Widening participation and improving fairness: Graduate Student Access Strategy 2024-29

• This blog introduces Oxford’s Graduate Student Access Strategy, approved by Council on 19 May
• Phil Taylor gives insights into aspects of the strategy and why promoting a fair and inclusive graduate admissions framework is vital for Oxford’s academic mission

Graduate study changes lives; it certainly did mine. But the factors that determine which students progress to graduate study are complex, and addressing them constructively matters a great deal for this institution and the wider HE sector. Oxford’s Graduate Student Access Strategy, approved by Council on 19 May, sets out a range of ambitious goals for the University community, focused on the aim of enhancing academic excellence by removing barriers and putting fairness and equity at the heart of graduate admissions and on-course support. 

Several initiatives designed to increase the diversity of our graduate population have emerged across the collegiate University in the last few years. In the Humanities Division we have set up targeted scholarships for under-represented ethnic groups, piloted an applicant mentoring scheme, and participated in a range of broader University initiatives such as UNIQ+ research internships, Academic Futures, pilot selection procedures and the Oxford–Cambridge Close the Gap project.

Getting involved in the UNIQ+ research internships has been a personal highlight – a rare chance for divisional staff like me to speak with students about their aspirations. This 7-week programme lets promising undergraduates from across the UK experience life as postgraduate researchers at Oxford. The transformation is remarkable: students who are considering the possibility of graduate study begin to realise that Oxford could be the place for them. Seeing some progress to funded DPhil places a year later shows what targeted intervention can achieve. The Graduate Student Access Strategy brings all these activities together in a single framework and sets out how they will be developed and expanded.

Supporting Humanities faculties with graduate admissions and scholarship selection has taught me how complicated it is to advance graduate access objectives. Everything matters: how we advertise courses, the nuances of admissions requirements and procedures as we process thousands of applications, and the support we provide once students arrive. Myriad local decisions and practices shape the composition of our graduate student body.

Extensive consultation on the strategy took place during 2023–5, and for Humanities faculties the main consensus was strong support for the principles but concern about the lack of dedicated resources. With no spare academic or administrative capacity, even surviving the time-pressured admissions cycle intact can feel like a win, let alone implementing new initiatives. The final strategy responds directly to this feedback by placing dedicated resourcing at its core.

What I’ve also learned is that individual academic colleagues serving as assessors and supervisors care hugely about access, investing their time and effort in identifying potential and making opportunities available. The fact that all Humanities faculties will now be adopting contextual data in admissions during 2025–6, a year ahead of the strategic goal, shows that there is a gathering momentum behind these efforts to develop and improve our processes. 

Scholarship funding is critical for widening access at Oxford, and the situation is becoming acute for the Humanities with significant cuts to Arts and Humanities Research Council funding on the way in 2026. In such a challenging environment, I would argue it’s even more crucial that Oxford takes a lead in making graduate study available to all, regardless of their background or income. Targeted scholarship schemes such as Academic Futures and Crankstart are already making a tangible difference, and the strategy’s goal of continuing to expand financial support for disadvantaged and under-represented students is crucial for its success.

Over the coming year, departments will be supported in developing their own graduate access priorities, ensuring the strategy meets the specific needs of each academic area. I urge you to get involved through your department, division or college and find out what's happening as this takes shape. After all, your efforts could change someone's life.

To learn more about the Graduate Student Access Strategy, visit its dedicated webpage (SSO required).