Durham University: Rankings, Courses & Admissions

Infrastructure

The Queen’s Campus is the main grounds of Durhan University, UK.

It houses the Wolfson Research Institute and Durham University International Study Centre. Situated next to the River Tees, the Queen's campus may seem small but offers endless opportunities for growth to its students.

The university is also home to 17 colleges, namely:

1. University College (Castle)

2. College of St. Hild & St. Bede

3. Hatfield College

4. St. Cuthbert’s Society

5. St. Mary’s College

6. St. Chad’s College

7. St. John’s College

8. St. Aidan’s College

9. Grey College

10. Van Mildert College

11. Ustinov College (PG only)

12. Trevelyan College

13. Collingwood College

14. John Snow College

15. Stephenson College

16. Josephine Butler College

17. South College

The Durham University, UK, boasts ten research institutes, researching in areas such as natural hazards, clean energy, mental and physical health, artificial intelligence, and more.

Let's take a look at the research institutes that allows for interdisciplinary research:

1. Biophysical Sciences Institute

2. Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing

3. Durham Energy Institute

4. Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies

5. Institute for Computational Cosmology

6. Institute of Hazard, Risk, and Resilience

7. Institute for Data Science

8. Institute of Advanced Study

9. Institute for Medical Humanities

10. Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology

The University also comprises 69 research centers. It deals with some of the following research areas:

1. Banking, Institutions, and Development

2. Commercial and Corporate Law

3. Communication Systems

4. Criminal Law and Justice

5. Culture and Ecology

6. Death and Life Studies

8. Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences

9. Bioimaging Technology

10. Human Rights

11. Law and Global Justice

Additionally, having state-of-the-art facilities and research equipment, the university offers these in the following range of disciplines:

1. Anthropology

2. Archaeology

3. Biological Sciences

4. Chemistry

5. Computer Science

6. Earth Sciences

7. Engineering

8. Geography

9. Physics

10. Psychology

The medium of instruction at Durham University is English.

Academic

The general application deadline for the academic year 2022-23 was January 26, 2022. To apply for Medicine, Dentistry, Oxbridge, or Veterinary Science, the application extends till October 15, 2022.

In terms of the Durham University admission process, most undergraduate applicants are advised to apply through UCAS. But, if your school does not use UCAS, you can also apply via the Common app.

Additionally, keep the deadlines for specific programs in mind before you apply. This is especially important so that you can get your references and letter of recommendation in time.

So, register a personal account on UCAS and then go ahead and fill out your application, which comprises personal details, educational and work qualifications, course choice, personal statement, and a reference.

You are allowed to choose up to 5 courses. Make sure to use the correct institute code for Durham– D86.

Additionally, you can select your college choice out of 17 colleges offered by Durham University. Make sure to use the correct campus code. Here's a list of campus codes for your reference:

1. Collingwood– 1

2. Grey– G

3. Hatfield– 2

4. John Snow– 7

5. Josephine Butler– 9

6. South College– K

7. St. Aidan’s– A

8. St. Chad’s– 3

9. St. Cuthbert’s Society– 4

10. Stephenson– 8

11. St. Hild & St. Bede– 5

12. St. John’s– J

13. St. Mary’s– M

14. Trevelyan– T

15. University– U

16. Van Midert– V

If you have no specific college preference, use the code O.

Once the application is submitted, you need to wait for the university's reply, which may take some time.

The other way to apply for undergraduate courses, as mentioned earlier, is via Common App. In your Durham application, you must submit a personal statement instead of filling the essay questions present on the Common App. You can send your specific college preference through Durham-specific questions through the portal too.

After completing the application, directly send the evidence of academic qualification to Durham on their e-mail documents.educators@durham.ac.uk.

The admission process is pretty similar to the postgraduate taught courses and research degree!

Apply through the Postgraduate Applicant Portal offered on the University website. Fulfill all the entry requirements and English proficiency tests. You are also required to send across two academic references.

When sending an application for a research degree, send a proposal to the department you are applying for. It will help the department decide whether they can facilitate your research or not.

You can also find the University of Durham admission requirements for your degree choice on the UCAS course search or in the courses database of Durham. Generally speaking, every course demands a particular qualification grade, study prep, or pre-existing knowledge of course subjects.

The grade requirements for UK qualifications are as follows:

1. Access to HE Diploma– 60 credits, with a minimum 45 acquired at Level 3

2. A and AS Level (including International A levels)– best of three A levels (except General Studies) with the grades varying from A*A*A to BBB

3. BTEC Nationals Level 3

4. Cambridge Pre- U Diploma

5. Cambridge Level 3 Technicals

6. Extended Project Qualification

7. International Baccalaureate

8. Practical Science

9. Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

If you need guidance about your A-level subjects or their equivalents, the Russel Group guide – Informed Choices – offers advice that can help you decide.

