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Oriel College joins STEM programme for female and non-binary students
Students at Oriel College’s STEM study day residential in 2025.
12 December 2025
Oriel College has joined six other Oxford colleges supporting a programme for students who identify as female or non-binary and want to learn more about studying a STEM degree at Oxford.
The ‘Bright Matter’ programme, starting in January 2026, is now open for registration.
The other colleges supporting the programme are St Anne’s, St Catherine’s, St Hilda’s, Magdalen, Mansfield and University College.
The programme starts on Wednesday 7 January with an online session about applying to study at Oxford. This will then be followed over the next few weeks by online sessions on each undergraduate STEM degree that is taught at Oxford, including degrees such as Biochemistry, Engineering, Computer Science and Psychology.
The sessions will be led by an academic expert. They will include an introduction to the subject as well as a short academic taster and Q&A with current students.
Following the online sessions, each of the seven participating colleges, including Oriel, will hold an in-person day visit for the students. During these visits students will learn more about studying a STEM degree at Oxford and also gain a valuable insight into what life is like at a college.
To attend the Bright Matter programme, students need to sign up using the online form, which also includes further information about the online sessions.
The programme is open to all students in year 11 and 12 who identify as female or non-binary and are interested in learning more about STEM degrees at Oxford. Students must attend at least one online session to be invited to register their interest in attending an academic taster day at a college.