Psychology and Social Connection

Psychology and Social Connection summer course in Oxford, by Lady Margaret Hall.

Oxford Summer Courses Guide » Courses » Lady Margaret Hall » Psychology and Social Connection

Key Details

Available from: 30th June 2025 to 18th July 2025
Provider: Lady Margaret Hall
Ages: 19+
Fees: £4,060 / 3 Weeks

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Course Summary

What is the secret to a life well lived? People may accumulate wealth and success, and yet find themselves feeling lonely and unfulfilled – what’s missing?

The empirical evidence is unusually clear: the most significant determinant in how happy, healthy, and long a life we lead is our social connection, that is, how connected we feel to other human beings. In many societies, however, loneliness has been on the rise, attributed variously to pandemic restrictions, an increasing reliance on digital interactions, or an emphasis on individualism over community.

This course examines why nurturing supportive relationships matter to mental health and how people create bonds with one another. You will learn about the types of social network, and how different people nurture their networks, especially when entering new social environments or facing a life transition. You will also investigate why people can be naturally suspicious of those who seem at first glance to be ‘different’, and how human beings can nonetheless form successful diverse interconnected communities.

This exciting course spans several areas of psychology, including evolutionary, social, and clinical psychology, and the psychology of individual differences, to explore how and why humans choose social connection with others.

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Course Highlights

Live and study in Lady Margaret Hall, one of Oxford's finest colleges
Learn from experienced academics using the tutorial system
Enjoy meals in hall, experiencing life as an Oxford student
Gain new skills to take you further in your future academic or professional career.

What's Included?

All tuition, including lectures, seminars, and tutorials
Assessment, transcript of academic performance, and certificate
A co-curricular programme of skills workshops and guest speakers
Access to the Lady Margaret Hall College Library
Bed & Breakfast accommodation in a single bedroom throughout your programme
Lunch and dinner in the College Dining Hall Monday to Friday
A full Social & Cultural Programme, including two excursions to other English cities per three-week programme session
A high-quality printed class photograph
Formal Graduation banquet

Accommodation

You will stay in College accommodation onsite at Lady Margaret Hall, in bedrooms normally occupied by our undergraduate students during term time.

You will eat breakfast each day in the Dining Hall, and lunch and dinner will also be provided in College on each of your teaching days. On the final evening of the course there is a Graduation Formal Hall, when students dress up in their finest outfits for a special banquet served in the Dining Hall.

Tuition

Teaching:

LMH Summer Programmes are designed and delivered by experienced academics from Lady Margaret Hall and across the University of Oxford, and are taught using the Oxford teaching model, which emphasises personalised small-group learning.

In a series of thought-provoking lectures and lively seminar discussions you will learn about cutting-edge research, expand your core knowledge, and explore new ideas and concepts among peers with diverse international perspectives and academic backgrounds.

Tutorials, the conclusion of each week’s study, are an intellectual thrill. They are a unique opportunity for focused and personalised attention from an expert academic and a space for enthusiastic debate of important ideas. Alongside no more than two to three other students, you will present and discuss your work, accept constructive criticism, and engage with the ideas of your fellow students. These rigorous academic discussions help develop and facilitate learning in a way that cannot be done with lectures alone.

Assessment:

On a three-week LMH Summer Programme students produce one piece of assessed work every week, which is submitted to the tutor and then discussed in a tutorial. At the end of each week you will receive a percentage grade for your submitted work. Each week’s work counts for a third of your final percentage grade, so your final grade is an average of the mark received for each piece of work. Students who stay for six or nine weeks will receive a separate grade for each 3-week course.

Academic Credit:

Lady Margaret Hall will provide a transcript of your assessed work, and can send this directly to your home institution if required. LMH Summer Programmes are designed to be eligible for academic credit, and we will communicate with your home institution to facilitate this as needed. As a guide, we recommend the award of 15 CATS / 7.5 ECTS / 4 US Credits for each 3-week course.

Extracurricular Activities

Would you like to join a pub quiz, visit a medieval castle, or go punting on the river? Our team of Residential Advisors are here to help you get to know other students, explore the city, and have an authentic experience of life as a student at an Oxford college.