Department of Earth Sciences
New opportunity to study climate science
We are excited to announce the launch of our new 3 year Climate Science degree course! This unique course is led by us and allows students to choose a wide range of modules in Earth Science and Geography. This course will delve deep into the climate science, exploring the links between the Earth, the climate and the environment. Learn about how the climate has changed in the geological past, how it is changing now and the effect of changing climates on oceans, ice sheets and ancient civilisations. Come and learn about the climate of our planet from experts at Durham University. More information can be found here and at https://www.dur.ac.uk/earth.sciences/undergraduate/climatescience/
MSc by Research
The department has just published a new set of Masters (by Research) projects for 2021/2022. They include a wide range of cutting edge projects in Volcanology, Computation Geoscience, Geoenergy, Palaeoecosystems and traditional Earth Science. To find out more, and contact the associated supervisors by email if you are interested, please visit the relevant pages here.
We are living through a time of unprecedented change on Earth. Scientific understanding of geological hazards, sustainability, infrastructure, climate change, energy, and natural resources has never been so important, and Earth Sciences sit at the heart of the debate. We aspire to help shape the future by providing the highest quality education for our students and by undertaking research that is both intrinsically excellent and relevant to society.
World Rankings

Durham is one of the world’s leading universities as shown by our world top 100 position in the QS World University Rankings 2021, where we are ranked 86th.
A record 19 Durham subjects are also in the world top 100 of the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2020, including 11 in the world top 50 and three in the world top ten.
"I selected Durham University because it has a high world ranking, and I enjoy the small, quiet atmosphere of the city. The staff, students, and facilities in the Earth Sciences department are of the highest quality"
Jaafar H. Jotheri - PhD in Palaeoclimate - from Babylon, Iraq
News
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Self-funded PhD Student Wins UK Tectonic Studies Group Medal 2021
Kit Hardman, a recently completed and self-funded PhD student in this Department (now at the University of Hull) has just been awarded the UK Tectonic Studies Group Ramsay Medal for his paper:
(12 Jan 2021) » More about Self-funded PhD Student Wins UK Tectonic Studies Group Medal 2021
Technical Apprentice leads the way out of lockdown

Technical support has been critical to the safe reopening of the department and its preparations for both online and face-to-face teaching, and for lab-based research.
(10 Dec 2020) » More about Technical Apprentice leads the way out of lockdown
PhD Opportunties - GeoNetZero CDT
University of Durham (5 approved projects; 2 fully-funded PhD awards available)
(28 Oct 2020) » More about PhD Opportunties - GeoNetZero CDT