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.
Do you have a list of 'preferred' A-level subjects?
We do not have a policy that excludes certain A-level subjects when considering applications although, in line with many other universities, we only recognise General Studies in a small number of subject areas.
We recruit on merit and potential and our entry standards are among the highest in the country with average entry qualifications exceeding three A grades at A-level.
Our admissions tutors also closely consider other parts of an application, taking into account personal references and evidence of motivation and interest in the subject applied for, as well as extra-curricular skills and achievements in areas such as music, drama, sport or community service. There are some subjects, such as Medicine, where applicants are required to hold certain qualifications showing they have significant prior knowledge that would allow them to study the degree programme of their choice. All such requirements are published. With all subjects we advise prospective applicants to contact our academic departments at a very early stage to discuss how they can best prepare for the course they eventually wish to study.
Our Admissions Policy and information on entry requirements for all courses at Durham University is available from our website and from UCAS.
