Foundation Year in Humanities

Read more about how Oxford's teaching year is structured.

The options listed above are illustrative and may change. For a full list of current options, please visit the department website.

Students who successfully complete the course will be awarded a nationally recognised Certificate in Higher Education (CertHE). If you successfully complete the Foundation Year at the required level, you will automatically progress to your chosen undergraduate degree at Oxford, without needing to reapply.

If you are unlikely to pass the course at the required level for Oxford, or you decide that Oxford is not for you, you can apply to other universities using your CertHE qualification. The Astrophoria Foundation Year team will help you with the process of doing this. Oxford’s Astrophoria Foundation Year programme is designed to help you thrive at undergraduate level at whichever university you study.

Undergraduate courses at Oxford are full-time and the University expects students to spend at least 40 hours per week on academic work during term. Significant self-study is expected of all students – read workload and independent study information for further details.

Read more general information about Learning at Oxford.

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out above. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. For further information, please read the University's Terms and Conditions and information about potential course changes.

You are also referred to the Student Handbook (which is updated every September).

Read more about potential course changes.

Wherever possible, your grades are considered in the context in which they have been achieved.

Read more about how we use contextual data.

If a practical component forms part of any of your science A‐levels used to meet your offer, we expect you to pass it.

Admissions for the Astrophoria Foundation Year considers an individual's academic suitability for the programme, alongside the educational disruption they have experienced. The courses aim to provide a year of intensive academic study that will help students transition to their chosen undergraduate course.

The programme is only open to UK state school students who are ordinarily resident in the UK and have Home Fee Status, who also meet the academic requirements and eligibility criteria. The programme is not open to international applicants. 

Evidence of meeting the eligibility criteria is required during the application process and is requested from applicants via the Foundation Year Additional Application Questionnaire (FYAAQ).

Checking your eligibility

Applicants should have Home Fee Status and:

• Meet the criteria outlined in Categories 1, 2 and 3 (i.e. you must meet the criteria in all three categories to be eligible to apply)
• Or meet the criterion of Category 4

Category 1: Socio-Economic indicators

You must meet at least one of the criteria in Category 1:

• Your home postcode (where you live the majority of the time) should fall into IMD quintiles 1 or 2 (deciles 1, 2, 3 or 4)
• Your home postcode (where you live the majority of the time) should fall into ACORN Category 4, 5 or 6
• Being eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) at any point in the last six years (also known as Ever 6 FSM)

Category 2: School/College characteristics

You must meet the criterion in Category 2:

• You will have attended, normally for all compulsory education (usually between the ages of 11-18), non-selective state-funded UK secondary schools/colleges

Category 3: Individual experience

You must meet at least one of the criteria in Category 3.

A verified individual level measure of socio-economic disadvantaged background and/or experienced a disrupted education which may include:

• being eligible for FSM any point in the last six years (also known as Ever 6 FSM)
• having refugee status or humanitarian protection
• having been on a child in need and/or having had a child protection plan
• having care responsibilities for a sustained period of time
• being pregnant or having parental responsibilities whilst in education
• having a medical or health issue that has resulted in long absences from school or college (more than six months)
• being from a Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman or Boater background
• being a child of a military family
• being a service leaver or veteran
• being from a household with an income of less than £25,000
• experiencing bereavement of a close family member during secondary education
• being an estranged student
• becoming homeless whilst in education
• having experienced time out of secondary school or college education (over one year)
• having a late diagnosis of Special Educational Needs (within the past two years).

Category 4: Care experience

• You have spent any length of time in local authority care and have been at UK state schools

State educated applicants with experience of being in care are automatically eligible. You do not need to meet the criteria in categories 1, 2 or 3, but you may wish to provide us with information in those other categories so that we have a comprehensive understanding of your educational experiences.

Further details

Visit the Astrophoria Foundation Year website for more detailed information.

