Broadening Horizons

Social media, AI and the decline of print media are changing the world of journalism at an astonishing pace. On this course, you will learn what journalists do, how they do it, and your potential paths into this exciting industry. Through first-hand practice, you will explore how journalists verify information using techniques including geolocation and metadata analysis. You will critically analyse the differences between journalistic codes of practice and legal restrictions governing journalism in different countries, always considering the big questions: what is journalism for; who decides what counts as news; what does the public have a right to know? The classroom is turned into a newsroom as you apply public interest tests to real ethical dilemmas and simulate a newsroom under deadline by producing work in print, audio, video and digital mock-up formats before taking part in a simulated breaking news exercise. You will produce individual and group work, and finally draft a newsroom policy on AI, the biggest change in modern journalism.

Dive into university-level study of history by studying some of its biggest forces in depth: how empires rise and fall, the causes and consequences of revolution, and how the past has shaped modern geopolitics. You will explore a vast range of sources from the ancient Mediterranean and Asia to the end of the Cold War. By critically analysing sources and constructing compelling arguments, you will get ahead on the interdisciplinary skills which benefit further study of history, politics, law and more. You will work individually and in teams to construct arguments about events from the Roman Empire to the Haitian Revolution, examining differing interpretations of source material and forming your own voice as a historian. You will also examine how the events of the 20th century have created the current geopolitical landscape, and how this landscape is changing in the 21st century.

The architecture and atmosphere of Oxford have inspired some of the most famous writers in the English language, from Percy Shelley and John Keats to J.R.R. Tolkien and Evelyn Waugh. Now, Oxford will be the backdrop to your own written masterpieces. As well as being steeped in this literary city, you will study short fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry by writers from all over the world in many different languages, including in translation. You will learn how to read like a writer by examining how successful pieces construct sentences, create images and flesh out characters, and use what you learn for your own pieces. You will experience university-style writing workshops, studying the essentials of creative writing including narrative voice and structure from across storytelling traditions. In this constructive environment, you will draft and edit your own piece of creative writing, working with feedback and leaving you with a polished piece which can form the basis of a portfolio. Finally, you will examine how the publishing industry functions and how generative AI is changing debates about authorship.

The workings of the human brain are complex and endless. On this course, you will dive into neuroscience and begin to unpack the brain’s secrets. Starting at the microscopic level, you will examine how ion channels fire signals in neurons, working out how this creates sensation movement and memory. You will work like a neuroscientist, examining the methods scientists use to work out how neurons signal, how synapses and circuits process information, and how the regions of the brain are divided by function. You will also critically evaluate the methods used for diagnosing and treating neurological conditions which impact vision, taking case studies and clinical practices from across the world. You will work independently and in teams to read primary research and think like a clinician by diagnosing and offering treatment for different neurological conditions. You will wrap up the course by exploring the different career routes neuroscience can take you down.

On this course, you will experience sport like never before, getting into the minds of physiotherapists, elite coaches, sports scientists and businessmen to see sport from a full range of new angles. You will begin at the individual level of the athlete, analysing how the athlete’s body converts energy into performance and how external factors like altitude and heat can impact this. You will also look at the mind including attention and reaction times, applying biomechanics and performance analysis to real published data. You will collect your own data in class and analyse your class as a data set. Thinking like a coach, you’ll create tailored training programmes which optimise performance while avoiding injury. You will then look outwards to organisations surrounding athletes, exploring how teams earn income and the economic impact of the rapid growth of women’s sport. You will examine the impacts of AI on the industry and how the industry protects athletes and the fairness of competition before examining the potential careers and university courses that can lead you to a career in elite sport.

Solve crimes and discover another side to the justice system in this course. You will start by considering how forensic scientists balance evidence with uncertainty, using just a fingerprint or a few cells of DNA to identify a criminal. You will explore how crime is defined, counted and dealt with across different countries, analysing why crimes cluster in particular areas and what reoffenders can tell us about the justice systems of various countries. You will get hands-on, examining how traces are recognised, recorded and recovered and interpreting evidence using the reasoning that real forensic scientists employ in the courtroom. Forensic science isn’t watertight, and you will discover this in your second week as you explore what happens when the experts get it wrong. You will also evaluate the use of new technologies including facial recognition, the ethics of this tech and the regulations different countries have in place. Finally, you will explore the range of degrees and career opportunities related to the field.

