Welcome from the Provost

...... quod in te est, prome

St Bede's Hall, Oxford, is an independent Catholic college whose purpose is to provide short or longer term courses of the highest academic level for Study Abroad and mature students in a small, caring and supportive environment. We recognize the needs of the individual and aim to nurture the personal, moral and intellectual development of each student.

Course programmes are flexible and devised in advance specifically to suit the abilities and requirements of the individual student. Thereafter, the welfare, administrative and academic structures at St Bede’s enable us to focus on each individual and ensure that progress and achievement are maintained at the highest level throughout the course.

Tuition is delivered via the Oxford tutorial system, lectures and seminars. Tutorials consist of regular meetings with tutors on an individual basis or in small groups, with students usually having 14 tutorials and various lectures over a 12 week term or on a pro rata basis for short summer courses. Students can opt for more courses, each pursued at a less intensive pace, in order to conform to the usual pattern of North American universities, or for a shorter period of study. Regular feedback is provided by tutors in the form of written reports with grades which eventually form part of the final transcript sent back to the home university.

St Bede's offers a range of summer courses which can be taken either by undergraduates who will receive credits from their home university, or by students wishing to undertake a preliminary course which will equip them with study skills before taking up a university place in the UK or abroad, or by mature students who may wish to earn credits or just to further their own knowledge.

In all cases, key management, administrative staff and tutors are current or former academics,  many of them at the University of Oxford, who have the experience and credentials to ensure that courses and tuition are of the highest academic standard.

Oxford is a vibrant and exceptional, if not unique, centre of culture and youth life, attracting students from across the globe. It hosts the oldest university in the English-speaking world, another major university, Oxford Brookes, innumerable language schools, study abroad programmes, adult education, and other opportunities for learning. The city and university have important museums and galleries, among them the Ashmolean, the world's first university museum, along with the renowned Oxford Union which stages important political events. Oxford is blessed with excellent transport connections to London, Bath, Stratford upon Avon, Stonehenge and other nearby cities and places of interest, including Winchester, where King Arthur is alleged to have sat with his knights of the Round Table, and Blenheim Palace where Winston Churchill was born and buried in the neighbouring village. Within a short distance of Oxford are the Cotswolds with their outstanding beauty and recreational facilities. Oxford itself is situated on the river Thames which is a recreational resource much used by the student population. Oxford has been called a land of punts and parties, boats and balls. To study for a period in Oxford is unquestionably an experience to be relished.

Study Abroad is recognized as an important increment in the educational expectations of many countries; it gives students scope to comprehend better another country, its people, culture and way of living. Coming to an English-speaking country is especially prized by students whose first language is not English and by native speakers of English who find themselves immersed in the cultural delights of Oxford and England, with its traditions of literature, theatre and street life. Unlike in much larger places such as London, Study Abroad students in Oxford are in an urban but manageable environment where precious hours are not consumed by internal travel and endless delays. Overall, Oxford more than merits its reputation as the best city for education. St Bede's offers a range of courses from the Humanities to Theology but individual programmes can be arranged in most other subjects.

Study Abroad students become associate members of one of the colleges of the University of Oxford and thus have access to college and university amenities, including libraries. Meals can be taken in the college where students are affiliated, and students have access to University clubs, societies and sports facilities and become members of  the Oxford Union. Accommodation is in single or double occupancy rooms near the Hall.

St Bede's organises a programme of social events, some  arranged in conjunction with another Study Abroad College, which provide an opportunity for social interaction with a wider range of students. There are also a minimum of five cultural visits a term, preceded by lectures, to introduce students to different places in the UK, the British way of life, history and culture.

St  Bede's  is  a  Catholic  college  and  warmly  weclomes  all  students. We  have our  own  college  chaplain  and  there   is opportunity for daily Mass and devotions at the Oratory church. In accordance with English Law we have a policy of equal opportunities and do not discriminate on the grounds of race, creed, colour, age, disability, gender or other orientations.

We offer a limited number of bursaries to enable students who would not otherwise be able to benefit from an Oxford education, to come here to study.


We look forward to welcoming you to St Bede’s.

Penelope Cookson,
Provost