Durham University Postgraduate Prospectus 2022 - Social Sciences

Be Inspired Postgraduate Prospectus 2022 Social Sciences

08 Visit us Don’t just read about how extraordinary Durham is – come and visit us.

Our open days are a great way to find out more about postgraduate study at Durham.

You will have a chance to speak with our academic staff to find out more about your area of interest.

Learn about ways of funding your studies and hear from some of our current students about what it’s like to live and study in Durham.

Welcome to Durham University A historic institution

Colleges and accommodation Our collegiate system

World-class qualifications Fascinating courses taught by leading experts

Wider student experience Enjoy support and inspiration

Research degrees Part of the elite Russell Group of institutions Global impact A truly international university A campus for the future World-class facilities Supporting your studies Looking after your wellbeing Enhance your employability Pursue the career you want Professional development Opportunities to enhance your abilities Our location In the heart of a vibrant region

Register your interest and we will keep you updated on our forthcoming events for postgraduates.

Discover Durham City Welcoming and friendly Explore North East England A unique regional identity

World-class qualifications and courses taught by leading experts.

12

Global impact Examples of our research and the positive effect it is having.

Durham Students’ Union The champion of every student Funding and finance Understand the costs involved Apply to Durham Join our community of extraordinary people Courses Our courses for 2022

52

Our courses Our postgraduate courses can take you where you want to go.

38

Inspiring your success In your college and beyond, a huge variety of sports, societies and more opportunities are waiting for you.

Sign up here

CONTACTS T: +44 (0) 191 334 1000 W: durham.ac.uk/study/askus Learn more

“Besides ranking high in academic excellence, I chose Durham because I loved the collegiate system and the town itself.”

Eli Ansari

2

FIND OUT MORE Questions about applying for postgraduate study at Durham? Contact the Recruitment and Admissions Office.

Looking for further information about postgraduate research opportunities?

Please contact the relevant department.

durhamuniversity

@durhamuniversity

@durham_uni #DUinspire

@thedurhamstudent

DurhamUniversity

durham-student.org

Learn more

3

Inspiration for your future A postgraduate degree from Durham puts you in an outstanding position for a career to change the world.

4

5

Welcome to Durham University A globally outstanding centre of teaching and research excellence, a collegiate community of inspiring people, a unique and historic setting – a university like no other.

We might be one of the UK’s oldest universities, but we have a pioneering mindset and an open, inclusive outlook.

Choose from over 200 postgraduate degrees, taught by worldleading experts in first-class facilities, and actively benefit from the cutting-edge research taking place right here in the University.

Whether you’re looking to connect with international industry and business through your work, or the global academic research community, you’ll have the freedom and facilities to explore what’s important to you.

World Top

100

university, ranked 82nd in the QS World University Rankings 2022.

Top 10

of our students are involved in sport, music, theatre, volunteering or student enterprise.

More than

150

UK university, ranked 5th in The Guardian University Guide 2022 and 6th in The Complete University Guide 2022.

With a mutually supportive and diverse group of exceptional peers and supervisors, you’ll push the boundaries of current thinking and research. Together, you’ll embrace innovation, inspire change, and answer the big questions.

85%

countries are represented here, creating a diverse and welcoming community.

90% of our subjects are ranked in the UK top 10 in The Complete University Guide 2022.

You can also expect the warmest of welcomes into our collegiate family. And all this within the evocative and historic surroundings of the city, county and community that is Durham.

So, if you’re looking for excellent teaching and research opportunities, outstanding facilities, and a unique college experience, look no further.

Are you ready to achieve something truly outstanding?

Learn more

54th

in the world for employer reputation in the QS World University Rankings 2022.

6

Our

17

colleges provide a sense of community and belonging. All of our colleges embrace the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

7

World-class qualifications At Durham you’ll find a wide range of fascinating courses, taught by world-leading experts.

You’ll have the freedom and facilities you need to explore what’s important to you, as well as the support of a diverse group of exceptional peers and supervisors. You’ll be both challenged and a challenger. You’ll push the boundaries of current thinking and research to achieve something truly extraordinary.

There are many different ways to study at our globally outstanding university. Apply for a taught course and learn through lectures, seminars, and practical-based study. Or carry out your own studies under expert supervision as part of a postgraduate research degree.

Postgraduate taught courses Whatever you’re interested in and whatever you want to achieve, you’ll find the support, inspiration, and facilities you need to achieve something extraordinary.

Bringing together core and optional modules, you’ll learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, practicals, and tutorials, culminating in a substantial dissertation or research project.

Choose from over 200 postgraduate taught courses in a variety of different subject areas, leading to qualifications such as Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MSc), Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Postgraduate Diplomas.

As well as timetabled classes with key department staff, you’ll be expected to undertake a significant amount of independent study and general reading to broaden your knowledge and develop an in-depth understanding of the concepts and methods found within your specialist area.

Outstanding teaching Delivering cutting-edge, research-led education is at the very heart of everything we do.

Our academic staff are so much more than lecturers teaching from books. They carry out ground-breaking research that shapes our departments, inspires our courses, and directly informs our teaching.

You’ll learn from world leaders and actively benefit from the world-class research taking place right here in the University.

What to expect If you’re looking to expand your knowledge and develop your skills through a structured degree, a postgraduate taught course could be ideal for you.

8

As you produce your final research piece, you’ll have the opportunity to specialise further into your chosen subject area, with support from your academic supervisor.

I knew Durham was the perfect place to expand my knowledge base.

Annabelle Kime

Entry requirements For most Masters degrees, you’ll need a good undergraduate degree (usually at least a 2:1) or an equivalent qualification in a relevant subject. Some courses will also have additional requirements, such as relevant work experience.

Learn more

Watch the film The benefits of postgraduate taught study Postgraduate study will allow you to expand your knowledge, develop your skills, specialise in a particular area, or make a career change. It could also provide the foundation for further study at research degree level. Whatever your next steps, a postgraduate degree from Durham will ensure you’re on the path to achieve something extraordinary.

9

Research degrees We are among an elite group of the UK’s research-led universities.

Durham is a proud member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. We offer a wide range of world-class research degrees, including: • Masters by Research, including MA, MSc, and MJur. Completed over one year full-time or two years part-time • Masters by Research, including MLitt, MMus, and MPhil.

Completed over two years full-time or four years part-time • Doctoral Awards for PhD, DThM, and DBA. Completed over three years full-time or six years part-time.

Doctoral awards Doctoral degrees, such as the PhD, are the highest level of degree you can achieve. Having a Doctoral degree indicates that you’re an expert in your chosen area of study. Any research undertaken for your PhD must be original and should aim to make a significant new contribution to a field of knowledge.

I chose Durham because it provided the greatest opportunity to work with some of the sharpest minds in the field.

Ben Hodapp

Over the course of your study, you will produce a supervised thesis of up to 100,000 words and discuss your findings in an oral examination known as a viva voce. It’s important that your thesis shows evidence of originality and your research capabilities. It should also be suitable for publication.

What to expect As a postgraduate research student at Durham you’ll have the freedom and facilities to explore what’s important to you. You’ll conduct your own project with the support of at least two academic supervisors, who will help you undertake your research and ensure you complete your degree on time.

Your supervisory team will have appropriate expertise in your area of study, and will have undergone extensive training and mentoring programmes to ensure they deliver high-quality supervision.

Durham is a world-class centre for research. As a postgraduate researcher, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to the research impact of your department by presenting papers at seminars and conferences, and by working closely with your inspiring community of peers and supervisors. At PhD level, you may also be able to teach undergraduate classes during your degree course.

10

The benefits of postgraduate research study As you complete your postgraduate research degree, you’ll be making a significant contribution towards your chosen field. Your work could influence others in the future, opening up an incredibly diverse range of career options, whether you intend to stay in academia or explore opportunities further afield.

If you’re hoping to pursue a career in academia, with a role in researching or higher education teaching, a PhD is an essential qualification. You’ll also gain highly transferable skills, including analytical, intellectual, and research skills, which are desirable across all industries.

Entry requirements To study a Masters by Research course at Durham, you’ll need a good undergraduate degree (usually at least a 2:1) or an equivalent qualification in a relevant subject. For Doctoral awards, you’ll need a Masters degree in a relevant subject.

Learn more

11

Global impact Join a truly international university.

Here are just a few examples of the huge range of research activities that we are involved in and the positive effect that they are having on the world around us.

Learn more

KEY Matariki Network partners

Student exchange agreements

Joint programmes

Partner universities

Plus more than 200 agreements in Europe

Covid-19

Energy and Clean Growth

How dogs could join the fight against Covid-19 A specialist team of researchers is finding out if specially-trained bio-detection dogs could be used as a new rapid testing measure for Covid-19.

Shaping the future of energy Our researchers are helping to address the world’s energy challenges as we switch from fossil fuels to clean energy sources.

Watch the film

12

Watch the film

Process Industries and Surface Science Developing a simple mesh to clean up oil spills Our surface scientists have developed a coated mesh, which could be a faster and more eco-friendly way to clean up oil.

Watch the film

Heritage and Culture

Hazard and Risk

Cosmology and Astronomy

Exploring the Forbidden City A new collaboration with China’s Palace Museum means that our archaeologists are the first UK university team to work inside the walls of the Forbidden City.

Giving women a voice in disaster risk reduction Women in Nepal are having a say in how to reduce the risk of disasters such as fires and landslides, thanks to Durham research.

Increasing our knowledge of the universe Our astrophysicists, cosmologists and space scientists are searching for answers to some of the biggest questions in physics today.

China

Watch the film

Nepal

Watch the film

Universe

Watch the film

13

Try to appreciate and enjoy where you are at right now. And don’t be afraid of uncertainty – it can bring with it a lot of unexpected opportunities.

Dr Noha Aboueldahab PhD in Law graduate and recipient of the Professional Achievement Award from the British Council, Noha works at the Brookings Doha Center as a fellow doing research and policy work. Her focus is mainly on human rights, international law, transitional justice and criminal accountability.

14

15

Let our facilities inspire you Whether your research centres around Durham’s labs or libraries, our facilities are recognised globally as being among the very best.

16

17

A sustainable campus for the future World-class students.

World-class facilities.

At Durham, you’ll find purpose-built lecture theatres and seminar rooms, as well as state-of-the-art labs and libraries, museums and archives with global research collections.

We are investing IT facilities Technology evolves at an incredible rate. We ensure that you have access to the very latest in digital technology. Our IT facilities include: Learn Ultra - a virtual learning environment; Encore lecture capture technology so you can replay lectures at your own pace; a Microsoft Office 365 account; and wireless coverage across campus.

Learn more

Teaching and Learning Centre We’re committed to the continual development of our state-of-the-art campus. Our Teaching and Learning Centre is home to cutting-edge facilities, the latest digital technologies, and a range of new learning environments, including lecture theatres, education laboratories and classrooms designed for real-time, international collaboration.

£350m in over 20 estate

projects between 2017 and 2027.

University Library and Collections Our libraries and collections give you over two million reasons to come to Durham, including 1.6 million books; 400,000 online resources; 100,000 photographs and 82,000 museum objects Our facilities are available to all Durham students, so discover for yourself how our libraries, museums and special collections can contribute to your studies and research and empower you to achieve the best that you can.

Anytime, anywhere: Our extensive online offer enables you to access resources, collections, exhibitions, digitised materials, open access research and support. We also provide a gateway to collections held outside the University Step Inside: We have flexible study spaces to meet your needs, from research-based viewing rooms to individual and group study spaces.

Our libraries and venues are designed around you, making them accessible and welcoming.

Be Inspired: The many inspirational items we hold in our world-class museums, galleries and archives contribute to teaching and learning across the institution, helping to inspire creative and dynamic projects from students across all subjects. Our cultural engagement is an ever-growing entity, with religious festivals, art exhibitions and international projects enhancing your studies and your student experience.

Always here: We’re here to help you with your queries and to navigate our spaces and services, both online and in person, 24/7.

You will find us approachable and supportive. Our knowledgeable and passionate staff will enable you develop your information skills to use our collections, resources, access other international research material and apply them to your learning.

Bill Bryson Library is our main University Library where you will find a fantastic range of resources to support your studies.

Learn more

18

19

Our University, our planet At Durham University we’re developing new ways of thinking, shaping a better future for people and planet…

#1 Eco campus

Our staff and students are working together to make our campus, communities and our planet a better, greener, more sustainable and healthier place to be.

Sustainable Development Goals We’re proud to have been named as one of the world’s top universities for our contribution to a number of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

A new set of rankings places us in the top 50 in four SDGs: Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production; Life on Land; and Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

We also appear in the world top 100 in a further seven SDGs: Reduced Inequalities, No Poverty, Life Below Water, Decent Work and Economic Growth, Climate Action, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure and Zero Hunger.

World-leading environmental research We aim to lead society in becoming more environmentally sustainable, through our world-leading research.

Experts from the Durham Energy Institute are looking at ways to heat homes and workplaces by harnessing the warm water in abandoned coal mines, our physicists are working on ways to make solar power cheaper and more efficient and our surface scientists developed a coated mesh to help clean up oil spills.

And that’s just for starters…

#5 We’re constantly reducing

We’re proud to have been awarded ‘Platinum’ for EcoCampus, a scheme that helps UK colleges and universities manage their environmental impact.

our impact on the environment by cutting out single use plastics.

20

technologies including ground source heat pumps and solar panels on campus so we can generate our own electricity and we don’t invest in companies in fossil fuel extraction!

take part in a range of environmental volunteering, including working with wildlife trusts, in local conservation areas and organising beach cleans and litter picks.

#6 We inspire our students to

#2 Our Students’ Union has

be responsible citizens. For example: at the end of each academic year, rather than throw away belongings they no longer want, students can donate them to charity through our Green Move Out project.

seven societies focused on environmental issues: Beekeeping, Embrace the Waste, Sustainable Fashion, and Finance, Students for Sustainable Living and the Vegetarian and Vegan Society.

#4 We’ve recently There are so many ways in which you can make a difference at Durham University.

See durham.ac.uk/greenspace @DUGreenspace Find out how our students are making an impact at sites.durham.ac.uk/studentblog

#7 We have renewable

#3 Our staff and students

launched our Integrated Sustainable Travel Plan, to enable staff and students to choose active transport.

#8 We shop local, our food

suppliers use local growers and local produce as much as possible.

21

Supporting your studies We don’t just provide academic support. We care about your personal wellbeing too.

Support for autistic students We are a partner in the autism&uni initiative, which aims to assist autistic students in their higher education transitions. Our dedicated web page provides a toolkit to help you through all stages of applying to, studying at and progressing from university.

Learn more

Disability support Whether you’ve got a disability, a medical or mental health condition, or a specific learning difficulty, our specialist Disability Support Service will be on hand to offer advice and guidance. It’s important that you let us know your requirements when you apply so we can make sure we have the appropriate support in place before you start your course.

Learn more

Chaplaincy and faith provision We’re proud to be a multicultural, multi-faith community.

We celebrate our differences and firmly believe they make us stronger. Our Network of University Chaplains is committed to welcoming and supporting students of all faiths, and those of none. We provide dedicated facilities for our main religious communities, including prayer rooms, events and societies, single-sex accommodation, and kosher and halal dining. If you have any special requirements related to your faith, please let us know.

Learn more

Counselling Throughout your time at Durham, you’ll have access to our Counselling service.

Whatever you might be going through, our team of trained and experienced counsellors, psychological wellbeing practitioners and mental health advisors will be on hand to offer you support and share their expertise.

Learn more

22

Health and wellbeing A healthy lifestyle and overall sense of wellbeing will help ensure that your time here is the best it can be. Our Student Wellbeing Office runs a proactive student wellbeing programme of activities, events and campaigns.

Learn more

Childcare and local schools Balancing childcare and postgraduate study can be challenging. Our day nursery provides high-quality childcare for children aged between 0 and 5. So you can rest assured that your little ones are being cared for in a safe and stimulating environment, while you focus on your studies.

Learn more For a list of local primary and secondary schools, and information on applying for a place for your child, see below.

Learn more

Supportive environment Our Student Support Services are located at the Palatine Centre.

23

Enhance your employability Inspiring you to achieve something truly outstanding.

When you study at Durham, you’ll graduate with so much more than a postgraduate degree. You’ll have the chance to develop your research skills, explore your career options, and ensure you have the best possible start to your future.

How do we know? Our graduate success rates speak for themselves! Our graduates have found work in a range of roles in national and international companies, including global names such as IBM, the United Nations, Saatchi & Saatchi, Deloitte, the NHS, EDF Energy, the BBC, The Times, and the Civil Service.

Careers & Enterprise Centre Through the Careers & Enterprise Centre, we will support you in pursuing your career or ambitions. Our services include: • Expert advice. Support and guidance with CVs, applications, and interview preparation.

• Build your network. Meet recruiting employers from a range of industries and alumni working in a diverse range of sectors. Attend careers fairs and employer networking events.

• Develop your skills. Give yourself the best chance of success with communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills.

• Online vacancies. Explore graduate opportunities, internships, and part-time jobs.

• Start up. Support for new ventures, including coaching sessions, workshops, funding and co-working space on campus.

• Exclusive work experience opportunities. Access work experience opportunities in a range of sectors, exclusively available to students and graduates.

Learn more

An inspirational, inclusive community When you graduate from Durham, you’ll join an active and inspiring alumni community. Our Development and Alumni Relations Office supports our alumni around the world.

Learn more

Award-winning enterprise Sphera, formerly known as Plastech Innovation started life as a challenge as part of our Mini MBA, but fast became a successful start-up business.

With support from the University, founders Natasha, Scott and Phil have manged to secure funding and have already won a number of business awards.

92%

of UK and EU taught and research leavers went into work or further study within fifteen months of leaving Durham (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018/19)

Watch the film

24

25

Professional development Prepare to achieve something extraordinary.

Whether you want to enhance your career options or you’re considering a career in academia and want to develop your knowledge in a specific field, you’ll have opportunities for professional development.

If you’re in the early stages of a career in research, ongoing professional development is vital.

Through the Durham Centre for Academic Development, you’ll find an incredible range of opportunities to develop your knowledge and skills, including the Durham Researcher Development Programme and the Durham University Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award.

Researcher Development Programme The Researcher Development Programme will equip you with the skills needed to succeed as a professional researcher, working in both academic and non-academic environments.

Through the programme, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in face-to-face workshops, as well as a wide range of inspiring online courses.

Durham University Excellence in Learning and Teaching Award (DELTA) DELTA gives you the opportunity to enhance your practice in learning and teaching. Upon completing the programme, you’ll receive the University award, as well as an Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, the UK professional body for teaching and learning in higher education.

