Secrets, Spies and Lies



Overview

Investigate the murky world of undercover secret agents and spies.

Delving into the history of intelligence, espionage and sabotage we will learn about daring missions, double agents and audacious plots that have changed the course of history and the lives of those involved.

From the Great War through to the cold war and the conflicts in between we will study and discuss what it means to be a deceiver or indeed the deceived. We will explore how the world of intelligence and sabotage has changed over time and meet the people who risked everything for their cause.

This course is part of The Oxford Experience summer school, held at Christ Church.

Programme details

Daily schedule

Seminars meet each weekday morning after breakfast.

After lunch, afternoons are free for individual study or exploring the many places of interest in and around the city. Optional plenary excursions and social activities including walking tours will also be available.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), lunches Sunday-Friday, and three-course dinners Sunday-Thursday. All meals are taken in Christ Church’s spectacular dining hall. 

On Friday, there will be a special four-course gala dinner to celebrate the closing of the week.

Seminars and field trip

Monday seminars

  • A history of spying and defining our terminology
  • Spy and espionage agencies

Tuesday seminars

  • The Great War - the famous, and infamous, spies of the era (such as Edith Cavell, Mata Hari and Carl Lody)
  • How spying and intelligence changed in the inter war years

Wednesday seminars

  • Agencies of the Second World War – SOE, SIS, MI5, MI9.
  • Agents and missions of the Second World War (such as Agent Garbo, Agent Zigzag, Harry Rée and Tony Brooks)

Thursday seminars

  • A visit to Bletchley Park, the home of the Secret Intelligence Service’s Code Breakers in the Second World War.

Friday seminars

  • The Cold War
  • Spy gadgets and inventions

Field trip

Destination: Bletchley Park

Duration: All day 

Excursion Rating: Moderate – up to two hours' walk on even ground or up to an hour's walk on rough and/or steep ground or up lots of stairs and steps.

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

At the end of the course you will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Digital badge

You will also be issued with an official digital badge of attendance. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download this. You will be able to share this on social media and add to your email signature if you wish to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2480.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2370.00
Fee option 3 (double en suite accom and meals per person) £2360.00
Fee option 4 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2360.00
Fee option 5 (twin set standard accom and meals per person) £2360.00
Fee option 6 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1760.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for the Oxford Experience programme.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis.

Please be aware that all payments made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee: Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the programme administrator, up to the 1 May 2026. In accordance with our Terms and Conditions, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.

Supplementary costs

  • Any excursions listed in the 'programme details' above are included in the course fees and do not require a separate payment.
  • If your course includes a day-long excursion, you may need to make your own lunch arrangements.
  • Any optional, plenary excursions/social activities not detailed in the 'programme details' above may incur an additional cost. A social programme outlining these options will be sent to you in advance of the course start date.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.
  • If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Dr Kate Vigurs - Tutor

Dr Kate Vigurs FRHistS is an historian, author and researcher. She is currently a visiting academic in the department of Political & International Studies at the University of Warwick. With a PhD in history from the University of Leeds, her first book Mission France – The True Story of the Women of SOE was published in 2021 to critical acclaim. Mission Europe was published in May 2025 by Yale University Press and Kate has spoken at numerous festivals about her new book. 

These include Chalke History Festival, the Dublin History Festival, Warwick Words, Barnes Bookfest, Harrogate Literary festival and the British Embassy in Paris, as well as several military clubs and schools. Podcast appearances have been wide and varied including We Have Ways of Making You Talk, History Hit, BBC History Extra and History Rage. She frequently appears on WW2TV on YouTube. 

Recent TV projects will see Kate on screens in Denmark, Australia and the UK. She featured on BBC One’s production D-Day the Unheard Tapes. And more recently is on Series five of A House Through Time. Other TV projects have included: The One Show, World War Weird, True Evil – The Making of a Nazi, Spymistress – The Life of Vera Atkins, Secrets of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, WWII in Colour: The Road to Victory on Netflix and the BBC’s Time Commanders.

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 12 people. The teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Video recordings
  • Tutor-led field trip

Application

Enrolment deadline: registration closes at midnight on 1 May 2026. 

Most courses fill quickly so early registration is strongly recommended. If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Please note, the programme is only open to those over the age of 18.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single accommodation and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Single bedroom options:

  • Single en suite (private bathroom facilities – shower, washbasin and toilet)

  • Single standard rooms (includes a washbasin and shaver point only, with bathroom facilities shared with other rooms)

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Double and twin bedrooms

Double and twin bedrooms are only available for two participants that apply to the programme together. They are charged per person and cannot be booked by individuals. If you wish to book a twin or double room for two people, each person should complete an enrolment form.

Shared bedroom options:

  • Double en suite (private bathroom facilities – shower, washbasin and toilet)
  • Twin en suite (private bathroom facilities – shower, washbasin and toilet)
  • ‘Twin set’ standard (comprising two separate single standard rooms, each with a washbasin and shaver point only, opening onto a private sitting room, with bathroom facilities shared with other rooms)

Ground/lower floor accommodation

Christ Church rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please complete an enrolment form indicate your requirements, or contact the programme administrator directly at oxfordexperience@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible before 1 June 2026. 

Enrolment form

The enrolment form is an editable PDF and can be competed electronically, so you should not need to print and scan it. 

Completed forms should be sent:

  • by email to oxfordexperience@conted.ox.ac.uk, or

  • by post to The Oxford Experience, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Level and demands

The Oxford Experience is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. The courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

There are no assessments for this course.

Accommodation

During your course you can stay in typical Oxford student accommodation at Christ Church, in buildings which range from the 18th to the 20th century. Please note that bedrooms are modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), lunches Sunday-Friday, and three-course dinners Sunday-Thursday. On Friday, there will be a special four-course gala dinner to celebrate the closing of the week. All meals are taken in Christ Church’s spectacular dining hall. 

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you, including how to request a lower/ground floor room.

Accommodation options at Christ Church

Single, twin and double bedrooms are available. 

We welcome participants who want to attend multiple courses over the summer. Resident participants staying in Christ Church for consecutive weeks will have bed and breakfast accommodation arranged for the Saturday night between their courses at no extra cost.

Non-residential option

We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Christ Church, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere. 

Accommodation before/after your course

We are unable to arrange accommodation at Christ Church prior to or following your course. Please contact Christ Church directly if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation, and they may be able to assist.

Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support