Postgraduate Life
St Mary's offers a unique and inclusive college experience to postgraduate students that can only be provided by a smaller college. Each postgraduate student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential as part of a supportive and intelligent graduate community.
Our diverse community provides an intellectually stimulating, inclusive and welcoming environment for postgraduates and for mature students that can be lost in larger colleges. The University recognises St Mary's leading position as a college distinguished in combining academic excellence with comfortable and welcoming surroundings as the college hosts up to three of Durham's eminent Institute of Advanced Study fellows every year.
In St Mary's College, both postgraduate and mature students combine to form the Middle Common Room (MCR), a vigorous community independent of the Junior Common Room (JCR). This is advantageous to postgraduate and mature students, since all students are also members of the relaxed JCR community, meaning graduate members can enjoy the full spectrum of college student facilities, social events and sporting activities.
The MCR and the wider college community endeavour to provide each postgraduate with the facilities and support they need to reach their full academic potential whilst really enjoying their time at Durham University, both socially and academically.