From Quills to Quantum: Oxford Subjects Across the Centuries
A Tradition in Constant Transformation
What can students study at Oxford today?
The University does not embrace new topics of learning without resistance. In the 13th century the University only awarded degrees in law and divinity closely followed by medicine. Wary of innovation, scientific topics were long dismissed as a gentleman’s hobby, not a discipline worthy of serious academic attention. It wasn’t until the second half of the 18th century that the University accepted scientific study into the mainstream. In the 18th century there were fiery debates about whether lecturing in English instead of Latin might rot students’ brains.
If that sounds familiar, it should. Every generation produces its own rearguard, warning that new media will destroy the life of the mind: the dangers of television, the death of reading through audiobooks, and today, concerns about ChatGPT weakening students’ capacity for thought. Oxford has weathered all of it.
Today
Oxford’s academic departments a organised into four academic divisions -
Humanities
Social Sciences
Mathematical
Physical & Life Sciences, and Medical Sciences
A push for academic breadth came under Henry VIII, who introduced a wider palette of university subjects by endowing new professorial chairs including Hebrew and Greek. Over the centuries, new professorial chairs have beeb steadily endowed, expanding the scope and of academic studies. One remarkable benefactor was Lord Nuffield, whose extraordinary philanthropy created chairs in medicine, engineering, and the social sciences.
Still slow to accept new disciplines, business studies, now a global academic staple, struggles to gain legitimacy in Oxford, much as the sciences did until the 19th century.
Oxford’s attitude to business studies has softened up to a point. The Said Business School has made its presence felt and filled a long-standing gap, but isn’t embraced as a full constitutional colleges. Here’s a lovely little detail. Although Said students do matriculate and graduate in the Sheldonian Theatre like everyone else, I’m told it is required that their ceremonies are in English rather than the traditional Latin. A small but telling reminder that Said sits outside Oxford’s hallowed halls and is tainted with the dim view of assocatiotions with ‘trade’ that tainted science in the 18th century.
That resistance finally faded with the building of the magnificent Oxford University Museum of Natural History. A celebration of scientific inquiry that we explore in Science & Medicine tours, or which can be included in any Introductory Tour when time allows.
The table below shows a recent summary of undergraduate subjects taught at Oxford and the number of students studying each one today.
| Subject ▾ | Undergraduates ▾ |
|---|---|
| Ancient and Modern History | 69 |
| Archaeology and Anthropology | 68 |
| Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 35 |
| Biology | 421 |
| Biomedical Sciences | 89 |
| Cell and Systems Biology | 34 |
| Chemistry | 706 |
| Classical Archaeology and Ancient History | 81 |
| Classics and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 6 |
| Classics and English | 47 |
| Classics and Modern Languages | 27 |
| Classics and Oriental Studies | 18 |
| Computer Science | 137 |
| Computer Science and Philosophy | 50 |
| Earth Sciences | 145 |
| Economics and Management | 261 |
| Engineering Science | 668 |
| English Language and Literature | 688 |
| English and Modern Languages | 112 |
| European and Middle Eastern Languages | 54 |
| Experimental Psychology | 177 |
| Fine Art | 84 |
| Geography | 250 |
| Geology | 1 |
| History | 722 |
| History and Economics | 43 |
| History and English | 43 |
| History and Modern Languages | 85 |
| History and Politics | 144 |
| History of Art | 46 |
| Human Sciences | 103 |
| Law | 740 |
| Literae Humaniores | 405 |
| Materials Science | 167 |
| Mathematical and Theoretical Physics | 32 |
| Mathematics | 571 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | 159 |
| Mathematics and Philosophy | 64 |
| Mathematics and Statistics | 108 |
| Medicine (Clinical, Preclinical, Graduate Entry) | 1004 |
| Modern Languages | 622 |
| Modern Languages and Linguistics | 120 |
| Molecular and Cellular (Biochemistry) | 400 |
| Music | 240 |
| Neuroscience | 16 |
| Oriental Studies | 118 |
| Philosophy and Modern Languages | 76 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 87 |
| PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) | 713 |
| Physics | 643 |
| Physics and Philosophy | 55 |
| PPL (Psychology, Philosophy and Linguistics) | 107 |
| Religion and Oriental Studies | 4 |
| Religion and Asian and Middle Eastern Studies | 2 |
| Theology and Religion | 124 |
| Continuing Education Certificates and Diplomas | 692 |
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