SEMESTERSCoursesTutorial Courses
At the weekly meeting with each tutor the student presents a formal essay, based on reading in primary and secondary sources. The tutor will point the student to the most important books and articles relevant to a topic, while also encouraging initiative and judgement in their selection. The preparation and writing of an essay is a time-consuming and exacting process, so the student must be prepared to devote the greater part of each week to this work. The purpose of this exercise is not merely to test a student’s ability to amass facts, but to develop powers of critical analysis so that he or she can identify and interpret significant information and present facts and conclusions in a clear and precise form. SeminarsEach student attends one of the seminars offered each semester in art history, history, literature, philosophy, political philosophy, religious studies. These courses complement the one-to-one work of the tutorial by fostering students’ presentational skills, by encouraging students to learn from each other as well as from the tutor, and by requiring a substantial research essay produced over the whole period of ten weeks.
Seminar sessions are one and a half to two hours long, and vary in format and style according to the requirements of the subject and the needs of the participants. They range from one-hour formal lectures followed by a discussion period, to sessions where students present the points for discussion and explore them under the guidance of their tutor. Extensive and detailed reading is required each week in preparation for the seminars. Students are given reading lists, assigned weekly topics, and asked to report regularly on the development of their research essay. Integral CoursesEach semester has an Integral Course consisting of lectures, field trips and a colloquium. In the Autumn Semester the field trips and the majority of the lectures come at the beginning of term. By tracing the background knowledge necessary for an understanding of the Middle Ages, they provide a foundation for the student’s subsequent studies at CMRS. In the Spring Semester there are fortnightly lectures during the first ten weeks of term which trace the gradual breakdown of the Medieval world view and the emergence of the Renaissance. These prepare students for the lectures and field trips during the final four weeks of term which investigate the major developments from the sixteenth to the early eighteenth century that transformed society and shaped the future of Europe and America. One lecture each week is devoted to the presentation and critical analysis of a text which exercised a decisive influence on the formation of European civilization. Such texts might include Dante’s Divine Comedy, or Milton’s Areopagitica. Lectures are supplemented by colloquium sessions and field trips (see below) and the course is assessed by a three-hour written examination and an essay from a choice of questions. Colloquium Students meet every two weeks with a CMRS tutor to discuss one of the seminal texts introduced in the lecture series. The small size of the classes, usually about 15 students, makes it possible to have a vigorous exchange of ideas at a high intellectual level. The aim of the Colloquium is threefold: to consolidate and enhance the information imparted in the Integral lectures; to subject traditional world views to rigorous investigation; to encourage students to discuss in and outside class their different approaches to learning and living in the modern world. Field Trips
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Students
select two tutorial courses each semester from
a wide range of options. A tutorial is a weekly meeting of one or,
very occasionally, two students with the tutor responsible for a
particular area of studies. The tutorial is a creative and flexible
teaching method that enables the teacher to adapt a course to the
precise requirements of a particular student, and to give that student
individual attention and supervision.
Considerable importance is attached to the research essay. The seminar tutor assists in the choice of topic, advises on the use of resources including the Bodleian Library, and monitors progress. The essay is expected to be a substantial and exemplary piece of research which should be valuable in future applications to postgraduate or professional programmes. 
CMRS
gives its students a thorough introduction to the colleges, museums
and art galleries of Oxford at the beginning of each term. The city
of Oxford is viewed as one of the historical, literary and artistic
resources with which students should become familiar. There are
also four field trips outside Oxford to places of historical importance,
each under the guidance of a tutor with specialized knowledge of
the sites. Field trips to places such as Stratford and Hampton Court
are an essential part of the academic programme, and all students
are expected to attend. Students may make a special study during
their field trips of at least one site, and answer a question on
it in the integral course examination.