Advice for getting into Durham for History??
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Reply 20
21
Original post
by AnonymousWhen you review the UK Complete University Guide (CUG) data for the subject of history since 2008 you can see that Durham has been consistently ranked in the top 5 throughout the 18 year period. No lower than 5th in any year and in two years it was 1st (2012 and 2015). The average ranking place being 3rd.
Entry criteria for history (based on the average UCAS tariff score of new students at Durham) being no lower than 188 points. Almost always the 3rd highest of any English university, and only marginally below Oxbridge.
The data also shows an exceptionally high continuation rate at Durham in excess of 99%.
Entry criteria for history (based on the average UCAS tariff score of new students at Durham) being no lower than 188 points. Almost always the 3rd highest of any English university, and only marginally below Oxbridge.
The data also shows an exceptionally high continuation rate at Durham in excess of 99%.
How many successful professional historians has Durham produced? I am friends with a very successful historian, who was Cambridge educated. I am interested to see if you can become rich and famous from being a historian from Durham, as opposed to one from Oxbridge, LSE and UCL. I don't think l have ever seen one Durham University historian on TV before, and l have watched many documentaries on modern European history. Though that doesn't mean they attended Durham themselves.
Reply 21
Original post
by Physician How many successful professional historians has Durham produced? I am friends with a very successful historian, who was Cambridge educated.
Jeremy Black — historian of diplomacy, military and eighteenth-century Britain; did his PhD and was a lecturer/professor at Durham.
Ludmilla Jordanova — Professor Emeritus (Visual Culture) in Durham’s Department of History; prominent in public history and history of science.
Richard H. Britnell — economic and medieval historian; long-time Professor of History at Durham.
R. Malcolm Errington — classical historian.
G. M. (George) Trevelyan — distinguished political historian; long association with Durham (Chancellor 1950–57).
Joanna Story — Professor of Early Medieval History.
Michael Swanton — medievalist; Emeritus Professor of Medieval History..
Andy Wood — Professor of Social History at Durham.
James Holland — popular military historian and author; studied at Durham.
Judith Jesch — Professor of Viking Studies.
Alec Ryrie — Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham; nationally prominent historian.
Jo Fox — director of the Institute of Historical Research (IHR).
Julian Wright — Professor of History (Northumbria) and co-editor of French History.
Jack Ogden — historian of ancient jewellery and material culture.
Benjamin Woolley — historian and biographer.
Roy Martin Haines — medieval historian.
Dominic Montserrat — Egyptologist and papyrologist.
Heather J. Sharkey — Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
Reply 22
Original post
by Physician How many successful professional historians has Durham produced? I am friends with a very successful historian, who was Cambridge educated. I am interested to see if you can become rich and famous from being a historian from Durham, as opposed to one from Oxbridge, LSE and UCL. I don't think l have ever seen one Durham University historian on TV before, and l have watched many documentaries on modern European history. Though that doesn't mean they attended Durham themselves.
Surely you must have seen James Holland? No WWII documentary/podcast is complete without him.
Reply 23
21
Original post
by AnonymousCourtesy of ChatGPT
Jeremy Black — historian of diplomacy, military and eighteenth-century Britain; did his PhD and was a lecturer/professor at Durham.
Ludmilla Jordanova — Professor Emeritus (Visual Culture) in Durham’s Department of History; prominent in public history and history of science.
Richard H. Britnell — economic and medieval historian; long-time Professor of History at Durham.
R. Malcolm Errington — classical historian.
G. M. (George) Trevelyan — distinguished political historian; long association with Durham (Chancellor 1950–57).
Joanna Story — Professor of Early Medieval History.
Michael Swanton — medievalist; Emeritus Professor of Medieval History..
Andy Wood — Professor of Social History at Durham.
James Holland — popular military historian and author; studied at Durham.
Judith Jesch — Professor of Viking Studies.
Alec Ryrie — Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham; nationally prominent historian.
Jo Fox — director of the Institute of Historical Research (IHR).
Julian Wright — Professor of History (Northumbria) and co-editor of French History.
Jack Ogden — historian of ancient jewellery and material culture.
Benjamin Woolley — historian and biographer.
Roy Martin Haines — medieval historian.
Dominic Montserrat — Egyptologist and papyrologist.
Heather J. Sharkey — Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
Jeremy Black — historian of diplomacy, military and eighteenth-century Britain; did his PhD and was a lecturer/professor at Durham.
