Tutors are drawn from Oxford academic and research staff, and expertise is also recruited from outside the University. Some courses are offered in partnership with the Bodleian Library and the University's Language Centre. The International Programmes office works with the British Council, as well as offering programmes in partnership with institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, the University of California at Berkeley and a number of other universities in North America and elsewhere. Class sizes vary from twelve to thirty students, with the larger programmes recruiting over 350 people. Participants in International Programmes courses include University undergraduates, graduates, teachers, library professionals, and members of the legal profession, as well as business and trade union executives.
Students range in age from eighteen to eighty years.
Admission requirements vary from programme to programme, but all have a minimum age of 18 years.