Academics
Courses at Oxford, called "tutorials," involve a small group of students (one to three) meeting with a tutor (a member of the faculty) once per week. Each meeting requires an assignment of either a short research paper or presentation, and students are expected to work independently using reading lists. For more information on how the system works, please visit the Pembroke website. This is a unique form of learning, requiring a high degree of independence and original thought, which offers students a chance to focus on what they want to learn within subject areas.
Pembroke's calendar is divided into three teaching terms of eight weeks each, taught over the course of the academic year: Michaelmas (October through December), Hilary (January through March), and Trinity (April through June). In the humanities and social sciences, students take two tutorials (courses) per term, for a total of six over the full academic year. Each tutorial is typically worth 6 SHUs. Science majors have an equal amount of work through a combination of tutorials and laboratory work. The final assessment is based largely on tutorial assignments and participation, so although you may be required to take a final test at the end of each course of tutorials (called 'collections'), they do not take end-of-year final exams as they would at other UK universities.
Students may study in one of the following subjects, depending upon available faculty. For the most up-to-date list and more information, please consult the Pembroke College website.
- Biochemistry
- Biological Sciences
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Computer Science and Mathematics
- Economics
- Economics and Management
- English
- English and Modern Languages (French, German, Italian)
- History
- History and Economics
- History and English
- History and Modern Languages
- History and Politics
- Mathematics
- Mathematics and Philosophy
- Modern Languages
- Oriental Studies (Arabic, Islamic Studies)
- Oriental Studies (Japanese, Chinese)
- Philosophy
- Philosophy and Modern Languages
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
- Physics
- Physics and Philosophy
- Politics
- Psychology
- Psychology, Philosophy, and Linguistics
- Theology