California State University, Sacramento
Study Abroad Program

Study in England at Oxford Brookes University

Oxford Brookes University is based on three main campuses: the Headington Campus, Harcourt Hill Campus and Wheatley Campus. The Headington Campus is located on three sites. Headington-Gipsy Lane, the largest and main teaching site, is situated on a hill overlooking the beautiful university city of Oxford, which is set in the Thames Valley about 50 miles from London. Headington-Headington Hill is just across the road from Gipsy Lane and is the university’s newest site. It is a 6-hectare parkland estate which houses the Students’ Union complex, parts of the School of Business, and the School of Visual Arts, Music and Publishing. Headington-Marston Road is home of the School of Health and Social Care. The Harcourt Hill Campus is about 3 miles (4.8 km) from the city centre on Oxford’s western perimeter and is home to students studying teacher education, human development, philosophy, religious studies and theology. The Wheatley Campus, 11 km southeast of the city centre, is a spacious 21 hectares set amongst green fields and is the home to students studying business, IT and mathematical sciences. There are shops, places to eat, bars, banking facilities and places for worship on every campus.

The traditional form of transportation in Oxford is the bicycle, and many students make use of the network of cycle tracks across the city to get about. The university operates an excellent 7-days-a-week bus service, Brookes Bus, which operates between the campus, halls of residence, the city centre and railway station. Oxford offers cultural facilities that would do justice to most capital cities. Its ancient buildings, museums, galleries, theaters, gardens, parks, and the river as well as pubs, cafes, and shops all lie within a short walk from the university. For those who want to explore London, buses run about every 15 minutes to London from Oxford.

Oxford Brookes University itself is one of the most distinguished and also one of the most popular of the institutions in the state system of higher education in England. The enrollment consists of over 19,000 students. Oxford Brookes University employs an American-style credit-transfer system. Over half the university's students are enrolled in the "Modular Course," which allows students to choose their own program of studies with considerable flexibility.

The three university libraries contain over 300,000 books and over 2,400 periodicals. Students have access to comprehensive computing facilities, which include e-mail and other facilities on the Internet. Computing facilities are available every day and almost half of the computer rooms are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

The university’s sports facilities have been highly rated in independent guides to the new universities. The state-of-the-art Centre for Sport at the Headington Campus offers a comprehensive activities program. Facilities include a main sports hall accommodating badminton courts, squash courts, a health suite, a heavy weights training room, a dedicated climbing tower, a sports shop, a café bar, and floodlit artificial turf pitch for hockey and rugby. Outdoors sports are largely based at the Wheatley Campus, with high quality playing fields for football, hockey, and cricket, 12 tennis courts, a pitch-and-putt golf course, and a fitness trail. The Brookes boathouse on the Isis provides an excellent base for rowing and canoeing.

The Medical Centre located at the Headington Campus offers all students access to a comprehensive and confidential medical service. It is staffed by doctors and highly skilled state registered nurses. The Students’ Union (SU) is a non-political organization run by students for students and has over 65 clubs and societies that cover a range of cultural, social and academic interests.

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COURSE OFFERINGS
Students who would like to study in England for one semester or an academic year while still remaining enrolled at this university have an excellent opportunity through this study abroad program. Our students at Oxford Brookes share the British education experience rather than simply participating in an American program on English soil. Undergraduate courses are offered in the following areas: accounting & finance; anthropology; art history; biology; biomedical sciences; biotechnology; building studies; business information systems; business logistics, business studies; cell and molecular biology; city and regional planning; communication, media, and culture; computer aided mechanical engineering; computer networks and multimedia systems; computer science; construction management; early childhood studies; economics; education; education and human development; English language and linguistics; English studies; environmental sciences; exercise, nutrition and health; film studies; French studies; geography; history; hospitality management; hotel and restaurant management; human resource management; information systems; intelligent systems; international relations; Japanese studies; leisure and tourism planning; management; marketing management; mathematics; mechanical engineering; media technology; multimedia systems; nutrition and public health nutrition; occupational therapy; philosophy; politics; publishing media; real estate management; religion, culture, and ethics; retail management; social work; sociology; software engineering; sport and coaching studies; sport and exercise science; statistics; tourism management.

