How hard is it to get into Human Sciences Oxford?

What is Human Sciences at Oxford?

Human Sciences is (according to the Oxford Website) “... an interdisciplinary degree course which enables students to study humans from multiple interconnecting perspectives across the biological and social sciences.” As a human scientist myself, I can say it is an course unlike no other.

With only 30-40 offers given out per year, Human Sciences is viewed as niche, even at Oxford. It is the only undergraduate course to have papers across all four divisions (Humanities; Mathematics, Physical & Life Sciences; Social Sciences; and Medical Sciences).

I have had lectures, tutorials and classes with Biochemists, Archeology and Anthropology students, PPEists, Medics, Psychologists, and more. If you’re caught between any of these subjects, maybe Human Sciences is the degree for you.

When talking to my non-Human Sciences classmates, I always heard the same thing: if only they heard about Human Sciences before they applied, they would have considered it too.

While Human Sciences might not be so well-known, the subject’s distinctiveness makes Human Sciences students stand out to employers across fields (Take a look at some examples from the Human Sciences open days here).

With a 14% acceptance rate, Human Sciences is a bit more competitive than other Oxford courses, which makes sense considering its small size.

Another challenge is the relatively few universities that offer Human Sciences courses (Oxford, UCL, and Birmingham). As you’ll need to write one personal statement for five universities, many applicants will choose to use the same statement for multiple courses.

Getting into Human Sciences at Oxford is certainly difficult, but not impossible. As one of the top students in my year and someone who received an unconditional offer,

How to write an Oxford Human Sciences personal statement?

The best way to write an Oxford Human Sciences personal statement is to find a niche and focus your personal statement around that. Human Sciences is a broad, interdisciplinary degree, but the best applicants find a way to stand out. Your Human Sciences ‘Niche’ can be the issue, subject, experience, etc. that inspired you to pick Human Sciences. While this might sound obvious, make sure your personal statement displays why you want to study Human Sciences … You should be clear on what makes Human Sciences different from other subjects, and also what makes you different from other applicants.

How to do well in an Oxford human sciences interview?

Human Sciences interviews are more challenging due to the range of subjects. In my interviews, I was asked questions from Sociology, Environmental Science, Demography, Evolutionary Anthropology, and more. Most applicants won’t be studying all of these at A-Level (I certainly wasn’t), but the best applicants should have an understanding of this entire range.

If you study mostly biological sciences at A-Level (Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Physics, etc.), be ready to answer questions from social sciences (Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, etc.) and vice versa. Be sure to display confidence, flexibility, and competence.

Most you all you must have a clear passion for the subject

Nothing displays passion than going beyond your school’s curriculum. In the year before you apply, consider doing a science fair, essay competition, or an EPQ (Extended project qualification) with a Human Sciences spin.

Every student will list out their favorite Human Sciences related books (Any Sapiens fans reading this?), but applicants with a ‘supercurricular’ to talk about should hopefully have interesting and unique conversations with interviewers.

If you’re considering applying for Human Sciences, University Admissions Tutors has advice from experienced Oxbridge tutors and successful applicants. We offer tutorials to broaden your subject understanding, as well as essay and interview guidance.

Madeline is currently studying Human Sciences at Oxford University, ranking 2nd in her class. She loves to share her passion for her subject and hopes that her students will develop their own passionate interests in applying the Human Sciences to ongoing world problems.