Applying for the Astrophoria Foundation Year is a competitive process. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee that your application will be successful.

Final decisions will use the full range of evidence available, including past and predicted exam results, information from the FYAAQ, the UCAS teacher reference, the personal statement, and interviews (if shortlisted and invited to interview). This means that not all candidates who satisfy the admissions criteria will receive offers.

Applications for 2027-entry courses need to be submitted before the UCAS equal consideration deadline of 6pm (UK time) on 13 January 2027. There is advice on the UCAS website on how to submit an application.

Your UCAS application will include a personal statement. If you are applying to a foundation year course at Oxford as well as other courses at other universities, your personal statement can focus on the subject you are interested in and it does not have to mention your motivations for studying the foundation year specifically. You will get the chance to expand on this in the Foundation Year Additional Application Questionnaire (FYAAQ). 

Read more about the UCAS application. (Please note that some of this guidance refers to the early application deadline in October; however, the deadline to apply for foundation year courses is in January.)

You do not need to take a written test as part of an application for this course.  

All shortlisted applicants will be invited to online interviews in March.

Read more about Astrophoria interviews.

The Astrophoria Foundation Year programme does not admit students for deferred entry. All applications received will be considered for admission at the next point of entry.

Oxford does sometimes accept applications to Foundation Year courses from students who are currently studying at another university. However, please bear in mind that this is a foundation year course pitched at a level of pre-university study. Your full academic record would be taken into account in your application, including your A-levels (or other equivalent qualifications) and study at university level, so we would need evidence of your performance on your university course.

If you do decide to apply whilst enrolled at another university, and do not have A-level (or equivalent qualifications) at the grades required for the standard offer for the course you are interested in applying for, you will need to demonstrate how your subsequent study has prepared you for Oxford. This should include evidence of your performance on your current course, as well as a reference from your current tutor or equivalent.

You must declare on your UCAS form if you are currently studying at another university. Failure to do so could result in Oxford withdrawing any offer made to you.

Please also be aware that not only will you incur a year of additional costs but your eligibility for government support or loans may be affected by any previous university study, whether or not you have completed your course.

If your first language is English and you have always been a resident and citizen of a majority English-speaking country recognised by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), you do not need to demonstrate your level of English.

If English is not your first language you may need to meet our English language requirements. Oxford’s undergraduate courses are demanding, and you will need to demonstrate that you have a high level of proficiency in English to take up a place.

Where applicable, you must achieve all required test component scores (Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking) in a single test session; we do not accept scores from multiple sittings ('superscoring'). You can view a list of accepted and non-accepted qualifications certificates. All courses now require the higher level of ability in English.

You do not need to provide evidence of English Language proficiency when you apply through UCAS.

If you are offered a place, you must meet the required level of proficiency by 31 July in the year you receive this, even if your course doesn't begin until the following October.  

Read more about English language requirements.

You do not need GCSEs or IGCSEs to apply to Oxford. However, where students have taken them, as evidence of prior academic attainment, they can form an important part in the assessment of an application. All GCSE (or IGCSE) results should be listed on your UCAS application. Higher GCSE grades may make an application more competitive, but they are only one aspect we consider. They will be looked at alongside all other elements of your application and, where possible, considered in context to help us better understand your achievements within your individual circumstances.

We recognise that many students - particularly those educated outside the UK - will not have taken GCSEs. If you have completed equivalent qualifications, you should include details of these in your application. If no such qualifications exist in your country, your application will be assessed in line with the selection criteria for your course. It is helpful for us to have some indication of your academic progress, so your teacher may instead comment on the results of any internal school assessments. We also provide comprehensive guidance for teachers on writing UCAS academic references.

Oxford’s admissions requirements are based on A-levels or equivalent qualifications, which are a stage above GCSEs. All applicants must be taking A-levels or another accepted equivalent qualification; please see our international qualifications page for further details.

Read more about Oxford's use of contextual data.

