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 degrees.

Subject Areas

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

Course Formats

• 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

Research Degrees (DPhil)

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

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

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

Course Details

Medieval Women

Overview

This course explores the lives and experiences of women in England and France between the sixth and sixteenth centuries.

Programme Details

• Course starts: 20 Jan 2026
• Week 1: Introduction: Studying Medieval Women
• Week 2: Medieval Women: Fact and Fiction
• Week 3: Bertrande Guerre
• Week 4: Radegund of Poitiers
• Week 5: Christina of Markyate
• Week 6: H駘o閽e
• Week 7: Margery Kempe
• Week 8: Margaret Paston
• Week 9: Joan of Arc
• Week 10: Fictional Heroines: The Lais of Marie de France

Recommended Reading

• Medieval Women: Voices & Visions: The Book of the British Library Exhibition / Jackson, Eleanor and Julian Harrison
• _Medieval Women: A Social History of Women in England _ / Leyser, Henrietta
• Medieval Women and the Sources for Medieval History / Rosenthal, JT
• The Fourth Estate: A History of Women in the Middle Ages / Shahar, Shulamith

Certification

• Credit Accumulation Transfer Scheme (CATS) Points
• Digital Certificate of Completion

Fees

• Course fee (with no assessment): ｣300.00
• Assessment and Accreditation fee: ｣60.00

Funding

If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees.

Tutor

• Dr Anne Bailey

Course Aims

The aim of the course is to explore the lived experiences and the textual representations of medieval women through the close examination of a range of contemporary sources.

Course Objectives

• To understand the social, cultural and political forces shaping womens lives and experiences in the Middle Ages.
• To examine, through the study of case studies, the ways in which different medieval women conformed to or deviated from accepted social norms.
• To recognise and assess potential biases in medieval writing and the problems of historical interpretation.

Teaching Methods

The course is taught through informal lectures using PowerPoint, group discussion and small group exercises.

Learning Outcomes

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

• be familiar with a range of well-known and lesser-known female figures from medieval history, and understand how each fitted into her social, cultural and political milieu.
• have developed an ability to critically assess and evaluate the evidence for womens lives in a range of primary sources.
• understand how medieval women were perceived and represented by their contemporaries, and appreciate the difficulties in analysing the ways in which women of the period chose to present themselves.

Assessment Methods

Students are required to write a 1500 word essay on a topic of their choice, to be agreed in advance by the tutor.