Postgraduate courses (British definition of “postgraduate”) offered include: anthropology, automotive engineering, business administration, child development and learning, computer science, conservation ecology, e-commerce computing, education, electronic media, English, environmental assessment and management, environmental management and technology, finance, history, human resource management, international hotel and resort management, international relations, management, marketing, mechanical engineering, nutrition, planning, public health, publishing, real estate management, software engineering, tourism environment and development.

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ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS
Applicants should have upper division standing with a declared major or classified graduate standing at this university by the time of departure, good academic records, and a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or better at the time of the application deadline. The applicant also should be prepared to accept the challenge of study in a country with an educational system different from our own. Applicants for fall participation must have taken the Writing Proficiency Examination at this university by no later than the March test date and passed it. Applicants for spring participation must have taken the Writing Proficiency Examination at this university by no later than the October test date and passed it. In most cases, the lower division courses of the appropriate field of study must have been completed prior to participation in this program. Applications will be accepted for one semester or one academic year. Students are required to be full-time while studying in England and, thus, take the equivalent of 15 units during each semester for undergraduates and 12 units per semester for graduates.

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CALENDAR
Oxford Brookes operates on a semester system with each semester consisting of a 12-week teaching period followed by a week of exams. Semester 1 usually begins in late September and ends after exams about December 22nd. Semester 2 usually begins in late January and ends after exams about the third week of May. The International Student Orientation takes place about a week before the start of classes each semester.

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SCHOLARSHIPS
For information on scholarships for study abroad, you should register for and attend a scholarship workshop in the Office of Global Education.

HOUSING
Oxford Brookes has several housing options: halls of residence, university managed housing, and flats (apartments) and houses in the private market. Locating housing is the individual student’s responsibility although the Accommodation Office at Oxford Brookes will give assistance in this area.

Students in the study abroad program who desire to live in a hall of residence and who will be participating for one semester only will have their hall accommodation automatically arranged for them. Students desiring to live in the halls who will be participating for an academic year must complete the hall application form and submit it to Oxford Brookes by the accommodation application deadline.

Private flats and houses are usually difficult to obtain in Oxford and the rents are high. The North Oxford Overseas Centre http://www.nooc.org.uk is a good resource to contact for housing suitable for couples and families. For more information on on-campus and off-campus housing options, visit the Oxford Brookes housing website at http://www.brookes.ac.uk/international/accommodation.

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FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Students accepted to the program will pay the usual California State University, Sacramento fees, remain eligible for financial aid (except work/study), if otherwise qualified, and receive resident credit just as if they were attending classes at this university. (Please note that equivalency of courses falls under the jurisdiction of the academic department.) Oxford Brookes University has agreed to waive non-resident tuition, approximately 9,400 pounds (over $18,807) per year, making this a particularly attractive opportunity for participants. Students will pay for their travel to and from England, room and board, books and incidentals. In addition, each student must have the required insurance during his or her stay in England. Expenses for a semester in Oxford are estimated at the following: usual undergraduate fees - $1,927 (graduates would pay the graduate fee), round-trip transportation - $1,132, room, board and personal expenses (local transportation, books, postage, entertainment, clothing, incidentals) - $7,975, insurance - $200. Total - $11,234. The estimated expenses for an academic year are about $21,336. This estimate is given for planning purposes only and is subject to changes from currency fluctuation, inflation, and fee changes. Keep in mind that the costs to obtain a passport and a student visa are not included in this estimate.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

The Office of Global Education home page: http://www.csus.edu/oge

The Oxford Brookes University home page: http://www.brookes.ac.uk

The Oxford Brookes University website for international students: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/international (access the International Guide at this site)

Oxford Brookes listing of undergraduate courses: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying/courses/undergraduate

Oxford Brookes listing of taught postgraduate courses: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/studying/courses/postgraduate/courses

Oxford Brookes Undergraduate Modular Handbook (to obtain course descriptions): http://kmis.brookes.ac.uk/csms/wprin_chb.modmain

Oxford Brookes housing information: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/international/accommodation

The Oxford Brookes University videotape and catalogs available at the Office of Global Education

For information about Oxford and the United Kingdom, visit:

http://www.oxfordcity.co.uk

http://oxfordinspires.org

http://www.visitbritain.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

To obtain an application or to speak with a study abroad advisor, please call the Office of Global Education at 278-6686 or go to Lassen Hall, Room 2304. Applications, references, and transcripts should be sent to the address below. The deadline for materials to be received is March 1. Please note that there is an interview process for this application, also.

last update 7/08