Business Summer School

Be inspired by the best universities in the world as you take your first steps into the world of business

Oxford Royale 2025

Location: UK & USA

For ages: 13-18

Duration: 2 weeks

Course Dates: 6^th Jul to 19^th Jul | 20^th Jul to 2^nd Aug | 3^rd Aug to 16^th Aug

Business Summer School

Oxford Royale Business Summer School

Our Business summer programmes are available at all of our campuses in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Yale and Berkeley. All of these locations are hubs of world innovation and entrepreneurship, and our inspiring faculty and motivational guest speakers will develop your child’s own skills while they live, sleep, and dine in these historic locations.

For students aged 13 to 15, our programmes are a first foray into the world of business, laying out foundational principles through seminars, workshops, and group projects. We offer an excellent pathway for your child to explore their interest in a future in business.

For students aged 16 to 18, the programme will provide them with the depth of knowledge needed for a competitive application, as well as the entrepreneurial mindset needed to take the first steps towards founding their own business.

Why attend?

Teenagers aged 16-18 are close to entering the world of business, whether through the pursuit of a university degree or the undertaking of an entrepreneurial endeavour. Our programmes are expertly crafted to provide a deep understanding of the inner workings of organisations and start-up culture, giving them all the tools to thrive as well-informed young professionals.

We pride ourselves on our status as the world’s most international summer school, having welcomed students from over 175 countries since our foundation in 2005. This represents an invaluable opportunity for aspiring businesspeople and entrepreneurs: through early access to a global network of like-minded peers, students are not only exposed to a wide range of international perspectives, but also have a chance to identify potential future collaborators. Who knows where a classroom discussion or a casual conversation at dinner may take you?

Students aged 16-18 will benefit from a rigorous and thoroughly contemporary course, encompassing a well-considered balance of theoretical and practical learning. They will develop a profound understanding of business and entrepreneurship by:

Gaining a comprehensive overview of how market trends, emerging technologies, and socio-cultural influences affect businesses
Exploring the concept of investment and its impact on global economics across different sectors
Analysing real-world case studies to glean deep insights into the mechanisms of commercial success and failure
Collaborating on hands-on projects to map out actionable strategies
Drawing inspiration from a dynamic range of workshops, seminars, and talks from business leaders and experts

A holistic education nurtures an individual’s ability to coexist and cooperate effectively with other people, regardless of the situation or professional context they might find themselves in. Our programmes help students develop crucial ‘soft’ skills to thrive across the board through:

A wide range of extracurricular activities, giving them the opportunity to network with peers and implement problem-solving in real word scenarios
A debating and public speaking society, to improve their confidence in addressing an audience
Helping students master time management and embrace accountability through the introduction of independent study
Workshops and masterclasses targeting career pathways and the competitive university application process

Our courses go beyond the classroom, helping students to develop essential work and life skills so as to be able to hit the ground running upon starting their careers. Attendees will cultivate the adaptability to secure future success by:

Partaking in opportunities to hone presentation skills, such as seminars and the end-of-course challenge and exhibition days
Developing crucial interpersonal skills such as active listening and negotiation through classroom collaboration
Building up their professional portfolios by working on industry-grade projects, such as developing a business plan and marketing strategy

– Networking with fellow students, tutors, and leading minds across diverse industries

For older teenagers, the pressure is on as they face formative examinations and the university applications process. We recognise the need for restorative down-time, and have crafted our courses to offer a harmonious life-work balance, with plenty of time to rest and relax outside of the classroom. Students can:

Enjoy cultural excursions, including walking tours of Oxford and a daytrip to historical Bath
Partake in a wide range of sporting activities, designed to suit everyone, from the beginner to the seasoned athlete
Relax on our beautiful campus grounds, in aesthetic and comfortable gardens, common rooms, and dining halls
Explore the city, trying out new cuisine, going to the cinema, enjoying some bowling, or exploring the University of Oxford’s iconic buildings

Programme highlights

Ready to see how your programme comes together? Discover the exceptional features we love to highlight.

Personality drives business. This module will provide students with an overview of different leadership styles, as well as the space to introspect on which elements of their own character they might draw upon in order to grow as highly effective leaders. They will examine real-world case studies of the impact of these different strokes upon organisations, as well as the crucial role of cultural differences in international business and decision-making processes.

It is impossible to understate how the lay of the land has changed over the past few decades. Students will explore the impact of burgeoning technologies such as AI upon the future of enterprise, influencer marketing in the digital age, and the changes wrought upon investment – and, as a consequence, the global economy – by the vicissitudes of Covid-19 and the advent of Fintech.

Our practical challenges represent an opportunity for students to put into practice all they have learned over the course of the two weeks, working as a team to present an industry-standard project to an audience of peers and professionals. Attendees will develop an accurate, sophisticated business plan and marketing strategy for a start-up in an industry of their choosing. This is a valuable addition to students’ professional portfolio, to be drawn upon in applications and interview scenarios.

Students will enjoy stepping back from their studies after a day’s hard work and going on culturally enriching excursions around their campus and its surrounding city, including walking tours, cinema trips, and outdoor pursuits. Over the mid-programme weekend, students will go to a nearby city, such as London, Bath, or New York, to imbibe quintessential British or North American culture. In previous years, this has involved trips to the West End, and urban landmarks such as the London Eye and the Natural History Museum.

Students at the world’s leading universities know how to balance hard work and play. Attendees of our Business Summer Programme will be able to let their hair down and celebrate their hard work at two show-stopping events over the duration of the summer school: a mid-programme celebration, and a final formal graduation ceremony followed by a party at an illustrious venue.

Timetable

Curious about your daily schedule? Check out our sample timetable to get a glimpse of what a typical day and the entire two weeks with us will look like!

A typical weekday on our Oxford Business Summer School for ages 16 to 18 looks like this:

8AM: Students wake up for breakfast on campus before heading to lessons

9AM: Morning lessons, with two short breaks

1PM: Lunch break for students to buy food and explore the city with friends

2PM: Afternoon lessons

3:30PM: Business academic workshop to develop key skills, or cultural activities such as punting

6PM: Dinner on campus

7PM: Study support sessions

8PM: Public Speaking and Debate Society, Shaping your Future Seminar Series

9PM: Social activities such as quiz nights, movie nights or karaoke

10:30PM: Curfew

The week kicks off with an introduction to enterprise and entrepreneurs, innovation and invention. Seminars cover topics such as ownership structures, finance and fundraising, market research, business planning, and risk analysis. Further modules explore strategy and tactics. In the evening, students take part in study focus groups, social and sporting activities, debating and public speaking and seminars on what steps to take to ensure their future success. The first week finishes with a group trip to explore their local cities.

The second week starts with a focus on sustaining a business with seminars on cash flow and break-even, budgeting and investments, recruitment, operations, and leadership. Students will take part in academic and practical workshops, followed by the opportunity to present and pitch their new business idea. Evenings will continue to focus on study support, social and sporting activities, and the headline address – an engaging talk given by one of our business leaders. The week culminates in the debate grand final and the famous Oxford graduation.