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.
Can I change the course I have applied for?
We would recommend that all applicants seek advice and guidance when making decisions on which courses to apply to through UCAS, as it may not always be possible to change this choice once an application has been submitted.
We will consider all requests to change a course choice in the UCAS application provided that the request is received either before you receive notification of our decision via UCAS or the 15th January, whichever date is sooner. If a change of course is agreed, it may help your application to submit a substitute personal statement (see http://www.dur.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/apply/personalstatement/substitute/). This change of course choice and, if relevant, the substitute personal statement will replace the original choice and personal statement.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to consider requests from applicants who have received a decision on their application through UCAS except in very exceptional circumstances, where evidence of mitigation will be required, or where it is beneficial for the University to allow the change. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Requests received after the 15th January from applicants who have not yet received their decision through UCAS will be considered at the discretion of the department and Head of Admissions and will only be granted if places are still available on the relevant course once all applications for that department that have been submitted by the UCAS deadline have been considered.
Requests to change the course applied for should be made in writing to admissions@durham.ac.uk.