Learn more

26

27

Academic writing and communication skills Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) supports all postgraduates in developing their academic writing, skills and language.

Based on the Durham City Campus, our pre-sessional courses are specifically designed to prepare international postgraduates for the demands of academic studies here at Durham.

Successful completion of the relevant pre-sessional will also satisfy the language condition for entry onto a Durham degree. All postgraduate students can continue to refine and develop their academic communication skills after beginning their chosen degree course.

Our Academic Skills Development workshops, academic skills courses and one-to-one writing consultations are designed to help you succeed in your work at Durham.

Pre-sessional academic English courses The pre-sessional courses are designed by DCAD to prepare postgraduate students for the expectations of study here at Durham.

Pre-sessional is demanding and rewarding, and will develop both your academic written and spoken performance, as well as your academic study skills. You will also have the opportunity to explore academic issues from the perspective of your own discipline.

Through pre-sessional you will become familiar with a range of teaching and learning methods common in Durham University, including small-group seminars (approx. 10 students to a tutor), lecture engagement, peer project work, and guided independent study. You will also become familiar with Durham’s Virtual Learning Environment and the Library catalogue during your studies, while enjoying a Durham College experience and learning how College supports students in their academic experience. All of this is intended to provide you with a solid foundation for flourishing on your main degree programme. If you have not met the language condition for your chosen degree at Durham, you may be eligible for a pre-sessional course. Your conditional offer letter from Durham will state which length of course you can take. Many unconditional students also apply and join us.

The college experience Pre-sessional is partnered with Josephine Butler College (JB). Pre-sessional students are automatically a member of JB and are encouraged to choose accommodation in this college for the duration of their pre-sessional course. During the summer when the 10 and 6 week pre-sessional courses run, JB offers a full social calendar, pastoral advice and support, and access to community mentors. This ensures that pre-sessional students become familiar with Durham’s college system and its wide-ranging benefits.

To find out more about course content, fees, frequently asked questions, accommodation, and links to useful sites and resources, see durham.ac.uk/ dcad/study/presessional

Year-round academic writing and skills development DCAD offers a range of tailored sessions and short courses throughout the academic year to support your success at Durham.

Our provision tends to focus on aspects of academic writing, such as text structure, integration of reading, and academic language choices, but sessions are also available in areas such as note-taking, presentation skills and time management. Some of our disciplinespecific workshops run within academic departments, and are often tied to a particular assessment task. We also offer one-to-one consultations, where you can bring along an assignment draft for discussion and development.

Programme

All of these Academic Skills Development services are free of charge to registered Durham students.

You can find details about academic skills development and writing consulations on our website: durham.ac.uk/dcad/ current/academic

Start dates

Entry level

Costs (2019)

Summer Pre-sessional

April, June and August

See your Durham Conditional Offer Letter

20 weeks - £10,812 10 weeks - £5,406 6 weeks - £3,243.60

Academic Skills Development

All year

Any student studying at Durham University

Free of charge

To review each department’s English language requirements, as well as all of the English qualifications that are accepted, see: durham.ac.uk/learningandteaching.handbook/1/3/3

28

29

Inspirational surroundings A postgraduate course at Durham can take you beyond the city walls.

New horizons Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland.

30

31

Rollover numbers to find out more

Our location World-class education and living in a magnificent city.

Durham University 1. Sports and Wellbeing Park 2. Upper Mountjoy Campus 3. Lower Mountjoy Campus 4. Dunelm House - Durham Students’ Union 5. Hill Colleges 6. Bailey Colleges

2 5

1

The historic city of Durham is compact, yet varied. Easy to get around, it offers a wide range of cultural and sporting pursuits, and also a huge number of places to eat, drink and meet friends. So whatever your interests, you are certain to find your place here.

3

4

Durham City Durham is a friendly and welcoming city, with the famous Cathedral and Castle at its very heart.

7 6

In the ancient, cobbled streets, you’ll find shops and boutiques, cafés, bars and restaurants, and plenty of culture. From walks and boat trips along the River Wear, to street markets and museum visits, there’s no shortage of things to do!

8

No matter where you are in the City, you’ll never be far from one of our colleges, academic departments, or facilities. The historic city also offers a huge range of attractions, places to visit and activities, including: • Sports and Wellbeing Park • Botanic Garden • Oriental Museum • Palace Green Library and Gallery • Assembly Rooms Theatre • Gala Theatre and Cinema • The Riverwalk leisure complex.

Just 17 miles from Newcastle upon Tyne in North East England, it’s also easy to hop on a train to London, Edinburgh, or Manchester. Newcastle International Airport is also close by if you want to explore the rest of the UK and beyond.

9 10 12

11

14

13

Edinburgh Newcastle Durham Approximate travel times by train Durham to Newcastle – 12 minutes Durham to London – 3 hours Durham to Edinburgh – 1 hour 45 minutes Durham to Manchester – 2 hours 10 minutes

Manchester

Learn more

London

32

Durham City 7. Durham Cathedral 8. Durham Castle 9. Main shopping area 10. Market Place 11. Gala Theatre and Cinema, bars and restaurants 12. Bus station 13. Railway station 14. Riverwalk leisure complex

Learn more

Want to find out more?

View our online 360s to see what Durham University and Durham City have to offer and to give you a real feel for student life at Durham.

Learn more

33

Discover Durham City Durham might be small in size, but it’s big on things to do!

2 4

1

3 5

6

7

Life in Durham 1.

1.

34

Durham Castle and Cathedral Durham Castle and Cathedral

Student blogs

35

Explore North East England A vibrant region full of exciting things to do and beautiful places to discover.

2 4

1

3 5

6

1.

1.

36

Sage Gateshead Sage Gateshead

7

Learn more

37

More than

700

college sports teams across 18 sports.

86

music societies – 28 Music Durham, eight chapel choirs and 50 college societies.

3,000 active student volunteers.

38

More than

200

student societies to join.

£2.4m investment in the historic Assembly Rooms Theatre.

Inspiring your success With the support of our collegiate system and our wider student experience, Durham is a place to learn and grow.

No.1

UK university for team sports.

39

Colleges and wider student experience A sense of community which is distinctive to Durham.

You can expect a warm welcome into the rich extracurricular culture of our collegiate family. Our colleges are safe, supportive, and inclusive. They’re full of friends who’ve got your back. You’ll feel at home from the moment you step through the door, until long after you leave.

Joining a college Our collegiate system makes Durham truly exceptional. Here, every student is a proud member of a college, and every college has its very own character and traditions.

The cornerstone of our extraordinary wider student experience is the colleges. In your college, you’ll have the opportunity to take part in sport, music, theatre and volunteering.

You’ll join parties, dinners, clubs, and societies. And you’ll be surrounded by an extraordinary, diverse, and multidisciplinary community of academics, students, and staff from different backgrounds and cultures.

What do colleges offer?

• A multidisciplinary scholarly community. Engage in inspiring intellectual conversation. Embrace debate and find answers to the big questions.

• Extracurricular opportunities. It’s not all academic. Explore a range of sports and activities, societies, and voluntary positions to enhance your personal development.

• World-class facilities. Purpose-built spaces for academic study, socialising, sport, music, drama and arts performances.

• A truly international community. A friendly, inclusive college community with students from around the world.

• Ongoing support. We don’t just provide academic support, we care about your personal wellbeing too. Your college is your first point of contact for any issues you may have or support you may need.

• A home from home. All University accommodation is managed by our colleges. A variety of room and catering options are available, all in a beautiful setting.

• Prepare to inspire. Develop your leadership skills with roles and responsibilities within your college.

• Events. A lively events calendar with regular college and student-led activities, including seminars, lecture series, balls, concerts, theatre productions, and more.

40

Postgraduate accommodation As a full-time postgraduate student, you’ll have the option to live in the heart of the action in college accommodation or rent non-University accommodation in Durham. Each college offers a variety of comfortable study bedrooms, some with en-suite facilities.

Accommodation for couples and families We are committed to making the university experience accessible to everyone. We offer a limited number of furnished, self-contained, one-bedroom, two-bedroom or three-bedroom postgraduate flats for couples and families.

During my time at Durham I have done many things I never thought I would do from being part of a charity fashion show to having formals in a castle, they have all been unforgettable experiences!

Non-university accommodation Some of our postgraduate students prefer to live in Durham’s historic centre or the surrounding area. There is plenty of private rental accommodation available, including fully furnished properties for individuals, groups, and families. The Accommodation and Allocations Office can provide support and guidance.

Learn more

Student blogs

Eli Ansari

41

Enrichment activities Whatever you love doing, whatever you might like to try, you will find support and inspiration here.

At Durham we split our student enrichment activity into seven themes. We call them Domains of Participation, and they help to demonstrate the breadth of opportunity available across the University: Arts and Culture: You can showcase your talents, do something entirely different or enjoy the entertainment and appreciate the work of others. Our performing arts, our visual arts, our museums, our art collections and our student media are thriving at Durham and there really is something for everyone to enjoy.

Enterprise and Employment: Your career can get started long before you graduate, from organising student-led events to participating in work-study opportunities and developing start-up companies.

Intellectual Enquiry: You’ll have many opportunities for curiosity-led academic activity beyond your degree course - from engaging with guest lecturers in your Department, to taking part in dissertation “open mic” nights in your College.

Building Communities: Some would say this is the foundation of the Durham experience! Dining as a community, helping to run your Common Room, taking part in celebration events, faith societies or peer mentoring and much more.

Sport and Wellbeing: Physical activity is a cornerstone of the student experience at Durham. From international representation and University and College Sport, right through to personal training, fitness and wellbeing classes, there is so much for you to enjoy and participate in.

Wider Community Engagement: Volunteering, supporting environmental projects and pro-bono work are some of the most meaningful memories many students build of their time at Durham.

Active Citizenship: Our students don’t hesitate to stand up and work for positive change. The University and the Students’ Union are home to a host of issues-based and political groups and campaigns on key student issues.

42

Here’s a little bit more information about some of the opportunities available…

Music The perfect place to embrace your passion for music Whether you want to compete on an international stage, play for fun, or simply listen and enjoy, we have got a group for you.

From chapel choirs to bands, and chamber groups to orchestras, our thriving music scene embraces every style. Here you will find a cappella groups and world music ensembles, chamber quartets and rock operas.

As well as local, national, and international performances, you’ll also have the opportunity to take part in masterclasses and outreach work, or join Music Durham’s student committee to learn new skills in leadership, event planning, and arts management.

Each college is home to a host of ensembles and performance opportunities, while the Students’ Union runs music societies ranging from rock to folk music.

If music production is more your thing, there’s even a DJ Society and a student-run record label, DH1 records.

I expected I’d get up to many things upon starting my studies here.

A tenor in a Barbershop choir was not on that list.

Adam Smith

43

Sport Find your place in the UK’s largest university sports programme.

Sport is at the core of Durham student life. A huge range of sporting opportunities is available. Whether you are looking to keep fit or be part of a team, you will have the chance to join in and give it a go.

From joining college teams to competing at University level and beyond, there is a place for you. Whether you are already experienced or a complete beginner, the University offers exceptional opportunities to get involved. You might even discover a sporting talent you never knew you had.

At Durham, we are committed to your wellbeing too. We offer students every chance to participate in a variety of wellness activities, ranging from fitness classes to outward-bound clubs, and from pilates to movement psychotherapy.

Our sporting provision is second to none, we have recently invested £32 million in a Sports and Wellbeing Park, to make sure that our world-class facilities enable us to remain one of the UK’s foremost universities for sport.

College sport Our college sport programme is the largest in the UK. Every week and whatever your level, you will have the opportunity to compete in 18 sports across more than 700 different teams. This helps you to keep fit and healthy. It is also a great way to make new friends and have fun.

Volunteering Try something new and make a positive impact in your local community

University sport Durham has 57 University Sports Clubs, with a collective student membership of over 2,500. Most of our clubs compete in British University Sport competitions. We also have a growing National League programme. This allows many of our most talented students and clubs to compete at the highest level of sport in the UK. If you’re a high-performing athlete, our Athlete Support Programme will help you reach the next level. Support is available through strength and conditioning, performance analysis and injury rehabilitation. Sports psychology and a personal mentoring scheme will help you achieve your optimum performance and we currently support over 50 internationally capped athletes annually. All this while studying for one of the best academic degrees in the country.

It really is the best of both worlds.

We encourage our students to volunteer during their time at Durham. Through our student-led, volunteering and outreach programmes, you’ll be able to take part in over 80 projects.

These cover social inclusion, education, sport, the environment, and global citizenship. Students collectively volunteer up to 40,000 hours per year.

I have benefitted from being part of a team, meeting amazing and friendly people, and competing across the country.

As well as making new friends and enjoying new experiences, you will help to strengthen your local community. You will benefit from outstanding training opportunities and have the chance to earn nationally accredited qualifications.

Outreach Each individual college also has its own outreach programmes.

So you’ll be able to get involved in a wide range of volunteering opportunities wherever you feel most comfortable.

Student volunteers You will have the opportunity to support local, national and international charities.

Jasmin Strickland

44

45

Durham Students’ Union We are the champion of every Durham student. We care about the things that matter to you.

• We stand up for your rights • We bring you together • We’re your Union Our members (all Durham students): • Run and participate in everything from stand-up comedy to Quidditch • Campaign, lobby and advocate for student issues and student rights • Actively shape your education, by ensuing the University hears the students’ voices.

Song and dance Durham University Light Opera Group (DULOG) performs Singing in the Rain, at the Gala Theatre, Durham.

Learn more

Theatre Play a part in one of the largest and most successful student theatre scenes in the country If you love theatre, Durham is simply outstanding. Here, students produce and perform an unparalleled range of eclectic and inspiring shows every year. You will be welcome whether you have a lot of experience or none at all.

You might like to tread the boards, or you might prefer to help backstage, produce or direct a show. You could even start your own theatre company. Durham Student Theatre (DST) will support you to do what you love doing or want to learn to do.

We make the future better for students. We want to make sure that students have the power and the opportunity to transform their time at Durham. Our job is to turn that vision into a reality. And that’s not all. We also have:

Durham University Charities Kommittee (DUCK) DUCK is our very own version of what other students’ unions call their Raise and Give societies. Our job is to help students and staff fundraise hundreds of thousands of pounds for local, national, and international charities.

There’s something for everyone, from events like the Santa Fun Run and the Cathedral Sleepout, to expeditions to Cambodia or Nepal, and not forgetting running the London Marathon. It’s a great way to get involved and raise money for incredible causes!

Learn more

• Our own student newspaper and radio station • Two cafés/bars, Kingsgate (pictured below) and Riverside, selling reasonably priced and tasty food and drinks. Located in Dunelm House with views overlooking the River Wear and Durham Cathedral • Academic student groups and discussions • A free, confidential and impartial Advice Service for when things don’t quite go to plan.

• A dedicated Postgraduate Academic Officer who works closely with students, including faculty reps, course reps and representatives from across the common rooms to ensure that they represent your views to the University.

With 30 theatre companies and its own dedicated 175-seat theatre, DST is always keen to recruit new members with a passion for performance and produces more than 100 shows every year.

Durham Drama Festival Showcasing the very best that DST has to offer, Durham Drama Festival is an entirely student-run, annual festival, celebrating new student writing and student-created shows.

National Student Drama Festival Year after year, DST is one of the most successful student theatre scenes of any university at the festival. In fact, for five consecutive years, Durham students have had multiple shows selected for the National Student Drama Festival. This is unprecedented and we are incredibly proud of this achievement. You can be part of it.

46

47

Funding and finance If you’re planning postgraduate study, there are lots of things to consider. One of the key factors is finance.

Empower yourself with an understanding of the costs involved, as well as what support is available.

Tuition fees Tuition fees vary depending on your chosen course and whether you qualify for UK/EU or international fee status. Your fees cover the cost of registration and formal entry to the University, your teaching and supervision, and all examination and degree fees.

If you’re studying full-time, your tuition fees can either be paid in full at the start of the academic year, or on a termly basis. If you’re studying on a part-time, taught course, you can pay in full or set up a monthly Direct Debit.

Fees for taught postgraduate courses: Learn more Fees for postgraduate research degrees: Learn more

Are you a Durham graduate?

We’re offering a discount for all Durham alumni. If you’re a Durham graduate, you’re selffunding or partially self-funding your postgraduate study, and you meet our eligibility criteria, you’ll receive a reduction in your fees.

Learn more

48

Funding There are three main ways to fund your postgraduate studies at Durham: 1. A full studentship. This might be one of the prestigious Durham Doctoral Studentships, a UK Research and Innovation studentship, or funding from a charitable organisation, employer, or other sponsor.

2. A financial support package. Put together a package of financial support, including scholarships, bursaries and loans.

3. Savings or family support.

We understand funding can be complex. Explore our dedicated web pages to find out more.

Learn more

Durham Doctoral Studentships Through the Durham Doctoral Studentships scheme, we fund a generous support package for outstanding doctoral research students.

This is a highly competitive scheme. If your application is successful, you’ll receive a range of benefits, including: • Payment of your tuition fees (or a contribution towards them) • An annual tax-free maintenance grant at the UK Research and Innovation national rate (£15,009 for 2019–20).

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funding We offer full and tuition fee-only UKRI studentships to home and EU postgraduate students, available to doctoral students across all disciplines.

We coordinate applications on behalf of the UKRI, and will provide ongoing advice and guidance if you’re awarded the studentship.

For further information on the UKRI studentships available, please visit your department’s web page.

Learn more

Scholarships We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries for current and prospective postgraduate students taking taught and research programmes. Many provide full funding for eligible students, covering both tuition fees and maintenance support.

For further information and a current list of scholarships and bursaries, see below or contact your department directly.

Learn more

Government Postgraduate Loans (England) The Government has introduced a postgraduate loan scheme for students domiciled in England or the EU, studying on Masterslevel qualifications. Under the scheme, you can apply for a loan of up to £10,906 towards your tuition fees and/or living costs. Please note, different arrangements will apply for students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

The UK government PhD loan scheme is now also available, offering loans of up to £25,700.

A new way to fund your taught Masters We’re committed to making postgraduate study accessible. So we’re working in collaboration with NEFirst Credit Union Ltd, which has developed a loan to provide financial assistance for postgraduate taught study. If you’re a full-time, self-financing student, you can apply for a Postgraduate Tuition Fee Loan of up to £7,000 to cover your tuition fees.

Watch the film

Learn more Living costs When you’re working out the cost of postgraduate study at Durham, you’ll need to factor in your living costs, including expenses such as accommodation, utility bills, food, clothes, insurance, transport, and entertainment.