For international students from India, these are the following entry requirements for an undergraduate degree:

1. Grade A*A*A equivalent: Best of four academic subjects in Grade XII with an average of 90% and prerequisite subjects with 87% or more.

2. Grade A*AA equivalent: Best of four academic subjects in Grade XII with an average of 87% and prerequisite subjects with 85% or more.

3. Grade AAA equivalent: Best of four academic subjects in Grade XII with an average of 85% and prerequisite subjects with 85% or more.

4. Grade AAB equivalent: Best of four academic subjects in Grade XII with an average of 84% and prerequisite subjects with 85% or more.

5. Grade ABB equivalent: Best of four academic subjects with an average of 83% and prerequisite subjects with 85% or more.

Also, keep in mind that only CBSE and ICSE boards are considered, with case-to-case exceptions of specific state boards.

For international students from India pursuing postgraduate courses, the requirement for a 3, 4, or 5-year bachelor's degree from an approved Indian university is a must. The score must be above 60-70%, depending on the grad college.

Students not belonging to an English-speaking majority country will need to display their proficiency in the English language through an acceptable test. This is primarily for undergraduate courses. If you have fulfilled a master's degree taught in English, an additional English test is not required.

If these basic entry requirements are not met, there is an option to pursue a pathway program at Durham University International Study Centre. Upon completing the pathway program, the student can progress to a chosen degree.

Some other courses require additional selection criteria like interviews and tests. For a degree in Mathematics and Law, for instance, a specific subject test like Law National Aptitude Test or Mathematics Test is required.

Durham University’s acceptance rate is 41%.

Durham University, UK, also has over 330 undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses. Some of the popular courses, ranking high at the QS World University Ranking by Subjects are:

1. Archaeology (4th rank)

2. Theology, Divinity & Religious Studies (5th rank)

3. Geography (12th rank)

4. Classics & Ancient History (15th rank)

5. Anthropology (32nd rank)

6. History (37th rank)

7. English Language and Literature (44th rank)

8. Arts and Humanities (45th rank)

9. Law and Legal Studies (50th rank)

Additionally, as prospective students, you should also keep in mind the breakdown of the credit score required to attain specific qualifications in the University:

Qualification	Minimum Credits Required
Foundation Year	120 credits (Minimum 120 credits at Level 0)
Foundation Award	60 credits (Minimum 60 credits at Level 1)
Certificate HE	120 credits (Minimum 120 credits at Level 1)
Diploma HE	240 credits (Minimum 90 credits at Level 2)
Ordinary degree	300 credits (Minim 60 credits at Level 3)
Honors degree	360 credits (Minimum 90 credits at Level 3)
Integrated Master’s degree	480 credits (Minimum 120 credits at level 4)
Graduate Certificate	40 credits (Minimum 40 credits at Level 3)
Graduate Diploma	80 credits (Minimum 80 credits at Level 3)
PG Certificate	60 credits (Minimum 40 credits at Level 4)
Postgraduate Certificate in Education	90 credits (Minimum 60 credits at Level 4)
PG Diploma	120 credits (Minimum 90 credits at level 4)
Master's degree (taught)	180 credits (Minimum 150 credits at Level 4)
Master's degree (research)	180 credits (Minimum 180 credits at Level 4)
Master in Social Work (MSW)	305 credits (Minimum 305 credits at Level 4)
MBA	180 credits (Minimum 15 credits at Level 4)
Higher Master’s degree (research)	360 credits (Minimum 360 credits at Level 4)
Professional Doctorate	540 credits (minimum 360 credits at Level 5)
Ph.D. with Integrated Studies	720 credits (minimum 540 credits at Level 5)
Doctorate (Ph.D.)	540 credits (minimum 540 credits at Level 5)

 

Furthermore, some popular programs of the university include:

1. Design

2. Arts

3. Humanities

4. Business

5. Politics

6. Social Sciences

7. Languages

8. Medicine

9. Engineering

10. Mathematics

Lastly, the calendar dates of the academic year 2022-2023 are:

1. Induction week: September 25-October 2, 2022

2. Michaelmas term: October 3-December 9, 2022

3. Christmas vacation: December 10, 2022-January 8, 2023

4. Epiphany term: January 9-March 17, 2023

5. Easter vacation: March 18-April 23, 2023

6. Easter term: April 24-June 23, 2023

7. Summer vacation: June 24-September 24, 2023

Extracurriculars & diversity

All work and no play make Jack a dull boy. Durham University truly stands by the proverb and offers a range of engaging activities such as sports and club societies for students to partake in.

