Skip to main content
Degree type

BA

Course length

3 years full-time

Location

Durham City

Degree type

BA

Course length

3 years full-time

Location

Durham City

UCAS code

V101

UCAS code

V101

Ready to Apply?

Typical offers

Typical offers
A Level A*AA
BTEC D*DD
International Baccalaureate 38

Course details

Year 1

In the first year, you will take three modules from History and three from Classics. You must choose at least one History module which is either Medieval or Early Modern; and one which is Modern. The modules on offer reflect the research interests of staff.

History modules have previously included:

  • Reformation Europe
  • Tensions of Empire
  • The Birth of Western Society, 300-1050
  • New Heaven, New Earth: Latin Christendom and the World, 1000-1300.

In Ancient History, you will take two interdisciplinary modules that serve to give you a grounding in the central periods of Greek and Roman culture.

Modules have previously included:

  • Introduction to the Greek World
  • Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus.

The third module is a matter of choice. Modules have previously included:

  • Lives of Objects
  • Early Greek Philosophy
  • The Craft of the Ancient Historian.

If you have already studied Latin or Greek, then it is possible to take an Intermediate course in either language.

Year 2

In the second year, you will take three modules from History and three from Classics. Second-year History modules tend to focus more on particular periods and events, and there are fewer survey courses. One of the History modules taken must be ‘Conversations with History’. This is a seminar-driven, student-led module, which encourages you to think about the way in which history is written. You will choose one from a range of possible strands in this module, each of which focuses on a particular historical debate or phenomenon. You must choose one History module which is either Medieval or Early Modern; and one which is Modern (the Conversations strand will count as one of these choices). There is no other restriction on choice.

Modules have previously included:

  • Conversations Strands: the Usable Past; the Built Environment
  • History and Guilt
  • Power and Peoples
  • Inventing the Middle Ages
  • Monarchy
  • Empire, Liberty and Governance.

Other modules have previously included:

  • Hard Times: British Society c. 1800-1901
  • Modern China’s Transformations
  • The American Half-century: the United States since 1945
  • The King’s Two Bodies: Rulership in Late Medieval Europe
  • The Ottoman World, 1400-1700.

In Ancient History, second-year historical offerings have previously included:

  • The Hellenistic World
  • Crisis of The Roman Republic
  • Emperors and Dynasties
  • Roman Buildings and their Decoration
  • Ancient Political Thought and Action.

It is also possible to take a Beginners course in Latin or Greek (this will take up two of your options in Ancient History), or to continue your study of either language.

Year 3

In the third year you may take the equivalent of three modules in each department, or you may take the equivalent of four modules in one and two in the other.

In History, you may choose a triple-module Special Subject, taught entirely through seminars, which involves the close study of primary sources. You will work in a small group with a specialist in the field, with a three-hour seminar every week. Or you may choose to do supervised independent research leading to the writing of an extended Dissertation. Given this emphasis on focused study and independence, there is no requirement for you to study a range of periods in this year.

Third-year single modules are all strongly reflexive in character, encouraging you to think about the ways in which historical knowledge is produced. Third-year History modules are all specialised, research-led topics.

Modules in History have previously included:

Special subjects:

  • A World Turned Upside Down: Radicalism in the English Revolution
  • The Disappearance of Claudine Rouge: Murder, Mystery and Microhistory in Early Modern France
  • Light Beyond the Limes: the Christianization of Pagan Europe, 300-1000
  • From War to Cold War: US Foreign Policy, c. 1944-1948.

Single modules:

  • Anglo-Saxon Invasion? The Search for English
  • Origins Revolution and History
  • Interpreting Conflict in Post-Colonial Africa
  • History of American Capitalism.

In Ancient History, modules have previously included:

  • Roman Syria
  • The Later Roman Empire
  • Greeks and Persians
  • Urbs Roma
  • Writing Alexander.

Placement

You may be able to take a work placement. Find out more.