Learn more

49

Applying to Durham Are you ready to achieve something truly outstanding and join an inclusive community of extraordinary people from a huge range of different backgrounds.

We can’t wait to meet you.

Most postgraduate taught courses start in September or October. If you’re a postgraduate research student, you’ll be able to start in October, January, or April.

Take the first step – choose your course.

Find out as much as possible about the courses you’re interested in and choose the best option for you. You can find full details for all our postgraduate taught courses via our course list.

For postgraduate research degrees, explore our academic departments to find which ones have the facilities you need, as well as staff with expertise in your field of study. You’ll then need to contact the relevant department to discuss your research interests and potential funding opportunities.

Before applying, check that you meet the entry requirements for your chosen course. Some research programmes and a small number of taught programmes also have an interview requirement.

50

Head online and complete your application Once you’ve chosen your course, it’s time to visit our online application portal.

Here you’ll be asked to create an account to start the application process. You’ll need to provide personal information and details of your education and existing qualifications, as well as, normally, two academic referees. As part of your application, you’ll also be asked to upload some supporting documents – check the relevant department’s web page to confirm which documents they require. Documentary evidence of your completed or current qualifications being studied will be required as a minimum.

Most postgraduate courses don’t have a formal application deadline. However, some academic departments set deadlines for specific courses, so make sure you check before you apply, especially if you’re applying for funding too.

We’ll process your application Once we’ve received your completed application, we’ll process it as quickly as possible. If you are applying for a Business School MSc programme, you will receive a notification asking you to pay an application fee before we can consider your application.

From time to time, we need further information to allow us to make a decision. If this is the case, we’ll be in touch.

We’ll let you know our decision If your application is successful, we’ll update you via your applicant portal where you will find your formal offer letter (which will also be sent to you by email). If we’re unable to make you an offer at this time, this will also be communicated to you via your applicant portal and by email.

Confirm your place If you receive an offer from us, please let us know if you’d like to accept it, as soon as possible via your applicant portal. You may be asked to pay a tuition fee deposit. If this is the case, please ensure you pay it within the requested timeframe.

The next steps…

Once you’ve accepted your offer, you can start preparing to join our inspiring community.

You’ll be allocated your college and will have the opportunity to apply for accommodation.

Learn more

If you receive a conditional offer, you’ll need to contact us to let us know when you’ve met the conditions of the offer and provide evidence.

51

92%

of UK and EU taught and research leavers went into work or further study within fifteen months of leaving Durham (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2018/19).

Qualifications that inspire Our postgraduate qualifications can take you where you want to go.

52

83%

of our postgraduate taught students achieved a Distinction or Merit (2019/20).

83%

of our research is rated internationally excellent or world leading (3* or 4* REF 2014).

World Top

50

Eight of our subjects are ranked in the World Top 50 in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2021.

53

Anthropology Anthropology at Durham is now one of the largest integrated anthropology departments in the UK, carrying out cutting-edge research across social and evolutionary anthropology, and the anthropology of health.

Our taught Masters courses offer you the opportunity to pursue advanced specialist courses and ‘conversion’ from other degrees, while our PhD students study topics from primate behaviour to rhetoric culture and from indigenous knowledge to Internet technologies.

Ranking

Departmental highlight rankings Anthropology students have access to dedicated workspaces and high-profile research laboratories such as the: • Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre • Behavioural and Ecological Physiology Lab • Physical Activity Lab • South Africa Field Station • Material Culture & Skeletal Collections

7th

The Durham Infancy & Sleep Centre Lab was awarded the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education – the highest accolade for any academic institution and part of the national honours system in the UK – for ‘leading influential research on parent-infant sleep with a widely-used public information service’.

Outstanding collections We have one of the best collections in the country for palaeoanthropological and morphometric research in biological anthropology, and a material culture collection of over 2,000 objects from around the world, which are actively used in both the research and teaching of ethnography. We also host one of the largest university postgraduate anthropology conferences in the UK.

Careers and employability The value of an anthropology degree is increasingly being recognised by employers, and the broad training provided at Durham University makes our graduates highly sought after.

Our graduates progress into a diverse range of careers, including research and development, advertising, management consultancy, education, and the civil and diplomatic services.

Joint 1st

in the UK for internationally excellent and world-leading research impact (REF 2014).

in The Complete University Guide 2022.

World Top 50

in QS World University Subject Rankings 2021.

Key research areas • Energy, Environment • and Sustainability • Global and Planetary Health • Political and Economic • Anthropology • Knowledge and Expertise • Cultural Evolution • Primate Behaviour and Conservation • Forensic and PalaeoAnthropology • Evolutionary Medicine and Public Health

Anthropology will expand your world...

Course information

Course information

Medical Anthropology MSc

Research Methods (Anthropology) MA

Offers a unique opportunity to engage with anthropological approaches to the study of health, drawing on socio-cultural, ecological and evolutionary perspectives.

This course provides a strong grounding in ethnographic approaches to the study of health, the political ecology of health and the application of anthropology to contemporary public health concerns, as well as a diverse range of options in areas such as theories of the body and evolutionary medicine.

Our unique biosocial approach to the anthropology of health is one of our key strengths and attracts a wide range of students, contributing to a stimulating and exciting learning environment.

An emphasis on developing and applying research skills is also central to this degree.

Typical course content Core modules: • Anthropology of Global Health • Society, Health and Wellbeing • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Statistical Exploration and Reasoning • Fieldwork and Interpretation • Advanced Specialised Aspects in Health and Medical Anthropology

Approved by the Economics and Social Research Council, this MA provides training in research methods, with a focus on methods used by researchers in anthropology.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A minimum 2:1 Honours degree from a UK institution (or the overseas equivalent) in any subject, or equivalent.

Learn more

• Advanced Specialised Aspects in Social Anthropology • Understanding Society and Culture • Anthropology and Development • Society, Energy, Environment and Resilience • Thinking Anthropologically.

Teaching The course is taught by the academic researchers from our highly regarded Anthropology of Health Research Group and is delivered through a mixture of interactive lectures, seminars, practical sessions and workshops, in addition to one-to-one dissertation supervision. You will have an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research in anthropology, in a learning environment focused on the discussion and debate of current issues.

Assessment Assessment is by assignment, project work and dissertation.

The course includes training in the qualitative and quantitative methods needed by researchers in social sciences. It draws on expertise within the Department of Anthropology to provide specialised training in socio-cultural anthropology, medical anthropology, the anthropology of development or cultural evolution (depending on your chosen pathway). It is affiliated to the Northern Ireland and North East Doctoral Training Partnership, which offers funding to British and European Union students interested in taking the course preparatory to moving on to a PhD at Durham.

At the end of this course, you will be well-prepared to go on to do research in Anthropology or a related discipline. Most students expect to move on to a PhD.

Typical course content Core modules: • Perspectives on Social Research • Dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A minimum 2:1 Honours degree from a UK institution (or the overseas equivalent) in a relevant subject.

Learn more

Further options can be selected along four pathways: • Socio-cultural • Medical Anthropology • Development Anthropology • Cultural Evolution.

Examples of optional modules: • Applied Statistics • Statistical Exploration and Reasoning • Quantitative Research Methods in Social Science.

“ I chose Durham because it provided the greatest opportunity to work with some of the sharpest minds in medical anthropology.”

Ben Hodapp

Teaching The course is delivered through a mixture of interactive lectures, seminars and workshops, in addition to one-toone dissertation supervision. Typically, lectures deliver key information on progressively more advanced themes and topics. Seminars provide an opportunity to reflect in more depth upon material delivered in lectures and gathered from independent study outside formal contact hours. They give you an opportunity to engage with cutting-edge research in anthropology, in a learning environment focused on the discussion and debate of current issues.

Assessment Assessment is by assignment, project work and dissertation.

Course information

Course information

Socio-Cultural Anthropology MA

Sustainability, Energy and Development MSc

Work with high-profile social anthropologists to gain expertise in anthropology.

This course is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in a subject other than anthropology who would like to prepare for research in socio-cultural anthropology or for a career requiring expertise in anthropology.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

High-profile social anthropologist researchers at Durham, with experience of conducting fieldwork all around the world, will introduce you to both classical and contemporary writing and research in the discipline. There is equal emphasis on theoretical and methodological questions, and there are plenty of opportunities to apply this new knowledge to issues of pressing social concern.

Typical entry requirements A minimum 2:1 Honours degree from a UK institution (or the overseas equivalent) in a relevant subject.

Typical course content Core modules: • Understanding Society and Culture • Fieldwork and Interpretation • Thinking Anthropologically • Interrogating Ethnography • Dissertation.

Learn more

• Sustainability, Energy, Environment and Resilience • Anthropology of Global Health • A language module.

The course operates at the interface between engineering, natural and social sciences and provides opportunities for you to work across multiple disciplines or to specialise.

Covering advanced subject coverage and research training in development anthropology, the course examines participatory methods and indigenous or local knowledge systems, and in the social and cultural contexts of energy, current developments in energy systems, the impact of changing energy technologies in historical perspective and the role of energy in international development. The course aims to develop critical, analytical, interpretative, integrative and presentation skills and to provide an opportunity, through the dissertation, for you to pursue and report original research under expert supervision.

We also aim to prepare you for doctoral research in relevant fields and/or a career in applied and international development contexts.

Typical course content Core modules: • Dissertation • Anthropology and Development • Society, Energy, Environment and Resilience • Context and Challenges in Energy and Society.

Examples of optional modules: • Public Health Anthropology • Anthropology and Development

Teaching The MA introduces you to the range of research questions and methods used in social or cultural anthropology, and a dissertation, involving the design, development and implementation of an independent research project. You will work closely with academic staff from our highly respected Social Anthropology Research Group, receiving enhanced levels of support as part of the ‘conversion’ to anthropology, including fortnightly small group meetings with the course tutor. You will also have the opportunity to become involved in active research projects.

This MSc offers an integrated, inter-disciplinary education in emerging issues in sustainability, energy and development.

Assessment Assessment is by assignment, project work and dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A minimum 2:1 Honours degree from a UK institution (or the overseas equivalent) in a relevant subject.

Learn more

Examples of optional modules: • Anthropology of Global Health • Public Health and Anthropology • Interrogating Ethnography • Fieldwork, Interpretation and Representation • Thinking Anthropologically • Understanding Society and Culture.

Teaching A combination of teaching methods including lectures, seminars and tutorials will build on and inform students’ self-guided study, the latter supported through the provision of detailed reading lists and personal contact with module convenors and tutors. To ensure that you are aware of current developments in both research and practice, you will be expected to attend regular seminars offered by DEI and the Centres for Doctoral Training in Energy and/or in Global Challenges.

Assessment Assessment is by assignment, project work and dissertation.

Course information

Anthropology research degrees

Durham has one of the largest Anthropology departments in the world with 40 research-active academic teaching staff working across the full range of the discipline.

We currently offer three different Research Degree qualifications in Anthropology and welcome applications from prospective students with either a first or upper second class degree in a relevant subject for a Masters degree or an appropriate Masters degree for PhD. We provide research supervision leading to MA, MSc, and PhD qualifications, through both full- and part-time study. You will develop your skills through working closely with our academic staff and undertaking skills-based training. All postgraduates are encouraged to share their work with the department and wider community, by means of departmental seminars, afternoon workshops, postgraduate-led one-day conferences, and publications.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 1612

MA or MSc by Research The MA in Socio-cultural Anthropology by Research and the MSc in Biological Anthropology by Research are courses of supervised research. Research students work closely with a supervisory team to undertake a substantial piece of research which must be written up in the form of a thesis. Following one year of full-time or two years of part-time (plus up to six months writing up time) research and writing, you will produce a thesis of up to 50,000 words. In addition, research students are required to undertake research training, provided by both the University and the Department.

Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

PhD Anthropology PhD students can take either a Socio-cultural or Biological route. Following three years of full-time or six years of part-time research and writing, you will produce a thesis of up to 100,000 words. The subject of your thesis will be a substantial piece of original research where you demonstrate your ability to undertake independent research. We encourage prospective PhD students to make informal contact with a member of the academic staff to discuss their application at an early stage. If you are not sure which member(s) of staff to contact, get in touch with the Director of Research Students.

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

Email Learn more

Join a department recognised for the international excellence of its research.

Archaeology Our internationally respected research expertise will provide you with some of the best resources available for archaeological research.

Here at Durham, we have one of only three commercial archaeology units in the UK based in a university department. You will be able to work with experts and have access to state-of-the-art laboratories and specialised facilities in the Department of Archaeology.

Among the best in the world, our MA courses – including Museum and Artefact Studies, International Cultural Heritage Management, and Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects – offer strong professional and vocational training. The MSc Bioarchaeology and MA Archaeology offer ideal preparation for research careers and specialisation. Our unique MSc Human Bioarchaeology and Palaeopathology and MSc Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology both attract students globally with academic and professional goals.

We can accommodate researchers for MRes, MPhil and PhD degrees tailored to specific interests, and we offer strong developmental support for these.

Departmental highlight With such a diversity of research interests, Durham’s archaeology library resources are among the best in the country. As well as being co-owners of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we enjoy a close relationship with the University’s Museum of Archaeology and its Oriental Museum, which contain international collections and are widely used for Masters-level teaching and as research resources for students and academics from across the world. Being based in a UNESCO World Heritage site gives us a unique insight into heritage management issues.

Our thriving group of Masters and PhD students actively contribute to the dynamic research environment at Durham. As a member of our community you will be encouraged to present your research both internally and externally at seminars, conferences, and to your peers, so that you can obtain important feedback from a number of sources and are able to build relationships within the wider academic world.

Careers and employability A postgraduate degree in archaeology will provide you with advanced skills in teamwork, practical and intellectual problemsolving and critical analysis of evidence, in addition to enhanced knowledge on specific aspects of the human past and present. Each archaeology graduate is skilled in these areas, but due to the nature of a postgraduate degree, should you choose further study, you will graduate with individual, specialised abilities.

Ranking

3rd

in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 and The Guardian University Guide 2022.

4th

in The Complete University Guide 2022.

4th

in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2021.

Watch the film

Key research areas • Arabian Archaeology • Bioarchaeology and Biomolecular Archaeology • Chinese Trade Ceramics • Egypt, Near East and South Asia • European Prehistory • Landscapes of Complex Societies • Roman Archaeology • Environmental Archaeology • Northern Archaeology • Archaeological Science • Material and Visual Culture • Medieval, Post-Medieval and Historical Archaeology • North East England Ritual, Religion, Belief and Place

We have close links with the main professional archaeological organisations in the region and elsewhere.

Course information

Course information

Archaeology MA

Archaeology Classical and Roman MA

Develop a sound understanding of current archaeological knowledge, approaches, concepts and practices.

The MA will give you a grounding in modern archaeological theory, practice and specialist knowledge, either for personal/professional development or as a basis for further academic research. It takes advantage of the exceptionally wide research interests of staff to offer topics which range across the Palaeolithic of Western Europe; Neolithic, Bronze and Iron-Age Europe; classical archaeology of the Greek and Roman worlds; Egyptology; Near Eastern archaeology; landscape archaeology; Arabia; Buddhism and the archaeology of South Asia; Indian Ocean trade; Medieval and Post-Medieval Europe; the Medieval world beyond Europe; environmental archaeology; and historical and industrial archaeology.

You can select taught modules and a dissertation topic in areas that interest you. You will have the chance to engage in the collection, management, and analysis of archaeological materials and data; and to acquire specialist skills and knowledge from our team of leading experts. Students form part of a large cohort taking this and associated MA/MScs, amongst whom some modules in research, presentation, and practical skills are shared, as are discussions and events. This enables broad interdisciplinary exchange combined with specialist training in key skills, as well as the chance to make friends and contacts from around the world.

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Social Archaeology • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Practical Research and Study Skills

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A degree in archaeology or a related subject entailing experience in historical, material and/or visual culture or applicable techniques/ approaches. Minimum 2:1 Honours degree (UK) or international equivalent.

Learn more

This route through the MA is designed to give students a firm grounding in the archaeology of the Classical and Roman worlds focusing on specific areas of interest. Durham is a world-leading department in Roman and Classical Archaeology, with a large group of specialists on the Roman world as well as strong interests in earlier Greek and neighbouring cultures. Our reputation for innovative research and high-quality teaching derives from the breadth of our chronological and geographical coverage, extending from Ancient Greece and Archaic Rome to Late Antiquity, and from metropoleis to frontiers, in areas such as Italy, North Africa, Anatolia, France and Britain.

A wide range of research interests is covered, including the history of the development of Roman archaeology, Roman imperialism and provincial archaeology in the Western Roman Empire, archaeology in North Africa, late antique urbanism in North Africa and the Near East, pre-Roman and Roman Italy, the late Iron Age/ Roman transition, oppida and the late Iron Age in Europe, Greek, Roman and Achaemenid art and archaeology, and Iron Age and Classical Anatolia. These interests feed directly into the researchled teaching on this route through the MA.

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Social Archaeology • Dissertation.

• Research Topics in Archaeology • Language module • Other MA modules available in the Department, or other departments, on consultation.

Teaching Through specialist modules, skills-oriented classes, workshops, and dissertation research the MA enables you to advance your skills and progress to doctoral-level research, or gain specialist and transferable skills key to the commercial archaeological or heritage world, as well as to the wider employment market.

Gain a clear understanding of two of the most vibrant periods in human history.

Examples of optional modules: • Practical Research and Study Skills

Assessment Assessment can include essays and practical projects such as posters, as well as a research dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A degree in archaeology or a related subject entailing experience in historical, material and/or visual culture or applicable techniques/ approaches. Minimum 2:1 Honours degree (UK) or international equivalent.

Learn more

• Research Topics in Archaeology • Language module • Other MA modules available in the Department, or other departments, on consultation.

Teaching Through specialist modules, skills-orientated classes, workshops, and dissertation research the MA enables you to advance your skills and knowledge with a view to progressing to doctoral-level research, or gaining specialist and transferable skills key to the commercial archaeological or heritage world, as well as to the wider employment market.

Assessment Assessment can include essays and practical projects such as posters, as well as a research dissertation.

Course information

Course information

Archaeology Egypt, Near East and Asia MA

Archaeology Medieval and Post-Medieval MA

Learn about some of the regions that shaped the ancient world and have had a profound impact on the modern one.

