Faculty of Arts and Humanities

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

Prebends bridge with Cathedral in background

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

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

Transformative Humanities

Transformative Humanities harnesses the effectiveness and power of humanities research and education to link across fields and sectors enriching, shaping, and transforming lives.

Find out more about the Transformative Humanities

Talking Humanities Podcast

In this episode, learn more about the establishment of game studies, film to video game adaptations, participatory games development, issues around archiving our games heritage, and how gaming can transform the way we think about culture and the humanities.

Listen to the latest Talking Humanities podcast

World-leading status affirmed in QS World University Rankings 2026

Durham University has been named in the QS World University Rankings world top 100, a position it has achieved every year since 2010. The rankings have confirmed the University’s strong global reputation for employability (64th) and it is also 22nd in the world for sustainability.

Learn more about the QS World University Rankings

Meet our students and staff from North America

Find out more about our students and members of staff from North America studying and working across all our departments.

Find out more about our departments

Faculty of Arts and Humanities on LinkedIn

Get updates and stay in touch - follow us on LinkedIn!

Visit Faculty of Arts and Humanities LinkedIn page

What's new?

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Faculty of Arts and Humanities Earns Prestigious Athena Swan Silver Award

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has been awarded a highly regarded Athena Swan Silver Award, becoming only the second faculty of its kind in the UK to receive this distinction. This milestone acknowledges the significant progress made in advancing gender equality across all departments and highlights a firm commitment to continued improvement through to 2030.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
Professor Janet Stewart highlights importance of arts and humanities at THE European Summit

Professor Janet Stewart, Executive Dean of our Faculty of Arts and Humanities, spoke at the Times Higher Education Europe Universities Summit in Budapest last week.

Global research
Director of Institute for Medical Humanities honoured by Linköping University

Professor Angela Woods, Director of the Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) and a Professor of Medical Humanities in our Department of English Studies, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Linköping University.

Research news
Strengthening our landmark collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

We have welcomed Dr Anthea M. Hartig, Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to our University – marking a significant milestone in our growing collaboration.

Durham news
IMEMS receives major donation to address 21st century challenges through the prism of the past

Researchers at the University’s Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) have been awarded a significant philanthropic investment aimed at advancing research to address critical global challenges.

Global research
Digital revolution in humanities research

Our top-rated Computer Science department is leading the charge in bringing high-performance computing (HPC) to the humanities through a new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded project.

Research news
$The image portrays a collection of stone, fractured and cracked, reaching out from a chaotic tangle of wires.$
Reimagining the imagination at the world’s largest literary festival

Researchers from our Institute for Medical Humanities have taken our innovative ReaderBank project to the Jaipur Literature Festival in Rajasthan, India.

Global research

Faculty of Arts and Humanities Earns Prestigious Athena Swan Silver Award

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities has been awarded a highly regarded Athena Swan Silver Award, becoming only the second faculty of its kind in the UK to receive this distinction. This milestone acknowledges the significant progress made in advancing gender equality across all departments and highlights a firm commitment to continued improvement through to 2030.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

Group picture with Executive Dean Janet Stewart and Deputy Executive Dean (People and Workplace Culture) Alexandra Harrington.

Professor Janet Stewart highlights importance of arts and humanities at THE European Summit

Professor Janet Stewart, Executive Dean of our Faculty of Arts and Humanities, spoke at the Times Higher Education Europe Universities Summit in Budapest last week.

Global research

Director of Institute for Medical Humanities honoured by Linköping University

Professor Angela Woods, Director of the Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) and a Professor of Medical Humanities in our Department of English Studies, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Linköping University.

Research news

Strengthening our landmark collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

We have welcomed Dr Anthea M. Hartig, Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to our University – marking a significant milestone in our growing collaboration.

Durham news

IMEMS receives major donation to address 21st century challenges through the prism of the past

Researchers at the University’s Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) have been awarded a significant philanthropic investment aimed at advancing research to address critical global challenges.

Global research

Image of a skyline with a shooting star in the horizon

Digital revolution in humanities research

Our top-rated Computer Science department is leading the charge in bringing high-performance computing (HPC) to the humanities through a new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded project.