Study abroad

History

The Department participates in the University-wide overseas exchanges with:

  • Boston College (USA)
  • the University of British Columbia (Canada)
  • the University of Hong Kong (China)
  • the National University of Singapore (Singapore).

You can apply to spend an additional year of study abroad. This is normally taken between the second and third years of the degree.

Classics and Ancient History

This course includes an optional European Studies element, where you may spend the third year of a four-year course studying at a European university. We currently have exchange links with universities in Belgium (Liege), France (Bordeaux), Germany (Tubingen, Munich), Greece (Athens), Italy (Bologna, Rome, Milan, Vercelli), the Netherlands (Free University, Amsterdam), Spain (Seville) and Switzerland (Fribourg). Students interested in studying abroad should apply to transfer to the European Studies course after their first year of study.

The Department also participates in the University-wide overseas exchange programme, which offers the opportunity to spend your second year studying at one of our partner universities in North America or Australasia. Find out more

Typical offers

Typical offers
A Level A*AA
BTEC D*DD
International Baccalaureate 38

Course details

This joint degree enables you to combine modules from our Ancient History course with modules in medieval and modern History offered by the Department of History. The balance between the two departments is broadly equal, but by the third year you can weight your choice of modules more to one side than the other, depending on your interests.

In your first year we will introduce you to the world of the ancient Greeks and early imperial Rome, seen from a variety of perspectives (not just historical), and to different forms of evidence. This will prepare you for a wide range of more specific historical modules about politics and society in the ancient world in your second and third years. This can also be enriched by the study of ancient literature, language and philosophy.

In the Department of History, you will study modules in medieval, early modern and late modern history, with electives available in the study of cultures from around the globe.

You will bring all your knowledge and skills together in your dissertation. You will be able to concentrate your studies in an area that fascinates you, and really blossom as an independent learner. Through this you will engage, at an advanced level, with creative research at the forefront of these historical disciplines.

You will be encouraged to attend an extensive programme of research-related activities in both departments, including research seminars, public lectures from high-profile guest speakers, and events organised by the student-run History Society and Classics Society.

Course structure

Year 1

Core modules:

Monuments and Memory in the Age of Augustus gives you an introduction to Roman history and culture and Latin literature. You will investigate a central, transitional epoch in the history of ancient Rome, from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Introduction to the Greek World examines ancient Greek history, society and thought, by focusing on how the classical Athenians engaged with their past. It will introduce you to the central themes, topics and terminology in the study of Archaic and Classical Greece, and equip you to use the intellectual resources available to assist that study.

Examples of optional Ancient History modules:

  • The Craft of the Ancient Historian

  • Lives of Objects – Greek and Roman Antiquity.

Examples of optional Classics modules:

  • Early Greek Philosophy
  • Language, Translation, Interpretation
  • Intermediate Latin or Greek.

Examples of core Medieval History modules:

  • Decline and Crisis? Europe, 1300-1500
  • Transformations in the Late Antique Mediterranean, c.300-c.700 CE.

Examples of core Early Modern History modules:

  • Connected Histories: Early Modern Europe, c. 1450-1750
  • The Atlantic Archipelago, c.1500-c.1750.

Examples of optional History modules:

  • Modern Times: A Cultural History of Europe, c. 1860-1960
  • Power in Africa
  • Imagining East Asia in the Modern World
  • Wars and Welfare, c. 1900-1945
  • The Rise and Fall of American Slavery, 1607 – 1865.

Year 2

Examples of core Ancient History modules:

  • Ancient Political Thought and Action
  • Emperors and Dynasties
  • Living in the Classical World
  • The City of Athens
  • Crisis of the Roman Republic

Examples of optional Classics modules:

  • Traditions of Epic
  • Interpreting Greek Tragedy Today
  • Alexandria
  • Classical Receptions and Contemporary Cultures
  • Dialogues with Antiquity
  • Beginners, Intermediate, or Advanced Greek and/or Latin language.