This route through the MA will give you a firm grounding in the archaeology of one or more regions from Egypt, Asia and the Near East focusing on specific areas of interest. Durham is a leading research department in Egypt, parts of Asia and the Near East, encompassing a large group of specialists working on many aspects of these regions, with current projects running in Egypt, Iraq, the Gulf, Nepal, and China. Our international reputation for innovative research and high-quality teaching derives from the quality of our work and the breadth of our chronological and geographical coverage. A wide range of research interests is covered by Durham staff, including ancient Near Eastern metallurgy; GIS and remote sensing; big-data landscape analysis; landscapes of the ancient Near East; urbanism; Egyptian settlement, life and religion; the archaeology of Arabia and the Indian Ocean; Chinese trade ceramics; later prehistoric and Early Historic South Asia; the archaeology of Buddhism; the Indus valley; archaeological ethics and practice.

These interests feed directly into the research-led teaching on this route. The MA benefits from an active research group and a number of ongoing grant-funded projects in the Department as well as the Centre for the Ancient Mediterranean and the Near East (CAMNE).

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Social Archaeology • Dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A degree in archaeology or a related subject entailing experience in historical, material and/or visual culture or applicable techniques/ approaches. Minimum 2:1 Honours degree (UK) or international equivalent.

Learn more

This route through the MA is designed to give you a firm grounding in the archaeology of the Medieval and Post-Medieval worlds, focusing on specific areas of interest. Building on a long tradition of early Medieval and Medieval archaeology, established at Durham University by Professor Rosemary Cramp, the Department offers research and teaching expertise in a wide range of aspects of the historic archaeology of Britain, Europe and, increasingly, Asia and the New World.

Our international reputation for innovative research and highquality teaching derives from the quality of our work and the breadth of our chronological and geographical coverage.

Current research interests cover topics from religion to regional and international archaeology and historical archaeology. These feed directly into the research-led teaching on this route through the MA. The MA Archaeology Medieval and Post-Medieval benefits from an active research culture, numerous ongoing field projects (e.g. Spain, County Durham, Northumberland, China) and from staff membership of university research centres such as the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) and the Centre for Visual Arts and Culture (CVAC).

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Social Archaeology • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Practical Research and Study Skills • Research Topics in Archaeology • Language module • Other MA modules available in the Department, or other departments, on consultation.

Teaching Through specialist modules, skills-orientated classes, workshops, and dissertation research the MA enables you to advance your skills with a view to progressing to doctoral-level research, or gaining specialist and transferable skills key to the commercial archaeological or heritage world, as well as to the wider employment market.

Learn about the archaeology of Britain, Europe, Asia and the New World.

Assessment Assessment can include essays and practical projects such as posters, as well as a research dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A degree in archaeology or a related subject entailing experience in historical, material and/or visual culture or applicable techniques/ approaches. Minimum 2:1 Honours degree (UK) or international equivalent.

Learn more

Examples of optional modules: • Practical Research and Study Skills • Research Topics in Archaeology • Language module • Other MA modules available in the Department, or other departments, on consultation.

Teaching Through specialist modules, skills-orientated classes, workshops, and dissertation research the MA enables you to advance your skills and knowledge with a view to progressing to doctoral-level research, or gaining specialist and transferable skills key to the commercial archaeological or heritage world, as well as to the wider employment market.

Assessment Assessment is by assignment, project work and dissertation.

Course information

Course information

Archaeology Prehistoric MA

Bioarchaeology MSc

Open the door to the latest developments in archaeological science, including stable isotope mass spectrometry, ancient DNA, and environmental archaeology.

Learn from expert prehistorians and study the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age. This route through the MA is designed to give you a firm grounding in the archaeology of the prehistoric world focusing on specific areas of interest. It builds on Durham’s longstanding reputation as one of the leading UK centres for the study of European prehistory, with active research projects from the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age and from Britain to Iraq.

The prehistorians in the Department include experts on the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic, Bronze Age and Iron Age. With its long tradition of teaching and research on European prehistory, Durham has excellent library facilities including a wide range of British and European national and regional periodicals.

Our approach is innovative and dynamic, with an emphasis on theoretical perspectives and the development of humans in society, in their landscapes, and in their interaction with material culture. Our international reputation for innovative research and high-quality teaching derives from the quality of our work and the breadth of our chronological and geographical coverage.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A degree in archaeology or a related subject entailing experience in historical, material and/or visual culture or applicable techniques/ approaches. Minimum 2:1 Honours degree (UK) or international equivalent.

Learn more

The MA benefits from an active research grouping, ongoing field projects and from staff membership of university research centres such as the Centre for Visual Arts and Culture (CVAC).

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Social Archaeology • Dissertation.

The Bioarchaeology Research Group works in world-class laboratories, specialising and teaching in the areas of human health and wellbeing, diet and lifeways, human and animal dispersals and mobility, reconstructing palaeoenvironments, and human-animal-environment relations. Many of the assemblages that our students work with for their research derive from staff research projects, or the excavations of our in-house commercial unit, Archaeological Services.

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Archaeological Science • Topics in Archaeological Science • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Practical Research and Study Skills • Research Topics in Archaeology • Language module • Other MA modules available in the Department, or other departments on consultation.

Teaching Through specialist modules, skills-orientated classes, workshops, and dissertation research the MA enables you to advance your skills with a view to progressing to doctoral-level research, or gaining specialist and transferable skills key to the commercial archaeological or heritage world, as well as to the wider employment market.

Bioarchaeology focuses on the study of biological materials found in archaeological contexts to provide information about the life and environment of humans in the past. It is a continually evolving field, with new breakthroughs and discoveries emerging almost every month. The course is aimed at inquisitive graduates with or without past experience of bioarchaeology, and for those with professional experience in commercial archaeology or museums who are interested in learning how biosciences can be applied to field research or museum collections.

Examples of optional modules: • Environmental Archaeology • Osteoprofiling • Isotopic and Biomolecular Archaeology

Assessment Assessment can include essays and practical projects such as posters, as well as a research dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A minimum of a 2:1 degree (GPA 3.3) or equivalent in Archaeology, Anthropology, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, or related disciplines. Relevant work experience will also be considered.

Learn more

• Practical Guided Study • Themes in Palaeopathology.

Research Topics in Archaeology: • Migration and Movement of People in Medieval and PostMedieval Britain • Vikings, Fire and Ice – Environmental Archaeology of the North Atlantic Islands • Current Geoarchaeology – Reconstructing Archaeological Sites.

Teaching Delivered through lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, laboratory-based practicals, and a supervised dissertation, the MA provides the advanced training, critical and analytical skills needed to obtain and interpret data from biological assemblages. It will give you a broad understanding of bioarchaeology, and skills in isotopic archaeology, DNA, zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, or geoarchaeology.

Assessment The degree is assessed through a variety of essays, reports, and skills-based exercises, culminating in a written dissertation based on original research.

Course information

Course information

Bioarchaeology (Biomolecular Archaeology) MSc

Bioarchaeology (Environmental Archaeology) MSc

Open the door to the latest developments in archaeological science, including stable isotope mass spectrometry, ancient DNA, and environmental archaeology.

Bioarchaeology is a branch of archaeology that focuses on the study of biological materials found in archaeological contexts to provide information about the life and environment of humans in the past. It is a fast-paced and continually evolving field, with new breakthroughs and discoveries emerging almost every month. Studying the subject at Durham University opens the door to the latest developments in archaeological science, including human bioarchaeology and palaeopathology, stable isotope mass spectrometry, ancient DNA, and environmental archaeology.

The MSc Bioarchaeology (Biomolecular Archaeology) enables you to specialise and focus your studies on biomolecular methods applied to organic remains recovered from archaeological sites, e.g. humans, animals, plants and soils. You will be able to gain expertise in the samples you wish to study and the DNA and isotopic methods used to investigate them.

If you wish to graduate in Biomolecular Archaeology, you are required to follow the route below through the degree.

Typical course content Core modules (all streams): • Research and Study Skills in Archaeological Science • Topics in Archaeological Science • Dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A minimum of a 2:1 degree (GPA 3.3) or equivalent in Archaeology, Anthropology, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, or related disciplines. Relevant work experience will also be considered.

Learn more

Examples of optional modules: • Environmental Archaeology • Osteoprofiling • Isotopic and Biomolecular Archaeology • Practical Guided Study • Research Topics in Archaeology: Migration and Movement of People in Medieval and Post-Medieval Britain.

Teaching Delivered through lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, laboratory-based practicals, and a supervised dissertation, the MA provides the advanced training, critical and analytical skills needed to obtain and interpret data from biological assemblages. It will give you a broad understanding of bioarchaeology, and skills in isotopic archaeology, DNA, zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, or geoarchaeology.

Open the door to the latest developments in archaeological science, including stable isotope mass spectrometry, ancient DNA, and environmental archaeology.

Bioarchaeology is a branch of archaeology that focuses on the study of biological materials found in archaeological contexts to provide information about the life and environment of humans in the past. It is a fast-paced and continually evolving field, with new breakthroughs and discoveries emerging almost every month. Studying the subject at Durham University opens the door to the latest developments in archaeological science, including environmental archaeology, stable isotope mass spectrometry, ancient DNA, and human osteology and palaeopathology.

The MSc Bioarchaeology (Environmental Archaeology) enables you to specialise and focus your studies on environmental methods applied to organic remains recovered from archaeological sites, e.g. animals, plants and soils. You will be able to gain expertise in the samples you wish to study and the methods used to investigate and reconstruct human-animalenvironment interactions in the past. If you wish to graduate in Environmental Archaeology, you will follow the route below through the degree:.

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Archaeological Science • Topics in Archaeological Science • Dissertation.

• Examples of optional modules: • Environmental Archaeology • Isotopic and Biomolecular Archaeology

Assessment The degree is assessed through a variety of essays, reports, and skills-based exercises, culminating in a written dissertation based on original research.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A minimum of a 2:1 degree (GPA 3.3) or equivalent in Archaeology, Anthropology, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Geography, or related disciplines. Relevant work experience will also be considered.

Learn more

• Practical Guided Study • Research Topics in Archaeology: Vikings, Fire and Ice – Environmental Archaeology of the North Atlantic Islands • Research Topics in Archaeology: Current Geoarchaeology – Reconstructing Archaeological Sites.

Teaching Delivered through lectures, seminars, tutorials, workshops, laboratory-based practicals, and a supervised dissertation, the MA provides the advanced training, critical and analytical skills needed to obtain and interpret data from biological assemblages. It will give you a broad understanding of bioarchaeology, and skills in isotopic archaeology, DNA, zooarchaeology, archaeobotany, or geoarchaeology.

Assessment The degree is assessed through a variety of essays, reports, and skills-based exercises, culminating in a written dissertation based on original research.

Course information

Course information

Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects (Diss) MA

Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects (PP) MA

Become a conservation scientist or work in the fields of artefact research or preventive conservation.

This course is designed for those interested in a career in conservation research or preventive conservation, or for those with conservation experience who are interested in taking a deeper look at an element of the field. Manual dexterity, a knowledge of chemistry and an enthusiasm and desire to work with museum objects are essential.

For those interested in an industrial placement in a conservation laboratory at a major museum – see MA Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects (PP). This course is particularly appropriate for those seeking a career in conservation research. Graduates have gone on seek PhD’s and to work for large heritage organisations such as the National Parks Service.

Typical course content Core modules: • Conservation Theory • Conservation Skills • Artefact Studies • Care of Collections • Conservation Practice • Dissertation.

Teaching The course is delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and practical classes as well as a dissertation. The balance of activities changes throughout the course, as you develop your knowledge, skills and ability as independent learners and researchers. All teaching is delivered by qualified conservators.

Assessment Assessments are diverse and include essays, exams, and portfolios of practical work. The degree culminates in writing a dissertation focused on artefact analysis, preventive conservation, or applications for real-world conservation problems.

Course fact file Course length 19 months full-time.

3 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A good second class Honours degree (typically 2:1) or international equivalent in any subject. Applicants without a degree will be required to demonstrate sufficient academic capability to satisfactorily complete this degree. Please note there are additional requirements in Chemistry – please see below.

Learn how to be a conservator of archaeological and museum objects and to help safeguard artefacts for the future.

This course trains you to be a conservator of archaeological and museum objects. You will learn to research, analyse, clean, preserve and care for a wide range of artefacts. The course is intended for those who wish to become practising artefact conservators, or who want to work in the fields of artefact research or collections care. Course participants are drawn from a wide range of disciplines. However, manual dexterity, a basic knowledge of chemistry and the desire to work with museum objects are essential. The first year consists of 11 months’ intensive teaching in Durham. The second year is typically an industrial placement in a conservation laboratory at a major museum, although you may also opt to stay in Durham and undertake an independent research project – see Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects (Diss).

Graduates now work in a wide variety of museums as well as large heritage organisations, such as the National Trust and English Heritage.

Course fact file Course length 2 years full-time.

3 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A good second class Honours degree (typically 2:1) or international equivalent in any subject. Applicants without a degree will be required to demonstrate sufficient academic capability to satisfactorily complete this degree. Please note there are additional requirements in Chemistry – please see below.

Learn more

Learn more Typical course content Core modules: • Conservation Theory and Methods • Conservation Skills • Artefact Studies • Care of Collections • Conservation Practice • Professional Practice.

Teaching This course is delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and practical classes as well as an industrial placement. The balance of activities changes over the course as you develop your knowledge, skills and the ability to be an independent learner and practitioner. The emphasis is on taking learning from the classroom to real-life situations in museums and conservation laboratories. This prepares you well for work or further study, once you have completed the course. All teaching is delivered by qualified conservators with experience in the museum sector.

Assessment Assessment is varied. During the first year it includes essays, reports and portfolios of practical work. In the second year, you will spend nine months working in a conservation lab. You will gain experience working with a wide range of materials and develop your practical skills, in a real-life working environment. A focus is placed upon problemsolving and organisational and managerial skills, under the supervision of a professional conservator.

Course information

Course information

Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology MSc

Human Bioarchaeology and Palaeopathology MSc

Gain knowledge, experience and skills in forensic archaeology and anthropology.

This exciting new MSc will equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue further research in forensic archaeology and anthropology, and/or find employment, either within a forensic-related profession, or the graduate market more generally. This is an intensive, hands-on, practical course, which includes extensive analysis of human skeletal remains, mock court experience, excavation of ‘mass graves’, and knowledge of the legal and ethical issues associated with forensic contexts.

This MSc is aimed at graduates from a variety of backgrounds, who seek knowledge, experience and skills in forensic archaeology and anthropology. The course is unique in the UK in terms of its strong international humanitarian focus, and the research excellence that is at its core.

The course has been designed to fulfil the accreditation criteria of the Chartered Society of Forensic Science Component Standards and to align with the UN Sustainability goals, in particular peace and justice.

Typical course content Core modules: • Osteoprofiling • Research Skills in Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology • Forensic Archaeology and Anthropology: Theory and Practice • Dissertation.

Study a unique course that will prepare you for undertaking significant research projects or working in commercial archaeology and many other fields.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time Typical entry requirements A minimum of a 2.1 degree or equivalent. You might have a UG degree in Archaeology, Anthropology, Forensic or Crime Scene Science. However, students from a wide variety of backgrounds are admitted, including students with undergraduate degrees in Natural and Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Geography, as well as Classics and History.

Learn more

Examples of optional modules: • Isotope and Biomolecular Archaeology • Palaeopathology: Theory and Method.

Teaching The course is delivered through an exciting and challenging mixture of lectures, seminars, hands-on practical classes, and mock forensic scenarios, to ensure effective and realistic training in different forensic contexts.. Fieldtrips are planned to supplement knowledge on forensic practice and to gain knowledge of the operational facilities and professional practice of dealing with death investigations, including international mass disasters.

Assessment Assessments are diverse and include essays, exams, and portfolios of practical work. The degree culminates in writing a dissertation.

Palaeopathology is the study of past disease in human remains; it is a sub-discipline of human bioarchaeology (the study of human remains from archaeological sites). The MSc equips you with the theoretical and practical skills and knowledge to study and interpret data collected from human remains. The emphasis is on health and wellbeing using a multidisciplinary approach, linking biological evidence for disease with cultural data (the biocultural approach). This course takes a holistic view of disease, as seen in a clinical context today.

It is aimed at graduates mainly in archaeology and anthropology with or without past experience or knowledge in this field, and for those who aspire to a PhD or work in contract archaeology.

However, past students have come from a variety of subject backgrounds, and destination data illustrates that a wide range of employers recruit these graduates.

Typical course content Core modules: • Research and Study Skills in Archaeological Science • Osteoprofiling • Palaeopathology: Theory and Method • Dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A minimum of an upper second class (2:1) degree or equivalent; GPA of 3:3 or above.

Learn more

Examples of optional modules: • Themes in Palaeopathology • Isotope and Biomolecular Archaeology.

Teaching We emphasise the importance of hands-on practical experience with a large number of human skeletons from different time periods. This is the only way for students to learn the range of variation in both normal and pathological bones. The MSc is taught through an exciting and challenging mixture of lectures, seminars and practical classes. Students also have access to our dedicated human osteology laboratory outside of our formal taught sessions and we emphasise independent learning.

You will have the opportunity to engage in research and professional practice, and to develop and demonstrate research skills in subject areas that interest you. In addition to the taught components, a series of informal ‘open lab’ sessions, guest lectures and research seminars form part of the learning experience.

Assessment You will be assessed in a variety of ways, including practical tests, essays, poster presentations, and a statistical exercise. Your dissertation will be a significant piece of research on a subject that interests you and will be a key component of the course. This is supervised by an academic member of staff who will also help you formulate your project and is undertaken in Term 3 and over the summer.

The dissertation is regarded as preparation for further professional or academic work.

Course information

Course information

International Cultural Heritage Management MA

Museum and Artefact Studies MA

Passionate about the ways in which cultural heritage shapes and reflects people’s lives, hopes and memories around the world?

With this course we will support you as part of the next generation of leaders in the field, equipping you with the skills to contribute to the complex challenges of developing cultural heritage in an increasingly globalised and changeable world. We have designed this degree to build upon our unique situation, living and working within a World Heritage Site here in Durham.

Durham University established the first UNESCO Chair in Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage, held by Professor Robin Coningham. Reflecting this, the MA explores both the history and management of Durham’s World Heritage Site as well as examining heritage, politics and religion in Asia, particularly Nepal. You will explore the concepts underlying the idea of cultural heritage and investigate the social, political and economic impact of a variety of local, national and international heritage organisations.

Typical course content There are two routes through the MA: • The Cultural Heritage Research route, which concludes with a dissertation • The Professional Practice route, which concludes with an analytical case study report.

Core modules: • Debating Heritage and Museums • Managing Cultural Heritage in Context • Dissertation or Analytical Case Study Report.

Optional module: • Protecting World Heritage.