Ludmilla Jordanova — Professor Emeritus (Visual Culture) in Durham’s Department of History; prominent in public history and history of science.
Richard H. Britnell — economic and medieval historian; long-time Professor of History at Durham.
R. Malcolm Errington — classical historian.
G. M. (George) Trevelyan — distinguished political historian; long association with Durham (Chancellor 1950–57).
Joanna Story — Professor of Early Medieval History.
Michael Swanton — medievalist; Emeritus Professor of Medieval History..
Andy Wood — Professor of Social History at Durham.
James Holland — popular military historian and author; studied at Durham.
Judith Jesch — Professor of Viking Studies.
Alec Ryrie — Professor of the History of Christianity at Durham; nationally prominent historian.
Jo Fox — director of the Institute of Historical Research (IHR).
Julian Wright — Professor of History (Northumbria) and co-editor of French History.
Jack Ogden — historian of ancient jewellery and material culture.
Benjamin Woolley — historian and biographer.
Roy Martin Haines — medieval historian.
Dominic Montserrat — Egyptologist and papyrologist.
Heather J. Sharkey — Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
I don't mean the standard history professors at universities. I meant globally renowned and famous historians that have regularly been on TV.
(edited 1 month ago)
Reply 24
21
Original post
by AnonymousSurely you must have seen James Holland? No WWII documentary/podcast is complete without him.
I have, but not regularly. Perhaps only 1-2 times.
Reply 25
Original post
by Physician I have, but not regularly. Perhaps only 1-2 times.
Try YouTube, he's often with Al Murray.
They have one of the best military history podcasts.
Maybe one of the new university assessment measurements should be how many successful podcasters have they produced?
Reply 26
21
Original post
by AnonymousTry YouTube, he's often with Al Murray.
They have one of the best military history podcasts.
Maybe one of the new university assessment measurements should be how many successful podcasters have they produced?
They have one of the best military history podcasts.
Maybe one of the new university assessment measurements should be how many successful podcasters have they produced?
I'm sure Durham has an excellent history department, but it is hard to not think about what might have been if one could only have got into Oxbridge, or considered UCL as an alternative. Though Durham would be more fun than UCL.
Reply 27
Original post
by Physician I'm sure Durham has an excellent history department, but it is hard to not think about what might have been if one could only have got into Oxbridge, or considered UCL as an alternative. Though Durham would be more fun than UCL.
Reply 28
Original post
by Physician Use your brain, and your critical thinking. Those league tables use a terribly flawed and biased approach. The global rankings (including subject rankings) might not be perfect, but they are far more reliable than that load of drivel.
Interesting.
Sorbonne University decides to withdraw from the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings
https://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en/news/sorbonne-university-decides-withdraw-times-higher-education-world-university-rankings#:~:text=Sorbonne%20University%20has%20chosen%20to,the%20ranking%20as%20of%202026.
Reply 29
Original post
by eimmeHello 
This is probably a bit premature as I have only just started Y12, but I keep hearing Y13s at my sixth form chatting about their personal statements etc so I am getting a bit stressed out lol. I really want to go to a good university and do history, I'm not sure I want to go through the stress of applying to Oxbridge (but I would love some peoples thoughts on that). I just want to know what I should be doing right now (apart from working hard at my A Level options) to ensure I have the chance to even apply to Durham/St Andrews/Edinburgh/UCL. I haven't done any exams yet ofc but my GCSE grades were 9999999998 (our school was a comprehensive and only let us do 10). What should I be doing now when I still have time and my mental health intact to make sure I have stuff to put on my personal statement?
Thanks x
This is probably a bit premature as I have only just started Y12, but I keep hearing Y13s at my sixth form chatting about their personal statements etc so I am getting a bit stressed out lol. I really want to go to a good university and do history, I'm not sure I want to go through the stress of applying to Oxbridge (but I would love some peoples thoughts on that). I just want to know what I should be doing right now (apart from working hard at my A Level options) to ensure I have the chance to even apply to Durham/St Andrews/Edinburgh/UCL. I haven't done any exams yet ofc but my GCSE grades were 9999999998 (our school was a comprehensive and only let us do 10). What should I be doing now when I still have time and my mental health intact to make sure I have stuff to put on my personal statement?
