1. Make sure you have completed your University card form, after which you will be sent your University of Oxford Single Sign-On (SSO) account details, giving you access to central IT services. You can set up IT access here.
2. Complete the first step of your University registration by verifying your details online using Student Self Service. You should do this before you arrive in Oxford.
3. Find out about medical treatment in the UK, and whether any vaccinations are recommended here.
4. Discuss your needs with the University's Disability Advisory Service - more information here.

 
Your Induction Week begins on Monday 6th October 2025. Throughout the week, you will attend a number of compulsory information and training sessions which you must attend in person. Don't worry, we provide plenty of tea and biscuits! An optional Drinks Reception to get to know the faculty as well as other students will take place on Tuesday 7th October.

A provisional timetable, which may be subject to change, can be found below. You will receive further information and a finalised timetable via email in the coming weeks.

Provisional Timetable

 
Please arrive in Oxford by Sunday 5 October.

Oxford is approximately 60 miles northwest of London with excellent road and national rail links, including direct coach services from several international airports. You can find further information about getting to Oxford here.

The Department of Sociology is located at 42-43 Park End Street, Oxford, OX1 1JD. We are very centrally located - just a four minute walk from Gloucester Green Bus & Coach Station, and six minutes from Oxford Railway Station.

All students are welcome to use the Department building and will have access via their University Card.

The Department offers a large space for student working, along with printer/copier facilities. There are two meeting rooms which can be booked for group working and two soundproof booths which can be used for video calls. The Department also has a kitchen and outside seating area next to the river.

Your College will also provide plenty of spaces to work, or you can go to one of Oxford's 27 libraries, including the Bodleian Old Library – one of the oldest libraries in Europe – and the iconic Radcliffe Camera (Rad Cam).

You may also find the Social Science Library (SSL) particularly useful. Located on Manor Road, this is a lending and reference library supporting staff and students in the Social Sciences Division. The SSL is open 9am – 7pm on weekdays and offers 400 study spaces. 

During your Induction Week, you will attend a Library Induction session which will explain how the Oxford libraries work, and how to use SOLO, the search and discovery tool for the libraries' major collections.

Information about accessibility to the libraries and support for disabled visitors can be found here. 

 
We take the welfare of our students seriously. If you have academic, administrative, or personal concerns, there are many people you can contact, including your supervisor, the Graduate Studies Officer, or the Director of Graduate Studies.

On a College level, students can contact their Senior Tutor or Tutor for Graduates. Every College has their own systems of support for students; please refer to your College handbook or website for more information on who to contact and what support is available.

On a more personal level, the University Counselling Service at 11 Wellington Square (which acts in a strictly confidential way) is experienced not only in general psychological problems but also in the special problems and blocks associated with academic work.

Nightline is a confidential listening and information service run for students by students and is open from 8pm until 8am from 0th to 9th week each term. Students can phone 01865 270 270, Skype call oxfordnightline, or chat via IM.

The Disability Advisory Service

The University Disability Advisory Service (DAS) provides information and advice on disability issues and facilitates support for those with, for example, sensory or mobility impairments, long-term health conditions, specific learning difficulties (SpLDs), autistic spectrum conditions, or mental health difficulties.

You are encouraged to tell the University as early as possible, ideally before starting your course, if you have a disability, specific learning difficulty or long-term health condition. This is so that you can benefit more quickly from the full range of support available. However, you can contact us at any point during your studies. A disclosure will not affect academic review of your work. Learn more about disclosing a disability here.

If you would like to make an appointment with DAS to discuss your support or access requirements while studying at Oxford, you can:

• Call on 01865 280459
• Email at disability@admin.ox.ac.uk 
• Visit at 3 Worcester Street, OX1 2BX

  
The Graduate Studies Committee

The Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) is responsible for the Department's degree programmes. It is chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS), Professor Ridhi Kashyap. The DGS focuses on the doctoral programme, while the Taught Course Director (TCD), Professor Michael Biggs, is primarily responsible for overseeing the MSc and MPhil programmes.

The Graduate Joint Consultative Committee

The Graduate Joint Consultative Committee (GJCC) provides a forum for graduate students to put forward suggestions, comments and grievances about the courses and facilities provided by the Department. It will usually meet every term.

Membership includes student representatives (two for MSc, and one each for MPhil, DPhil and Probationer Research Student), the Head of Department, the DGS, the TCD, the Graduate Studies Officer and other administrative staff.

