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Faculty of Arts and Humanities

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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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Dr Simona Capisani

Reflections of a philosopher at the COP16 Biodiversity Conference - join the event

Join Dr Simona Capisani in Durham on Thursday, 28 November from 3:30 to 5 pm, when she will give a talk and host a Q&A regarding her experiences at the UN Biodiversity Conference.

Learn more about this event

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

Durham University Professor co-organises first major UK retrospective of iconic French director Claude Chabrol at the Ciné Lumière in London

'Behind the Mirror: Family Secrets' is the first major UK retrospective of French director Claude Chabrol, organised in collaboration with the director’s daughter and collaborator, Cécile Maistre-Chabrol, and Chabrol specialist Prof. Catherine Dousteyssier-Khoze from Durham University's School of Modern Languages and Cultures.
Find out more about 'Behind the Mirror: Family Secrets'
Professor Catherine Dousteyssier-Khoze from our School of Modern Languages and Cultures
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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

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Congratulations to Dr Katherine McDonald - Philip Leverhulme Prize winner 2024

Dr Katherine McDonald wins prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize for 2024 with her project 'The Linguistics of Roman Slavery'. Photo credit Dr Christopher Haddad

Research news

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.
Research news
Transformative Humanities launch news banner

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
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.
Research news
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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.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
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).
Global research
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.
Global research
Professor Anna Rowlands
More news

Congratulations to Dr Katherine McDonald - Philip Leverhulme Prize winner 2024

Dr Katherine McDonald wins prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize for 2024 with her project 'The Linguistics of Roman Slavery'. Photo credit Dr Christopher Haddad

Abuse crisis in Catholic Church has led to drop in Mass attendance

A third of Catholics who previously went to Mass have reduced their attendance or stopped going altogether as a result of the child sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church.
A rosary on a bible

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.

  • Strengthening our North American partnerships

    In April we celebrated our long-standing partnership with the University of Notre Dame in North America.
    Global research
    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).
    Global research
    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.
    Global research
    Chinese street musicians

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

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.
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.
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Discover more

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

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