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    Saïd Business School, University of Oxford AI and Machine Learning Pioneers Summer School

    by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

    • 2027 program

    A two-week residential summer school in Oxford for students aged 15 to 18, run by the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School with the university's Department of Economics. The first week covers how AI works, from machine learning and neural networks to large language models, with hands-on Python. The second looks at how AI is changing business, work and public policy. Throughout, you work in a team on an AI project tackling a real-world challenge and present it at a final showcase, where academics and industry experts give feedback.

    Facts checked against the official page on 11 Nov 2026 · Editor: Sean StevensSean Stevens · Sources

    At a glance

    Official facts · checked 11 Nov 2026
    DatesOfficial
    2027: 18 to 31 July
    Who can applyOfficial
    Aged 15 to 18 (up to 18 years and 11 months) on 31 August of the year the program runs. English at CEFR B2 (upper intermediate) level or above. Open to students of all nationalities and backgrounds
    Total costOfficial
    2027: £8,995
    Format and placeOfficial
    In person, Oxford
    Length
    2 weeks
    Included / budget separately
    Included: accommodation, meals (Three meals a day included). Separately: private Heathrow transfer outside set times £200 each way, private Gatwick, Stansted or London City transfer £250 each way, Accompanied train from London Paddington or Marylebone £120 each way, Early arrival night £300
    Deposit and refunds
    Cancel within 14 days of accepting your offer: full refund of any payments made
    Financial aid
    Applicants can ask to be considered for a full or partial fee scholarship on the application form. No amounts, criteria or number of awards are published
    Apply by
    Rolling admissions
    Cohort and selectivity
    Applicants are assessed on a written application and a pre-recorded video interview, reviewed on a rolling basis. No cohort size or acceptance rate is published
    Credit or certificate
    Official University of Oxford certificate of attendance
    Official page
    sbs.ox.ac.uk/programmes/youth-programmes/ai-and-machine-learning-pioneers-summer-school

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    AI and Machine Learning Pioneers Summer School

    Succeed's assessment

    Should you apply?

    Succeed

    In short

    Worth it for a curious 15- to 18-year-old who wants a broad, Oxford-taught look at how AI works and what it's doing to business and society. It's less suited to a student who already codes and wants deep technical training, since the course assumes no advanced coding experience.

    • Why it's worth it

      It's run by the University of Oxford's own Saïd Business School and Department of Economics, and it puts the technical side of AI, including hands-on Python, next to the economics, ethics and policy questions around it. That mix suits a student still deciding between computer science, economics and business.

    • What it asks of you

      £8,995 is a big outlay for two weeks, even with room, meals and trips included, and flights come on top. Getting in takes three written answers, a teacher reference and a recorded video interview, and you're expected to attend every session.

    • Who should skip it

      Students who mainly want to build and train their own models, because the two weeks share time with ethics, business models, leadership and public speaking, and the team project ends with presenting ideas at a showcase.

    What does it take to get in?

    You can apply from any country if you're 15 to 18 on 31 August 2027 (up to 18 years and 11 months) and your English is at least B2, or upper intermediate, on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). If you're not sure of your level, your English teacher can tell you, and the recruitment team checks it during the interview stage. Saïd Business School assesses your written application and video interview together, and if you haven't heard back within two weeks of applying, you should contact the team.

    • Written application

      Three answers of about 300 words each, on why you want to attend, which skills you want to develop and what you'd bring, plus your school details and a teacher who can give a reference.

    • Video interview

      Once you submit, you're invited to record answers to set questions on the Kira Talent platform, with no live interviewer.

    • Offer and payment

      If you're successful, you accept the offer and pay a deposit, but the place is only confirmed once the full fee is paid.

    Who teaches the course?

    The course is led by Jean-Paul Carvalho, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Oxford, and the Department of Economics also lists Jeremy Large, a Fellow by Resolution in Economics at St Hugh's College, among its tutors. Saïd Business School adds industry experts and AI practitioners, including people researching agentic AI, but doesn't name them. Most teaching happens at Saïd Business School and the Department of Economics, both within walking distance of the colleges. Saïd Business School says its programs are taught in small groups, although it gives no class size for this one.

    What do you leave Oxford with?

    You leave with an official University of Oxford certificate of attendance, which is withheld from anyone who misses the attendance requirements. It isn't academic credit, and while Saïd Business School says its summer schools strengthen university applications, that's the school's own claim rather than anything a university admissions office has said. What you can actually point to afterward is the team AI project you built around a real-world problem and presented at the final showcase, along with the feedback academics and industry experts gave you on it. The course also includes sessions on university admissions and public speaking.

    What does the fee cover, and what costs extra?

    The fee is £8,995, and it covers all teaching, your own room, three meals a day, excursions, field trips and course materials. Flights, any visa and spending money are extra. Saïd Business School runs free transfers from Heathrow and Gatwick at 10:00, 14:00 and 18:00 and from Oxford rail station, so booking a flight that lands near those times saves money. Payment is in pounds sterling, and any currency conversion costs are yours.

    You can cancel within 14 days of accepting your offer and get everything back. After that, there's no refund unless the university agrees to one, and it strongly recommends insurance that covers cancellation. Moving to a later run of the same course, if there's space, is free with six weeks' notice or more, but it costs 25% of the fee with three to six weeks' notice and 50% with less, and you can only transfer once.

    • Private airport transfer

      £200 each way from Heathrow, or £250 from Gatwick, Stansted or London City, if you arrive outside the free transfer times or at an airport without them.

    • Accompanied train

      £120 each way from London Paddington or Marylebone.

    • Early arrival or late departure

      £300 for the night before, with meals and supervision, or £150 to check out after 10:00.

    • Visa support

      £350 for help with the application, and the government's visa fee is on top of that.

    How are students looked after in Oxford?

    Students sleep in their own single rooms in University of Oxford accommodation that has 24/7 on-site security and a dedicated night team, and the accommodation is split by sex and age. Trained support staff are on hand around the clock, and there's free time to explore Oxford, with Wi-Fi to call home. Parents can drop students off, but Saïd Business School discourages visits during the course.

    • Health

      Medical conditions, allergies and medication have to be declared before arrival, and prescription medicine is handed to staff on arrival with instructions in English.

    • Rules

      Alcohol is banned whatever your age, as are smoking, drugs and leaving the premises without permission. Serious or repeated breaches can mean expulsion with no refund and a trip home at the family's expense.

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    What should you do next?

    Saïd Business School reviews applications for the 18 to 31 July 2027 session as they arrive and publishes no closing date, so the real decision is how soon to apply. Draft your three 300-word answers and ask a teacher to be your referee before you start. If you have questions first, the school holds an online information session on all its summer schools at 12pm GMT on 14 November 2026.
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    Frequently asked questions

    Yes. Saïd Business School is Oxford's own business faculty, and it delivers this course jointly with the university's Department of Economics. It's taught in university buildings, and students stay in university accommodation.

    No. Saïd Business School says no advanced coding experience is required, and Python is introduced during the course. An interest in math, economics, computer science or data helps.

    The application form asks whether you'd like to be considered for a full or partial fee scholarship, but no amounts or criteria are published, so ask the team at SummerSchools@sbs.ox.ac.uk. There's also a discount for booking more than one of the school's summer programs in the same summer.