Applications for the 2024-25 academic year are now closed. Applications for the 2025-26 academic year will reopen in September 2024.

We are looking for a diverse group of people who want to work in partnership with others to make positive change in the world through public policy.

Don’t be put off by Oxford’s intimidating reputation. Our community is strengthened by each and every one of our students’ unique lived experiences, along with their willingness to learn from one another and pay those lessons forward in public service across the world. Don’t let fear keep you from being someone who makes a difference in your country.
Richenda Gambles, Director of Admissions

All applications to the MPP are initially managed by the University of Oxford’s central Graduate Admissions and Funding Office on our behalf. For more information about the criteria and how we assess against them please see the Oxford University Graduate Admissions website.

There are around 140 places available each year. These places will be offered to applicants that best meet our criteria. Please note, in considering applicants’ achievements and their suitability for a place on the MPP, we take a holistic approach and consider a range of contextual factors.

In addition, we also seek evidence of proficiency in the English language. Read the full requirements. If you already have English language test scores at the required level, please include them in your application. However, you are not required to provide test scores when you submit your application.

If you receive an offer of a place, the department may require you to submit language test scores by a specific deadline as a condition of your offer. It can take several months to secure a place for a language test, so we recommend arranging to sit a test as soon as you decide to apply.

To apply, and for details about what you need to apply to the MPP, please refer to the Oxford University Graduate Admissions website.

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If you are offered a place for the MPP, your offer letter will make clear any conditions of admission: for example meeting the English language requirements and/or achieving a particular degree classification. Your application will then be automatically assessed in two separate processes: one in relation to your college; and another in relation to university-managed funding opportunities. The exact timeline depends on each college and different university funding schemes and is beyond our control.  

Once you are accepted by a college, you will receive a firm offer of a place subject to the fulfilment of financial conditions. Please note that you are guaranteed a college place if you hold on offer of a place on the course.

Your application will be automatically considered for a range of university-managed scholarships that you are eligible for. Your offer will also come with an invitation to complete a Scholarship Questionnaire, usually within two weeks of receiving the offer should you wish to be considered for any funding directly managed by the School.

More information about the application process can be found on the Graduate Admissions pages.

As part of the University of Oxford, every Blavatnik School of Government student becomes a member of a college. This means that not only will you be part of the School’s global network and the University of Oxford’s centuries-long history, but you’ll also have access to the sense of community and family unique to Oxford colleges. The University of Oxford is in fact a ‘collegiate university’: it is made up of 45 different colleges and halls. Each of them has its own particular character, but they are all independent, self-governing bodies that give students and scholars the benefit of belonging to a smaller academic community and provide facilities for study, accommodation, welfare, sport and leisure activities. 

Thanks to your college or hall you will meet additional academics and students across subjects and year groups who, like the faculty at the Blavatnik School, come from a variety of academic backgrounds, cultures and countries. Alongside your supervisor at the School you will also have a college adviser who will be a member of the college’s academic staff and will offer support and advice.

As a Blavatnik School of Government student, you may choose to apply to a particular college in your application or make an open application. If you apply to a specific college you will automatically be considered by that college. If you are successful they will notify you that you have been awarded a place. If you are unsuccessful you will automatically be considered by other colleges until you are offered a place. The decision to state a preference of college, or to make an open application, will not affect the likelihood of your success for admission. If you make an open application, the central Graduate Admissions office (or in some cases the Blavatnik School) will allocate a college for you to be considered by. Read more about what choosing a college entails. Please note that by receiving an offer to study on the MPP you are guaranteed a college place.

For more information on Oxford's collegiate system please see the College Guide. For a list of accepting colleges at the time you make your application please view the college tab on the graduate admissions prospectus.

Colleges have very popular accommodation facilities and staying in a college is often known as ‘living in’. However it’s important to remember that the offer of a college place does not necessarily mean that you will be guaranteed accommodation, so we encourage you to look at all options available, including private rental. The Graduate Accommodation Office lets and manages rooms, flats and houses in and around Oxford city centre, on sites owned by the University, to full-time graduate students. For help with accommodation information for visiting students, academics and staff members, visit the Studentpad website, hosted by the Graduate Accommodation Office, where a number of private landlords advertise for tenants associated with the University.