Biology Program - Oxford University

Immerse yourself in a diverse community of international students by joining the summer school. Attend practical lessons, embark on fantastic field trips, and enjoy a busy academic and social calendar. Explore local attractions such as museums on guided tours and the iconic Radcliffe Camera, unwind with tranquil afternoons punting on the River Cherwell, and engage in student traditions such as debating.

When you apply to study at our Summer Camp you can choose to stay in either a standard room (with a shared bathroom) or an en-suite room (with a private bathroom), subject to availability. Our team will allocate you to a specific Oxford college for your stay. All our accommodations are conveniently located within easy reach of Oxford's historic landmarks, tourist attractions, and shopping facilities.

Meals

You will have your meals at your allocated Oxford College. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to dine at local Oxford restaurants. On Fridays, dress up and enjoy a three-course formal dinner at your Oxford college with fellow students to celebrate your achievements. This unforgettable experience will undoubtedly be a memorable highlight of your time at Oxford.

Pocket Money

For 16-17 year olds, we recommend £250.

Immerse yourself in a diverse community of international students by joining the Oxford summer school. Attend practical lessons, embark on fantastic field trips, and enjoy a busy academic and social calendar. Explore local attractions such as museums on guided tours and the iconic Radcliffe Camera, unwind with tranquil afternoons punting on the River Cherwell, and engage in student traditions such as debating.

We offer a complimentary airport transfer service from Heathrow Airport, all terminals, for all flights arriving between 08:00 - 15:00.

Unaccompanied Minors service

All of our staff waiting at Heathrow Airport will carry proof of identity and an official letter from the school confirming their role in the collection of students arriving into the UK. We will have a full manifest of all students we are to meet at the airport, and which of these are in the care of an airline. This is information which parents/guardians will provide to us in the weeks leading up to the course, when they make their request for our airport transfer service. If your airline requires a specifically named individual when you book their Unaccompanied Minors service, please contact us. This service costs £145 each way

Outline

From evolution to extinction, we’ll explore specific biological phenomena for a full-on, fun learning experience. You could learn about populations and predators, parasites and protection or investigate phenotypes and physiology. Discover how different organisms survive on Earth. Then look at their impact and the bigger picture. It’s an eye-opening course of living creatures and life itself. It’s an eye-opening course of zoology, plants and biodiversity.

Teaching methodology

Learn the Oxford way with tutorial-style teaching. Your expert tutor will foster self-directed learning and critical thinking through interactive seminars in small groups (no bigger than 8). During your course, you will complete two pieces of independent work (essays or problem sheets), which your tutor will then evaluate in either a 1:1 or 2:1 tutorial. Tutorials will provide you with the opportunity to discuss your work and feedback with your tutor and learn new perspectives from your classmates. On completion of the course, you'll receive a certificate and letter of recommendation from your tutor.

Introduction

After completing this course, students will be able to explore the nature and origin of life; conceptualise the similarities and differences among different groups of living things; investigate the characteristics of living things and the interactions of different species among themselves, other species and the environment; and evaluate the effects of human activities on biodiversity and the ecosystem.

Topics

● Introduction to living organisms ● Building blocks of life ● Cell structure and function ● Genetics ● Origin of life ● Ecology and environmental biology ● Introduction to natural selection and organic evolution ● Biodiversity and Prospects of biotechnology

Teaching format

All 16-17 courses are taught using seminars and tutorials (mirroring the teaching methods used by the University of Oxford) and over 2 weeks you receive 20 hrs of tuition (18 hrs seminars, 2hrs tutorials) in addition to you needing to complete at least 15 hrs of independent research preparing your tutorial assignments. The more you participate and work in your own time, the more you will get out of seminars and tutorials.

What to expect

The key to getting the most out of this course is to review the required reading before stepping into the class, having familiarised yourself with the terminology and basic concepts. It will be possible to spend more or less time on each topic depending on how interesting the class finds it and prior knowledge.

Example Seminar (Week One - Monday)

*Create lesson plans for seminars (week one and two) and have tutorial questions. Each lesson is 3 hours long with a 10-15 minute break in the middle.

Work to complete in advance

Read Chapter 52: Ecology, Campbell, Urry LA, Cain ML, Wasserman SA, Minorsky PV, Jackson RB. Biology. Benjamin Cummings (10th Edition 2010 or a later edition). Prepare for a debate on human impact on the ecosystem Optional extension: Read Chapter 22 and 26, Biology (11th ed.) by P. H. Raven, G. B. Johnson, J. B. Losos, K. A. Mason and S. R. Singer. William C. Brown Publishers, 2011.

During the seminar (Detailed teaching methods and timings)

Origin of life and evolution

● Formation of earth ● Origin of heterotrophs and autotrophs ● Rise of eukaryotes ● Origin of multicellularity ● Natural selection ● Variation and speciation Ecology and Environmental Biology ● Principles of general ecology ● Elements of organismal, population, community and ecosystem ecology ● Human impact on the environment

Example Tutorial Work

Essay question: “In recent years beavers have been controversially reintroduced to Scotland. Discuss potential positive and negative effects on the local ecology, with reference to human impacts on the environment.”