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Department of Geography

We are a world-leading research community of human and physical geographers conducting innovative and impactful research to transform lives and make a difference, globally and locally, addressing the pressing social and environmental challenges of our time.
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Welcome to Geography at Durham

“Our success as a department is a measure of the open, inclusive environment we foster for students and staff. Climate change, environmental governance, landslides, natural hazards, geopolitical conflict and territorial dispute, migration, sea-level rise, energy poverty, flooding, debt, austerity and urbanisation; these are just a few of the significant challenges that are confronting us today, and few departments are better placed than Durham Geography to study them. To be a member of Durham Geography is to be welcomed by a community that wants you to succeed and creates an environment to make it happen.”

Professor Colm O'Cofaigh, Head of Department

Find out more about us
Ranked Joint 1st Nationally REF 2021 based on GPA
1st for Geography 1st for Geography in The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025 & 2nd for Geography in the Complete University Guide 2026
Athena Swan Silver Award in Gender Equality
11th QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025

  

Study with us

  • Undergraduate Study

    At Durham, we offer BA and BSc Geography degrees that you can tailor to your interests and career goals.

    Geography Lab Student Female

  • Postgraduate Study

    Durham Geography is a world-leading centre of research and our postgraduate community is central to our pursuit and delivery of excellence.

    Postgraduate Teaching

Undergraduate Study

At Durham, we offer BA and BSc Geography degrees that you can tailor to your interests and career goals.

Geography Lab Student Female

Postgraduate Study

Durham Geography is a world-leading centre of research and our postgraduate community is central to our pursuit and delivery of excellence.

Postgraduate Teaching

Research

We are a large department of human and physical geographers conducting world-leading research that addresses pressing social and environmental challenges.

Our aim is to be a global node for geographical research – a destination and conduit for outstanding researchers from a wide range of countries and backgrounds. Our research clusters function as centres of gravity for new ideas, for experimentation, and for maintaining an environment that maximises our collective research strengths. As we move across boundaries and forge new areas of inquiry, we foster a research culture that is open, ambitious, flexible, and adventurous. This ethos is one we are purposeful about, as staff and students at all levels collaborate to advance scholarship and to share knowledge with communities and partners.

What we're up to

  

Follow Geography News and Events

  • Latest Geography News

    Learn about the impact our staff and students have on the local, national, and international stage.

     

    News on phone

  • Upcoming Events

    Find out about upcoming research talks, conferences, alumni events.

    Many are free and open to the public.

    A panel discussion led by Dr Jessica Lehman

Latest Geography News

Learn about the impact our staff and students have on the local, national, and international stage.

 

News on phone

Upcoming Events

Find out about upcoming research talks, conferences, alumni events.

Many are free and open to the public.

A panel discussion led by Dr Jessica Lehman

Work with us

We are always excited to welcome new people to our community and are committed to thinking, researching and studying globally - addressing the grand challenges of our age on issues such as climate change, security, sustainability, hazards and resilience, mobility, and urbanisation. We embrace different ways of working and thinking across the discipline and beyond that complement and extend the reach and impact of our geographical scholarship.
See our recruitment pages for more opportunities
level one undergraduate fieldtrip to Seaham

Contact Us

Founded in 1928, the Department of Geography at Durham University is one of the leading centres of geographical research and education in the world.

Department of Geography
Durham University
Lower Mountjoy
South Road, Durham
DH1 3LE, UK

Tel: +44 (0)191 3341800
Fax: +44 (0)191 3341801

Questions about studying here?

Check out our list of FAQs or submit an enquiry form.

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