Examples of History modules:

  • The Court: Art and Power in Early Modern Europe
  • Hard Times: British Society, 1815-1902
  • International Human Rights since 1945
  • Wildlife Conservation in African History
  • Socialising the Household in Late Medieval Cities
  • Food and Culinary History of Southern Africa, the Past and Present
  • Black British History
  • Native Americans and Minority Rights in the US, 1914-2000
  • Rive, Race, Religion, and Revolt in Colonial Myanmar
  • Early Modern Hospitality in Global Comparative Perspective
  • Gender and Sexuality during Britain’s Long Twentieth Century.

Year 3

Core modules:

Dissertation. The dissertation is a significant piece of work in which you research and analyse an area of Classics or History in depth and write up your findings and conclusions.

Examples of core Ancient History modules:

  • Greeks and Persians, c. 560-336 BC
  • The Later Roman Empire
  • The History of Writing in the Ancient Mediterranean.

Examples of optional Classics modules:

  • Beginner, Intermediate, or Advanced Greek and/or Latin language modules
  • Roman Law and Latin Literature
  • The Origins of Civilisation
  • Comedy and Tragedy, Laughter and Sorrow
  • Lives and Afterlives of The Greek and Roman Poets
  • Sing Me, O Muse.

Examples of single modules in History:

  • Interpreting Conflict in Post-Colonial Africa
  • Revolution and History
  • Liberty, Equality, Democracy: Progressive Thought in Nineteenth-Century Britain
  • History and Its Audiences
  • Empires and States in Early Modern Asia: Nomads, Slaves, Scholars, Rulers
  • Health, Wealth and Happiness: Investigating Standards of Living and Wellbeing in the Past
  • Beyond Feudalism
  • Fascism/Anti-Fascism.

Examples of triple modules in History:

  • 1688: Monarchy and Revolution in Britain
  • Engineering Armageddon: Visions of Scientific Apocalypse
  • Voice and Silence in South Africa’s Liberation Struggle
  • Developing Africa
  • From War to Cold War: US Foreign Policy, c.1944–1948
  • Beyond the Holocaust: Poles, Jews, Turks and Germans from the Nineteenth Century to the present
  • The American Civil War and Reconstruction, 1850–1876
  • A World Turned Upside Down: Radicalism and the English Revolution
  • Sexual Revolutions: The Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Britain and Beyond, 1920s–1970s.

Additional pathways

Students on the BA in Ancient, Medieval and Modern History can apply to be transferred onto either the ‘with Year Abroad’ or ‘with Placement’ pathway during the second year. Places on these pathways are in high demand and if you are chosen your studies will extend from three years to four.

Placement

You may be able to take a work placement. Find out more.

Learning

If you study the Ancient, Medieval and Modern History BA, you will follow a structured course of study comprised of modules delivered by the Department of History and the Department of Classics and Ancient History. You will receive, on average, 7 hours of formal contact per week. However, the exact number of contact hours will depend on your selection of modules as you will be given the option to specialise in ancient, medieval, or modern history as you progress.

Formal academic contact will include a combination of lectures, seminars, and tutorials. Lectures introduce broad historical questions and offer contextualisation and critical commentary; seminars provide an opportunity for you to develop your critical skills through discussion for which you would have prepared in advance. The balance between these activities will change as you develop your knowledge and abilities as an independent learner.

Timetabled contact is only the beginning of your learning. It provides a starting point for your development as an independent, self-motivated learner. Resource packages and reading lists will be provided to guide your independent learning.

Typically, during your first year, you can expect to receive around 8 hours of formal contact per week. You will study modules that introduce you to a range of perspectives (not just historical) and different forms of evidence, and prepare you for a wide range of more specifically historical modules about politics and society, as well as the study of ancient literature, language, and philosophy, in your second and third years. The modules offer engagement with different periods and approaches to the study of the past, and experience of the way in which History, as a community of practice, encompasses the diversity of the human experience. Two core modules, 'Introduction to the Greek World' and 'Monuments and Memory', include seminars with a special emphasis on research skills.