We offer step-by-step guidance on each stage of our admissions process for both applicants and their supporters.

• Sign up to our Choosing Oxford applicant newsletter
• Read our Guide for applicants

This includes bespoke guidance for:

• Disabled students
• Mature students
• Care-experienced students

If you are supporting an applicant, either as a teacher or a family member, we have specific guidance for you too:

• Information for families
• Information for teachers

We also recommend exploring outreach programmes, events and resources offered by the University, individual subject departments and our colleges.

• Outreach programmes and events
• Read Access Oxford below

The University of Oxford is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. Our undergraduate applicant privacy policy describes how we collect and use your personal data during the admissions process in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and related UK data protection legislation. It should be read in conjunction with the privacy policy of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

Read our undergraduate applicant privacy policy.

Read UCAS' privacy policy.

If you are successful in your application, you will receive a formal offer of a place at the University. Your offer is likely to be contingent on you meeting certain conditions. Once you have accepted our offer you will enter into a formal contract with the University. After completing the enrolment process you will attend an event during your first term to formally admit you to the University (the Matriculation Ceremony) and then become a Matriculated Student of the University. 

Everyone applying through UCAS to study as an undergraduate needs to read: 

1. the University Terms and Conditions for Matriculated Students
2. the University Student Handbook
3. the appropriate Course Information Sheet for your course and year of entry (available from when offers are made in January).

You will also have a separate contract with the Oxford college admitting you. 

Read more about your contract with Oxford University.

Our Foundation Year courses are free of charge and there are no course fees. All tuition and accommodation costs are covered by the University of Oxford. Students admitted to the Foundation Year courses will also receive a bursary for other living costs.

Due to this financial support, we would typically encourage you not to take out student finance for the Foundation Year (however you will need to apply during your Foundation Year for student finance if you continue to study at Oxford by progressing to a degree course).

Some students may be encouraged to apply for a student loan of £0 during their Foundation Year to enable them to receive additional financial support in the form of a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) (which also means they do not need to reapply in year 1). Applicants who may be in receipt of a DSA and secure a place on the programme will be contacted by the Foundation Year Team to discuss this.

If you continue to study at Oxford by progressing to a degree course, you will need to pay the course fees and cover your living costs (in most cases this is paid by taking out student loans).

Read more about undergraduate fees and funding.

College tutorials are central to teaching at Oxford, offering a level of personalised attention from academic experts that is rare at most universities. They usually take place in your college and are led by tutors who combine teaching with their own research. Alongside tutorials, students also learn through lectures and classes, and depending on the course, may take part in laboratory work and fieldwork.

Tutorials typically last around an hour and involve in-depth discussion of a topic, with detailed feedback on your prepared work. You’ll usually have your tutorial with one or two other students studying the same course and material. This regular, rigorous academic discussion supports learning in a way that lectures alone cannot, while also allowing tutors to closely monitor your progress and provide additional support where needed.

All students are expected to undertake significant independent study (see Independent self-study above). Foundation Year courses at Oxford are full-time during term, with students typically spending at least 40 hours per week on academic work.

Read more about tutorials and an Oxford education.

Read more about our libraries and other learning resources.

As an Astrophoria Foundation Year student at Oxford, you will be a member of one of the University’s undergraduate colleges. Our colleges are one of the things that makes Oxford such a special place to live and study as you have the benefits of being part of a large university in a buzzing and student-focused city but also a small and supportive academic community to call home.

Each college has a unique character, but generally their facilities are similar. Each one will have the following essential facilities: student accommodation, porters’ lodge, dining hall, lending library, teaching rooms, laundry, green spaces and a common room. 

You cannot express a preference for a college on your UCAS form when you apply to any of the Foundation Year courses. Foundation Year applicants who are made offers will be allocated a place at one of our participating colleges.

Participating colleges for 2026-entry students are: Harris Manchester, Jesus, Keble, Lady Margaret Hall, Regent's Park, Somerville, St Anne’s, St Edmund Hall, Trinity and Wadham. 

