St Mary's College
| Year founded | Total student population | Total PG population | Length of contract |
| 1899 | 860 | 134 | 50 week let or 40 week PGCE lets |
St Mary's College is one of the oldest of the Durham University Colleges and our classical buildings are located within beautiful landscaped grounds with stunning views overlooking Durham Cathedral. We are extremely close to the Science Site and University Library and we are within easy walking distance of the City Centre departments by road or river side path. We are a traditional College with a long and distinguished history - yet at the same time progressive and forward looking. At St Mary's you will find diversity and an academic and fun environment where the belief in equality of opportunity will support you in realising your full potential, both academically and as an individual.
St Mary's College offers a vibrant academic community of undergraduate students, postgraduate students and academic staff from all over the world who form the Junior, Middle and Senior Common Rooms respectively. The Middle Common Room (MCR) comprises over 100 graduate students of whom about 40 live in the College, the remainder living in Durham City. The College is also home to around 720 undergraduate students, of whom about 300 live in College, alongside several academic residents and visiting research fellows.
Our postgraduate community includes scholars representing a wide range of academic disciplines from the sciences, engineering, the arts, business and education. Whether you are planning to study for a Master’s, a PGCE, an MBA or a PhD, you will find like-minded people at St Mary's.
St Mary's College is more than just a place to eat and sleep. It provides a multidisciplinary academic environment within which to work and study. We have a well-stocked College library and a separate Reading Room together with a series of meeting/seminar rooms. The various common rooms, together with a cosy college bar and the college chapel, provide additional space for social and cultural activities. The atmosphere at St Mary's is relaxed and warm, yet lively and dynamic with unambiguous ambitions for academic and extra-curricular success. We have a growing collection of contemporary art, both paintings and sculptures, which enrich the cultural environment.
Our extensive grounds offer numerous opportunities for out-door activities and events including the annual Midsummer Ball, Garden Party and Mary's Day celebrations and the MCR organise regular BBQs and other social events in the College Cloisters. In addition to the two Junior Common Rooms, equipped with large plasma TVs and available to MCR members, we have recently completed a dedicated Middle Common Room facility, with kitchen and dining facilities should you wish to throw a dinner party, as well as social TV lounge space for relaxing with friends.
Additional college costs
- MCR fee £30
Accommodation
| Total PG rooms | % standard | % ensuite | % single gender | % shared |
| 40 | 68% | 32% | 15% (women's wing only) | 0% |
- Single gender accommodation: We have an all-women’s wing with seven postgraduate rooms catering for students who, for cultural reasons, could not otherwise live in a mixed College environment.
- Accessibility: Accommodation is available for students with mobility difficulties (two wheelchair accessible rooms).
Catering options
Postgraduate accommodation is fully-equipped with communal kitchen facilities for self-catering outside of term-time. Postgraduates living in college accommodation are fully-catered during undergraduate term-time.
Special dietary requirements: We cater for many dietary needs including Halal food.
Events: There are numerous dining events during term-time with formal dining in academic gowns once a fortnight and the popular MCR Black Tie Dinners, as well as less formal events such as the Annual Fancy Dress Ball.
Facilities
Dedicated PG facility:
We have a large Middle Common Room (MCR) facility with a comfortable lounge area and kitchen dining facilities for the exclusive use of postgraduates and members of the MCR. There are also postgraduate-only kitchens within the Fergusson and Williamson Buildings. Postgraduates are however welcome to use all the undergraduate common room and social spaces.
Other facilities:
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Location:
In addition to the excellent college facilities that support both academic and social activities, we enjoy an outstanding location with beautiful landscaped and wooded grounds and we are the only college with a sculpture garden. The Cloisters provide a lovely location for a summer barbeque, and the expansive lawns provide quiet areas to relax or study.
Societies, sports and outreach
The Middle Common Room (MCR) offers opportunities for postgraduates to get involved with committees and the organising of academic and social events. Postgraduates can stand for election as members of the MCR executive - the self-governing body that coordinates and promotes the postgraduate experience at St Mary's.
Postgraduates in undergraduate societies: Postgraduates can and do join and participate in all the undergraduate clubs and societies; these include a wide range of sporting clubs which cover all sports and clubs and societies dedicated to drama, music and the arts. Although there are dedicated facilities for postgraduates, the closely knit community at St Mary's offers numerous opportunities for joint social and academic events linking the Junior, Middle and Senior Common Rooms.
Support
Postgraduates can count on the pastoral support of the Vice-Principal and Senior Tutor, Dr Gillian Boughton (g.e.boughton@durham.ac.uk) and the Student Support Administrator, Mrs Dorothy Grieve (stmarys.collsec@durham.ac.uk). An Assistant Senior Tutor and a Chaplain have both recently been appointed. There are a number of postgraduate mentors, though it is not compulsory to accept a mentor from College. Full participation in St Mary's College, use of the gym, library, chapel, bar and the lovely grounds and exclusive use of the newly refurbished Middle Common Room are guaranteed to postgraduates.
