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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

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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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
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Talking Humanities Podcast

The Talking Humanities podcast introduces projects and reflections from researchers across the Arts and Humanities Faculty at Durham University.

Listen to the latest Talking Humanities podcast
QS World University Rankings 2024

World-leading status affirmed in QS World University Rankings 2025

Durham is now ranked 89th in the world top 100 universities. Our top performance came in the Sustainability category, where we ranked 19th in the world. We also have a world-class reputation with employers, being ranked 65th.

Learn more about the QS World University Rankings

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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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

What's new?

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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.
A group photo taken at the Syriac Studies in the UK conference

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.
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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

Philosopher wins prestigious scientific book prize

Congratulations to Professor Matthew Daniel Eddy who has won The British Society for the History of Science’s (BSHS) Pickstone Prize.
A man wearing glasses and smiling at the camera next to a book cover of a painting of woman in period dress. The book is called Media & Mind.

Transformative Humanities framework launched

Durham University's Transformative Humanities launched yesterday and gathered more than 130 researchers, colleagues, students, and partners from across the region and beyond to celebrate this new interdisciplinary framework.
Transformative Humanities launch news banner
  • 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

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.
A group photo taken at the Syriac Studies in the UK conference

The diversity of the university experience helps students become good citizens

How do universities produce good citizens? For Mathew Guest, Professor of the Sociology of Religion, research on interfaith relations may have the answer.
An image of a crowd or people icons on a white background
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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