There are over 1000 student-led societies. It comprises over 8 music societies, 27 theatre companies, 20+ visual art societies, 1 radio station, 54 sports activities, and 50 recreational, voluntary projects!

About 87% of the student population actively participates and excels in numberless extracurricular events.

Furthermore, the student enrichment activities are split into 7 themes of domains of participation:

1. Arts and Culture

2. Enterprise and employment

3. Intellectual query

4. Building communities

5. Sports and wellbeing

6. Wider community engagement

7. Active citizenship

The university also undertakes several initiatives to align itself with diversity and inclusion goals. It actively addresses gender inequality, attracts and supports students from disadvantaged groups, and includes disabled staff and students. It also eliminates any chance of discrimination and advances opportunities for growth.

The institution is a Stonewall diversity champion, has signed a race equality charter, earned the position of disability confident employer, and won the Athena SWAN Bronze award.

Most of all, the institution openly and proudly invites and embraces students from around the globe, making it a home for international students.

Career/professional

The university offers many internships and placement opportunities during and after degree completion. Some of the renowned recruiters that organize placement drives are

1. Accenture

2. Ernst & Young LLP

3. Unilever

4. Emerson Process

Besides the work placement, the university offers a variety of roles that you can perform and earn money while studying at Durham. These are:

1. Durham Student Ambassador

2. Postgraduate Ambassador

3. Durham Student Ambassador and Mentor

4. Future Me Mentor

5. Open Day Ambassador

Additionally, some of the famous names that graduated from Durham Univesity are:

1. Andrew Buchan– Actor

2. Warren Bradley– Former Footballer

3. Ed Gamble– Comedian

4. George Lazenby– Former James Bond Actor

5. Andrew Strauss– Former England Cricketer

Financial

Lastly, let’s look at some of the popular courses at Durham University and the tuition fees for the same.

Courses	Fees for International Students Per Year
Economics with Management (BA)	EUR 24,500 (~INR 21 Lakhs)
Education Studies (BA)	EUR 22,700 (~INR 19 Lakhs)
Finance (MSc)	EUR 31,000 (~INR 26 Lakhs)
Medical Anthropology (MSc)	EUR 24,200 (~INR 20 Lakhs)
Civil Engineering (MSc)	EUR 27,250 (~INR 23 Lakhs)

 

Besides tuition fees, the charges for accommodation and food are as follows:

Room Type	Total Charges (for 41 weeks)
Standard with shared bathroom	EUR 6,109 (~INR 5 Lakhs)
Ensuite	EUR 6,642 (~INR 6 Lakhs)
Studio Flat	EUR 7,667 (~INR 7 Lakhs)
Catering for a standard room with a shared bathroom	EUR 8,682 (~INR 7 Lakhs)
Catering for Ensuite	EUR 9,215 (~INR 8 Lakhs)

Disclaimer! All course fees/salaries/expenses are indicative.

Top UK Universities

University Name	Acceptance Rate	Ranking	University Type
Sheffield Hallam University	43.00%	1200	Public
London Metropolitan University	84.00%	801	Public
Aston University	50%	570	Public
Anglia Ruskin University	75%	550	Public
University of Bath	10%-20%	179	Public
University of Essex	54%	465	Public
University of Surrey	65.00%	305	Public
University of Chester	25.00%	1201-1500	Public
University of Bedfordshire	70.00%	801-1000	Public
Swansea University	14.00%	425	Public
Newcastle University	87.00%	122	Public
Lancaster University	18.69%	146	Public
Heriot Watt University	60.00%	281	Public
Durham University	41.00%	92	Public
Cranfield University	67.90%	400	Public
Loughborough University	68%	256	Public
University of Southampton	84%	78	Public
University of Sussex	92.00%	240	Public
University of Sunderland	27.00%	101-150	Public
University of Dundee	36.00%	354	Private
University of Aberdeen	78.00%	205	Public
Ulster University	81.00%	650	Public
Manchester Metropolitan University	80.00%	801-1000	Public
Cardiff Metropolitan University	64.00%	1200	Public
Bournemouth University	50%	1000	Public
University of Aberdeen	78%	13	Public
University of Chester	25%	97	Public
University of Kent	85%	375	Public
University of Salford	4.80%	1000	Public
University of Stirling	20.00%	510	Public