This course approaches climate science the same way that universities do: as a quantitative, evidence-based discipline which brings together physics, chemistry, earth science and human science. You will learn to think like a climate scientist and produce your own evidence-based solutions to the biggest challenges facing our planet. You will start with physics, examining the Earth’s energy balance and using instruments, satellite data and natural archives to explore the carbon cycle. You will explore how industry and scientists create models and carbon budgets, and how scientists have identified climate tipping points. You will work with real data sets and case studies from all over the world to test solutions at the frontier of climate activism. You will employ a solutions-based attitude to issues like the potential instability of renewable energy and the importance of global communities to prepare for extreme heat and flooding. You will work in a team to build an evidence-based climate proposal and present it to your class.

Biotechnology is a wide-ranging science with applications across medicine, academia and industry. You will discover how scientists read, write, edit and design biological molecules and how this learning is transformed into impact in medicine, food, materials and environmental solutions. You will explore the variety of degrees and careers available in this rapidly advancing field, including the impact of AI. You will get hands-on analysing real genetic databases and DNA sequences, reading cutting-edge primary research and testing claims against evidence using case studies from across the world. You will take an in-depth look at the development and applications of the CRISPR genome-editing tool and compare it to newer precision editors which use AI to predict and design protein structures. You will also look at the real-world implications of gene editing and the ways different countries regulate its use across industries. Finally, you will explore the careers in biotechnology and how your new data analysis, scientific reading and evidence-based communication skills can help to shape your academic and professional future.

Analyse foundational texts of political theory from around the world, debate and work through simulated political scenarios in this hands-on introduction to university learning. You will test political ideas from the ancient world against contemporary political theory and compare theories of authority, justice and liberty. You will analyse how ideas become ideologies and how political scientists define populism. You will critically evaluate different theories of representation by running voting experiments, deciding if you agree with the idea that no ranked voting system is capable of passing every fairness test. You will use game theory to explore cooperation between states, examining contemporary issues including climate change. Finally, you will look at the role of AI in modern politics and the range of degrees and careers involved in the field.

This course will give you the tools to become a successful marketing professional by introducing you to the ways organisations earn and keep consumers’ attention. This university-style course matches creativity with psychology, research evidence and data analysis. You will begin by testing ideas from behavioural science against your own habits as a consumer. You will take this and design your own research to build targeting and positioning strategies, considering different academic opinions of how brands grow. You will also consider differences and consistencies across the global market. Week 2 is your chance to respond to a brief and create your own marketing strategy. You will create a media plan across paid, owned and earned channels and evaluate creator-marketing and data-driven personalisation. Your final piece can make an excellent portfolio starter for university and job applications. Finally, you will explore marketing ethics, environmental responsibility and the growing use of AI in marketing.

This course approaches literature at a university level, directing close reading through critical theory and competing interpretations. You will study literature in English from around the world to expand your understanding of how texts make meaning and critically evaluate who gets to decide what texts are read and how. You will start with methodological workshops, developing close reading skills and learning to treat interpretation as argument. Your studies will coalesce around Shakespeare’s The Tempest as you analyse its genre and methods through different theoretical approaches including postcolonial and feminist methods. You will also explore creative responses from the Caribbean and Canada. In the second week, you will explore how the modernists transformed what literature could be and how contemporary ecocritical approaches read literature for what it reveals about the non-human world. Finally, you will take a step back to look at the nature of the canon, examining how status, literary prizes and even computational methods shape what is read, and examine machine-generated textual interpretation.

This course introduces you to university-style study of humanity. You will use material remains from the past and fieldwork with living people to enrich your understanding of the human story. You will learn to think like an archaeologist by examining how they find, record and date sites. You will explore modern lab techniques including radiocarbon dating, isotope analysis and ancient DNA. You will then explore ethnography to understand how anthropologists record and interpret everyday life. Using evidence from all over the world, you will investigate human origins and interpret early art. You will work as researchers, leading and directing classroom discussion, interpreting data and handling objects. You will come to understand how interpretations are made and that there is space within the field for competing ideas. You will also consider how heritage is protected and shared and the ethical debates and regulations involved in the field. Finally, you will explore the careers and university courses within the field.