Teaching The course is delivered through a mixture of lectures, seminars and webinars, tutorials and workshops, with visits to relevant heritage sites. You will draw on case studies and seminars from international heritage organisations, including World Heritage Sites. You will examine critical heritage thinking and practice focusing on the management of cultural heritage including strategic planning, financial management, people, collection and site management and disaster preparedness. A projectbased placement (or equivalent) provides a professional practice element. Students can also choose an elective module.

These may include ‘Communicating Cultural Heritage’ in which you will learn a language and develop a website addressing a cultural heritage issue or ‘Protecting World Heritage’, newly developed by our UNESCO Professor.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Learn more Typical entry requirements A minimum of a 2:1 degree or equivalent. The course assumes no prior knowledge, but an ability to demonstrate previous interest or experience of cultural heritage would be an advantage. Students should be willing to prepare a cultural heritage case study to bring with them.

“ The MA has broadened my understanding of the different definitions, views and perceptions that different people have regarding heritage and culture.”

Ziad Siala (Office of World Heritage Sites, Libyan Department of Antiquities) Student blogs Professional Practice Project or Dissertation For those wanting to work in the profession, you may choose to prepare a detailed analytical case study report on a country or site of your choice. Students wishing to explore theoretical issues or who plan to pursue a career in other contexts, including taking a higherlevel degree, may choose the Dissertation module.

Gain high-quality training relevant to a career in museums in the cultural heritage sector and in the academic world.

The MA is intended to equip you with a sound knowledge and critical understanding of current professional principles, good practice and contemporary debates relating to museum and artefact studies.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

It aims to help you develop a variety of skills, including: professional skills, relevant to the care, management and exhibition of collections in museums; analytical skills, relevant to the study of a wide range of materials and artefacts; research skills, relevant to studies of museums and artefacts, including an awareness of current theoretical issues and communication skills, relevant to work in the museum profession and to academic research. It also encourages you to take personal responsibility for your own learning, teamwork and professional conduct.

Typical entry requirements A minimum of a 2:1 degree or equivalent, or an international equivalent, such as a GPA of 3.3 or above and hold some museum work experience.

Typical course content Two distinct routes can be followed. These comprise different combinations of modules.

Route 1 Core modules: • Debating Heritage and Museums • Museum Principles and Practice • Artefact Studies • Care of Collections • Museum Communication • Research Paper.

Route 2 Core modules: • Debating Heritage and Museums • Museum Principles and Practice • Artefact Studies • Either Museum Communication, Care of Collections OR a module from the MA Archaeology • Dissertation.

Teaching The course is mainly delivered through a mixture of lectures, tutorials and practical classes. Practical classes allow you to gain direct experience of practical and interpretative skills through placements and curating an exhibition and/or developing an educational programme for the University Museums.

Learn more

“ I chose this course as I was attracted to the combination of both museum studies and artefact studies.”

Eleonora Falesiedi Student blogs

Assessment Under supervision you will undertake a detailed study of a particular area resulting in a significant piece of independent research. The Dissertation is regarded as preparation for further academic work while the Research Paper route is designed for a more professional environment.

Course information

Archaeology research degrees

Research students are an important part of our internationally renowned Archaeology research community.

We welcome applicants interested in undertaking original research across the broad areas of prehistoric, historic and scientific archaeology in which our staff are internationally recognised authorities.

Our key research areas include Arabian Archaeology; Bioarchaeology and Biomolecular Archaeology, Egypt, the Near East and South Asia; European Prehistory; Landscapes of Complex Societies; Material and Visual Culture; Medieval and Post-Medieval Archaeology; North East England; Ritual, Religion, Belief and Place; and Roman Archaeology, as well as heritage theory, practice and museology.

We are proudly cosmopolitan and informal, and as a large and lively research community we host regular visiting seminars, workshops and conferences, and have some of the best library resources in the UK.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 1109 Email Learn more

“ What appeals to me most is the openness and enthusiasm for collaboration, whether you are here to study Egyptian artefacts or Palaeolithic cave paintings.”

Barbara Oosterwijk

MA in Archaeology by Research This can either provide a standalone research degree on a very specific project, or may serve as preparation for further research towards the PhD. It is assessed on the basis of a 50,000-word thesis.

Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

PhD in Archaeology This represents a major piece of research resulting in an original contribution to knowledge as well as forming a key element of training to be a researcher. It is assessed on the basis of a 100,000-word thesis and a viva voce (oral) examination.

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

Our vibrant department has connections across the world.

Education The School of Education is one of the leading departments of education in the UK.

We are a large department, with around 50 academic staff and around 650 postgraduate students (including our PGCE students, both primary and secondary). We are also supported by numerous partners from schools and colleges. We have strong international links, welcoming students, postdoctoral fellows and visiting scholars from all over the world.

Ranking

We are committed to research that engages with, and has an impact upon, practice and policy, as well as influencing the wider research community to develop educational practice, education policy and future educational research.

Joint 5th

Departmental highlight We have a vibrant portfolio of research projects with support from a wide range of funders, including the Economic and Social Research Council, the European Union, the Nuffield Foundation, the Sutton Trust, and the Education Endowment Foundation, as well as a range of other organisations and charities.

Typical course content • Assessment, Evaluation and Effectiveness in Education • Curriculum and Pedagogy • Educational Psychology • Evidence in Education • Intercultural Communication and Education • Methods and Critical Approaches • Sociology of Education • Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Outstanding provision We lead the way in high–quality research, teaching and professional education, both nationally and internationally.

Our Initial Teacher Education programmes, including our BA Primary Education and our PGCE Primary and Secondary programmes, have been officially accredited as outstanding

by Ofsted for all aspects of our provision (last inspection date: April 2013).

We are a leading centre of research, recognised for our world–class and international quality.

Joint 1st

in the UK for internationally excellent and world–leading research impact (REF 2014).

in the UK for world–leading research (REF 2014).

Top 10

in The Complete University Guide 2022.

World Top 100

in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2021.

Careers and employability Career opportunities in education are wide and include classroom teaching, educational leadership and management, administration and policy development.

School of Education The University’s highly regarded education courses are housed here.

Course information

Course information

Education MA

Education (Primary) PGCE

Gain a clear understanding of the nature and significance of policy and practice in education, relevant to researchers as well as professionals in schools, colleges and universities.

The MA Education provides outstanding opportunities to study a wide range of educational issues. A key feature of the course is the ability for you to draw on your own professional and personal as well as academic and theoretical interests, through being able to choose from a range of optional modules (see below). You will also be able to explore your own interests in depth by completing a dissertation.

Students likely to benefit from the course are those who are interested in education, often teachers or people planning to become teachers, who have a commitment to pedagogy, and educational managers in schools, colleges and higher education institutions, as well as those working in educational administration, in the UK and overseas.

Typical course content Core modules: • Critical Perspectives in Education • Design and Methods in Education Research • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Arts in Education • Curriculum Analysis • Digital Technologies and Education: Critical Perspectives

• Education Policy and Evaluation • Enhancing Teaching and Learning for Purposeful Thought • Education Policy and Evaluation • Language, Education & Power • Psychology of the Learner • Special Educational Needs and Inclusion: Rhetoric or Reality?

Teaching Modules are delivered using a combination of lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. We will introduce you to key ideas and ways of thinking that enable you to engage with related issues in contexts that are relevant to you.

Interested in primary school teaching?

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more Watch the film

The PGCE Primary provides a course in Initial Teacher Training that is accredited by the Department for Education (DfE). It will equip you to become a primary school teacher (ages 5–11) and will provide training for Key Stages 1 and 2. Successful completion of the course gives you a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), awarded by the DfE, and a PGCE (awarded by Durham University).

The course will give you professional and academic training in preparation for your role as a primary teacher. Underpinning the course is a belief that successful teachers need to understand how children learn and that this is best achieved through a combination of theory, practice and reflection.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

Students who have successfully completed the PGCE at Durham in the previous academic year have the option to use the 90 credits they have accredited towards a part-time MA Education. These students only need to study the core modules, Education Enquiry and the Dissertation over two years to complete the course.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues

Assessment Contexts as diverse as science education in schools, informal learning in the workplace and the management of schools outside the UK can be explored through module assignments as well as the dissertation. In addition to the taught core and optional modules, all postgraduate taught students following a Masters course will undertake a dissertation.

• Self–directed Study • Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum.

Teaching The Durham PGCE Primary course has been developed in partnership with schools and offers a strong practical element, with student teachers spending a substantial part of the year (a minimum of 120 days) in school. Students on the course will develop an understanding of the values and issues which underpin education, and are encouraged to develop and articulate their own beliefs. The responsibility for training is shared between schools and the University, which together provide a supportive professional environment, in which you can develop your knowledge, skills, understanding and expertise.

Assessment The Primary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, a teaching and learning conference, follow– up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignments.

Course information

Course information

Education – Primary (School Direct Route) PGCE

Education – Secondary (School Direct Route) PGCE

Study on a Department for Education (DfE) accredited course that will give you a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The PGCE Primary provides a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the DfE. Successful completion of the course will give you a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) awarded by the DfE and a PGCE (awarded by Durham University).

Credits achieved during the PGCE year can also equate to the first year of Durham’s MA Education.

The course gives you professional and academic training in preparation for your role as a primary teacher. Underpinning the course is a belief that successful teachers need to understand how children learn and that this is best achieved through a combination of theory, practice and reflection.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

Students who have successfully completed the PGCE at Durham in the previous academic year have the option to use the 90 credits they have accredited towards a part-time MA Education. These students only need to study the core modules, Education Enquiry and the Dissertation over two years to complete the course.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the DfE, the successful completion of which will accord you with a recommendation for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Our course has been inspected

by Ofsted, which resulted in an Outstanding grading for all aspects of our provision.

Students who have successfully completed the PGCE at Durham in the previous academic year have the option to use 90 credits that they have accrued towards a part–time MA Education. These students only need to study the core modules, Education Enquiry, and the Dissertation over 2 years, to complete the course.

Typical course content Each student teacher on the course specialises in one of the subjects listed on UCAS. Subject pedagogy is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment.

• Self–directed Study • Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum.

Teaching The Durham PGCE Primary course has been developed in partnership with schools, and offers a strong practical element, with student teachers spending a substantial part of the year (a minimum of 120 days) in school. Students will develop an understanding of the values and issues that underpin education, and are encouraged to develop and articulate their own beliefs.

The responsibility for training is shared between schools and the University, which together provide a supportive professional environment, in which you can develop your knowledge, skills, understanding and expertise.

Become a secondary school teacher with our Department for Education (DfE) accredited and Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) registered course.

Assessment The Primary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, a teaching and learning conference, follow–up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignments.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education • Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Teaching is related to classroom–based issues such as the psychology of learning, the law, curriculum groups, and examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. This is followed up in subject groups and during school placements.

Student teachers will engage critically in issues relevant to the classroom and school, particularly those that impact on the success of children as learners. You will draw on your own experience during weekly visits to schools and your own small–scale action research, linking this to critical engagement with published educational research.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, a teaching and learning conference, follow– up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignments.

Course information

Course information

Intercultural Communication and Education MA

Primary (International) PGCE

Develop a critical understanding of education and intercultural communication in the context of global movements of people and the internationalisation of education.

The MA Intercultural Communication and Education provides students, educators and policymakers with resources for reflecting on and responding to the growing need for intercultural education and communication in an increasingly intercultural and international world.

Typical course content Core modules: • Design and Methods in Education Research • Digital Technologies and Education: Critical Perspectives • Intercultural and International Education • Intercultural Communication • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Arts in Education • Curriculum Analysis • Education Policy and Evaluation • Enhancing Teaching and Learning for Purposeful Thought • Language, Education & Power • Psychology of the Learner • Special Educational Needs and Inclusion: Rhetoric or Reality?

Teaching Modules are delivered using a combination of lectures, seminars workshops and tutorials. Core modules are designed to provide you with a critical understanding of theories, research and issues relevant to your chosen programme of study.

Assessment In addition to the taught core and optional modules, all postgraduate taught students following a Masters course will undertake a dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Want to train to teach primary pupils in an international school context?

Based in Geneva, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (International) is being offered through a collaborative partnership with the International School of Geneva. The course is for those who wish to train to teach primary pupils in an international school context.

Successful completion of the course can also lead to International Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching and Learning (Level 1), providing International Baccalaureate requirements for that award have been completed at an appropriate level.

Learn more Typical course content Core modules: • Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum – Generic Issues in School–based Education (International)

“ This MA added to my understanding of sociology of education whilst I gained new insights from a more applied linguistics and cultural studies perspective.”

Nicole Lam

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Location Geneva.

Learn more

• Self–directed Study – Subject Specific Issues in School–based Education (International) • Professional Issues in School–based Education (International).

Teaching The PGCE (International) is composed of three modules (a professional module and two academic modules) at Masters level. The professional module consists of a set of standards linked to tasks which you must show evidence of having successfully completed. This part of the course will be primarily school–based, centred at the Campus des Nations, but with students observing, and being on ‘school experience’, on all three campuses of the International School of Geneva.

Assessment Assessment will include assignments and a professional portfolio.

Course information

Course information

Research Methods (Education) MA

Secondary (International) PGCE Want to train to teach secondary pupils in an international school context?

Gain a high–quality education in research methods.

This course delivers high–quality research methods training, including practical experience with qualitative and quantitative data analysis software packages and detailed analysis related to research epistemology and the philosophy of social science.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

The course is a cross–faculty course and modules are taught within the School of Education, the Department of Sociology and the Department of Psychology. This provides you with the opportunity to come into contact not only with researchers from different disciplines but also with other students studying research methods in different disciplines.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

Typical course content Core modules: • Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum – Generic Issues in School–based Education (International)

• Qualitative Research Methods in Social Science • Dissertation.

• Self–directed Study – Subject-Specific Issues in School–based Education (International) • Professional Issues in School–based Education (International).

Teaching The PGCE (International) is composed of three modules (a professional module and two academic modules) at Masters level. The professional module consists of a set of standards linked to tasks which you must show evidence of having successfully completed. This part of the course will be primarily school–based, centred at the Campus des Nations, but with students observing, and being on ‘school experience’, on all three campuses of the International School of Geneva.

Examples of optional modules: • Fieldwork and Interpretation • Statistical Exploration and Reasoning.

Teaching Teaching is offered through lectures, seminars and tutorials.

You will take part in a range of learning activities, including reading, discussion, presentations, criticising existing research, analysing and interpreting data, designing experiments, searching literature and synthesising the results of multiple studies.

Successful completion of the course can also lead to International Baccalaureate Certificate in Teaching and Learning (Level 1), providing International Baccalaureate requirements for that award have been completed at an appropriate level.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Location Geneva.

Learn more

The course is suited to those hoping to pursue a research degree but who do not meet the research methods training entry requirements, as well as those who wish to apply for an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) studentship, as the course is recognised by the ESRC for 1+3 funding.

Typical course content Core modules: • Research Design and Process • Perspectives on Social Research • Experiments in Education • Design and Methods in Education Research • Intermediate Statistics for Social Science Research

Based in Geneva, the Postgraduate Certificate in Education (International) is being offered through a collaborative partnership with the International School of Geneva. The course is for those who wish to train to teach secondary pupils in an international school context.

Assessment Each module is assessed with an assignment. You will also write a dissertation of 12,000 words.

Assessment Assessment will include assignments and a professional portfolio.

Course information

Course information

Secondary – Biology PGCE

Secondary – Chemistry PGCE

Begin your career as a secondary school science teacher with this QTS–registered course.

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

We believe strongly that to be able to teach successfully, you must acquire a good understanding of the ‘big ideas’ of science, as well as learning about how to teach science.

The University–based time is therefore divided into:

Begin your career as a secondary school science teacher with this QTS–registered course.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

We believe strongly that to be able to teach successfully, you must acquire a good understanding of the ‘big ideas’ of science, as well as learning about how to teach science.

The University–based time is therefore divided into:

• Core Science – in all disciplines; addresses your own understanding of the key concepts underpinning science.

• Science Education Issues – looks at pedagogical issues relevant to how science is actually taught.

• Core Science – in all disciplines; addresses your own understanding of the key concepts underpinning science.

• Science Education Issues – looks at pedagogical issues relevant to how science is actually taught.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Subject pedagogy (how to teach the subject for understanding) is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. You will be based in one of our partnership schools, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching background.

The school–based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching – the latter starting by teaching individual pupils, eventually leading through group work to full classroom teaching.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in schools, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work.

Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Subject pedagogy (how to teach the subject for understanding) is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. You will be based in one of our partnership schools, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching background.

The school–based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching – the latter starting by teaching individual pupils, eventually leading through group work to full classroom teaching.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in schools, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work. Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

Course information

Course information

Secondary – English PGCE

Secondary – Geography PGCE

Begin your career as a secondary school English teacher with this QTS–registered course.

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Our popular English course aims to: provide you with the necessary knowledge, understanding and skills needed to become an effective and innovative teacher of English; extend your awareness of the range and scope of English as a subject in schools today; provide opportunities for you to experience and explore a variety of approaches to teaching the subject; and allow you to develop an appreciation of your own strengths and weaknesses.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Subject pedagogy (how to teach the subject for understanding) is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. You will be based in one of our partnership schools, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching background.

The school–based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching – the latter starting by teaching individual pupils, eventually leading through group work to full classroom teaching.

Begin your career as a secondary school geography teacher with this QTS–registered course.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Subject pedagogy (how to teach the subject for understanding) is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making the subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment.

The course features a fieldwork course in Durham City, exploring approaches to fieldwork, planning activities in the field and, in the summer, taking pupils from a local school to undertake them.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work.

Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching The school–based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching – the latter starting by teaching individual pupils, eventually leading through group work to full classroom teaching.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work.

Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

Course information

Course information

Secondary – History PGCE

Secondary – Mathematics PGCE

Begin your career as a secondary school history teacher with this QTS–registered course.

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, and the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The course is based on the firm belief that history is a relevant, exciting subject to teach and does not consist of transmitting a mass of information to pupils, who then memorise and regurgitate it. The course has a practical emphasis and will introduce you to a range of approaches to teaching history, enabling you to develop your own teaching style.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

You will be based in one of our secondary partnership schools, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching environment.

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, and the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Preparing to be a secondary mathematics teacher means that you will have to question your own way of thinking and doing mathematics before teaching. You will be strongly encouraged to find out the reasons behind rules, so that you are in a better position to teach pupils well.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

You are encouraged not only to show where mathematical concepts are applied in everyday life, but also to recognise that mathematics is a fascinating and creative subject in its own right, and can be studied with no immediate application.

The common thread is that pupils need to engage with purposeful activities in a supportive environment.

