Frequently Asked Questions
The Student Recruitment and Admissions Office is responsible for managing the admissions process within Durham University for full and part time undergraduate courses. Academic Departments are responsible for considering each application and making offers and passing successful applications to one of the sixteen colleges for consideration, whilst the Student Recruitment and Admissions Office ensures that this process occurs as fairly and as transparently as possible and that decisions are communicated to UCAS within agreed deadlines.
The questions below have all been asked by our applicants or their parents at one time or another, and are intended to provide further information regarding the application process, some of our requirements, our collegiate system, the University and life as a student.
If you find that your query is not addressed or if you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Student Recruitment and Admissions Team directly. Our email address is admissions@durham.ac.uk.
My GCSE results aren’t as strong as my predicted A level grades. Will Durham consider my application?
Every application is important to us and all applications are assessed by experienced academic members of staff, who are experts in their field and actively involved in teaching their subject. We do this because we receive considerably more high quality applications than the places that we have available. We select students who in our opinion can best benefit from the unique experience that Durham offers and can contribute most to university life, irrespective of their background.
Entry to Durham University is extremely competitive, with most applicants achieving three As or above at A-level and it is important that our Admissions Selectors have information at their disposal to make an informed decision about the applications they consider. All applicants are judged on the basis of merit and potential, including motivation to benefit from the range of academic opportunities available within Durham.
A GCSE standardisation measurement score was introduced by Durham in October 2008 and is a piece of information made available to our Admissions Selectors. This uses data about school performance at GCSE that has been provided by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the Welsh Assembly and the Northern Ireland Assembly. The measurement adds together points allocated according to applicants’ GCSE grades at A and A* grade with a modifier based on the average capped GCSE score of their school. The score is then used as part of the information provided about applicants to provide a context to their achievement. This is only one of a number of items of information used when assessing merit and potential and is only likely to be considered by departments where GCSE achievement is required to differentiate between applicants. Typically these are departments that receive many more very high quality applications than places available. You can check historical data regarding numbers of undergraduate applications.
As well as assessing merit and potential the following is also considered in every application before a decision is made:
- A-Level (or equivalent) grades*
- GCSE (or equivalent) grades
- Personal Statement
- Reference
The following table highlights the departments which have considered GCSE standardisation measurement scores alongside a number of other items of information when assessing merit and potential to make a decision during 2008/09.
| Department | Use of GCSE standardisation measurement score |
|---|---|
| Anthropology | Yes |
| Applied Psychology | No |
| Archaeology | No |
| Biological Sciences | Yes |
| Biomedical Science | No |
| Business | No |
| Chemistry | Yes |
| Classics | Yes |
| Combined Honours | Yes |
| Computer Science | No |
| Earth Sciences | No |
| Economics | Yes |
| Education | No |
| Engineering | Yes |
| English Studies | Yes |
| Foundation | No |
| Geography | Yes |
| History | Yes |
| Human Sciences | No |
| Law | Yes |
| Mathematics | No |
| Medicine | No |
| Modern Languages | Yes |
| Music | No |
| Natural Sciences | Yes |
| Philosophy | No |
| Physics | Yes |
| Politics | No |
| PPE | No |
| Primary Education | No |
| Psychology | No |
| Sociology/Criminology | No |
| Sport | Yes |
| Theology | Yes |
* Durham University does not reduce A-Level (or equivalent) grade entry requirements for applicants based on school type or school performance or socio-economic background of the applicant.
A list of schools and their modifier scores can be viewed by selecting the links below:
