Decision timeline
Completing your application
Once you have submitted your application and it has been processed by the Graduate Admissions Office, you will be able to log in to access Graduate Applicant Self Service.
You can use self-service to edit and replace your referees, track your application status, view your application and upload any missing documents.
Look out for our automated emails to let you know when each reference is submitted. Check self-service regularly and stay in contact with your referees to make sure all documents have been sent in by the deadline.
Once we have everything we need for your application to be ready for assessment, we will let you know by email and in your self-service.
Academic assessment
Depending on your course, you may be interviewed (usually via video call or in-person).
Check whether applicants to your course are usually interviewed in the entry requirements on your course page, under ‘Performance at interview’.
You will usually receive the outcome of your application from your academic department about 8 to 10 weeks after the application deadline.
If you are successful, you will receive an email to notify you of this and the department’s certificate of offer will be available to you to download via self-service. It will set out the steps you need to take to become a student at the University. It will give details of any conditions on your offer and how to respond to your offer, including any deposit required to secure your place.
For a list of courses that require a deposit, see our Deposits webpage.
Funding and scholarships
Scholarships are usually awarded between late February and June. If you are awarded a scholarship, you may be notified at the same time as your department (or college) offer or later on, depending on the source of the funding.
College placement
If you are accepted to a course that has college membership, you are guaranteed a college place and will automatically be considered by our colleges.
To check if you can expect a college offer, see the college information on your course page.
After you have got an offer from your academic department, it will usually take 8 to 10 weeks to find out which college will offer you a place, though it can sometimes take longer.
If you chose a college when you applied and that college did not offer you a place, you will usually find out 4 to 6 weeks after the department makes you an offer.
- Once you have a college place, your college will ask you to complete a Financial Declaration to confirm that you have enough funding to undertake your course.
Finalising your offer
Once you have met all the conditions of your offer, you will be sent a final Completion of Conditions letter with a form to return that confirms that you intend to enrol at Oxford.
If you need a student visa for your course, the process can start after you have received your Completion of Conditions.
Arriving in Oxford
For more information on the University contract and what you should do before you arrive, see the University's webpages for new students.
We understand that waiting for the outcome of your application can be a tense and difficult time. Below are answers to some of our most common questions, which you might find helpful while you wait for the outcome of your application.
How do I know if my graduate application has been received?
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an email confirming that your application has been successfully submitted. This email will only acknowledge receipt of your application: it does not confirm that your application arrived in time for a particular deadline, nor that you have submitted all of the required documents for your application for it to be assessed by the department.
It is your responsibility to ensure that you submit your application and all of the required supporting documents, and make sure that your referees have submitted their references, by the relevant deadline.
After you have submitted your application, you will have access to the Graduate Applicant Self Service portal, where you can check whether your application has fulfilled all of the requirements for it to be assessed, including the status of your references.
What happens to my graduate application once it has been submitted?
After submitting your application, you will receive a confirmation email. Your application will be processed by the Graduate Admissions Office. Processing is usually completed within a few working days but it may take longer around the application deadlines.
Within a few days of submitting your application, you can access the Graduate Applicant Self Service portal and check whether your application has fulfilled all of the requirements for it to be assessed (including the status of your references).
If your application includes all of the required documents in the correct format, the department will assess it and communicate the outcome to you directly within 8-10 weeks of the relevant deadline under which you applied. If you have not heard back from the department 10 weeks after the relevant deadline, please contact them directly using the contact details on the course page.
How can I check if my graduate application is ready for assessment?
You can check whether your application is complete and ready for assessment using the Graduate Applicant Self Service portal. This platform becomes available within a few days of your application being submitted.
If you submit your application at least one week before the deadline, we will try to let you know whether your application is ready for assessment within one week of you submitting the application.
It is your responsibility to ensure that all necessary documents, including references in support of your application, are received by the deadline, which falls at 12:00 noon (ie midday) UK time.
If you submit your application in the week leading up to the deadline, it is very unlikely that we will be able to check your application and inform you whether your application is ready for assessment, or to assist you with any queries. During the week leading up to the deadline and the two weeks following the deadline, we will be unable to let you know if we have received your references or documents sent by post and email, as this is not clear to us until we have finished processing the high volume of applications and documents we receive. Once we have processed all the applications and documents, we will let you know the status of your application.
You can find further information about how your application is assessed in 'After you apply'.
How can I check the status or progress of my graduate application?
After you have submitted your application, you will have access to the Graduate Applicant Self Service portal, where you can check whether your application has fulfilled all of the requirements for it to be assessed, including the status of your references.
When the academic department has made a decision, you will receive the outcome by email and the outcome will also be available in Self-Service.
We understand that you want to know information on the progress on your application as early as possible, and the University will keep you updated by email throughout the admissions process.
When will I hear the outcome of my graduate application?
If you submitted your application correctly (including all required supporting documents and at least two references), a decision will be sent to you via email and your Self-Service portal 8-10 weeks after the application deadline.
If you have not heard back from the department 10 weeks after the relevant deadline, please contact them directly using the contact details on the course page.
Decisions are made and communicated by the academic department. Graduate Admissions will not be able to tell you the outcome of your application.
If you receive an offer of a place, the Self-Service portal is not used to communicate college or funding decisions - these will be sent via email only.
Decision timescales
Please note that all timescales are indicative. Notifications may take longer or you may hear before the usual timeline.
You can find answers to some of the most common questions about the process in our article 'What to expect when you're expecting a decision' on our Medium blog.
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