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Teaching will consist of lectures, seminars, workshop sessions, student presentations, role play and visits to historical sites. A number of sessions will be led by visiting teachers. The mixture of tutor–led and student–led sessions and of individual and group work is aimed at encouraging you to think critically about history, the way it is taught and the wider contribution it can make to the education of children. Throughout the course there will be regular tutorials and time for critical reflection, and as an integral part of the course, you will be encouraged to evaluate the University course and your school–based activities.

Begin your career as a secondary school mathematics teacher with this QTS–registered course.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work.

Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Subject pedagogy (how to teach the subject for understanding) is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. You will be based in one of our partnership schools, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching background.

The school–based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching – the latter starting by teaching individual pupils, eventually leading through group work to full classroom teaching.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work. Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

Course information

Course information

Secondary – Modern Foreign Languages PGCE

Secondary – Physical Education PGCE

Begin your career as a secondary school language teacher with these QTS–registered courses.

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, and the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The Modern Foreign Languages course will introduce you to the teaching of languages in secondary schools for young people aged 11–16. The course lays emphasis on language as a form of communication and on the value of language learning as a way of understanding other cultures and backgrounds.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

The value and benefits of language learning are evident to young people, their parents and society as a whole. The associated challenges are exciting, and the reward of seeing young people become multilingual and more aware of other cultures is fulfilling.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Throughout the course, there will be three main opportunities for you to gain practical ‘hands on’ experience of the school environment: a week in a primary school and two separate periods in our partnership secondary schools. In the first placement you will discover what life is like for children before they reach secondary school age; you will observe and consider different ways of organising learning, which you can then apply to the older children you will meet. You will also begin to consider education from a professional point of view. In the secondary school placements you will explore how to teach a language in a way consistent with the aims and processes of foreign language learning.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work.

Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

Begin your career as a secondary school PE teacher with this QTS–registered course.

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This is a course in Initial Teacher Training accredited by the Department for Education, and the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

The course has been devised by University tutors and physical education specialists in local schools, to prepare you to teach physical education to the full secondary age and ability range.

While in the University, you will follow a structured PE theory and practical programme, which will involve sessions reflecting good practice. There will be an obvious focus on all PE activity areas (games, gymnastic activities, dance, athletic activities, swimming, and outdoor and adventurous activities) throughout the course.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

Learn more

You will also complete two teaching placements (one of which will include a short enhancement period) in a variety of local schools. This will comprise a minimum of 120 days, to meet the minimum requirement for QTS.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching The design of the PE course complements and reinforces the generic and subject–specific principles, skills and techniques required of the competent teacher. Through critical reflection on current teaching practices, as well as your own teaching and research, you will be given the opportunity to develop into a more effective PE teacher, progressively improving the quality of your preparation and classroom practice, to become a physical educationalist of tomorrow.

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work. Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

Course information

Course information

Secondary – Physics PGCE

Education research degrees

Begin your career as a secondary school physics teacher with this QTS–registered course.

The PGCE Secondary is the first phase of a career–long process of personal and professional development, which will equip you to become a secondary school teacher. This course in Initial Teacher Training is accredited by the Department for Education, and the successful completion of which will accord you Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

We believe strongly that to be able to teach successfully, you must acquire a good understanding of the ‘big ideas’ of science, as well as learning about how to teach science.

The University–based time is therefore divided into two main parts:

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Our passion for our research is demonstrated by our success in research income, quality outputs, significant impact and partner engagement, leading to a stimulating research environment.

Typical entry requirements Please refer to our website durham.ac.uk/education for up-to-date entry criteria.

The diverse expertise of the members of academic, research and teaching staff in the School of Education is one of the key contributions to our success. Along with our central interest in Education, we demonstrate expertise in other disciplines including philosophy, sociology, psychology, politics, and anthropology, as well as educational domain-specific expertise in areas including art and cultural history, intercultural education, mathematics, science, English, special educational needs, and early years education.

Learn more

• Core Science – in all disciplines; addresses your own understanding of the key concepts underpinning science.

• Science Education Issues – looks at pedagogical issues relevant to how science is actually taught.

Typical course content Core modules: • Professional Issues in School–based Education

• Teaching and Learning in the Curriculum • Self–directed Study.

Teaching Subject pedagogy (how to teach the subject for understanding) is explored in curriculum groups, examining techniques for making each subject accessible and stimulating in a classroom environment. You will be based in one of our partnership schools, where you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in a teaching background.

The school–based activities involve structured classroom observations, planning and research projects and practical teaching – the latter starting by teaching individual pupils, eventually leading through group work to full classroom teaching.

The Department is made up of internationally acclaimed researchers pursuing innovative and critical research agendas, and future leaders establishing such profiles.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 8313 Email Learn more

For more information please visit our latest research pages durham.ac.uk/education/research/clusters

Assessment The Secondary PGCE is designed to take around 1,500 hours of student work, comprising: readings and preparation for teaching in school, teaching in schools, teaching time in lectures and workshops, professional studies days, conferences, follow-up readings after the taught element, independent study and assignment work.

Assessment includes an electronic professional portfolio and three assignments; successful completion of which provides 90 credits which can be carried towards an MA Education if you apply within three years of completing your PGCE.

PhD Our PhD consists of both training and supervised research. It suits graduates who aspire to an academic career in educational research teaching in higher education or to professional leadership and responsibility in the field of education.

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

While most candidates study full-time, we accept part-time applicants. We offer supervision in a broad range of areas.

What’s more, we welcome applications from varied disciplinary backgrounds, not just from those students possessing qualifications in education-related subjects.

Master of Professional Practice (MProf) We provide an environment in which both research and the practice merge to produce a symbiotic blend that enriches and enhances aspects of learning and teaching in schools and other educational environments.

The MProf is a research degree that uniquely exploits this relationship. Intended for experienced educational professionals who aspire to contribute to evidence-based and research-informed practice within their schools or educational contexts, through exploration of an educational theme of relevance to that context, as a personal research project in education that will be of benefit to their organisation.

Course length 1 year (12 months) full-time.

2 years (24 months) part-time.

English Language Teaching and Teacher Education Durham Centre for Academic Development Designed for anyone with an interest in the teaching of English as a foreign language.

Durham Centre for Academic Development provides high–quality English language teaching and language teacher training and development expertise. It caters for students at all levels: pre–university entry, undergraduate and postgraduate.

The Centre’s strong provision and expertise in English language teaching, teacher education and academic skills development plays a central role in supporting teaching and learning and in enhancing the experience of both UK/EU and international students at Durham.

The Centre provides you with a range of up–to–date resources, including a subscription to key ELT journals and resources that support practitioner-related research and skills development. The courses offer an academic and practitioner-focused curriculum, drawing on both theory and practice, aiming to provide you with ample opportunities to apply your knowledge and hone your skills throughout the year. You can enjoy studying in a stimulating and supportive environment that will enable you to succeed and to compete on a global platform.

Careers and employability As the demand for English grows globally, so does the demand for English language teaching professionals. Our students come from all over the world, and our graduates go on to teach and work internationally in a variety of diverse contexts. For example, some of the countries our previous students have come from include Algeria, Chile, China, Egypt, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Poland, South Korea, Spain, the USA and others. Not only do we welcome a diverse range of students from across the world but, because we understand the competitive global nature of the market, we also offer you the chance to differentiate your degree in specialisms such as Teaching English for Academic Purposes, Young Learners, and English for Specific Purposes.

The professional skills that our graduates possess enable them to find employment internationally, as teachers and managers in language schools, colleges of further education, universities or organisations such as the British Council.

“ Studying MA TESOL has had a profound influence on my career after graduation. It equipped me with the most advanced classroom teaching methodology and critical thinking skills.”

Diwei Chen MA TESOL graduate

Course information

TESOL and Applied Linguistics MA

Hone your skills with professional development opportunities.

Durham Centre for Academic Development’s MA in TESOL and Applied Linguistics offers excellent opportunities for inexperienced teachers, those starting out in the field of TESOL, and experienced language teachers, to develop careers in English language teaching.

The course is designed for anyone with an interest in the theory and practice of English language teaching and the wider aspects of teaching English as a foreign language, combining innovative classroom practices with an understanding of issues such as language structure and research methodology.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time Typical entry requirements A good first degree (normally a UK 2.1 or equivalent).

Learn more

The course offers a core of teaching theory and practice, with greater depth provided through further required modules focusing on both theoretical and practical aspects of the English language and on classroom practice including syllabus design and assessment.

Typical course content Core modules: • Language Teaching: Theory and Practice • Language for Teaching • Fundamentals of English Language Teaching • Dissertation • Research Methods

Examples of optional modules: Optional modules are divided into two streams, a TESOL stream and an Applied Linguistics stream with some modules shared between the streams. You may choose modules in different streams where choices are consistent with timetabling. Modules offered may vary in each academic year.

Teaching The MA course is delivered via lectures, seminars, practical sessions and micro-teaching sessions, giving you a solid grounding in both the theoretical and practical aspects of the field.

The focus throughout the courses is on independent learning and student engagement, you are expected to participate in presentations, micro-teaching and the like.

Assessment Summative assessment is carried out through various assignment types ranging from essay assignments and teaching plans to assessment designs and presentations. Formative, developmental assessment is an integral element of the MA programmes. There is an examination for the Language for Teaching module. A 15,000 word dissertation serves as the assessment for the dissertation module.

We have expertise in English language teaching, teacher education and academic skills development.

Geography The Department is notable for its balance of coverage across both human and physical geography, and for its emphasis on interdisciplinary working.

We provide a high–quality research environment and excellent facilities. Laboratories for water and sediment analysis, geotechnical studies, geomorphology and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction contain cutting-edge research equipment. Facilities for field research are excellent, including differential GPS, terrestrial laser scanners and unmanned aerial vehicles. Our modelling and remote sensing is supported by a GIS laboratory, a distributed computing cluster, and access to high–performance computing.

Ranking

Departmental highlights Staff are international leaders in their field, and have received awards from the Royal Geographical Society, the Institute of British Geographers, the American Association of Geographers, the Geological Society of London, and Her Majesty the Queen, to name just a few.

in The Complete University Guide 2022.

Key research areas Research activity is organised by seven clusters: • Politics–State–Space • Economy and Culture • Urban Worlds • Geographies of Life • Sea Level, Ice and Climate • Catchments and Rivers • Hazards and Surface Change.

Careers and employability Graduates work in a diverse range of areas, including property and surveying, environmental consultancy and management, conservation, town planning, geopolitical risk, market research, development work, health, public policy, social research, logistics, youth and community work, education, energy, utilities and tourism, banking, law, PR, consultancy, insurance, IT, retail, advertising, publishing, journalism and media.

Joint 1st

in the UK for internationally excellent and world–leading research impact (REF 2014).

3rd 3rd

in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.

World Top 10

in Shanghai Global Ranking of Academic Subjects for five years.

World Top 10

for 10 consecutive years in the QS World University Subject Ranking.

The Department of Geography at Durham is one of the leading centres of geographical research and education in the world.

Course information

Course information

Geography (Research Methods) MA

Risk MA

Explore the approaches and techniques used in human geography.

The MA Geography (Research Methods) – or MARM – aims to give a broad training in social science research methodology as well as more specific training in the approaches and techniques used in human geography. There is a balance between theory and practical application.

The course includes skills training and reflection on personal experience, and those who are going on to MPhil/PhD work are encouraged to relate what they learn to their future research.

The MARM is an ESRC–recognised Masters training course, and all modules are designed and delivered in line with the ESRC’s requirements.

Designed for those who wish to explore the social dimensions of risk and resilience.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A Bachelor degree or higher in an arts or social science subject, of the required standard to train in preparation for studying for the PhD. Learn more

Typical course content Core modules: • Dissertation • Philosophy and Theory in Contemporary Human Geography • Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Practices across Social Research • Research Frontiers in Human Geography • Quantitative Methods and Analysis • Qualitative Methods and Analysis • Using Geographical Skills and Techniques

Examples of optional modules: • Advanced Ethnographic Research • Multilevel Modelling • Simulating Data in R • Systematic Review • Advanced Statistics for Psychology and the Behavioural Sciences • Computational Social Science • Participatory Action Research

Teaching The course is delivered jointly by the Department of Geography, the Department of Anthropology, the Department of Psychology and the Department of Sociology. Most of the teaching is in small groups and emphasises student engagement and discussion.

Assessment All modules include formative and summative assessment.

You will also complete a dissertation with the support of an allocated supervisor.

The MA Risk gives you a broad range of practical and conceptual tools to examine risk and resilience in relation to environmental hazards, climate vulnerability and security–related risk. The course will also develop your own thinking in regard to risk research, including broader environmental change, disaster risk reduction, risk and insurance, migration, social policy, governance, borders and terrorism.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Dealing with risk as a function of both the natural and social environments we live in, the course responds to the growing realisation that many risks are being created through social processes bound to questions of security and vulnerability, including the ways that risk techniques are emerging and being employed as a means of securing uncertain futures.

Degree pathways • Environmental Hazards and Resilience • Climate Risk and Society • Security and Politics

Typical entry requirements A 2:1 undergraduate degree.

Learn more Typical course content Core modules: • Understanding Risk • Social Dimensions of Risk and Resilience • Risk Frontiers • Using Geographical Skill and Techniques • Dissertation by Research (or) Vocational Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Hydro–Meteorological Hazards • Climate Risk and Society • Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Hazards • International Relations and Security in the Middle East • Strategic Asia: Policy and Analysis.

• European Security • Social Policy and Society.

Teaching Taught jointly between the Department of Geography, the School of Government & International Affairs, and the Department of Sociology, this course’s interdisciplinary approach encourages you to combine science and social science perspectives. The course is delivered in close collaboration with Durham University’s Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience (IHRR). Through IHRR’s activities you will gain permanent exposure to both practitioner and academic perspectives at the forefront of risk thinking and practice.

Assessment All modules include a broad range of formative and summative assessment modes.

You will also get to choose between a Dissertation by Research or a Vocational Dissertation – where you are based with a practitioner organisation or business partner to undertake work experience on which to base your dissertation.

Course information

Course information

Risk MSc

Geography research degrees

This MSc is aimed at those interested in engaging with the natural and social dimensions of environmental hazards, including disasters and climate–related risk.

You will receive specialised scientific training in the physical hazards that pose large risks to communities living throughout the world, from climate change and meteorological risks to flooding, earthquakes and landslides. Following a radically interdisciplinary approach, you will receive theoretical and practical training for understanding and quantifying risks and hazards. You will also learn about: how hazards persist over long periods of time, instead of merely as single events; how they are composed of many smaller sub–events; and how their effects are widespread.

The course examines the relationship between risk, knowledge and policy, providing you with an array of advanced tools and techniques to assess the physical and social dimensions of risk under conditions of uncertainty.

Typical course content Core modules: • Understanding Risk • Risk Frontiers • Risk, Science and Communication • Hydro–Meteorological Hazards or Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Hazards • Dissertation by Research (or) Vocational Dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements A 2:1 undergraduate degree.

Degree pathways • Environmental Hazards and Resilience • Climate Risk and Society

We provide students with a high–quality research environment and excellent facilities.

Our staff are at the forefront of international research and policy advice across human and physical geography, and our work is underpinned by seven research clusters: Politics–State–Space; Economy and Culture; Urban Worlds; Geographies of Life; Sea Level, Ice and Climate; Catchments and Rivers; and Hazards and Surface Change.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 1926 Email Physical Geography Email Human Geography

Research postgraduates play a central role in the activities of our research clusters and in organising research symposia and publish widely in leading research journals.

Learn more

Learn more A research degree in Geography facilitates a wide variety of career pathways including in academia, education, government, management and expert advisory organisations.

Examples of optional modules: • Hydro–Meteorological Hazards • Spatial and Temporal Dimensions of Hazard • Social Dimensions of Risk and Resilience • Climate Risk and Society.

Teaching Taught within the Department of Geography, this course’s interdisciplinary approach encourages you to combine science and social science perspectives. The course is delivered in close collaboration with the Durham University’s Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience (IHRR). Through IHRR’s activities, you will gain exposure to both practitioner and academic perspectives at the forefront of risk thinking and practice.

Explore your research ideas with expert guidance in either human or physical geography.

Assessment All modules include a broad range of formative and summative assessment modes.

You will also get to choose between a Dissertation by Research or a Vocational Dissertation – where students are based with a practitioner organisation or business partner to undertake work experience on which to base their dissertation.

MA by Research in Human Geography An MA by Research allows individuals to pursue their own research aims and questions, and is therefore distinct from a taught MA. It is assessed by a 50,000-word thesis.

Course length 1 year full–time.

2 years part–time.

MSc by Research in Physical Geography An MSc by Research allows individuals to pursue their own research aims and questions, and is therefore distinct from a taught MSc. It is assessed by a 50,000-word thesis.

Course length 1 year full–time.

2 years part–time.

PhD in Human or Physical Geography The PhD is a fantastic opportunity to pursue a research problem and field over a longer period of time than the MA or MSc. It is examined by a 100,000-word thesis and an oral examination (viva voce).

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

Law We are a leading centre of legal research in the UK with an equally strong commitment to excellence in teaching and learning.

We have modern, purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities. Featuring a moot court, the Harvard-style Hogan Lovells lecture theatre, spacious dedicated work suites with superb views of Durham Cathedral, attractive social areas, and modern wireless and audiovideo-enabled research spaces, this is one of the most striking and best-equipped law buildings in the UK. Our complement of full-time academic staff has grown to over 50, and comprises researchers of high distinction as well as a number of promising early career researchers.

Departmental highlight International law and questions of global policy and governance have emerged as an area of expertise at Durham, where there is longstanding expertise and a tradition of innovative, interdisciplinary research in our Law School.

Internationally renowned academics associated with the new LLM International Law and Governance are based in the Global Policy Institute, the Global Security Institute, the Centre for Borders Research, the Human Rights Centre, and the Law and Global Justice research cluster at Durham.

Key research areas • Centre for Chinese Law and Policy • Centre for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice • Centre for Ethics and Law in the Life Sciences • Durham European Law Institute • Gender and Law at Durham • Human Rights Centre • Institute of Commercial and Corporate Law • Law and Global Justice at Durham

Careers and employability Our graduates enjoy highly successful careers across a diverse range of sectors as solicitors, barristers, consultants and more. Current graduates are on the Supreme Court, and in government, the Court of Appeal and Parliament.

Ranking

6th

in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022 and The Guardian University Guide 2022.

7th

in The Complete University Guide 2022.

World Top 50

in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2021.

Durham Law School is one of the UK’s most distinguished law schools.

Course information

Course information

Corporate Law LLM

European Trade and Commercial Law LLM

Taught by leaders in the fields – you can focus your studies in corporate law.