Thanks x
Hi I just finished a levels and did better than expected and got A*A*A and an epq and I also applied for history, Durham is great for history and remember Edinburgh and st Andrew’s are four years but if I were you I would go for Oxbridge , having just been to not open days for Durham and both Oxford and Cambridge, the impressive scale and colleges at Oxbridge are inspiring (I found it ) and considering the HAT is no longer in plac (history aptitude test) all you need to do is an interview and send in an essay, your grades for gcse are a lot better than mine (9888877777) and after speaking to tutors the have said my grades are enough!
Regarding your personal statement, (as I applied last year) I have already done mine and I just explained a couple of topics I was interested in- linked to my EPQ, put a couple of books I had read and a talk I attended (although you can quote any online recordings of talks ) looking back however I would enter a school essay into a history essay competition by a good uni like Oxford or UCL which I know run some to show active out of school interest!
Good luck on this process and I hope this was helpful
Reply 30
Original post
by eimmeHello
This is probably a bit premature as I have only just started Y12, but I keep hearing Y13s at my sixth form chatting about their personal statements etc so I am getting a bit stressed out lol. I really want to go to a good university and do history, I'm not sure I want to go through the stress of applying to Oxbridge (but I would love some peoples thoughts on that). I just want to know what I should be doing right now (apart from working hard at my A Level options) to ensure I have the chance to even apply to Durham/St Andrews/Edinburgh/UCL. I haven't done any exams yet ofc but my GCSE grades were 9999999998 (our school was a comprehensive and only let us do 10). What should I be doing now when I still have time and my mental health intact to make sure I have stuff to put on my personal statement?
Thanks x
This is probably a bit premature as I have only just started Y12, but I keep hearing Y13s at my sixth form chatting about their personal statements etc so I am getting a bit stressed out lol. I really want to go to a good university and do history, I'm not sure I want to go through the stress of applying to Oxbridge (but I would love some peoples thoughts on that). I just want to know what I should be doing right now (apart from working hard at my A Level options) to ensure I have the chance to even apply to Durham/St Andrews/Edinburgh/UCL. I haven't done any exams yet ofc but my GCSE grades were 9999999998 (our school was a comprehensive and only let us do 10). What should I be doing now when I still have time and my mental health intact to make sure I have stuff to put on my personal statement?
Thanks x
Hello!!
I'm so happy that you're excited to apply to the home of St Bede, the father of English History! Durham definitely can be so competitive to apply to but the admissions team here does really try to give everyone a good chance in their application so as long as you demonstrate your interest well, you should have as good a chance as any!
My general advice (though I do Economics so this might be quite different to your course!) is that I showed in my personal statement (again different to the applications this year; I'm showing my age 🙈) what I enjoyed about Economics, how I explored these interests and the skills I've gained to allow me to succeed at university.
I'd also recommend you go through this week in the life of a History student to get a better idea of what being a History student is like here so that you can getter a better feel for Durham!!
Hope this helps (somewhat!)
– Lesath (DU Rep.)
Reply 31
Hiya!
I graduated in 2024, and studied the BA in History at Durham, and I was in a fairly similar position to you when applying for undergrad (that being, I knew I wanted to apply for Durham, and that if I got in it would be my top choice).
Durham offers historians a HUGE range of modules, many of which are cutting edge and often times a bit weird to outsiders. For instance in second year I took a short fat module on early modern hospitality in global comparative perspective which has since influenced the course of my postgraduate study! Within these modules you're offered a huge range of customisation as usually you will have a long list of essay questions and topics to study, and some professors will allow you to develop your own essay titles for their modules (I was able to do this in my third year special subject and it was one of the best essays I've ever written).
You'll get the opportunity to study all different kinds of time periods, and countries, through all kinds of angles that you may not have considered before (I believe they currently have an module on an animal history of South Asia, for instance). I've reflected a lot on my academic experience there this year, and can honestly say that it was worth it for me. I would not be on the trajectory I'm on if not for the level of customisation on offer at Durham. I can also say that most of the history faculty are lovely people who want the best for their students, and it really is a place that encourages your individual academic development.
Even though it is a stressful programme, it is SO FUN. A particular highlight for me was the special subject in third year, which really hones in on source analysis and allows you to really dig deep into a specific area of history. Though I cant say it was a 100% positive experience, and there are some problems that become really apparent when you're a student (slow admin, housing/accommodation is a real pain) there are problems with every university, and on balance for me it was worth it! Durham also has a great careers service, which you get lifelong access to as an alumni (which is not something offered by many universities) and has fantastic resources for history, particularly in terms of what's on offer digitally through the library (side note that the arts and humanities librarian, Dr Richard Pears, is great and really helpful).
