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Our renowned summer school, for students aged 13-25, in the colleges of Oxford.
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Oxford Summer School 2020
Also in Cambridge | London
Part of the BROADENING HORIZONS Programme
Study Architecture with our Oxford Summer School 2020. This course is intended to offer students a brisk and lively introduction to the history of European art and architecture, with particular close attention paid to Oxford’s unique heritage, to endow students with the skills needed to critically engage with works.
2 or 4 weeks | Available July - August 2020
The course is divided into six separate classes, with each session following roughly the same format. After approximately thirty minutes of classroom learning on a particular artistic period or style, students then embark on a ninety-minute walking tour of Oxford’s buildings, colleges, art collections and museums, observing ‘case studies’ which illustrate the period under discussion. Periods range from the development of art and architecture in Europe between the Roman and Norman Conquests to the architecture of the University in the 20th and 21st centuries, looking at how the forces of Modernism and Post-Modernism have shaped art and architecture in Oxford. These developments will be viewed through the expression of these major currents and styles in the artistic and architectural legacy of Oxford, one of the world’s greatest cultural centres.
Students will be able to explore the Ashmolean Museum and its 2,500 years of European Art – a fantastic resource for keen art historians. The city of Oxford contains an example of every major period of English architecture from the Saxons to the present day, and is consequently the ideal location for our course.
Students will all bring their own insights from the artistic traditions of their respective countries, so entering debate and making contributions for the benefit of the whole class is strongly encouraged.
This course is intended to offer students a brisk and lively introduction to the history of European art and architecture, with particular attention to Oxford’s unique heritage. Students are given practical experience of visiting specific buildings and art collections in Oxford, and are endowed with the basic critical apparatus needed to engage critically with the works they observe.
This subject is part of the Broadening Horizons course at Oxford Royale Summer Schools’s Oxford summer school.
The Broadening Horizons course, for students aged 16 to 18, is suitable both for those who are trying to decide what to pursue in further education, and for those who simply want to learn about a variety of interesting subjects - 30+ study options are available!
Students choose two morning classes and one afternoon workshop to provide a diverse and stimulating curriculum that is tailored to their needs, allowing them to pursue areas of interest or try out something new. Students studying Broadening Horizons in Oxford get the chance to live and learn in a college of the University of Oxford or in our 17th-century manor house, Yarnton Manor.
Students are not expected to have any familiarity with the history of art or architecture before taking this course; however, students who have already studied such topics should nonetheless find plenty to interest them in this course, especially if they are keen to explore how what they have already learned is reflected in the fascinating heritage of Oxford. Students with a keen interest in Architecture might be interested in the Summer Architecture Programme – a course dedicated solely to the fascinating discipline of architecture.
There is no compulsory reading required prior to the beginning of the course, but students may find it enjoyable to look at one of the numerous books available that describe the history, customs and cultural legacy of Oxford. Particularly good ones include the following:
The Broadening Horizons programme - our flagship Oxford summer course - allows you to combine different subject options to enable a flexible, tailored programme that best suits your academic needs
To view other options, select your choice of options and apply, please visit the main Broadening Horizons Programme page
With the Broadening Horizons Programme you also get:
What our students have to say
Sara, Greece
Read how Sara has returned year on year, experiencing different summer courses in Oxford and Cambridge.
Read Sara's storyMifta, Indonesia
Read how Mifta's experience with us introduced her to lifelong friends from across the world.
Read Mifta's storyRebecca, USA
An aspiring cinematographer, Rebecca joined us at the ISC for our Future Filmmakers Gap Year Programme.
Read Rebecca's storyStudy in confidence with ORA's accredited, award-winning educational courses
Oxford Royale Academy is a part of Oxford Programs Limited, a company registered in England as company number 6045196. Registered office: 14 King Street, Bristol, BS1 4EF. The company contracts with institutions including Oxford University for the use of their facilities and also contracts with tutors from those institutions but does not operate under the aegis of Oxford University.