Research news

$The image portrays a collection of stone, fractured and cracked, reaching out from a chaotic tangle of wires.$

Reimagining the imagination at the world’s largest literary festival

Researchers from our Institute for Medical Humanities have taken our innovative ReaderBank project to the Jaipur Literature Festival in Rajasthan, India.

Global research

Four people standing smiling at the camera

More news

Director of Institute for Medical Humanities honoured by Linköping University

Professor Angela Woods, Director of the Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) and a Professor of Medical Humanities in our Department of English Studies, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Linköping University.

Research news
Digital revolution in humanities research

Our top-rated Computer Science department is leading the charge in bringing high-performance computing (HPC) to the humanities through a new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded project.

Research news
$The image portrays a collection of stone, fractured and cracked, reaching out from a chaotic tangle of wires.$
Spotlight on: Professor Philip Goff – challenging the foundations of science through philosophy

Our ‘Spotlight On’ series highlights some of our pioneering researchers who are leading transformative work. Professor Philip Goff from our Department of Philosophy is challenging the long-held quantitative focus of physical science through his work on consciousness.

Research news

Director of Institute for Medical Humanities honoured by Linköping University

Digital revolution in humanities research

Our top-rated Computer Science department is leading the charge in bringing high-performance computing (HPC) to the humanities through a new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) funded project.

$The image portrays a collection of stone, fractured and cracked, reaching out from a chaotic tangle of wires.$

Spotlight on: Professor Philip Goff – challenging the foundations of science through philosophy

Our ‘Spotlight On’ series highlights some of our pioneering researchers who are leading transformative work. Professor Philip Goff from our Department of Philosophy is challenging the long-held quantitative focus of physical science through his work on consciousness.

Black and white image of Professor Philip Goff set against a white background

Professor Janet Stewart highlights importance of arts and humanities at THE European Summit

Professor Janet Stewart, Executive Dean of our Faculty of Arts and Humanities, spoke at the Times Higher Education Europe Universities Summit in Budapest last week.

Global research
IMEMS receives major donation to address 21st century challenges through the prism of the past

Researchers at the University’s Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) have been awarded a significant philanthropic investment aimed at advancing research to address critical global challenges.

Global research
Reimagining the imagination at the world’s largest literary festival

Researchers from our Institute for Medical Humanities have taken our innovative ReaderBank project to the Jaipur Literature Festival in Rajasthan, India.

Global research

Professor Janet Stewart highlights importance of arts and humanities at THE European Summit

Professor Janet Stewart, Executive Dean of our Faculty of Arts and Humanities, spoke at the Times Higher Education Europe Universities Summit in Budapest last week.

IMEMS receives major donation to address 21st century challenges through the prism of the past

Reimagining the imagination at the world’s largest literary festival

Researchers from our Institute for Medical Humanities have taken our innovative ReaderBank project to the Jaipur Literature Festival in Rajasthan, India.

Strengthening our landmark collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

We have welcomed Dr Anthea M. Hartig, Elizabeth MacMillan Director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to our University – marking a significant milestone in our growing collaboration.

Durham news
Durham students visit Sweden for first Durham-Uppsala Summer School

Our students visited our partner university in Sweden for the first ever Durham-Uppsala Summer School, an exchange programme with a focus on sustainability.

Durham news
Landmark Syriac Studies conference brings international research excellence to UK

A landmark conference about Syriac Studies brought more than 70 researchers from 20 countries to Durham last month. The event was a hub for academic collaboration and knowledge sharing. It was also a formative experience for early-career scholars. Here, the organisers reflect on the key highlights of the conference and why there has recently been a major revival of academic interest in Syriac Studies.

Durham news

Strengthening our landmark collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History

Durham students visit Sweden for first Durham-Uppsala Summer School

Our students visited our partner university in Sweden for the first ever Durham-Uppsala Summer School, an exchange programme with a focus on sustainability.

A group of smiling students posing for a group photo, surrounded by trees

Landmark Syriac Studies conference brings international research excellence to UK

A landmark conference about Syriac Studies brought more than 70 researchers from 20 countries to Durham last month. The event was a hub for academic collaboration and knowledge sharing. It was also a formative experience for early-career scholars. Here, the organisers reflect on the key highlights of the conference and why there has recently been a major revival of academic interest in Syriac Studies.