In your second year there is an increased emphasis on the development of critical and analytical skills. As you become more adept at independent research, the intensity of contact in more specialised areas will increase. You can expect to receive around 7 hours of formal contact per week.

In the third year you will take further responsibility for managing your own time. The curriculum, while continuing to offer support and guidance, will require you to use the skills in independent study and time management which you have developed in the two preceding years. The dissertation, in particular, gives you the opportunity to establish your own research agenda and identify primary historical sources and extended reading lists, and so to engage, at an advanced level, with creative cutting-edge research at the forefront of the discipline. The exact number of contact hours that you receive will depend upon your module choices and specialisms. You will be expected to spend at least 35 hours each week in independent research. Because of this, you can expect to receive, on average, around 5 hours of formal contact per week.

Throughout the course you will also benefit from the ready accessibility of staff. All module coordinators advertise their formal ‘office hours’ so that you can arrange one-to-one meetings to discuss particular issues. This un-timetabled contact often focuses on a specific issue of analysis or argument and gives students a strong sense of personal engagement with learning. In addition to this, you will be allocated an academic adviser with whom you will discuss your module choices within the context of your interests and aims (academic and personal).

You will be encouraged to attend the extensive programme of research-related activities in both departments, including the research seminar series, public lectures from high-profile guest speakers, and events organised by the student-run History Society and Classics Societies. In addition to this, you will be invited to attend regular events organised jointly by the department and the Careers, Employability, and Enterprise Centre.

Entry requirements

A level offerA*AA including History.

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended DiplomaD*DD and grade A History A level.

IB Diploma score38 with 666 in higher level subjects, including History, Ancient History is only acceptable in conjunction with History.

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

  • We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study. Please contact our Admissions Tutor.
  • Classical subjects are not essential for any of our courses.
  • Ancient History is acceptable as one of three A levels but History A level must also be taken.
  • We welcome enquiries regarding applications for deferred entry which may be considered in special circumstances. Please contact us using www.durham.ac.uk/study/askus/

Science A levels

Applicants taking Science A levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This applies only to applicants sitting A levels with an English examination board.

Alternative qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

English language requirements

Country specific information

Fees and funding

Full Time Fees

Tuition fees
Home students £9,250 per year
EU students £24,000 per year
Island students £9,250 per year
International students £24,000 per year

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities. 

Find out more about Scholarships and Bursaries

Career opportunities

Classics and Ancient History

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

  • 87% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

  • 79% are in high skilled employment
  • With an average salary of £23,000.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

History

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

  • 85% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

  • 73% are in high skilled employment
  • With an average salary of £26,000.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

Department information

Classics and Ancient History

We are consistently ranked among the top Classics departments in the UK. Our academic staff have extensive, interdisciplinary expertise, and this is reflected in our teaching. We offer a wide variety of modules: ancient Greek and Latin for every level of ability, surveys of the main periods and themes of Greek and Roman history, and teaching in all aspects of classical culture, including philosophy, art and literature in translation.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

  • 3rd in The Complete University Guide 2023
  • 3rd in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022
  • 13th in the QS World University Rankings 2022.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Classics and Ancient History Department pages.

Research Excellence Framework

  • 4th in the UK for overall research quality (REF 2021).

Facilities

We have an extensive collection of ancient texts in the original and in translation, modern scholarship, and reference works. Our library is particularly strong in ancient philosophy, but also provides valuable resources for students in all our programmes and a useful reference library for researchers. The collections amount to approximately 8,000 volumes, across three rooms. Students may borrow the books, and many also use the library as a quiet study space to use between lectures, or for informal discussion sessions and reading groups.

More information about our facilities.

History

We have one of the most highly regarded history departments in the UK and our students love being here. This reputation is the product of the quality and commitment of our staff, and the breadth of our teaching, which reflects the research interests of a Department with an international outlook.