Participating colleges for 2027-entry students will be confirmed in 2027. 

Accommodation

All Foundation Year students are offered college accommodation, either on the main college site or in an annexe, so you’ll be living alongside other students who are new to Oxford. This accommodation is guaranteed, so there’s no need to worry about arranging somewhere to live before you arrive. All colleges offer at least one further year of accommodation, and some provide it for the full duration of your degree.

Our students come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences - something we value and celebrate. We recognise that everyone arrives in Oxford from a different starting point and our wellbeing and community support is here to help you feel healthy, connected and valued throughout your time here.

We offer a range of services to support your wellbeing, help you settle in, boost your study skills, manage your finances and feel part of our welcoming community. It’s important to know who to turn to if times get tough and there are many people on hand to support you, both within your college and across the wider University. Life at Oxford extends way beyond your studies and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved through clubs, societies and shared interests, helping you feel at home and part of a vibrant, supportive community.

Read more about wellbeing and community at Oxford.

Discover life beyond your studies and the wide range of opportunities to pursue your interests.

As well as developing your enjoyment of a subject, supercurricular study helps you demonstrate the intellectual curiosity, independent thinking and academic engagement tutors look for when assessing your suitability to study at Oxford — especially for our tutorial-style teaching.

What is supercurricular study?

A supercurricular activity can be anything you do to engage with the ideas and information that interest you. You can think of it in three parts:

1. Explore - read, watch, listen to or try to find out things related to your subject other than what you are being taught in class.
2. Engage - question everything you encounter. Do you agree? Does it fit with what you have learnt previously? Has it changed your mind? How does it link to other ideas?
3. Reflect - tutors want you to be able to explain what you learned and why it interested you. Being able to talk in depth about one subject resource is more impressive than reeling off a list of books you have read. 

Some examples include:

• Reading books or articles related to your subject, for example, via subject-specific reading lists on department or college websites or academic blogs or journals written for general audiences
• Watching documentaries and videos related to your subject
• Attending public lectures or online talks
• Listening to academic and general podcasts
• Entering essay competitions or seek out free short online courses on topics which interest you
• Carrying out small independent projects on something which interests you
• Attending Oxford's University, department or college outreach events. These may offer support with your application but many also include a learning component which you may find inspiring and helps with your supercurricular study. Access Oxford below has more information on these opportunities. 

Explore our new supercurricular hub.

Explore the suggested subject-specific resources on Oxford's University, department and college websites.

• Look for pre-reading lists and other useful study resources on department websites
• Check out our Supercurricular hub
• Watch our Oxford Impacts research video series
• Discover Oxplore, our online learning platform for 11-18 year olds

Many academic departments and faculties at Oxford run dedicated outreach events and activities, both in-person and online, that promote their subject areas and support talented, motivated students from all backgrounds who are considering applying to their courses.

These sessions typically provide guidance on making a competitive application and offer insights into Oxford student life. They may also include academic enrichment elements designed to inspire you and support your supercurricular study.

In addition to exploring department-run activities, we recommend checking out the outreach event calendar for upcoming University-wide events and other subject and college activities. 

UK state school students interested in this or similar courses may like to explore UNIQ, Oxford's free flagship outreach programme for students in their first year of further education. UNIQ offers a choice of academic residentials in over 30 courses and each year provides over 1,000 students with the opportunity to experience Oxford's teaching, explore student life and receive expert support with their application to university.

All potential applicants and their supporters are encouraged to visit Oxford during our University-wide Open Days. They’re one of the best ways to start exploring life at Oxford, and by the end of the day you’ll have a clearer sense of whether Oxford is right for you. 

Read more about Oxford's widening access initiatives and other ways to connect with us before applying. 

To stay up to date with all the latest outreach and admissions content, make sure you follow us on Instagram and YouTube.