This course is your chance to make a difference to our planet. As an introduction to conservation science, the course will teach you to think like a conservation scientist. You will start by asking a core question: what is there, and how do we know? You will examine how scientists use camera traps, sound recorders and more to monitor species and calculate rates of biodiversity loss across different biomes. In the second week, you will see how these ideas are applied to the world’s oceans. Throughout, you will work with real case studies and data sets to examine how protected areas are chosen and governed, including how this impacts local communities. The course is hands-on, focusing on building your skills as a future conservation professional and increasing your confidence as a young spokesperson for the future of our planet. You will develop skills in data analysis and science communication which will set you up for future study in biology, ecology, geography and more.

On this course, you will gain an understanding of physics from the unimaginably small to the universal scale, gaining transferable skills and a taste of studying physics at university along the way. You will learn to think like a physicist by estimating across scales and building models. You will use quantum physics to learn about stars, and gravity to weigh planets. You will venture towards the black hole at the centre of our galaxy, asking the same questions that genius physicists are still puzzling over about the nature of dark matter. Like real physicists, you will use observatory data and test your evidence against models and working hypotheses. Your work and assessments will always be connected to cutting edge research and real physics problems. Finally, you will explore the range of career possibilities and future degree subjects that studying the physics of the universe can open up for you.

Develop the skills used every day at university on this academic writing course. You will learn how strong academic writing is set up, structured and explained by treating academic writing as a way of thinking. You will start by learning to analyse the questions you are asked, before moving on to examining how arguments link claims, reasons and evidence into a cohesive structure. You will learn how to find, select and evaluate source material using online tools and AI generated text. You will develop your skills in different parts of academic writing including thesis statements and referencing, and across disciplines including humanities essays and scientific reports. The course is hands-on: in every class you will draft, review and edit pieces using structured peer feedback. The course culminates in the production of a short argumentative piece on a topic of your choice, which you will defend in a tutorial-style discussion, setting you up for university style learning.

This course treats public speaking as an intellectual discipline which anyone can learn and deliver, empowering you to excel in university seminars, interviews, debating societies and a vast range of careers. You will begin by evaluating your own speaking skills, an opportunity to look back at the end of the course and see your improvement in real time. Then you will evaluate research on how speakers manage performance anxiety before learning the rules of British Parliamentary debate, a style used all over the world. You will learn how to practice confidence delivery while audience members and opponents challenge you. You will look globally, exploring how speakers from all over the world use different debating traditions and techniques. You will also examine how AI systems are used to construct arguments. In the second week, you will develop your skills further by learning to rebut, weigh competing arguments and judge debates. In each seminar you will speak in pairs, teams and in front of the class, building your confidence towards a final showcase debate, a chance to show off everything you have learned during the course.

Dive into the exciting world of business in this immersive business challenge. Your team will receive a real-world challenge from a fictional business with a problem. It will be your job to provide them with a workable solution. First you will learn how strategy teams and consultants structure a problem and create solutions. You will research published sources in teams, critically evaluating their usefulness, and estimate the size of your market. Then you will generate strategic options to choose the one which is strongest on costs, revenue and risk. You will also consider the changing business approaches being generated by AI and the need for corporate sustainability. Classes are hands-on and practical as you work towards creating and presenting your business plan. You also examine case studies from all over the world, creating a truly international approach to business.

This course gives you the skills and techniques to be a successful leader who knows how to craft teams which work well together. You will draw on learning from psychology, management and organisational behaviour as you ask why some groups perform better than others. You test frameworks for team roles and leadership styles against your own experiences at school and during extracurriculars. You will work in teams to complete timed challenges and crisis simulations and mark hard decisions, learning to negotiate and disagree while maintaining a positive and productive working environment. You will compare methods for making decisions under pressure, a valuable skill which is used across a wide range of careers in law, business, politics and more. You will also explore how AI and remote working are changing teamwork before designing your own team challenge, running it and defending your design to your classmates.

This course retrains your eye to apply artistic skills to the practice of architecture, taking the iconic skyline of Oxford as inspiration. First, you will begin with the observational drawing techniques taught in art and architecture schools before putting these skills into practice on location lessons around the city. You will learn perspective and the vocabulary architects use to describe the drawings they create. You will be able to read a building for its form, structure and context. You will explore how artists throughout history and across the world have painted cities, from Renaissance Italy to ancient China, testing out their techniques for their relevance in the present. You will also examine new ways of making and recording imagery: generative AI, collage, photography and more. The course culminates in your presentation of a drawn study of an Oxford building. Just like architecture courses at university, you will take part in a crit followed by self evaluation. Finally, you will hear about the university and career routes that architecture can take you down.