Overseas Students
Admission to BA Degrees for Overseas Candidates
[Please note that the information on this page is for those applying for a first undergraduate degree. Those who are already, or who will be, graduates applying for a second BA should see our Second BA page.]
Magdalen College welcomes applications for its undergraduate degrees from all over the world. Full details of the undergraduate courses at the University of Oxford are provided in the University Undergraduate Prospectus, published annually in March and available to order or view online here. The Colleges of the University teach most of these courses and have a common admissions procedure which is detailed in the Prospectus. Please additionally refer to the University's web page Information for International Applicants.
Overseas candidates should be aware that admission to Oxford is extremely competitive, and the courses are highly specialised. A good general standard of education is also an essential prerequisite for following any course at Oxford. All undergraduates should be able to understand, read and write English well, be numerate, and have a good general educational background which includes recent study of a science subject and a language other than English. Eligibility for a university in the candidate's own country is a basic criterion.
Fees and Costs
All students reading for degree courses at Oxford must be members of a College and pay both College and University fees. The British Government requires that overseas students (defined by normal residence rather than nationality) pay a higher rate of University fees than students from the United Kingdom or other countries in the European Community. For overseas students, please see the College and University fees in 2011-2012.
In addition, at least £9,225 (and probably significantly more than this) will be required for living costs.
The minimum all-inclusive annual costs (covering most living costs) for an overseas student for 2011-2012 are estimated to be between £27,845 to £41,645, depending upon your course of study.
Overseas candidates should give very serious consideration to funding before making an application. Scholarships for first degrees are rare, and the College is required to satisfy itself that there is adequate funding available for the whole course before a student can take up a place.
The College maintains a Reach Oxford scholarship for an academically qualified person from a developing country, who, for political or financial reasons, or because equivalent educational facilities do not exist, cannot study for a degree in his or her own country. This scheme is only suitable for candidates of the highest academic ability who have outstanding examination results and who have been offered an (un)conditional place at Oxford. The scholarship is currently filled at Magdalen, but will become available again in the 2014 admissions round. However, a number of other colleges also participate in the Reach Oxford scholarship scheme, details about which can be seen on the University's Reach Oxford information page.