School of Education

Entry Requirements

The normal entry requirements for our postgraduate programmes are set out below, although candidates should also consult programme-specific information contained within our postgraduate programmes section for details of any further requirements which apply.

Our admissions tutors consider applications on an individual basis. They consider:

  • prior qualifications and experiences
  • English proficiency where appropriate
  • the personal statement, particularly reasons for studying education at Durham
  • References
  • the quality of the application, including,
    • whether all relevant information is included
    • whether all aspects of the application are completed
    • the standard of the completed application form

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 the whole application form is filled out with due care and attention.

MA/MSc/PG Cert Taught Programmes

Applicants should normally have an Honours degree at 2:1 or equivalent in a relevant subject area, although significant relevant experience will also be considered.  If you are unsure whether your first degree is appropriate, please contact the relevant admissions administrator.

Doctoral Programmes

Applicants will normally be expected to hold a Master's degree or equivalent.  In the case of applicants to our PhD and Research Masters by Thesis programmes applicants are expected to be able to demonstrate proficiency in research methods. This is most usually exemplified by the successful completion of a taught Masters degree which includes substantial research methods training.  If you do not possess such a degree, you may be interested in registering for our MA in Research Methods (Education) programme from which you may be able to progress onto the PhD programme. 

Exemption from the research training requirement may be granted only on the grounds of very clear evidence that a candidate has completed comparable research training elsewhere or has engaged successfully in extensive, wide-ranging and high quality educational research activity, as reflected in publications.

If you are unsure whether your qualifications are appropriate, please contact the relevant admissions administrator.

English Language Requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of your programme of study, by taking an English Language Proficiency Test. The British Council Internal English Language Testing System (IELTS) is our preferred test and can be taken in most countries.

The School of Education has recently revised its English language entry requirements for its postgraduate programmes. For programmes commencing August 2013 onwards, students will be required to meet the following standard of English:

IELTS: an overall score of at least 7.0 with no element under 6.5

TOEFL IBT (Internet Based Test): at least 102 with no element under 25

If you have already completed a degree programme where English was the language of instruction, it may be possible to use this as evidence of your English language proficiency, in lieu of a language test.  

If you have not taken one of the above tests, you should arrange to do so without delay. If your language proficiency falls below the standards stated above, an offer may still be made, but it will be conditional upon you completing an intensive English course and being able to demonstrate that you have reached a level of English appropriate to your course, e.g. IELTS or a satisfactory written report from the University's Language Centre.  The University's English Language Centre runs pre-sessional courses, for which application forms are available directly from the English Language Centre. 

Note: Attending pre-sessional courses does not guarantee automatic entry.