This course provides an opportunity to develop an advanced knowledge of corporate law. There is a foundation course providing a solid grounding in the subject. Having completed your choice of taught modules, you will then undertake an extended dissertation on a corporate law topic of your choice, supervised by a member of staff with expertise in your chosen subject area.

Students are drawn from a broad range of countries, and their previous academic or professional experiences enrich the course.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

Learn more

The School is host to the Durham Institute of Commercial and Corporate Law, and you are encouraged to participate in its many activities. Our Library has extensive holdings of corporate law materials.

Typical course content Core modules: • Applied Research Methods in Law • Fundamentals of Corporate Law • Advanced Issues in Corporate Law • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Comparative Corporate Governance

• Corporate Compliance • Cross Border Commercial Litigation • Electronic Commerce • Mergers and Acquisitions • Takeover Regulation in the EU • Introduction to Corporate Insolvency Law • International Tax Law • Advanced Law of Obligations • Law of Oil and Gas Contracts

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment You will produce a dissertation.

Develop an advanced knowledge of the law of the European Union, with particular emphasis on its commercial aspects.

If you are new to European law, there is a foundation course providing a solid grounding in the subject. Having completed your choice of taught modules, you will then undertake an extended dissertation on a European law topic of your choice, supervised by a member of staff with expertise in your chosen subject area.

Students are drawn from a broad range of countries, and their previous academic or professional experiences enrich the course.

The School is host to the Durham European Law Institute, and you are encouraged to participate in its many activities. Our Library, which includes a European Documentation Centre, has extensive holdings of European materials.

Typical course content Core modules: • Introduction to EU Law • Applied Research Methods in Law • Dissertation.

“ The quality of lectures, seminars and professors was remarkable. Lectures provided a conducive environment to facilitate exceptional learning where everyone could share and acquire knowledge.”

Mayowa Olagbaiye

Examples of optional modules: • Advanced Issues in International Economic Law • Corporations in an EU Context • Cross Border Commercial Litigation • Electronic Commerce • Global Financial Law

• International Trade Law and Policy • Mergers and Acquisitions • Advanced Issues in the Constitutional Law of the EU • Advanced Law of Obligations • Introduction to Corporate Insolvency Law • International Tax Law • Protection of Human Rights in Europe • Competition Law • Takeover Regulation in the EU.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment You will produce a dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

Learn more

Course information

Course information

International Law and Governance LLM

International Trade and Commercial Law LLM

Gain the foundation needed to pursue a career in international law.

Develop your legal knowledge and skills in this challenging field.

An important objective of the LLM International Law and Governance is to provide you with the skills that will enable you to thoroughly analyse and interpret legal sources, literature and cases, and to research and formulate an independent opinion on international legal questions. You will also learn to clearly present your findings, both orally and in writing, to international legal specialists, to participate actively in academic debate, and to apply this advanced academic knowledge in public international law in a professional context.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

As such, our LLM International Law and Governance will provide you with an excellent foundation to pursue an international law career, whether it is in legal practice or employment in international institutions, or nongovernmental organisations.

The LLM qualification is an excellent vehicle for the further development of research skills and also offers entry into further postgraduate study and doctoral research.

Learn more

Typical course content Core modules: • Fundamentals of International Law • Fundamental Issues in International Legal Governance • Applied Research Methods in Law • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Private International Law and China • Cross Border Commercial Litigation

Typical entry requirements A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

During the first two terms, you will study taught modules chosen from a wide variety of topics on international trade and commercial law.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

Learn more

Students are drawn from a broad range of countries, and their previous academic or professional experiences enrich the course.

The School is host to the Institute of Commercial and Corporate Law, and students on the LLM are encouraged to participate in its activities.

Typical course content Core modules: • Applied Research Methods in Law • Dissertation.

• Electronic Commerce • Global Environmental Law • Global Financial Law • International Counter Terrorism: Theory and Practice • International Investment Law • International Humanitarian Law • International Trade Law and Policy • Introduction to International Criminal Justice • Introduction to European Union Law • Law of the Sea.

Teaching Modules will be delivered primarily through small-group seminars.

This course offers students from a wide variety of backgrounds the opportunity to develop their legal knowledge and skills in some of the most intellectually challenging and practically relevant areas of trade and commercial law. The course emphasises the international aspects of these areas of legal knowledge and practice.

Examples of optional modules: • Advanced Law of Obligations • Cross Border Commercial Litigation • Electronic Commerce • Private International Law and China

• International Banking Law • Corporations in an EU Context • Competition Law • Global Financial Law • International Commercial Dispute Resolution • International Investment Law • International Trade Law and Policy • Mergers and Acquisitions • Takeover Regulation in the EU.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment You will produce a dissertation.

Assessment You will produce a dissertation.

“ I would say that the unfettered access to my professors, the teaching quality and style, as well as the content of my degree, really stood out for me.”

Nosa John Graham Garrick

Course information

Course information

Master of Laws LLM

Law research degrees

Study on a general course that gives you the freedom to choose modules from any of our specialist law courses.

This degree gives you the widest choice of modules on offer in the School of Law. Modules can be selected from those available to students studying LLM International Trade and Commercial Law, and LLM European Trade and Commercial Law, LLM Corporate Law and LLM International Law and Governance.

Students are drawn from a broad range of countries, and their previous academic or professional experiences enrich the course.

The Law School hosts a number of research centres, including the Institute of Commercial and Corporate Law, the Durham European Law Institute, the Centre for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, Law and Global Justice at Durham, and the Human Rights Centre. Students are encouraged to participate in all their activities.

Typical course content Core modules: • Applied Research Methods in Law • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Advanced Issues in International Economic Law • International Tax Law • Advanced Issues in Corporate Law • Corporations in an EU Context • Competition Law • Cross Border Commercial Litigation

• Electronic Commerce • Fundamentals of International Law • Global Environmental Law • International CounterTerrorism: Theory and Practice • International Humanitarian Law • International Trade Law and Policy • Introduction to EU Law • Introduction to Intellectual Property Law • Law of Oil and Gas Contracts • Mergers and Acquisitions.

Teaching The course is delivered through a mixture of interactive lectures, seminars, film showings and discussion, workshops and optional field trips, in addition to one-to-one dissertation supervision. You will work closely with academic staff, and will have the opportunity to become involved in active research networks and projects.

A global top 50 QS World Ranked department. We came third in the last Research Excellence Framework on grade point average, topping Oxford and Cambridge.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

We currently have over 60 excellent research students – from around the UK, mainland Europe and all corners of the globe – carrying out work under the supervision of our academic staff.

Typical entry requirements A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

Our academics are amongst the most successful and highly regarded researchers in the UK. Many of our staff are global leaders in their field and are regularly called on to advise national governments, or comment on television, radio or in print media.

Learn more

“ The possibility to combine modules in financial, corporate and tax law gave me the opportunity to gain specific knowledge that would prove valuable for my further professional development.”

Malte J. Mehrgardt

Assessment Assessment is by assignment, project work and dissertation.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 6847 Email Learn more

Our academic staff receive ongoing training in supervising research students, ensuring our Law School is at the cuttingedge, delivering an excellent student experience. The quality of our doctoral student provision has been recognised through the award of a number of externally funded studentships.

MJur Law Our Master of Jurisprudence postgraduate degree is a research-based programme of study centred on completing a satisfactory thesis of up to 50,000 words on an approved subject in the field of Law. Most range between 20,000 and 40,000 words.

Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

PhD Law Our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) postgraduate degree is a research-based programme of study centred on completing a satisfactory thesis of up to 100,000 words on an approved topic in the field of law.

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

“ Durham is a fantastic place to pursue a PhD degree! I have been equipped with valuable skills and knowledge.”

Aikaterini Koula, PhD student

Politics and International Relations We combine a long tradition of expertise in a wide range of fields in politics, political theory, political economy, and international relations with in-depth study of Asia, the Middle East and the Muslim world.

The School of Government and International Affairs provides an exceptional environment for learning, training and research.

Ranking

Departmental highlight We are a large department of world-leading researchers working in the areas of political theory, comparative politics, international relations and political economy. Our research is global in its concern, and at the cutting edge of our field. We offer excellence in quantitative and qualitative methods as well as in political and international theory.

in the UK for internationally excellent and world-leading research impact (REF 2014).

Our institutes and research centres promote key research agendas, involve guest lectures, run regular paper presentations, and are focal points for networking, encouraging a diverse mix of collaborations between leading researchers nationally and internationally. Our research is also greatly enhanced by the presence of one of the biggest research student groups in Durham University, with a broad cohort of students pursuing research degrees, representing nearly 50 different nationalities.

Programme subject areas • Comparative Institutions and Political Behaviour • Environmental Politics • Global Security and Peacebuilding • International Political Economy • International Relations

Careers and employability Our graduates have gone on to have great success in the political arena – with alumni job titles including Chief Operating Officer for the UK’s Equality and Human Rights Commission, Head of Defence Inquests and Disclosure in the Ministry of Defence, and Political Officer in the British Embassy Mogadishu. Others hold senior academic and government positions around the world.

Joint 1st Top 10

in The Guardian University Guide 2022.

Top 10

in The Complete University Guide 2022.

World Top 100

in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2021.

The School of Government and International Affairs provides an exceptional environment for learning, teaching and research.

Course information

Course information

Arab World Studies MSc

Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding MSc

Develop your knowledge of the range of existing disciplinary, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research on the Arab world.

The MSc is intended to provide rigorous, research-driven, interdisciplinary education and training.

The course is designed to establish a cadre of exceptional researchers, with skills and knowledge sufficient for the conduct of research in and on the Arab world. You will be trained in research methods and methodologies, to provide a foundation in a broad range of social science research methods, as well as gaining transferable skills as appropriate for Economic and Social Research Council recognition.

Course fact file Course length 2 years full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent.

Learn more

You will develop the knowledge, skills and understanding to undertake research for a doctoral degree and which may be required of a professional researcher. You will also be instructed in the Arabic language, in order to utilise the language in your subsequent research or employment in the Arabic-speaking world.

Typical course content Core modules: • Arabic Language • Perspectives on Social Research • International Politics of the Middle East • Empirical Research in Politics, International Relations and Security • Quantitative Methods and Analysis • Qualitative Methods and Analysis • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Contemporary Political Philosophy • Core Concepts • The Politics of the European Union • Designing Political Inquiry • Global Governance • Global Political Theory • International Organisations • Ideologies and Political Thought • International Relations Theory • The Politics of East Asia • Language module.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

“ The highlight for me has been both the approachability and friendliness of the staff, who have always been more than happy to go into more detail and point me in the right direction for further study.”

Cormac Healy

Develop operational and vocational skills in negotiations, conflict mediation, conflict-sensitive programme design and management, and urban peacebuilding.

You will gain theoretical and empirical knowledge of the complex areas of peacebuilding, including conflict analysis, prevention, resolution and transformation, community-driven reconstruction, and peace processes in the context of contemporary conflicts and broader international (humanitarian) interventions.

Whilst the academic and applied focus of the MSc comes through a peace and conflict studies analytic lens, course material will also draw from traditional strategic/security and development studies, enabling cross-fertilisation between different perspectives. The degree allows the exploration of unique and new paradigms and practices in the fields of conflict, peace, security, defence, diplomacy, development and humanitarian intervention. The course is attractive to both graduates and mid-career practitioners.

Typical course content Core modules: • Defence, Development and Diplomacy in Conflict • Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace • Peace Processes and Everyday Political Negotiation • Consolidating Peace after Violence • Capstone Exercise: Humanitarian Intervention Simulation • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Conflict Mediation

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

• Urban Violence – Urban Peacebuilding • Field Trip • International Negotiation • Participatory Approaches to Peace and Development • Transitory Lives – Migration, Research and Advocacy • Gender, Security and Post-Conflict Reconstruction • Introduction to the Law and Practice of International Criminal Justice • Curating Human Remains • Contemporary Challenges in United Nations Peacekeeping • Capturing and Counting Peace and Conflict.

Teaching Modules have elements of lectures, discussions, presentations from students, Q&A sessions and role plays.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

“ The skills and knowledge that I honed were integral to landing a post within the UK’s Ministry of Defence, where I now work.”

Megan Thorpe

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays, presentations, reflective journal, reports, article reviews and policy briefs. You will also complete a dissertation.

Course information

Course information

Defence, Development and Diplomacy MSc

Global Politics MSc

Offers a unique opportunity to look at conflict, conflict intervention and post-conflict reconstruction through the lenses of defence, development and diplomacy.

With conflicts becoming either increasingly drawn out, or asymmetric wars of attrition, or normalised into states of no peace-no war, our understanding of conflict and conflict intervention is shifting. Conflicts are rarely determined by military victory, diplomacy or long-term development, but require securing populations through a comprehensive approach that sees to their political, economic and security-related needs.

Their outcome will be determined by how well the different arms of government and civil society, both locally and internationally, can work together – and how well they understand each other’s perspectives.

This interdisciplinary and custom-designed MSc is aimed at graduates with a career in government, the armed forces, inter-governmental organisations, NGOs or academia, and at practitioners looking to enhance their practical skills while placing these within a broader theoretical perspective.

Typical course content Core modules: • Defence, Development and Diplomacy in Conflict: Evolving Actors, Factors and Paradigms • Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace • International Law and Conflict Intervention • Post-Conflict Reconstruction and State-Building • Capstone Exercise: Humanitarian Intervention Simulation • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Conflict Analysis • Conflict Mediation • Urban Violence – Urban Peacebuilding • Field Trip • International Negotiation • Transitory Lives – Migration, Research and Advocacy • Gender, Security and Post-Conflict Reconstruction • Introduction to the Law and Practice of International Criminal Justice • Curating Human Remains • Contemporary Challenges in United Nations Peacekeeping • Capturing and Counting Peace and Conflict.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

Gain an understanding and knowledge of the political, economic, cultural and moral debates about how – and to what extent – the effects of globalisation can be governed.

The MSc in Global Politics combines insights from political theory and international relations to help make sense of the global order. This course will provide the means for you to develop the analytical and conceptual skills necessary to understand and discuss such topics as: the key international and transnational structures, organisations and institutions that have developed in the era following the Second World War; the range of academic debates in the area of global governance; and the moral justification for different (and sometimes competing) regimes of global governance.

The degree draws heavily from normative theoretical developments in international political theory to studying the global order. Students can also tailor the course to suit their interests by expanding the course’s theoretical or empirical dimension in the selection of optional modules.

Typical course content Core modules: • Global Governance • Global Political Theory • Dissertation.

Teaching Modules have elements of lectures, discussions, presentations from students, Q&A sessions and role plays.

Assessment Assessment includes examinations, essays, presentations, a reflective journal, reports, article reviews and policy briefs. You will also complete a dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Core Concepts in Political Science • Designing Political Inquiry • The Politics of East Asia

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

• International Politics of the Middle East • International Relations Theory • International Organisations • History of Political Thought • Contemporary Political Philosophy.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

“ Being offered the opportunity to engage in discussions concerning issues that I am passionate about with worldleading researchers is what attracted me to Durham.”

Adeena Khan

Course information

Course information

International Relations MA

International Relations (East Asia) MA

Gain an understanding and knowledge of international relations.

This course provides you with the systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations. It will enable you to evaluate, in a sophisticated and critical fashion, concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations. You will develop your ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion, to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. The course covers both theoretical and empirical aspects to the study of international relations, including overviews of the history of the field, as well as in-depth study of the major international organisations that contribute to the global order. Throughout the course, you will gain an understanding of how the international community has developed and the driving forces shaping its development. The course also provides opportunities for studying international relations in a comparative and historical perspective, taking account of regional political and economic factors.

Typical course content Core modules: • International Relations Theory • International Organisations • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Core Concepts in Political Science

• Global Governance • Global Political Theory • The Politics of the European Union • Designing Political Inquiry • The Politics of East Asia • International Politics of the Middle East • History of Political Thought • Contemporary Political Philosophy.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

Gain an understanding and knowledge of international relations, with a specific focus on East Asia.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

This course provides you with the systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations. It will enable you to evaluate, in a sophisticated and critical fashion, concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.

You will develop your ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion, to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. Each study route aims to provide advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, including cultural and local political and ideological factors, which shape the contemporary international relations of the area.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations with a comparative and historical perspective, taking account of regional political and economic factors.

“ The skills and experiences that I have gained from this MA have been invaluable to solidifying my interests and research in human migration. Engaging with a supportive and welcoming faculty has been crucial to my personal and professional development this past incredibly unprecedented year.”

Samantha Seikaly

Typical course content Core modules: • International Relations Theory • International Organisations • The Politics of East Asia • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Core Concepts in Political Science • Global Governance • Global Political Theory

• The Politics of the European Union • Designing Political Inquiry • International Politics of the Middle East • Ideologies and Political Thought • International Organisations • Contemporary Political Philosophy.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

Course information

Course information

International Relations (Europe) MA

International Relations (Middle East) MA

Study international relations with a comparative and historical perspective, taking account of European political and economic factors.

This course provides you with the systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations. It will enable you to evaluate, in a sophisticated and critical fashion, concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.

You will develop your ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion, to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. Each study route aims to provide advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, including cultural and local political and ideological factors, which shape the contemporary international relations of the area.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

Examples of optional modules: • Core Concepts in Political Science

You will develop your ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion, to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship. Each study route aims to provide advanced knowledge and understanding of the dynamics, including cultural and local political and ideological factors, which shape the contemporary international relations of the area.

Typical course content Core modules: • International Relations Theory • International Organisations • International Politics of the Middle East • Dissertation.

• Designing Political Inquiry • Global Governance • Global Political Theory • The Politics of East Asia • International Politics of the Middle East • History of Political Thought • Contemporary Political Philosophy • Language module.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

This course enables you to evaluate, in a sophisticated and critical fashion, concepts, theories and paradigms within the broad field of international relations, drawing lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations with a comparative and historical perspective, taking account of regional political and economic factors.

The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations with a comparative and historical perspective, taking account of regional political and economic factors.

Typical course content Core modules: • International Relations Theory • International Organisations • The Politics of the European Union • Dissertation.

Gain the systematic knowledge and intellectual tools to critically review developments in the theory and practice of international relations.

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Core Concepts in Political Science • Global Governance • Global Political Theory • The Politics of the European Union • Designing Political Inquiry • The Politics of East Asia • Ideologies and Political Thought • Contemporary Political Philosophy.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

Course information

Course information

Politics and International Relations (Political Theory) MA

Research Methods (Politics, International Relations, Security) MA

Gain the systematic knowledge and tools to critically review the complex relationships between government and society at a variety of levels and in different contexts.