All students are encouraged to put forward items for discussion through their representatives. If there is a question or issue that you want to raise at a senior level in person, please email the DGS or the TCD. 

More information about the GJCC will be issued at the beginning of term.

 
Oxford's year is divided into three terms (Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity) and three vacations (Christmas, Easter and Long Vac). Within each term, a 'Full Term' of eight weeks is the main teaching period.

Please note, you are expected to arrive in Oxford one week before the official start of term, as many Department and College events are held in 0th Week.

The following term dates have been fixed:
 

 
Provisional dates for 2026-32 can be found here.

Battels – The charges made to a member of a College for accommodation, meals, etc.

Bodleian Libraries – The collective name for the University's integrated library service

Chancellor – Elected by Convocation, the Chancellor is the ceremonial head of the University

Class – (abbrev. Classification) the level of award of a degree (e.g. 2:1 or Upper Second)

Collections – College exams taken at the start of each term on the material covered in the previous term

Collegiate University – The University of Oxford, comprising the academic divisions and departments; Gardens, Libraries and Museums (GLAM); and University Administration and Services (UAS), together with the Oxford colleges and permanent private halls

Congregation – The legislative body of the University with over 5,000 members, comprising the academic staff of the University; heads and other members of governing bodies of colleges; and senior research, computing, library and administrative staff

Council – The University's principal executive and policy-making body, responsible for the advancement of the University's objectives, for its administration, and for the management of its finances and property

CUREC and DREC – University and Department Research Ethics Committees respectively, these terms are also used to refer to the ethics assessment forms

Degree Days – Various days throughout the year on which students may graduate

DGS – Director of Graduate Studies

Division – There are four academic divisions: Humanities; Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences; Medical Sciences; and Social Sciences

Don – A professor, a lecturer or a Fellow

DPhil – Doctor of Philosophy; the PhD is known as the DPhil in Oxford

DTP – Doctoral Training Partnership: Oxford is part of the Grand Union DTP with Brunel and the Open University. It is funded by the ESRC and it is the means by which several of our doctoral students receive financial support. It is also facilities various training activities open to all Oxford students

EdC – Education Committee; one of the five main committees of Council, it defines and keeps under review the educational philosophy, policy, and standards of the collegiate University

Emeritus – A title held by retired professors and readers of the University

ESRC – Economic and Social Research Council, one of the UK's seven Research Councils

Fresher – A new student

Full Term – The main teaching period at Oxford. It lasts for eight weeks and runs from Sunday of 1st Week to Saturday of 8th Week

GAO – Graduate Admissions Office, part of the central University

Gazette – The official journal of the University, published weekly in term-time, in which information on the University's formal business and other key information must be published

GJCC – Graduate Joint Consultative Committee

Graduate – Someone who already holds a university degree; used interchangeably with postgraduate

GSC – Graduate Studies Committee

GSO – Graduate Studies Office, part of the central University

GSR – Graduate Supervision Reporting

Hilary Term – The second of the academic year's three terms, running from January to mid-March

Long Vac – Long vacation – the name widely used for the period between the end of the Trinity Term and the beginning of the Michaelmas Term each year

Matriculation – Matriculation confers membership of the University on those students who are enrolled at the University of Oxford and following a degree-level course

Michaelmas Term – The first term of the academic year which begins in October and ends in December

NCRM – the National Centre for Research Methods maintains a UK research training courses database and offers bursaries

Oxford SU – Oxford University Student Union

PGR – Research graduate student

PGT – Taught graduate student

Principal Investigator (PI) – Senior departmental staff who lead research programmes and manage those research staff involved

Proctors – The two Proctors (Senior and Junior) have responsibilities under the statutes and regulations for aspects of student discipline, for ensuring the proper conduct of examinations and for dealing with complaints

PRS – Probationer Research Student; students working towards a DPhil must apply in the first instance for admission as a Probationer Research Student

REF – Research Excellence Framework; a series of exercises conducted nationally to assess the quality of UK research and to inform the selective distribution of public funds for research by the UK higher education funding bodies

SOLO – Oxford's online library catalogue

SSD – Social Sciences Division

Subfusc – Formal attire worn by students and academics on formal occasions, including matriculation, examinations and graduation

TCD – Taught Courses Director

Trinity Term – The third term of the academic year, usually running from late April to late June

Vice-Chancellor – The senior officer of the University; the current VC is Professor Irene Tracey

Viva – oral exam

A full glossary of all puzzling Oxford terms can be found here.