MSc in Taxation

The Oxford MSc in Taxation is a two-year, part-time postgraduate degree. It is offered by the Oxford University Faculty of Law and taught in association with the Oxford University Centre for Business Taxation. 

The Oxford Law Faculty has a long, distinguished history and it is one of the pre-eminent law faculties in the world.

The Centre for Business Taxation is a unique interdisciplinary tax research institute which produces cutting-edge research and is heavily engaged in tax policy debates and tax policy-making in the UK and internationally. It brings together the world’s foremost legal, economic and accounting researchers.

Unusual among masters degrees in taxation, the MSc in Taxation was designed by a combination of lawyers and economists. The interdisciplinary nature of the degree ensures that students not only acquire a detailed understanding of technical law, but also the ability to think deeply about the underlying policy considerations. 

Who is the programme for?

The MSc in Taxation is ideally suited if you are a practitioner in a law or accounting firm and you wish to move from a technical to a deeper understanding of taxation: insights that will take your career to a new level. It is also suitable for professionals working in revenue authorities and treasury departments, as well as for those contemplating an academic career in taxation. 

Who teaches on the programme?

The degree is taught by staff from the Law Faculty and the Centre for Business Taxation, as well as a select group of practising lawyers and other leading academics.

This approach ensures that you not only acquire a detailed understanding of technical law, but also the ability to think deeply about the underlying policy considerations. 

In addition to staff from the CBT (Michael Devereux, Richard Collier, İrem Güçeri, Alice Pirlot and Sarah Clifford) and the Law Faculty (Tsilly Dagan, Judith Freedman, Glen Loutzenhiser and John Vella), the degree is taught by Visiting Professors Philip Baker QC and Emma Chamberlain QC. Other visiting lecturers included CBT alumni Anzhela Cédelle (OECD) and Rita de la Feria (University of Leeds), MSc alumnus Matt Andrew (OECD), Jonathan Peacock QC (11 New Square), Jennifer Blouin (University of Pennsylvania), Niels Johannesen (University of Copenhagen), Stephen Shay (Harvard), and Susan Morse (Texas).

Flexibility

The in-built flexibility of the course allows students to tailor studies to their individual preferences.

This flexibility is particularly important because the MSc in Taxation has been designed as a part-time degree to appeal to a range of students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The degree aims to accommodate both those who are engaged in full-time careers and those who are taking a break but have other duties and responsibilities.

Teaching on the MSc in Taxation is undertaken in Oxford in intensive periods, primarily during three residential weeks and in other short blocks of time at weekends. The flexibility of the course allows students to tailor their studies to their individual preferences which appeals to a range of students from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. The degree aims to accommodate both those who are engaged in full-time careers and those who are taking a break but have other duties and responsibilities.

Topics taught include Principles of International Taxation, Tax Treaties, UK Corporation Tax, EU Tax Law, Tax and Public Policy, Transfer Pricing, Tax and Human Rights, and the Taxation of Corporate Finance. 

For further information about the MSc in Taxation see: www.law.ox.ac.uk/msctax