For more information see our department pages.

Ranking

  • 35th in the world in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022
  • 6th in The Guardian University Guide 2022
  • 5th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022
  • 3rd in The Complete University Guide 2023.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the History Department web pages.

Facilities

The Department of History is located in the heart of Durham, next to Durham Cathedral and Castle, which together form the UNESCO World Heritage Site. We are within easy reach of all university colleges, libraries, lecture rooms, and other facilities.

The Department occupies a group of historic townhouses on North Bailey and Palace Green. Originally built as coffee houses and lawyers’ offices in the 17th and 18th Centuries, these buildings now accommodate academic staff, administrative staff and seminar rooms. All postgraduate classes and supervision meetings take place within the History Department.

Apply

Find out more:

Use the UCAS code below when applying:

Apply

V101

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) handles applications for all undergraduate courses.

Learning

You will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Lectures introduce broad historical questions and offer context and critical commentary; seminars provide an opportunity for you to develop your critical skills through discussion.

You will progress from study skills and general subjects to specialised areas as you gain confidence and experience and develop as an independent, self-motivated learner.

Across the years there is an increasing emphasis on developing your critical and analytical skills. Your dissertation gives you the opportunity to exercise these skills, along with your independence, establishing your own research agenda and identifying your own sources and reading lists.

Assessment

We use various types of assessment, designed to test the different skills you have gained through your studies: essays, commentaries, translations and (in some modules) presentations or projects.

In your final year, you will write a dissertation on a subject of your choice, giving you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills in independent learning and research and your ability to tie together areas of learning from across the entire course.

Entry requirements

A level offerA*AA including History.

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended DiplomaD*DD and grade A History A level.

IB Diploma score38 with 666 in higher level subjects, including History, Ancient History is only acceptable in conjunction with History.

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

  • We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study. Please contact our Admissions Tutor.
  • Classical subjects are not essential for any of our courses.
  • Ancient History is acceptable as one of three A levels but History A level must also be taken.
  • We welcome enquiries regarding applications for deferred entry which may be considered in special circumstances. Please contact us using www.durham.ac.uk/study/askus/

Science A levels

Applicants taking Science A levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This applies only to applicants sitting A levels with an English examination board.

Alternative qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

English language requirements

Country specific information

Fees and funding

The tuition fees for 2024/25 academic year have not yet been finalised, they will be displayed here once approved.

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and Bursaries

We are committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances and are delighted to offer a range of funding opportunities. 

Find out more about Scholarships and Bursaries

Career opportunities

Classics and Ancient History

Our students acquire many skills which are readily transferable to a whole range of professions. You will have learned to think logically, to compile and evaluate evidence and to express yourself clearly and succinctly, both verbally and in writing.

Classics graduates have progressed to careers as diverse as computing, the Civil Service, gold dealing, teaching, journalism, law, accountancy, public relations and the theatre. A significant number of our students progress onto higher level study following their degree. Some remain within their academic field of interest and pursue a Master’s degree, either at Durham elsewhere. Others choose professional postgraduate programmes in subjects such as law, finance and teaching.

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

  • 87% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

  • 79% are in high skilled employment
  • With an average salary of £23,000.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

History

History graduates are proficient in research, critical reasoning and analytical thinking, and a history degree from Durham will equip you with these skills and more. This rewarding subject also equips you to analyse, interpret and prioritise information which is essential to effective decision making and invaluable in a whole range of working environments.

Many of our graduates move into the arts and heritage sector including curatorial, archivist or education officer roles in museums, galleries and libraries, but there are many more career options open to you. The academic rigour and transferable skills demanded of a history degree opens career paths in teaching at schools and universities, in law, finance and accountancy, media, policy making, the Civil Service and the charity sector.

