School of Education

How to Apply

General Application Information for both Taught and Research Postgraduate Programmes

If you wish to apply for any of our postgraduate programmes, your first step in the application process is to contact us directly for course information and further advice relating to your chosen course.

The second step is to complete the online application form.

The normal entry requirements for our postgraduate programmes can be found via the links on each course information page. Please contact us for further advice on entry requirements.

Our admissions tutors consider applications on an individual basis, however, to increase your likelihood of success you need to make sure that you tailor your application to the programme that you are applying for, that you attach all necessary information and that the whole application form is filled out with care and attention.

Supporting Documentation

In addition to your application form we will usually require the following supporting documentation: evidence of academic qualifications (including transcripts); copies of English language certificates (where appropriate); reference letters.

When submitting your online application you will have the opportunity to attach any supporting documentation that you have available at that time. If some of your documents are not available at the time of application (e.g. not all conditions have been met yet ) this should be forwarded to us as soon as possible afterwards. This can be done through the online application system or you can send your documents as email attachments to the relevant programme secretary. Please note we are only able to process JPEG, Word or PDF files; applicants are asked to send particularly large attachments separately or by post, care of the relevant programme secretary (see contact us for address details).

Translated copies of documents

In order to meet UKBA requirements, translations of degree certificates and transcripts must be issued by a professional translation organisation on official, headed paper and should include the following:

  • Details of the translator's credentials
  • Confirmation that it is an accurate translation of the original document
  • The translator's contact details
  • The translator's original signature and the date of translation
  • The award date of the qualification

References

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure that references are forwarded to us on time - we are unable to follow up references on your behalf.

What happens after I have submitted my application?

All postgraduate applications will be forwarded to us by the Durham University Student Recruitment and Admissions Office and will be considered as quickly as possible. If successful you will receive official notification of the outcome from the Student Recruitment and Admissions Office. We endeavour to process applications as quickly as possible; most applications are processed within four weeks of receipt, although in some cases we do need to request further information. Successful applicants should ensure that they provide us with the required supporting documentation as soon as possible.

Deposits for overseas self-financing postgraduate taught applicants

Please be aware of Durham University's new deposit scheme, introduced in March 2011, for all overseas self-financing PGT applicants. Applicants will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit once they have accepted their offer. Click here for further information.

Application Process for Research Degrees

Study by research is a very personal and individual way of developing one's academic and professional knowledge and qualifications. This is why the process of application has to be individualised and persona. There are three separate steps to the application process for research degrees:

1. Preliminary Enquiry

You are encouraged to make preliminary enquiries to the department regarding the suitability of your research interests and the availability of an appropriate supervisory team before you submit your application. Enquiries should be directed to the Admissions Office (Ed.admissions@durham.ac.uk). You may wish to prepare a brief CV and outline of your proposed research.

You should consult our current research pages and staff listings to find out if your research interests align with those of a potential supervisor.

2. Formal Application

Formal applications must be made using the University's online application form. You can find further information on the application process here.

3. Research Proposal

The School of Education also requires you to write a formal research proposal as part of your application. This is to allow the department to assess whether a proposed topic is feasible and likely to lead to a successful outcome.

The proposal should demonstrate that you have thought carefully about the topic and done some preliminary investigation of its feasibility and suitability. It should include a review of the literature in the field and outline the methodology to be adopted; for example: small-scale case-studies; larger-scale surveys; historical analyses; biographical studies; policy analysis studies, etc. In addition, we will be looking for the following elements:

  • A clear research focus, with some researchable questions
  • A topic that is theoretically interesting and/or practically important
  • A literature review that is up to date
  • Appropriate methodology
  • Ideas on appropriate tools/participants/analysis
  • A plausible timeline

Paradoxically, much of what you write is liable to change in the first few months of study. However, we expect the proposal to provide evidence of your ability to review, write and think like a researcher.

A proposal should normally be around 3,000 words if it is to cover the issues adequately. If you require further information regarding how to structure your proposal, please contact the Admissions Office (Ed.admissions@durham.ac.uk).

As the online application does not have a section for research proposals, we recommend that you send your research proposal separately to the Admissions Office either as an email attachment or by post.

Useful Information

Most proposals should contain references to some recent research. Here are some useful sources of information:

Databases

Systematic reviews of research

Open Access journals