Welcome!
Whether you are joining us for the first time or continuing your membership of Balliol, thank you for doing so. A very warm welcome to Balliol.
The College’s graduate community (or Middle Common Room — ‘MCR’) has a physical centre at Holywell Manor and also on the adjacent Master’s Field development – collectively known as the Graduate Centre. Whether you ‘live in’ or ‘live out’, you will have the support of the Praefectus (Head of the Graduate Centre), Professor Elena Lombardi, and the Junior Deans, who are postgraduate students (contact details here).
As a graduate student, you are a member of the MCR which is run by committee. Read the MCR President’s welcome here and find out more about the MCR here.
As a home to students who are admitted to a large range of courses, the College is naturally multidisciplinary, and we hope that you will find this aspect of our life one of the most rewarding. Beyond that, there are any number of ways to be involved in the graduate and the wider College community. We look forward to seeing how you will choose to participate.
In this Guide
The Freshers’ Guide is for Balliol offer-holders whose offers are fully unconditional and who have received confirmation letters from the Graduate Administrator. Please go through everything in it carefully as it contains important information about preparing for your arrival at Balliol. You may also have received further information separately from your department or the University.
The guide will be available until Saturday 6 November 2026.
TASKS TO COMPLETE NOW:
- Balliol College Freshers’ Form
- Contracts and University card form
- Oxford IT activation and University Registration (step one)
- Oxford medical registration
TASKS TO COMPLETE BEFORE ARRIVAL IN OXFORD:
- Harassment and Sexual Misconduct training | Oxford University — this is a mandatory online training course and needs to be completed before formal in person enrolment and collecting your University card. The course opens on 1 September 2026.
- Libraries online induction
HOW TO COMPLETE UNIVERSITY REGISTRATION (step two) WHEN YOU ARRIVE:
- See ‘tasks to complete now’ (above) for University registration step one
- Completing University registration (step two — formal enrolment) and collection of University Card — in person at Balliol College only (available from Wednesday 16 September)
Arrival information
- Travel to/arrival in Oxford — including maps and directions
- Early arrivals (Michaelmas Term starters only)
Events information
- Freshers’ events (Michaelmas Term starters only)
- Wellbeing Welcome — Tuesday 22 September online, more information here. Please register your attendance via the booking form
- Matriculation and Freshers’ Photograph (Michaelmas Term starters only)
Balliol general information
- Must-reads — including the College Handbook, a great source of information for all aspects of Balliol life
- Enrolment certificate/proof of student status
- Who’s Who for Fresher Graduates — College staff
- Accommodation, food, IT, domestic information and student deals
- Financial information and support
- Wellbeing and welfare
- International and EU students
See also
- The Current Members section of the Balliol website
- The University’s general information for new students
- MCR website
- Mature students: details of support and guidance available
- University of Oxford Newcomers’ Club for partners of graduate students