St Edmund Hall
About the college
St Edmund Hall is one of the oldest undergraduate teaching institutions in the world, and nowadays also plays host to a vibrant and friendly community of around 300 graduate students.
With a friendly and welcoming atmosphere, and a strong sense of identity, the college strives to ensure all its students have access to the facilities needed to support them in both their academic and extra-curricular activities.
Graduate students form a lively and diverse Middle Common Room (MCR), characterised by a shared intellectual curiosity and academic ambition. They are an integral part of life at the college, participating in academic, social, cultural and sporting events. Interactions between graduates and fellows are facilitated through informal academic events at the Norham Gardens site and events such as the college’s biennial Research Expo.
Postgraduate College Grants (up to £250 per year (PGT), £1,000 across the duration of DPhil studies, and £500 across the duration of MSc(Res) or MPhil studies) are available to cover academic-related expenses and the college also offers a wide range of prizes, including travel awards and a Masterclass Fund to which students can apply for up to £1000 per year to support advanced coaching in an extra-curricular activity. Several graduate scholarships are also available to apply for at the point of admission, with the deadline in January.
St Edmund Hall is able to consider applications in most fields and each graduate is allocated a College Adviser who is available for consultation on matters of academic course progression and personal matters. Various events are held to welcome graduate students and provide opportunities for academic and social interaction throughout the academic year.
College tour
College facilities
Library and IT services
The library of St Edmund Hall is located on our main site within the Norman Church of St Peter-in-the-East, making it a beautiful setting for study. This library is well-stocked and additional special collections are held in the separate 17th-century ‘Old Library’, also on the main site of the college.
All college sites, including public areas, libraries, common rooms and study bedroom accommodation, have wireless internet provision.
The college has dedicated computer rooms, with printing facilities, located on the main site and at the Norham Gardens accommodation.
Sport, music and college facilities
The college has a long tradition in drama, music, the arts and journalism. A strong and inclusive artistic community is built around the John Oldham Drama Society, vibrant and expanding musical activities led by the college's Director of Music, including the Chapel Choir, and creative writing workshops during term time. There are many opportunities to get involved in a huge variety of activities, ranging from regular quiz nights in the college bar to public speaking workshops. Involvement in outreach and public engagement work is also strongly supported.
St Edmund Hall students participate in many sports with clubs that cater for all abilities. Sports societies within the college include rugby, rowing, badminton, hockey and football. There is a small multi-gym at the Norham Gardens centre; the college also has pitches within the University Parks, a boathouse on the River Isis and a punt for graduate students to use.
There is a cosy college bar located on the front quad which opens most evenings during term time.
Facilities for disabled students
Although many of the college's buildings are old, most main areas of the college are accessible. Ongoing projects continue to improve physical access. Specific adjustments can be made on the basis of individual students’ needs. You are encouraged to contact the college early on to discuss your requirements.
Welfare
Teddy Hall is dedicated to helping your mental and physical health as well as your academic studies. There are two permanent Welfare Officers (one of whom is also the College Nurse), as well as the full Decanal Team (Dean, Junior Dean and College Deans).
The MCR Welfare Reps organise termly activities to support student welfare and to help students get to know each other and join societies.
The College has a dedicated Welfare Room on the Front Quad for students to relax and unwind to take a break from the business of Hall life. You will also find Monty the Tortoise who is the welfare tortoise to keep you company!
MCR
Graduates have their own popular common room, the Middle Common Room (MCR), on the front quadrangle of the main site. There is a range of newspapers and magazines in the MCR and tea and coffee are available throughout the day.
The active graduate student committee organises a wide range of social and academic activities – such as wine tasting, cake mornings, exchange dinners with other colleges, film screenings and interdisciplinary seminars – as well as offering welfare support. It also gives members the opportunity to share their research through an online research journal, Ex Aula.
Accommodation and meals
Accommodation
St Edmund Hall aims to accommodate most first-year graduates. The main accommodation site is the attractive St Edmund Hall Graduate Centre in Norham Gardens, close to the University Parks and many University departments. This is a prime location within Oxford and only a short walk from the main college site and many of the University libraries.
For the 2025/26 academic year graduate accommodation will be spread over various locations: the rooms offered by the University Graduate Accommodation Office are located at two sites in Oxford: single en-suite rooms with shared kitchen facilities at Castle Mill and single rooms with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities at 32a Jack Straw’s lane.
Much of the college's graduate accommodation comprises fully-furnished single rooms many of which are en-suite. There is also one large shared house on Essex Street. Additionally, there are a small number of recently refurbished, self-contained flats for couples, and one family property available on Circus Street.
Meals
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the main dining hall, prepared by the College’s award-winning chef. In addition there are excellent self-catering kitchen facilities on the Norham Gardens site. At St Edmund Hall, graduates may also dine with fellows at High Table at Formal Hall each week.
Courses
This college accepts graduate students for the following courses:
Please note that not all subjects areas or streams of a particular course may be offered by this college. Please see the college information on the relevant course page for further details. For a comprehensive list of all graduate courses available at the University of Oxford, please refer to our courses A-Z listing.
Location
Key facts
St Edmund Hall,
Oxford OX1 4AR
www.seh.ox.ac.uk
Founded
c. 1278
| Students (total*) in 2023-24 | Full-time places in 2025-26 | Part-time places in 2025-26 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taught graduates | 65 | c. 56 | c. 2 |
| Research graduates | 240 | c. 53 | c. 2 |
| Undergrad. | 395 | N/A | N/A |
*Total across all year groups (see source data)