in a hybrid format – so you can choose to attend online or in person.
- Weekly learning programmes include courses that meet weekly in Oxford, online courses with live sessions, and flexible online courses.
- Professional development short courses are designed with academic experts from across the University and beyond, allowing professional learners from across the globe the opportunity to benefit from Oxford University's excellence in research and teaching.
- Summer schools: Join us in Oxford for personal enrichment, academic progression or professional development. Many summer schools can be taken for credit; others require no coursework and are non-assessed.
Upcoming courses
In-person day/weekend • Short courses
Even after 150 years, Wagner's epic cycle of four operas, the "The Ring of the Nibelungs", remains one of the great challenges, for performers and listeners alike. In this day school, Dr Peter Copley gives a comprehensive introduction to the cycle.
- Sat 27 Jun 2026
- 9:45am – 5:00pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Explore Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks and the boundless curiosity that shaped his art and science. This interdisciplinary summer course in Oxford uncovers his search for universal laws of nature through observation, experiment and artistic innovation.
- Sun 05 Jul 2026 – 11 Jul 2026
- 9:00am – 12:55pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Discover how British art transformed across one of its most exciting centuries; from the moral passion of the Pre-Raphaelites to the dreamlike visions of the Neo-Romantics. Includes a visit to the Ashmolean Museum and Christ Church Picture Gallery.
- Sun 05 Jul 2026 – 11 Jul 2026
- 9:00am – 12:55pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Discover the science of human behaviour and explore how and why we behave (and misbehave!) during this one-week summer course for adults. Ideal for those who are curious about psychology.
- Sun 05 Jul 2026 – 11 Jul 2026
- 9:00am – 12:55pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Explore the evolution of British crime fiction and film – from Agatha Christie’s classic puzzles to modern reimaginings. Discover how detectives, crimes and settings reflect changing societies, ethics and cultural fears in this lively, critical course.
- Sun 05 Jul 2026 – 11 Jul 2026
- 9:00am – 12:55pm
Summer schools • Short courses
Explore the wit, life and legacy of P G Wodehouse in this engaging summer course on his fiction, humour and wartime controversies. Discover how the creator of 'Jeeves and Wooster' shaped British comedy and the idea of the English gentleman.
- Sun 05 Jul 2026 – 11 Jul 2026