I was at Hild Bede, and while I would recommend it, just bear in mind they have been relocated as the original site is undergoing development. However, all the staff are lovely (Simon, who is the college principle, is especially wonderful) and it is a really welcoming and inclusive environment.
In terms of admission, your grades are stellar (better than mine were lol) and you stand a good chance of getting in. I think what really helped me was showing I had thought deeply about the subject (e.g. criticising or reflecting on the work of a historian) and suggesting at what you might like to study at Durham. If you have a particular period or angle that you'd like to work on (for me this was medieval history, though I ended up specialising in late modern, so you don't have to stick to it) mention that and talk about what it is that interests you, and what work you've already done within that period (an EPQ, A-Level module, books you've read, museums you've visited, lectures you've watched).
Mentioning books or academic articles you've read is especially useful (a professor at Cambridge once told me at undergrad they don't really care about podcasts, as they're assessing your ability to engage with an academic text, though I think Durham are less intense about it don't put things like moocs and podcasts as your primary evidence of engagement with the subject).
Ultimately, what uni is best for you is going to be dependent on what that university can offer you. Don't worry about becoming a rich and famous historian at this stage: the landscape of HE is ever changing, and the current moment is witnessing huge changes to PhD funding in the arts and humanities so it may well look very different if you get to the point of applying for postgraduate courses in history in four or five years time.
I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that was helpful.
I graduated in 2024, and studied the BA in History at Durham, and I was in a fairly similar position to you when applying for undergrad (that being, I knew I wanted to apply for Durham, and that if I got in it would be my top choice).
Durham offers historians a HUGE range of modules, many of which are cutting edge and often times a bit weird to outsiders. For instance in second year I took a short fat module on early modern hospitality in global comparative perspective which has since influenced the course of my postgraduate study! Within these modules you're offered a huge range of customisation as usually you will have a long list of essay questions and topics to study, and some professors will allow you to develop your own essay titles for their modules (I was able to do this in my third year special subject and it was one of the best essays I've ever written).
You'll get the opportunity to study all different kinds of time periods, and countries, through all kinds of angles that you may not have considered before (I believe they currently have an module on an animal history of South Asia, for instance). I've reflected a lot on my academic experience there this year, and can honestly say that it was worth it for me. I would not be on the trajectory I'm on if not for the level of customisation on offer at Durham. I can also say that most of the history faculty are lovely people who want the best for their students, and it really is a place that encourages your individual academic development.
Even though it is a stressful programme, it is SO FUN. A particular highlight for me was the special subject in third year, which really hones in on source analysis and allows you to really dig deep into a specific area of history. Though I cant say it was a 100% positive experience, and there are some problems that become really apparent when you're a student (slow admin, housing/accommodation is a real pain) there are problems with every university, and on balance for me it was worth it! Durham also has a great careers service, which you get lifelong access to as an alumni (which is not something offered by many universities) and has fantastic resources for history, particularly in terms of what's on offer digitally through the library (side note that the arts and humanities librarian, Dr Richard Pears, is great and really helpful).
I was at Hild Bede, and while I would recommend it, just bear in mind they have been relocated as the original site is undergoing development. However, all the staff are lovely (Simon, who is the college principle, is especially wonderful) and it is a really welcoming and inclusive environment.
In terms of admission, your grades are stellar (better than mine were lol) and you stand a good chance of getting in. I think what really helped me was showing I had thought deeply about the subject (e.g. criticising or reflecting on the work of a historian) and suggesting at what you might like to study at Durham. If you have a particular period or angle that you'd like to work on (for me this was medieval history, though I ended up specialising in late modern, so you don't have to stick to it) mention that and talk about what it is that interests you, and what work you've already done within that period (an EPQ, A-Level module, books you've read, museums you've visited, lectures you've watched).
Mentioning books or academic articles you've read is especially useful (a professor at Cambridge once told me at undergrad they don't really care about podcasts, as they're assessing your ability to engage with an academic text, though I think Durham are less intense about it don't put things like moocs and podcasts as your primary evidence of engagement with the subject).
Ultimately, what uni is best for you is going to be dependent on what that university can offer you. Don't worry about becoming a rich and famous historian at this stage: the landscape of HE is ever changing, and the current moment is witnessing huge changes to PhD funding in the arts and humanities so it may well look very different if you get to the point of applying for postgraduate courses in history in four or five years time.
I wish you the best of luck, and I hope that was helpful.
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