Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford University

Updates from the Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford University. Exeter itself was founded in 1314, making it Oxford’s fourth-oldest college.

Since 1985, select members of the Williams junior class have participated in the rigorous
year-long study away program at Exeter College, one of the thirty-eight colleges that make up the University of Oxford. For roughly twenty-five students offered admission to the Williams-Exeter Programme each spring, the year abroad is a rare opportunity for immersion in the intellectual, social, and cultural

Photos from Williams-Exeter Programme at Oxford University's post

07/02/2026

We had a great day learning about the , one of Oxfordshire’s local, independent businesses. The business is one of the UK’s best examples of a Victorian tower brewery, where beer is still made by hand and delivered locally by shire horses 🐴🍻

15/01/2026

We’re spending the day at Bletchley Park learning about the code breakers of the Second World War. We even got to use an original enigma machine- which was featured in The Imitation Game!

22/12/2025

This year, we’re challenging our cohort to EphsPlore the UK in their free time! With 22 destinations on our list, students are competing to see who can visit the most. Exploring the UK is key to understanding its rich history, and we’ve got some fierce competitors!

The WEPO term dates offer two 5-week breaks, allowing our cohorts to travel and explore between tutorials. Here’s a sneak peek at some of the cities they’ve visited so far: London, Stratford-upon-Avon, and Bristol ✈️ 🚆

10/12/2025

It was a lovely day exploring Bath at the end of Michaelmas term!

We’re wishing all a lovely term break, we will see you in January 👋

05/12/2025

Our next highlight is Alden Weaver ‘27!

My name is Alden Weaver and I’m a sociology and comparative literature double major from Philadelphia. While I’m at Oxford I’m taking tutorials in English literature and Linguistics (linguistics in particular has been very novel but that’s the beauty of being able to study at a place like Oxford where they have just about everything!).

My favorite tutorial I’ve taken here has been English Literature 1550-1660. Not only has the material been new (actually pretty old) and very interesting, it’s been a huge privilege to get to work with the incredible Professor Nandini Das on the paper. I’ve also really appreciated getting to tag along with the Exeter second-year English students (having tutorials and classes with them as this is part of the core English curriculum at Oxford). I think this has really helped me integrate well——and I’m also going to be staying with them next term for Lit from 1660-1760!

The biggest difference between Williams and Oxford has been how self-driven study here is. For instance, each week I have to choose a substantial portion of my readings for myself——deciding what’s important for me and what isn’t——much more like a “research” assignment at Williams than an average essay. This has been challenging but also extremely gratifying as I can really direct my studies towards my particular interests.

Outside of my tutorials and classes, I’ve really enjoyed being on the Exeter College Boat Club (rowing team). I’m on the rowing team at Williams, so it’s been nice to keep that going, but rowing here is also a much bigger part of the culture than in America. This means that lots of people participate (including at times the Rector, basically the college president), so I’ve gotten to know a really large portion of the college this way (and even dragged a couple novice WEPO students in with me). I also play in the Oxford Philharmonia, the student-run orchestra of the university! We just performed in the amazing Sheldonian Theatre, where I snapped a few pictures from rehearsal.

04/12/2025

Happy Oxmas! We’re loving celebrating the end of Michaelmas term together with our staff and students 🎉🎄

01/12/2025

It’s our first post of the year! Meet Austina Xu ‘27, studying with us in Oxford this year:

Hi! My name’s Austina, and I grew up in the Bay Area in California. I’m an English and Economics major at Williams and am taking courses in both subjects as well as in Law during my time at Oxford.

The tutorial I’ve liked the most so far has been my Family Law tutorial. My professor, Jonathan Herring, is the absolute sweetest and has produced work in other areas I’m interested in, such as medical law and feminist legal perspectives. It was actually a biomedical ethics tutorial at Williams that got me curious about the kinds of legal and moral obligations that govern our personal relationships, so I’m thrilled I’ve been able to dive further into that type of thinking here. It’s also been especially fascinating to discuss questions of parental obligation, state intervention in the private sphere, and child welfare in the context of the UK.

One of my favorite things to do outside of my tutorials is go to rehearsals for Oxford University Competition Dance. Jina Kang and I are both members of the team, and I’m excited to witness our pieces progress throughout the terms! It’s been a super gratifying and fun learning experience as someone who has never been a part of a competitive dance team before. Other than that, I love biking around the streets in City Centre (once I got used to the riding on the left thing) and passing by all the beautiful colleges and stores :)

27/11/2025

Happy Thanksgiving! We’re thankful for our students, and our friends at Exeter College with whom we shared a lovely meal. 🦃

30/10/2025

Tonight we were joined by Guillermo de las Casas ‘97 (WEPO ‘96) and Mary Banker ‘97 for conversation about life at WEPO and post-Williams. It’s always lovely to connect with local Ephs!