Of those students who graduated in 2019:

  • 85% are in paid employment or further study 15 months after graduation across all our programmes

Of those in employment:

  • 73% are in high skilled employment
  • With an average salary of £26,000.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

Department information

Classics and Ancient History

When you study at the Department of Classics and Ancient History you will join a large, forward-looking department that is genuinely diverse in both make up and outlook. We offer an intellectually stimulating learning environment in a welcoming community, and consistently rank highly for teaching, graduate employability and research.

We offer a range of flexible and challenging degree courses designed with the twenty-first-century student in mind. Each with a different emphasis, depending on which area you prefer to put at the centre of your studies: ancient languages, ancient history or ancient culture. We also offer joint honours courses with the departments of Archaeology and History.

Our degrees offer both academic rigour and an outstanding student experience, taught by a team of academic staff who between them specialise in the languages, literature, history, culture and philosophy of the Greco-Roman world, as well as its impact on later centuries up to the present day. The breadth of knowledge in the Department allows us to offer a wide range of study areas including ancient Greek and Latin languages from beginner to advanced level, surveys of the main periods and themes of Greek and Roman history, and teaching in all aspects of classical culture, such as philosophy, art and literature in translation.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

  • 2nd in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023
  • 3rd in The Complete University Guide 2023
  • 4th in The Guardian University Gude 2023
  • 13th in the QS World University Rankings 2022

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the Classics and Ancient History Department pages.

Research Excellence Framework

  • 4th in the UK for overall research quality (REF 2021).

Facilities

We are situated in the beautiful and historic centre of Durham next to the Cathedral and Castle and just two minutes’ walk from the city centre. The friendly and welcoming Department is housed in eighteenth-century buildings which includes dedicated study space and a library with an extensive collection of ancient texts and reference works. Our location, at the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is highly conducive to study of the subject.

The student body is a large, close-knit and highly engaged community. Our student-led Classics Society organises regular social and academic events, often in conjunction with staff from the Department.

More information about our facilities.

History

The Department of History at Durham is one of the most highly regarded history departments in the UK. Staff and students contribute to a vibrant learning environment where you engage in the study of history from the fall of the Roman Empire through to the making of modern Africa. And all from the inspiring setting of Durham World Heritage Site.

The curriculum aims to develop your understanding of what is meant by the term ‘history’ and to challenge your assumptions about the past. You will develop an awareness of the complex relationship between the present and the past in a rich and varied learning environment that includes field trips and guided independent projects alongside traditional lectures and seminars.

Our degrees are built on flexibility and choice, with an extensive selection of modules that cover periods from the Middle Ages to the present from many different parts of the world. Chinese, Japanese, African, South Asian and US history are taught alongside the history of the British Isles and continental Europe. You can also apply to add a further dimension to your learning by spending a year studying abroad in a partner institution or undertaking a work placement.

For more information see our department pages.

Ranking

  • 35th in the world in the QS World University Subject Rankings 2022
  • 4th in The Guardian University Guide 2023
  • 4th in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023
  • 3rd in The Complete University Guide 2023

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see the History Department web pages.

Facilities

The Department of History occupies a group of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century town houses in the heart of Durham World Heritage Site. Our location is within easy reach of all University colleges, lecture halls and libraries.

Our work incorporates everything from manuscripts to photography, printed sources to museum collections. From the start of your degree, you will work with staff on a rich array of primary sources, which range from medieval manuscripts in the cathedral archive, through the ceramics, prints and textiles held by the Oriental Museum, to the wealth records of the Sudan Archive, and more. The University Library, with its Archives and Special Collections, and the Durham Cathedral Library and Archives hold historical resources of international significance.

Apply

Find out more:

Use the UCAS code below when applying:

Apply

V101

The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) handles applications for all undergraduate courses.

Visit Us

The best way to find out what Durham is really like is to come and see for yourself!

Discover Durham Tours
  • Date: 24/10/2022
  • Time: 13:00 - 16:00
Register for open day
Discover Durham Live Virtual Sessions
  • Date: 06/02/2023
  • Time: 16:00 - 17:00
Register for open day