Biological sciences
Short courses
The Department offers a range of short courses in biological sciences – both in-person and online. These include day schools, weekly learning programmes and professional development courses.
Academic credit
Many of our courses can be studied for credit which means they can count towards a recognised qualification.
Upcoming courses
In-person weekly • Short courses
What does a plant do to exist in this world? The course will uncover how plants function, from the cellular to the organismal level, how plants respond to other organisms, and survive in the changing global environment.
- Wed 21 Jan 2026 – Wed 25 Mar 2026
- 10 meetings
- 10:30am – 12:30pm
Online - flexible • Short courses • Professional development
Part-time over five weeks, this tutor-led training course can be taken from anywhere in the world. It will appeal to students and practitioners who want to improve their ability to conduct bird surveys.
- Wed 11 Feb 2026 – 18 Mar 2026
- 5 meetings
Online - flexible • Short courses • Professional development
A 10-week, tutor-led data analysis course taken entirely online. The course introduces students to the use of QED Statistics and R software.
- Wed 11 Feb 2026 – 22 Apr 2026
- 10 meetings
In-person weekly • Short courses
Explore the incredible world of terrestrial arthropods in this engaging course. Discover their extraordinary diversity, their impact on our lives, and their fascinating ecology and behaviours with a focus on remarkable insects and spiders.
- Tue 24 Feb 2026 – Tue 24 Mar 2026
- 5 meetings
- 2:00 – 4:00pm
Online - flexible • Professional development
Part-time over five weeks, this tutor-led training course can be taken from anywhere in the world. It will appeal to students and practitioners who want to improve their ability to conduct fish and amphibian surveys.
- Wed 18 Mar 2026 – 22 Apr 2026
- 5 meetings
Short intensive • Short courses • Professional development
This five-day course provides a thorough overview of the exciting and emerging discipline of nanomedicine, which is already starting to transform the way that medical and health care solutions are developed and delivered.
- Mon 23 Mar 2026 – 27 Mar 2026
Related subjects and qualifications:
Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques
Part-time and taught mostly online, the course provides high quality practical training in techniques for ecological field surveysPostgraduate Diploma in Wildlife Conservation (Recanati-Kaplan)
A unique full-time residential course designed to equip you with the skills and theoretical understanding needed to contribute to conservation research and action in the developing world.Medical and health sciences
Postgraduate qualifications, short courses, part-time study and online courses in medical and health sciences at Oxford University.