The Oxford Overseas Study Course is directed by Dr. Francis Warner, Dean of Degrees & Emeritus Fellow of St. Peter's College at The University of Oxford and Honorary Fellow, St. Catherine's College at The University of Cambridge. Dr. Warner is an internationally renowned poet and playwright who founded the programme in order to provide American students the unique opportunity of tutorial study in Oxford. Dr. Warner is assisted by his wife, Penelope, who coordinates the day-to-day administration of the programme.

Mercer students who enter the programme follow the traditional Oxford calendar, which consists of three academic terms: the Michaelmas term (the fall), the Hilary term (the winter), and the Trinity term (the spring). Students are encouraged to study for a full academic year in Oxford. Students may also study abroad for either their fall or spring semesters. Students who wish to study abroad during the fall semester can apply for Oxford's Michaelmas term. However, Mercer students who plan to register for their study abroad programme in the spring semester must study at Oxford during the Hilary (January through March) and Trinity terms (April through June).

Instruction in the Oxford Overseas Study Course does not consist of conventional classes or American-style lectures (except in the two-and-a-half week Introductory Course that opens the Michaelmas Term). Instead, Mercer students take a "major" (a tutorial every week), worth six hours of credit each and a "minor" (four tutorials per term) worth three hours of credit each, during each of the nine weeks of the academic term. This traditional forum of learning at Oxford encourages students to develop advanced writing, arguing, and critical thinking skills.
Student housing is included in the programme's fees. Student accommodation consists of flats (apartments) or houses with each student having a private bedroom and shared kitchen and common area. A weekly food allowance of £40 is included with the programme fee.

It should be noted that the Oxford Overseas Study Course is not part of The University of Oxford but is associated with its Oxford Student Union. Mercer study abroad students do not matriculate into any of the colleges at The University of Oxford; they remain full-time Mercer University students in Oxford. Mercer students are given exclusive entrance to the University's student union, which allows them to have the unique opportunity of participating in debate and academic clubs, sporting teams and other extra-curricular activities at The University of Oxford. The Oxford Student Union provides Mercerians with the occasion to develop new relationships with other Oxford students.

The City of Oxford The main reason why most students study in Oxford (less than two hours from London) is to pay homage to C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and the Inklings. The rowing contests between Oxford and Cambridge still take place and many of the colleges are not open to the public during important exams. However, when they are accessible to the public, the thirty university 'castles' are a must-see.

The colleges are scattered all throughout town and are altered with historical buildings showing the impressive architectural character of several periods. Take for example the Bodleian Library, which is the second-largest library in the country. Magdalen College, with its cloisters and deer park, was the learning school of Oscar Wilde. Hertford College is the place to go to when you want to see one of Oxford's other famous sights, the Bridge of Sighs, which design was based on the Ponte dei Sospori in Venice.

Oxford offers historical sights and several good museums, a vibrant shopping and commercial area with plenty of shops, restaurants and cafes. Indulge in a rowing trip on the River Cherwell, walk the cobbled streets or see a Shakespearean play performed in one of the many theatres.

• Required minimum G.P.A. for participation is a 3.5
• Room and food allowance are included in tuition
• Financial aid and scholarships may apply toward costs for full-time students
• Student works one-on-one with a tutor (British vocabulary for professor or lecturer)
• Student responsible for travel costs

• Art History
• Economics
• English Language/Literature
• History
• International Relations
• Literature in Foreign Languages
• Music History
• Philosophy
• Philosophy or history of science
• Politics
• Psychology
• Religion