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Natural Sciences
Durham river and Cathedral view

B.Sc. in X and Y with the Natural Sciences programme

The decision as to whether you will follow a Joint Honours Degree in two subjects or a Natural Sciences degree in two or more subjects is normally taken at the end of the first year of study, follow the link Subjects to find the list. All students intending to apply for a BSc "Joint Honours" degree apply for Natural Sciences (code CFG0). With a Joint Honours Degree, you

  • study the same two subjects in all three years, but students may be allowed to study other subjects as well in your first year depending on the subjects being combined and the timetable.
  • can vary the balance between the two subjects in all years assuming the timetable and regulations will allow it.
  • can never take more than 80 credits in one subject and not less than 40 credits in the other subject assuming the regulations will allow it.
  • need to take at least 20 and in most cases 40 credits of Capstone modules in Year 3.

The degree title is:

B.Sc. in X and Y within the Natural Sciences programme

where X and Y are the two subjects studied.

B.Sc. "Joint Honours" Combinations available are shown in the table denoted by a * in a white box below

  An Bi Bs Ch CS ES Ec Gg Ma Ph Py Ps
An   *                     
Bi *     *   *   * *   *  *
Bs         *              
Ch   *       *     *   *  
CS     *           *   *  
ES   *   *       *        
Ec                 *      *
Gg   *       *            
Ma   *   * *   *     * * *
Ph                 *   *   
Py   *   * *       * *    
Ps   *         *   *      

Click on the starred link to reveal the regulations for current students. If a combination is not starred, it may still be possible to combine the subjects. The colour coding corresponds to whether the combined pair is offered elsewhere within the University or the likelihood that the pair will successfully combine over a 3-year degree, see further down this page for a colour key descriptors.

The following abbreviations apply (see Subjects for a description of the groupings):

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Colour Likehood of subject pair timetabling
Bi Biology An Anthropology Sp Sport   Offered elsewhere in the University
Ch Chemistry Bs Business Ed Education   is less than 40%.
CS Computer Science Ec Economics       is between 40% and 55%.
ES Earth Sciences Gg Geography       is between 55% and 70%.
Ma Mathematics Ph Philosophy       100%!
Py Physics           is between 70% and 85%.
Ps Psychology           is strictly between 85% and 100%.

In the event that the likelihood of a pair of subjects timetabling is no less than 40%, then applicants may apply for this pair of subjects in isolation.

In the event that the likelihood of a pair of subjects timetabling is less than 40% (categorized by a red rectangle), then applicants should apply for three subjects with no guarantee that the first two will be offered. Candidates who fail to specifying three subjects will have an unsuccessful application.

See the exemplars for non combinations that are not Joint Honours pairs.