Program Overview

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University Program Information

The university offers a wide range of programs, including short and online courses, undergraduate, postgraduate, professional, and research programs.

Subject Areas

• Archaeology and anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Certificate of Higher Education
  • English Literature
  • History
  • History of Art
  • Theological Studies
• Architectural history
• Business and management
• Data science, computing, maths
• Diplomatic studies and law
• Economics and politics
• Education and study skills
• Environment and sustainability
• History of art
• History, including local and social
• Languages and cultural studies
• Literature, creative writing and film studies
• Medical and health sciences
• Music
• Natural sciences
• Philosophy
• Psychology and counselling
• Religion and theology
• Technology and AI

Course Format

• Day and weekend events
• In-person learning
• Lecture series
• Online learning
• Professional
• Summer schools
• Weekly learning

Academic Credit

Many courses can be studied for academic credit, which means they can count towards a recognised qualification.

Undergraduate Programs

Certificates

• Archaeology
• Certificate of Higher Education
• English Literature
• History
• History of Art
• Theological Studies

Diplomas

• Archaeology
• Creative Writing
• English Social and Local History
• History of Art

Advanced Diplomas

• British Archaeology
• IT Systems Analysis and Design (Online)
• Local History (Online)

Pre-Master's

• Advanced Pre-sessional Course for Graduate Students (nine weeks, full-time)
• Foundations of Diplomacy Pre-Master's Course (six months, full-time)

Postgraduate Programs

Certificates

• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Ecological Survey Techniques
• Enhanced Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Health Research
• Historical Studies
• Nanotechnology
• Patient Safety and Quality Improvement
• Psychodynamic Counselling
• Qualitative Health Research Methods
• Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care

Diplomas

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Severe Mental Health Problems
• Health Research
• International Wildlife Conservation Practice
• Psychodynamic Practice

Master of Studies (MSt)

• Creative Writing
• Diplomatic Studies
• Historical Studies
• History of Design
• Literature and Arts
• Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy
• Practical Ethics
• Psychodynamic Practice

Master of Science (MSc)

• Applied Landscape Archaeology
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• English Local History
• Evidence-Based Health Care
• Evidence-Based Health Care Medical Statistics
• Evidence-Based Health Care Systematic Reviews
• Evidence-Based Health Care Teaching and Education
• Experimental and Translational Therapeutics
• Nanotechnology for Medicine and Health Care
• Surgical Science and Practice
• Sustainable Urban Development
• Translational Health Sciences

Research Degrees (DPhil)

• Archaeology
• Architectural History
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• English Local History
• Evidence-Based Health Care
• Literature and Arts
• Sustainable Urban Development

Professional Programs

Continuing Professional Development

• Business and management
• Cultural heritage
• Data science, computing, maths
• Diplomatic studies
• Education
• Environment and sustainability
• Medical and health sciences
• Nanotechnology and nanomedicine
• Philosophy and ethics
• Psychology and counselling
• Research methods and skills
• Technology and AI
• Urban studies

Research

Research Community

Research at Oxford Lifelong Learning extends across the disciplines and is supported by a research culture that encourages interdisciplinary initiatives.

Research Areas

• Academic staff profiles
• Part-time DPhil programmes
• Research areas
• Research students

Research Forums

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Steering Group
• Lifelong Learning Pedagogies forum
• Research Ethics Colloquium
• The Vice-Chancellors Colloquium

Middle English Literature Course

Course Details

• Code: O25P432LTV
• Credit: 10 CATS points
• Fees: ｣415.00
• Dates: Wed 14 Jan 2026 - Fri 27 Mar 2026
• Location: Online (Flexible)

Course Aims

1. Introduce students to the history and culture of the Middle Ages.
2. Introduce students to the range and variety of the literature of the Middle Ages (in modern English).
3. Introduce students to Middle English dialects.
4. Introduce students to Middle English orthography.
5. Introduce students to medieval manuscript and book production.

Course Objectives

1. Have knowledge and understanding of English life during the eleventh to fifteenth centuries.
2. Have knowledge and understanding of some of the key genres, authors, texts, styles and themes of Middle English literature.
3. Recognise key features of some Middle English dialects.
4. Recognise features of some varieties of Middle English orthography.

Teaching Methods

There will be links to online texts and hypertexts, to images of illuminated manuscripts, to websites on Middle English and medieval culture, to examples of orthography, to audio files, and to commentaries.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course students will be expected to understand:

• Definitions and problems associated with defining the middle ages.
• The chronological order of key events during the middle ages.
• The variety of kinds of writing produced during the middle ages.
• Issues in establishing, preserving, and editing a Middle English literature corpus.
• Some key themes and concepts explored in writing of the middle ages.
• Some key elements of Middle English dialects.
• Differences between some kinds of scripts employed in the middle ages. By the end of this course students will be expected to have gained the following skills:
• The ability to discuss and analyse a range of Middle English texts in modern English adaptations.
• The ability to identify key themes and styles in Middle English Literature.
• The ability to understand some simple phrases in Middle English.
• The ability to read some simple phrases in medieval book hand.

Assessment Methods

You will be set two pieces of work for the course. The first of 500 words is due halfway through your course. This does not count towards your final outcome but preparing for it, and the feedback you are given, will help you prepare for your assessed piece of work of 1,500 words due at the end of the course. The assessed work is marked pass or fail.