Certificate of Higher Education FAQs

If you have already completed eligible Oxford Lifelong Learning short courses, you may be able to transfer up to 30 CATS points towards the Certificate of Higher Education.

To be eligible, the courses must:

• have been completed within the four years before your Certificate application date;
• be Oxford Lifelong Learning short courses; and
• be at FHEQ Level 4 and carry eligible CATS points.

Credit earned elsewhere cannot be transferred into the Certificate. This includes CATS points or other academic credit gained through other University of Oxford departments, other universities or external institutions.

Please be aware that not every Oxford course carrying CATS points is at the appropriate academic level. You cannot transfer graduate-level courses into the Certificate of Higher Education, even if they carry CATS points.

Important: The Certificate does not accept general credit transfer. Only eligible Oxford Lifelong Learning short courses at FHEQ Level 4 can be considered, up to a maximum of 30 CATS points.

If you are hoping to transfer previous Oxford Lifelong Learning study into the Certificate, please check with the Certificate team before applying to confirm that your courses are eligible.

You need 120 CATS points in total to complete the Certificate.

In Year 1, you need to complete 30 CATS points, including Academic Literacy and your mandatory introductory course. You need 60 CATS points to progress to Years 2 and beyond.

Across the Certificate, 60-80 CATS points must be in your main subject area. Your remaining CATS points, up to the 120-point total, can be earned in other subjects.

Yes. You must complete at least one eligible in-person course as part of the Certificate.

You can meet this requirement by taking either a 10-week in-person course in Oxford, at Rewley House or Ewert House, or an eligible Oxford University Summer School for Adults (OUSSA) course.

Please note that The Oxford Experience and Inspiring Oxford summer school courses do not carry CATS points and therefore cannot fulfil this requirement.

You will be assessed through coursework you complete for the individual short courses that you take, and through additional assignments designed to develop a broader knowledge and understanding of your main subject area.

There are three additional written assignments, two of which are 2,500 words in length, and one of which is 3,500 words. There is no written examination at the end of the course.

Students should contact their assessor before starting an Additional Assignment. Do not wait for short-course marks to be released before beginning an Additional Assignment; you should work to the published submission deadlines.

There are two types of costs to consider when budgeting for the Certificate:

• Certificate of Higher Education annual award fee. Please see the course page for up-to-date fees.
• Individual short-course fees: you must also pay the relevant course fee for each short course you take towards your Certificate. These costs are in addition to the Certificate annual award fee.

Information about financial support and funding is available here.

If you have a loan through Student Finance England (SFE), please plan your course choices carefully. SFE will not approve a loan for a single remaining course.

The Certificate of Higher Education does not provide eligibility for a student visa. If you are based outside the UK, you should make sure that you have the appropriate immigration permission for any in-person study you are required to undertake.

University accommodation is not available to Certificate of Higher Education students, so you will need to arrange your own accommodation when attending courses in Oxford.

Please read the Certificate of Higher Education course page carefully before applying. This contains important information about the programme, subject areas, entry requirements and application process.

You can also attend one of our online webinars to find out more about studying for the Certificate and ask questions about the programme.

For admissions enquiries, please contact the Certificate of Higher Education admissions team on certhe@conted.ox.ac.uk or +44 (0)1865 280372. 

On successfully completing the required 120 CATS points, you will receive the Certificate of Higher Education.

The Certificate can provide a foundation for further study and allow you to develop your knowledge in your chosen subject area.