This course enables you to evaluate, in a sophisticated and critical fashion, theories and paradigms within the broad field of politics and international relations, and to draw lessons from empirical studies involving both quantitative and qualitative investigations.

It aims to develop your ability to deploy research strategies and methods in an appropriately advanced fashion to critically evaluate research at the current limits of theoretical understanding. It will also equip you with the ability to master complex political concepts and evaluate the significance of major developments in political thought in general as well as international relations theory.

The course also provides an opportunity for studying international relations with a comparative and historical perspective, taking account of regional political and economic factors.

Typical course content Core modules: • Ideologies and Political Thought • Contemporary Political Philosophy • International Relations Theory • International Organisations • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Core Concepts • Global Governance • Global Political Theory • Designing Political Inquiry • The Politics of the European Union • The Politics of East Asia • International Politics of the Middle East.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Gain strong training in research methods in the fields of politics, international relations and security.

This degree is offered in collaboration with other departments in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health. It is designed to provide strong all-round training in research methods allied to further specialisation in the fields of politics, international relations and security for those intending to go on to register for a PhD. As such, it implements the ESRC research training guidelines for ‘1+3’ PhD students, and includes compulsory elements in a wide variety of techniques, including statistics and quantitative methods, but contains less subject-specific content than the other MA courses in international relations.

Learn more

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

Typical entry requirements A UK 2:1 Bachelor degree, or equivalent. The degree should be in the field of social sciences, but we will consider significant relevant experience in lieu of this requirement.

Learn more

Typical course content Core modules: • Empirical Research in Politics, International Relations and Security • Perspectives on Social Research • Quantitative Methods and Analysis • Qualitative Methods and Analysis • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Applied Statistics • Quantitative Research Methods in Social Science

• Qualitative Research Methods in Social Science • Fieldwork and Interpretation • Core Concepts in Political Science • International Relations Theory • Defence, Development and Diplomacy in Conflict: Evolving Actors, Factors and Paradigms • Conflict Prevention and Sustainable Peace.

Teaching Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led seminar or tutorial groups.

Assessment Assessment methods include examinations, essays and presentations. You will also complete a dissertation.

“ The MA sparked my curiosity and has provided me with valuable skills that will benefit me in years to come.”

Dylan Potts

Course information

Politics and International Relations research degrees

At SGIA we recognise the complexities of political life and apply a shared imperative of rigour, analysis and in-depth investigation across all of our studies.

We pride ourselves on turning students into independent researchers who take responsibility for their own learning. We do this by offering you theoretical and methodological training that will allow you to develop the skills required to fully understand, evaluate and eventually produce knowledge about politics and international relations.

Research students working towards an MRes, MPhil or PhD will have dedicated research support workshops available throughout their time with us.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 5751 Email Learn more Watch the film

You will be part of a significant student body, with a thriving cosmopolitan student community: currently there are students from over 50 countries studying with us.

MPhil Politics MRes Diplomacy, Conflict and the Environment

PhD Government and International Affairs PhD Middle Eastern Studies PhD Politics

Course length 2 years full-time.

4 years part-time.

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

“ The support from the Department has been excellent. We are encouraged to feel part of the research community rather than working in isolation and there is an atmosphere of being able to share ideas and learn from each other’s experiences.”

Lucy

As a researchintensive school, situated in a worldclass university, we ensure that teaching and scholarly enquiry go hand-in-hand.

Sociology We are a leading international centre of excellence in applied social research that shapes and informs social policy and practice.

We enhance individual, community and social wellbeing, promote social inclusion, and form the foundations of research-led education.

We have expanded over time to provide a focus for collaboration across the related academic disciplines of applied sociology, criminology and social work.

Recognised pathways Some combinations of options within our Social Research Methods degree offer recognised training as part of the North East and Northern Ireland Doctoral Training Partnership. Durham University offers studentships for doctoral research and related training in social policy and social work as part of the ‘Sociology, social policy and social work’ pathway within this partnership, and contributes to interdisciplinary pathways on: Health and Wellbeing; and Children, Youth and Families.

The Department of Sociology enables students to gain advanced research training as part of the wider expertise of the Durham Research Methods Centre.

Professional qualification At postgraduate level, we also deliver a professional award in social work, leading to eligibility to register as a social worker with Social Work England, the specialist regulator for the social work profession.

The Master of Social Work (MSW) is approved, and its standards monitored, by Social Work England.

Key research areas • Communities and Social Justice • Health and Social Theory • Higher Education and Social Inequalities • Violence and Abuse

Careers and employability Our degrees are an excellent foundation for careers in a wide range of sectors, including health and welfare, the Civil Service, local government, the voluntary sector, banking and academia. We support students in gaining excellent employability skills. As well as pursuing further study, recent graduates have proceeded to careers with a range of high-profile employers.

Ranking

Top 100

in The QS World University Rankings 2021.

1st

for Criminology and 6th for Sociology in the UK, in The Guardian University Guide 2022.

2nd

in the UK for Criminology and 5th for Sociology in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.

We are a department with over 50 years’ experience in teaching and research in sociology and social policy.

Course information

Course information

Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc

Social Research Methods MA

Develop an in-depth understanding of crime, deviance and criminal justice from critical, theoretical, policy, legal, political and practical perspectives.

This course critically addresses a range of key issues and debates relating to crime and the criminal justice system.

You will have the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of crime, deviance and criminal justice from critical, theoretical, policy, legal, political and practical perspectives. You will also address issues of historical and contemporary concern, such as terrorism, sex work, prisons and policing, crime in the night-time economy, forced migration, gender and crime, domestic violence, crime prevention, prison and punishment, policing, youth crime and justice, law enforcement, cybercrime and the use of new technologies. You will also study issues of theoretical and social importance with lecturers who are international experts in their fields.

Typical course content Core modules: • Criminology: Theory and Critical Issues • Researching Society, Policy and Practice • Dissertation; and • Gender, Violence and Abuse OR • Prisons, Crime and Justice.

Examples of optional modules: • Social Policy and Society • Participatory Action Research

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements Normally an upper second class Honours degree (2:1) or equivalent. We are also keen to consider applications from a range of professional criminal justice backgrounds and experiences.

Learn more

• Placement • Qualitative Methods in Social Science • Quantitative Methods and Analysis • Computational Social Science • Communities, Civil Society and Social Justice • Education and Social Inequality • Public Sociology: Theory and Practice • Global Environmental Law • International Protection of Human Rights.

Teaching The course is taught by lectures, seminar discussion, workshops and presentations, and computer-based practicals. However, Prisons, Crime and Criminal Justice is an innovative module taught within a prison using the Inside-Out dialogical pedagogy, whereby University students learn together with prisoners, completing the same readings and assessments, as well as group work and group projects.

Please note: All new modules/indicative content is subject to University approvals and availability.

“ Studying Criminology has given me the opportunity to think critically about the social and political aspects of crime, both in theory and in practice.”

Ruth Blake-Lobb

Assessment Academic learning is assessed through a range of coursework, presentations, statistical/ computer-based projects, research proposals, and a dissertation.

Develop a thorough grounding in approaches to researching sociology, criminology, social policy or social work.

The course covers conceptual and practical underpinnings and implications of research, looking at various research techniques and the rationale behind them. It will enable you to develop essential skills in both quantitative and qualitative work and to apply those skills to specific sociological issues.

Typical course content Core modules: • A double module giving an advanced overview of sociology, criminology, social policy or social work at Masters level • Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Social Research • Quantitative Methods and Analysis • Qualitative Methods in Social Sciences • Computational Social Science • Research Design and Process • Dissertation.

Examples of optional modules: • Intermediate Statistics for Social Science Research • Participatory Action Research • Ethnography • Multi-Level Modelling • Social Simulation • Systematic Review • Applied linear modelling.

Teaching Teaching methods include lectures, seminars and computer practical sessions. Lectures introduce the key concepts, theories, current debates and other issues critical for understanding the topics. Seminars are opportunities for you to discuss any questions arising from the readings, to share experience of conducting research and to present your own work for comments. Modules that teach the use of computer software packages have practical sessions, so that you can carry out hands-on exercises with support.

Assessment Academic learning is assessed through a range of coursework, presentations, statistical/computer-based projects, research proposals, and a dissertation.

Please note: All new modules/indicative content is subject to University and ESRC approvals, and availability.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements Normally an upper second class Honours degree (2:1) or equivalent.

Learn more

“ I gained a broad understanding of both quantitative and qualitative research techniques available to social scientists, as well as frequent encouragement to apply these techniques to areas of research I was most passionate in.”

Laura Hepworth

Course information

Course information

Sociology MSc

Social Work MSW

Examine the ways in which societies, cultures, institutions and practices came into being, how they are currently organised and constituted, and how they are changing.

The MSc Sociology enables you to gain an advanced and critical understanding of how to apply sociological theories and perspectives to contemporary issues and social transformations.

Through a range of engaging learning approaches, you are invited to explore the interrelationships of power, social divisions, social diversity and social inequality and their application to social action and public sociology. To do this, the MSc draws directly on active research specialisms in the Department of Sociology (gender, violence and abuse; health and social theory; education and inequalities; and communities and social justice). This is supported by developing your own advanced understanding and application of approaches to researching these topics, including the methodological, epistemological and ethical issues inherent in sociological research, activism and public engagement in contemporary societies.

Typical course content Core modules: • Public Sociology: Theory and Practice • Researching Society, Policy and Practice • Dissertation.

Thematic modules such as: • Gender Violence and Abuse • Communities, Civil Society and Social Justice • Education and Social Inequality • Sociology of Health, Illness and Medicine.

Examples of optional modules: • Intermediate Statistics for Social Science Research • Participatory Action Research • Computational Social Science • Perspectives on Social Research • Qualitative Methods in Social Science • Quantitative Methods and Analysis • Prisons, Crime and Justice • Placement.

Teaching Teaching methods include lectures, seminars and computer practical sessions. Lectures introduce the key concepts, theories and current debates. Seminars are opportunities for you to discuss any questions arising from the readings, to share experience of conducting research, and to present your own work for comments. Modules that teach the use of computer software packages have practical sessions, so that you can carry out hands-on exercises with support.

Course fact file Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

Typical entry requirements Normally an upper second class Honours degree (2:1) or equivalent.

Learn more

“ We are excited to be launching this new programme. It draws on the expertise and research of colleagues within the Department who are engaged in critical and innovative research.”

Kate O’Brien Director of Postgraduate Taught Studies

Assessment Academic learning is assessed through a range of coursework, presentations, statistical/ computer-based projects, research proposals, and a dissertation.

Please note: All new modules/ indicative content is subject to University approvals and availability.

Prepare to address some of the most difficult social problems facing contemporary societies.

The Durham MSW will engage you with the knowledge, skills and values set out in the Professional Capabilities Framework that underpins social work practice with individuals, groups and communities. Academic study is complemented by two contrasting practice placements, which may be in local authority children’s or adults’ services, in the voluntary and independent sectors in areas such as family justice, homelessness, substance use, domestic violence, sexual exploitation, community interventions and self-advocacy. With prominent involvement of service users, carers and practice partners throughout, the MSW provides strong foundations for practice in any field of social work.

Typical course content Core modules: Year 1 • Social Work in Practice • Social Work in Context • Professional and Personal Development • Social Work Practice.

Core modules: Year 2 • Research in Social Work • Advanced Social Work • Social Work Practice.

Teaching In Year 1, you will develop the necessary knowledge and skills to prepare you for your first practice placement of 70 days.

In Year 2, you develop critical understanding of specialist areas of social work and skills of policy analysis; you undertake a contrasting 100-day placement, gaining experience of statutory interventions in social work; and study a range of research methods to support you in carrying out an empirical dissertation.

Assessment Assessment methods include essays, observation studies, project reports, case studies, group and individual presentations and a dissertation. Practice placements are assessed by critically reflective accounts of work with individuals, groups or communities and by your practice educator, who provides regular supervision and observes your practice.

Course fact file Course length 21 months full-time.

Typical entry requirements Normally an upper second class Honours degree (2:1) or equivalent. Applicants must also have sufficient recent experience (in employment, as a volunteer, as a service user or carer) in a social care, healthcare or related voluntary setting to be able to demonstrate an understanding of the capabilities of a social worker.

Learn more

“ Through a combination of seminars and practice placements, I have furthered both my theoretical knowledge and practical understanding of a range of subjects, pertaining to the sociopolitical, environmental and economic factors influencing individuals, communities and nations across the globe.”

Lyn Muzulu

Please note: All new modules/indicative content is subject to University approvals and availability.

Course information

Sociology research degrees

Postgraduate researchers are an integral part of the academic life of the Department of Sociology.

Sociology at Durham is grounded in the Department’s four core research themes. Our themes include: Communities and Social Justice; Health and Social Theory; Higher Education and Social Inequality; and Violence and Abuse. We welcome candidates for our research degrees who are interested in developing their own thesis in an area that intersects with these and where we have staff available to supervise.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 6839

MA by Research in Sociology and Social Policy Alongside our current taught degrees, the Department offers a route for suitably qualified candidates to undertake a MA by Research. Candidates are required to submit a thesis of a maximum 50,000 words. An oral examination may be required at the discretion of the examiners.

Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

MPhil in Sociology and Social Policy Candidates studying for an MPhil are required to undertake a thesis of a maximum 70,000 words length. Candidates also undertake an oral examination (viva voce).

Course length 2 years full-time.

4 years part-time.

PhD in Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work The most common route for candidates to undertake a research degree is through doctoral study. We are keen to accept applications for candidates undertaking programmes of research which align with our research themes and associated strengths. Funded places are advertised annually for eligible topics through our Doctoral Training Partnership and via other external sources, although many students also self-fund. The PhD is examined by a thesis of up to 100,000 words and an oral examination (viva voce).

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

Email Learn more

We encompass a breadth of activities, with our main focus as the application of social science methods and concepts to social and policy issues.

Sport and Exercise Sciences Durham University is an outstanding place to study sport and exercise sciences as a postgraduate student, as well as offering exceptional opportunities for participation and excellence in sport.

We supervise PhD and Masters by Research courses, and the interdisciplinary nature of our department is reflected in the varied research undertaken. Our postgraduates work in and across sport and exercise science disciplines including: sociology, psychology, physiology, nutrition, policy, and political sciences. Projects span theory and practice, with students working closely with academic supervisors to better understand how sport and physical activity relate to wellbeing, health, and a just and fair society.

Ranking

Postgraduate researchers are an important part of our departmental community, and we work closely with you throughout your research journey. Our academic supervisors have a strong track-record of supporting students to identify and secure funded scholarships from a variety of sources, including: research council funding (ESRC, AHRC), National Institute for Health Research scholarships, and with global and national charities or industry partners.

in The Complete University Guide 2022.

Departmental highlights Within the Department, the expertise of academic staff means that supervision for all postgraduate courses is outstanding. Students play a full part in our thematic research groups, and supervisors are supportive and approachable, while simultaneously challenging their students to become world-leading researchers in their field.

As a postgraduate student at Durham, there are many other opportunities to get involved with the Department and wider University. These include teaching on modules for undergraduates, leading Durham University Summer Schools, participating in larger research projects, and engaging in University outreach programmes.

These opportunities develop many skills, including communicating with a wide variety of audiences, research data analysis, teaching, learning and pedagogical approaches, project planning, and organisation. Within the wider Faculty of Social Sciences & Health, students build research networks with other like-minded students across the University and beyond, for example through planning and running interdisciplinary conferences.

Careers and employability Our graduates are employed in a wide range of careers, including traditional academic positions, industry-based research and development, health service practitioners, applied sport science support, and in national and international health policy and governance.

4th

in The Guardian University Guide 2022.

5th

Top 10

in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022.

Top 100

in The QS World University Rankings 2021.

Key research areas • Sporting Lives: Transforming Sport, Transforming Lives • Healthy Communities: Moving, Growing, Thriving

We lead research to reduce inequalities, promote social justice, and ensure better health and wellbeing through sport, exercise and physical activity.

Course information

Sport and Exercise Sciences research degrees

The Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences (DSES), launched in 2018, comprises a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, physiologists, sociologists, nutritionists, and political scientists.

We welcome applicants who are interested in developing their own MSc/MA/PhD thesis on any aspect of sport and exercisebased enquiry that our wide range of academic staff is available to supervise. We also invite applications for cross-departmental projects. We strongly advise potential applicants to contact intended supervisors prior to submitting an application.

Supervisors can help applicants to strengthen their ideas and identify funding opportunities.

Contact T: +44 (0) 191 334 1516 Email Learn more

Our postgraduate research students both actively contribute to and lead Department and Research Institute activities, such as seminars, theme meetings and conferences. The Department’s cross-discipline journal club is led by our students and encourages critical discourse around methodological perspectives within sport and exercise sciences.

MSc by Research Sport and Exercise Sciences and MA by Research Sport and Exercise Sciences An MA/MSc by Research is distinct from a traditional taught postgraduate course. The degree provides a standalone research degree, or may serve as preparation for further postgraduate study towards a PhD. It is assessed by a (maximum) 50,000-word thesis.

Course length 1 year full-time.

2 years part-time.

PhD Sport and Exercise Sciences A PhD affords the opportunity to test and explore ideas within sport and exercise sciences and will include an original and significant contribution to the wider field of knowledge. The PhD is examined by a (maximum) 100,000-word thesis and an oral examination (viva voce).

Course length 3 years full-time.

6 years part-time.

“ If you’re looking for a department that champions its postgraduate researchers and exposes them to a vastly interdisciplinary environment, DSES is the place for you.”

Dr Xander Hodge

Postgraduate researchers play a vital role within our academic community.

Contact Durham University The Palatine Centre Stockton Road Durham DH1 3LE UK ENQUIRIES T: +44 (0) 191 334 1000 W: durham.ac.uk/study/askus

Visit the University’s Facebook page durhamuniversity

Follow @durham_uni #DUinspire for all the latest academic news and events

View our video content on University life and events DurhamUniversity

View our latest snaps on Instagram @durhamuniversity

Follow our student blogs to discover what life is like at Durham University durham-student.org

Durham University and Durham University logo are registered Trade Marks of the University of Durham™. Unless otherwise stated, all material in this prospectus is copyright of the University of Durham. The University makes every effort to ensure that the information contained here is accurate. The University prospectus is intended as a general guide to the University of Durham’s facilities and forms no part of any contract between you and the University.

The prospectus is prepared in advance of the academic year to which it relates. Please note that the University’s website is the most up-to-date source of information and we strongly recommend that you always visit the website before making any commitments. © Produced by the Marketing and Communications Office, Durham University, 2020.

WC/11/20/005