ELIGIBILITY

There are many benefits available to alumni and associates of the University of Oxford

Please see the information below to check which benefits you are eligible for:

Alumni status:

  • Matriculated undergraduate and postgraduate students with a college affiliation.

Information on which courses require matriculation

Associate status:

  • Non-matriculated students who have completed and passed a certificate, diploma or accredited course lasting for at least 12 weeks continuously. Please note the completion of several short courses amounting to 12 weeks would not entitle an individual to Associate status.
  • Those who have conducted university research or engaged in teaching for the University for at least one academic year. University research is classified as academic research funded by the University or by a grant under the University’s name. Teaching is classified as teaching an academic subject pursuant to a contract of employment with a college or department of the University for a period of one academic year or more.
  • Current Members of Congregation
  • Official Recognised Students or Visiting Students

Please note that you may be asked to provide evidence or official documentation of your connection to Oxford University to help support your application before Associate status is granted (such as a degree/diploma certificate, or employment contract).  If the requested documentation is not provided we will be unable to investigate your application further.

If you attended the University prior to November 2021, you may still be eligible for associate status. You can find details of this below:
  • Non-matriculated students who have completed and passed a single accredited course, lasting for at least 12 weeks. *Please note the completion of several short courses amounting to 12 weeks would not entitle an individual to Associate status. 
  • Non-matriculated students who have completed and passed a certificate or diploma through a University department such as the Department for Continuing Education (https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/oxford-qualifications) or the Faculty of Theology.
  • Anybody who has conducted academic research or engaged in academic teaching for the University for at least one academic year. University research is classified as being funded by the University or by a grant under the University’s name. 
    Teaching is classified as "having a contract of employment for one academic year or more, with a college or department of the University”
  • Current members of Congregation.
  • Recognised students (defined here https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/new/recognised?wssl=1) or visiting students (defined here https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/new/visiting?wssl=1). 
  • Those who have completed an Open Programme Executive Education Course of four consecutive days or more on campus at the Saïd Business School.
  • Those who have completed an Executive Education Course of four consecutive days or more (e.g. Oil, Gas and Mining Governance, and Hong Kong Officer Professional Development Programme) at the Blavatnik School of Government.
  • Non-matriculated students who read for Oxford University courses at Westminster College (between 1959 – 1981 and 1993 – 2000), Lady Spencer Churchill College (between 1966-1976), Ripon College Cuddesdon, or Culham College of Education.
  • Those who have completed Certificate of Fine Art at the Ruskin School of Fine Art.
  • Reuters Fellows associated with Green Templeton College.
  • The Oxford Institute of Legal Practice (OXILP) students (between 1993-2008).

Please note that you may be asked to provide evidence or official documentation of your connection to Oxford University to help support your application, before Associate Alumni status is granted (such as a degree/diploma certificate, or employment contract).  If the requested documentation is not provided we will be unable to investigate your application further.

Not eligible for alumni/associate status:

We regret that the following are not eligible at any level:

  • Ruskin College students
  • Plater College students
  • Williams College visiting programme students
  • Medical elective students
  • Saïd Business School Custom courses
  • Saïd Business School online courses
  • Those engaged in private research or research for another institution
  • MA by resolution

Benefits

The following table illustrates the benefits and services available to the different types of membership.

Benefits and Resources Alumni status Associate status
My Oxford Card Yes Yes
Access to journals (JSTOR) Yes No
Bodleian Reader’s card (see Bodleian Library page for full details) Some* Possible, but please contact the Bodleian Admissions Office in advance
College Access (each college has its own policy – see the college access page) Yes Yes
Careers advice and related benefits Yes No
Invitations to Meeting Minds and other events Yes (all) Yes (Exclusions may apply)
Blackwell’s 15% discount Yes Yes
Participate in alumni group activity Yes (all) Yes (at individual group discretion)
Email forwarding (My Oxford Email) Yes No
Email newsletter Yes Yes
Discounts on Continuing Education courses Yes Yes
Negotiated discounts at shops, hotels etc. Yes Yes
Language Centre Yes No

 

For information about accessing the Bodleian Library, please visit the Bodleian Library page.

* Only holders of a University of Oxford degree of at least BA level are eligible to apply for a free Bodleian Reader Card. All other alumni – even (i) those who may have matriculated to read for an Oxford degree but never completed, or (ii) may have matriculated but not to read for a degree, as well as (iii) Associates – are most welcome to apply for a Bodleian Reader Card but it is on payment.