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Welcome to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities

We nurture thoughtful, critical and engaged citizens for a rapidly changing and complex world.

We are proud to be recognised as a leading Faculty of Arts and Humanities worldwide and to exercise the responsibilities that this position brings with it. We set out to provide leadership in the Arts and Humanities nationally and internationally; our work is intended to enrich, shape and transform lives. We nurture thoughtful, critical and engaged citizens for a rapidly changing and complex world.
Vision and mission
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a view of the cathedral and the river

Explore our Departments

If you are considering studying one of our undergraduate or postgraduate programmes, then we’d invite you to explore our website to find out more about our Departments and the innovative research-led education that we offer.

See all Arts and Humanities Departments
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Environmental Humanities PhD Scholarships

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities invites applications for four doctoral scholarships in Environmental Humanities. Applicants must hold an offer for a PhD programme from one of the Faculty's Departments.

Environmental Humanities PhD Scholarships

Creative Writing PhD Researcher Explores Newcastle’s Witch Trials

Durham University's Dialogue magazine spoke to Lucy Atkinson, PhD researcher at our Department of English Studies, about her research and her fascination with historical witch trials.
Read Dialogue's full interview with Lucy
Lucy Atkinson portrait
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Edible History - the culinary secrets of medieval Arab cuisine

Join our team of food history experts, Daniel L Newman, Giles Gasper and Amanda Herbert as they recreate a delicious medieval sweet, Zulabiyya, and share insights from their own research on cooking historical recipes.

Find out more about Edible History

Welcome to new and prospective students

If you are joining us this year, we know you’ve worked really hard for this. We’ve also worked hard to provide an intellectually challenging programme of studies for your time with us and are looking forward to welcoming you to our academic community. Congratulations and welcome to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Durham!
Welcome to Durham
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QS World University Rankings 2024

World-leading status affirmed in QS World University Rankings 2024

Durham is now ranked 78th in the world top 100 universities. We are also ranked joint 30th in a new category of Sustainability, and 50th in the Employer Reputation category.

Learn more about the QS World University Rankings

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'Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom'

Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O'Brien, makes the case for languages education.
A male, back to camera, points a pen at a screen displaying a globe and 'hello' in different languages

New interdisciplinary health research awarded £9m grant

Our cutting-edge Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) has been awarded a £9m Discovery Research Platform Award to develop a new Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities (DRP-MH).
Wellcome trust grant

Durham University theologian seconded to process that will shape future of Catholic Church

A leading Durham University theologian is to help shape the Catholic Church for years to come.
Professor Anna Rowlands

Talking Ukraine with Dr Markian Prokopovych

We continue to be deeply concerned and saddened by the war taking place in Ukraine. We are an international university, committed to social responsibility and democratic values. As we mark the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Dr Markian Prokopovych, Associate Professor at our History Department, discusses a series of topical webinars, and the global significance Ukraine has become.
Ukraine flag and Dr Markian Prokopovych

Why some people like ‘sad’ music

Music has amazing potential to inspire, motivate and bring people together across cultures.

'A texture into worlds far removed from us': Radha Kapuria on music in colonial Punjab

On the launch of her book, Music in Colonial Punjab: Courtesans, Bards, and Connoisseurs, Radha Kapuria tells us how she developed an interest in this subject, and wider significance of social histories like this in understanding political events and the world beyond them.
Music in colonial punjab

New research groups to build on our strength in Computer Science

Our Computer Science is one of the top-ranked departments in the UK and it is rapidly growing.
Lines of code on a black background
  • Strengthening our North American partnerships

    In April we celebrated our long-standing partnership with the University of Notre Dame in North America.
    A group of people standing in they foyer of a large building.
  • New interdisciplinary health research awarded £9m grant

    Our cutting-edge Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) has been awarded a £9m Discovery Research Platform Award to develop a new Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities (DRP-MH).
    Wellcome trust grant
  • Celebrate Chinese Language Day with Ethnomusicologist Dr Samuel Horlor

    April 20 is Chinese Language Day, one of a series of Language Days selected by the United Nations to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. Dr Samuel Horlor, a Teaching Fellow in Ethnomusicology in our Music Department, discusses his research on Chinese popular music with a particular focus on audiency, street music, and music's embeddedness in everyday urban life.
    Chinese street musicians

New interdisciplinary health research awarded £9m grant

Our cutting-edge Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) has been awarded a £9m Discovery Research Platform Award to develop a new Discovery Research Platform for Medical Humanities (DRP-MH).
Wellcome trust grant

Celebrate Chinese Language Day with Ethnomusicologist Dr Samuel Horlor

April 20 is Chinese Language Day, one of a series of Language Days selected by the United Nations to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. Dr Samuel Horlor, a Teaching Fellow in Ethnomusicology in our Music Department, discusses his research on Chinese popular music with a particular focus on audiency, street music, and music's embeddedness in everyday urban life.
Chinese street musicians

Britain’s new Faith Museum is the ideal place to set aside your preconceptions about religion

Professor Alec Ryrie from our Department of Theology and Religion visits the new Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland and explains how it provides a rare opportunity to set aside preconceptions about religion and faith.
Church window

Concerns over pet food and vet costs affordability are as old as pet keeping itself

Professor Julie-Marie Strange from our Department of History and Professor Jane Hamlett from the University of London explore concerns over the cost of keeping pets in the UK.
Guinea pigs eating
Daniel Newman at COP28

From our Staff Blog: Arabic Culinary Tradition at COP28

Daniel Newman, Professor of Arabic Studies in our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, was recently invited to COP28 in Dubai to share his knowledge of the Arabic culinary tradition, recreating recipes from the 8th to the 15th centuries.

Read about Daniel's experiences at COP28

Get in touch

Contact the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

Faculty Office 
Elvet Riverside Block 2 
New Elvet 
Durham DH1 3JT

Questions about studying here?

Check out our list of FAQs or submit an enquiry form.

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Order your personalised prospectus and College guide here.