Blackfriars College building behind a tree
Entrance to Blackfriars
(Image Credit: Fr Lawrence Lew OP)

Blackfriars

About the college

Blackfriars Hall has been a centre of scholarly excellence for over 800 years, and is heir to one of Oxford's oldest academic traditions. The first Dominicans arrived in Oxford in 1221, shortly after the foundation of the Order, at the direct instructions of St Dominic. 

Suppressed at the Reformation, Blackfriars was re-founded in 1921, and became a Permanent Private Hall in 1994. It comes under the umbrella of the Order of Preachers, also known as the Dominicans, a Roman Catholic religious order.  Blackfriars welcomes students of all faiths or none, and flourishes as a space for intellectual and social debate and discussion.

Located in the heart of the city, Blackfriars is a small and welcoming academic community for graduate students. We accept graduate students in all Humanities subjects and in many Social Science subjects, and are particularly keen to attract students whose work engages in any aspect of our two research centres, the Aquinas Institute and the Las Casas Institute for Social Justice. Blackfriars' graduate intake is among the smallest in the University, offering students a close and supportive engagement with the Fellows, tutors and staff.

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