Frequently asked questions

  • Course information

    When does the Spring School 2024 run?

    • Monday 8 to Friday 12 April 2024.
    • Please note that the clocks will go forward and daylight saving time - or British Summer Time (BST) - in the United Kingdom will begin at 1am on Sunday 31 March.
    • Registration and welcome: for those participating in-person, Oxford Spring School will start at 10:00am BST on Monday, 8 April.
    • Morning sessions (optional): will run from 10.30 am - 12.00 pm BST on Monday-Friday and are open to in-person and online participants.
    • Afternoon course classes: Each of the main seven courses will run from 2pm - 5pm BST every day, for both the in-person and online participants.
    • Welcome receptions: there will be separate welcome receptions for both the in-person and online groups to get to know one another.
    • College drinks reception (in person attendees only): this will take place on a date to be confirmed.

    Course information

    In 2024 the Oxford Spring School will be available both in-person and online again, and we are excited to be offering two new core courses – and a full morning programme of additional research methodology classes.  

    We will also be offering networking and learning opportunities throughout the week-long programme to both in-person and online participants.  

    Find out more details about the courses on our course options page. 

    In-person

    • All in-person teaching sessions will take place at the Department of Politics and International Relations, Manor Road Building, Manor Road, Oxford, OX1 3UQ. View details of how to locate the Department
    • Morning sessions will be offered to all Oxford Spring School 2024 participants, giving everyone the opportunity to network and learn new research methods together. 
    • Afternoon courses will be taught in smaller groups 2-5pm BST. 
    • We will host a welcome reception, time and date to be confirmed, 
    • The in-person course fee includes access to all of the above plus tea and coffee breaks and lunch on the first day.

    Online participants

    How will the online sessions run?  

    • All morning and afternoon sessions will be streamed on Zoom, giving live access to in-person teaching and the Monday morning welcome session.
    • We are unable to record any sessions – online students need to ensure that they are ready to join the teaching sessions at the correct time in their local time zone to make the BST timetable. Please note that the clocks will go forward and daylight-saving time - or British Summer Time (BST) - in the United Kingdom will begin at 1am on Sunday 31 March.
    • In addition to live streaming, there will be bespoke support for online learning available during all afternoon course sessions (2 - 5pm BST) - each afternoon class will have a dedicated online teaching assistant to make sure that online students’ questions are responded to. 
    • We will also run separate networking sessions for online participants, providing opportunities to meet online participants from other courses as well as those on your core course.  

    What will I need to access the course?

    • A good, reliable internet connection from wherever you are joining the Oxford Spring School 
    • The ability to access Zoom to attend your course and access your course materials 
    • A camera and microphone/speaker either built into your laptop, headphones or similar 
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  • Accommodation
    • We are delighted to be able to provide access to accommodation at Brasenose College. Founded in 1509 and located in the centre of Oxford, students will be based only a 13-minute walk from Manor Road Building, where the Oxford Spring School is held.
    • Enjoy the full Oxford experience, with breakfast in Hall as part of your accommodation package. Ensuite rooms as well as rooms with shared bathroom facilities are available.
    • Rooms will be available from 2pm BST Sunday, 7 April, with check-out 10am BST Friday, 12 April 2024. 

    What is the price of the rooms? 

    • Single ensuite rooms for accommodation Sunday-Friday (check-out 10 am Friday) is £572 per person. Prices include a small booking fee but exclude VAT, and VAT will not be applied. Single rooms with a shared bathroom cost £396 with check out at 10am on Friday. 

    What is the address? 

    • Brasenose College, Radcliffe Square, Oxford, OX1 4AJ. 
  • Admissions process

    Are there entry requirements for Oxford Spring School?  

    • Oxford Spring School focuses on a variety of research skills; therefore, we welcome students from any social science background to apply. 
    • Please note we offer a non-advanced course - ‘Data Analysis for the Social Sciences’ - for those with little or no experience in quantitative methods.  

    When will I know whether my application has been accepted? 

    • We will always aim to review and reply to applications within six working days of either the 'early' bird deadline on the 7 January, or the application submission date.

    I have received an email inviting me to attend. What will happen if I do not reply to this? 

    • If you are offered a place on the course, you will need to follow the links and pay your course fee.
    • Your place isn’t reserved or confirmed until you have paid your fee. 
    • If you do not make payment or reply confirming your institution will make payment then a place will not be allocated to you. 
  • Current DPIR students
    • There was a set number of full bursary places for DPIR DPhil students whose study will benefit from attending Oxford Spring School. These places are now full.
  • Payment and funding

    How can I pay for the course? 

    • We only accept payment by credit card for places on the Oxford Spring School. If you are unable to pay by card, please email the Spring School team for alternative options. 
    • If your application is successful, you will be sent a link to pay the course fee online through the University’s Online Store. You will be sent full instructions by email once you have been accepted on the course. You will also receive confirmation of payment directly to your email for your records.   
    • Places are not reserved or confirmed until payment has been made.  
    • The final date payments can be made is Monday, 25 March,  
    • We regret that it is not possible to make payment to the Department by bank transfer.  
    • If you do not make payment or reply confirming your institution will make payment then a place will not be allocated to you. 

    My institution will pay for me – how can I arrange this? 

    • The preferred method of payment is credit card by your institution. 
    • Important: If you are going down this route, please ensure the relevant financial approval has been attained and the financial contact(s) at your institution have been consulted regarding the payment method (either credit card or invoice) prior to your application. This will help speed up the process of reserving your place on the course. If accepted on to the course, we will send you the relevant information to arrange payment via your institution. Please note that course places will only be reserved once payment information has been received.

    Is there any funding available to subsidise my course fee? 

    • We are not offering bursaries for the 2024 Oxford Spring School apart from current DPIR DPhil students. 
    • DPIR DPhil bursaries are available to current full-time and part-time DPhil students in DPIR who showcase how their chosen course will help with their projects. All bursary places will be awarded on merit. If you are a current DPIR DPhil student please email the Spring School team for more information.
  • RStudio access (in-person and online)

    All quantitative methods courses will be taught using RStudio (all courses apart from Qualitative Methods). All participants on these courses (Causal Inference, Text Analysis, Machine Learning, and Data Analysis for the Social Sciences) should have downloaded and installed the software before the course starts.

  • Course material

    When will I receive my course material?

    All accepted course participants (who have paid their course fee) will be supplied with access to the online course material three weeks before the start of the course.

  • Certificates

    I need a certificate to prove that I attended the course – will I receive one automatically?

    • Yes, at the end of the course you will be given a certificate of attendance at the Oxford Spring School. This will be emailed to you at the end of the week. 
  • Cancellation procedures

    My course has been cancelled? 

    • Unfortunately, there is a small chance we may cancel courses if they do not meet the minimum number of participants required for the course to be feasible to run. 
    • We require a minimum number of participants per course (this will also ensure the opportunity to network amongst participants).
    • In the rare event that your core course is cancelled and you have already paid: 
      • We will offer you a place on a different core course (if they are relevant to you and your skill set) 
      • Or we will offer you a full refund free of charge 

    I need to withdraw my application or cancel my place – how can I do this?

    • If you have already confirmed your place and we have received payment for your course fee, unfortunately we cannot cancel your place or issue a refund. However, please email the Spring School team so that we know not to expect you.