Undergraduate
All students are taught within Magdalen by their own subject tutors, and, when necessary, we also arrange specialist tuition outside Magdalen. The University organizes lectures, practicals and classes, and your tutor will advise you which you should attend. Magdalen's tutors and lecturers are very committed to teaching and prize the tutorial system, since the combination of tutorials and small-group teaching in College with the lectures, practicals, and classes provided by the University provides exceptional opportunities for learning and personal development, regardless of your previous educational background. The college environment also encourages students to work together and to learn from each other.
The tutorial is Oxford's distinctive way of teaching, though in some subjects we also use classes and seminars. For a tutorial, which normally lasts about an hour, your tutor will set you a piece of work that relates to your interests and your course, and recommend reading material. Some tutorials are one-to-one, but most tutorials nowadays involve pairs of students.
Tutorial styles vary according to the individual tutor and the subject. For instance, some tutors read the essay or mark the problem set before the tutorial and then discuss it during the tutorial; others prefer their students to read out an essay during the tutorial itself and discuss the issues that it raises as the tutorial progresses. But whatever its style, a tutorial enables you to discuss your work with an expert.
At first, you may find this prospect daunting, but once you realize that we want to hear your point of view, argued well, then tutorials start to become fun. You learn from the tutorial experience; your intellectual confidence begins to grow; new ideas are generated; and your tutors learn from you.
The Magdalen College Prospectus is available. Please also view the other pages within this section for updated information. If you want to know what academic life at Magdalen feels like from the student's point of view - and a whole lot more besides about undergraduate life and facilities - read Magdalen's Alternative Prospectus, which is produced entirely by student members of the College. To get in touch with admissions please fill out this form.