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

World-leading status affirmed in QS World University Rankings 2024

Durham is now ranked 78th in the world top 100 universities. We are also ranked joint 30th in a new category of Sustainability, and 50th in the Employer Reputation category.

Learn more about the QS World University Rankings

Edible History - the culinary secrets of medieval Arab cuisine

Join our team of food history experts, Daniel L Newman, Giles Gasper and Amanda Herbert as they recreate a delicious medieval sweet, Zulabiyya, and share insights from their own research on cooking historical recipes.

Find out more about Edible History

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

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

What's new?

Filter:

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
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
'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
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
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
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. Global research
Why some people like ‘sad’ music
Music has amazing potential to inspire, motivate and bring people together across cultures. Research 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

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

'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

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

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. Global research

Why some people like ‘sad’ music

Music has amazing potential to inspire, motivate and bring people together across cultures. Research news

More news

Why the Catholic Church should listen more to victims and survivors of abuse
New research by our Centre for Catholic Studies finds aspects of Catholic culture were implicated in how clerical child sexual abuse happened. Research news
Understanding moral injury in war veterans
On 11 November, millions of people in the UK and beyond remember the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces on what is known as Remembrance Day. Research news
'A texture into worlds far removed from us': Radha Kapuria on music in colonial Punjab
On the launch of her book, Music in Colonial Punjab: Courtesans, Bards, and Connoisseurs, Radha Kapuria tells us how she developed an interest in this subject, and wider significance of social histories like this in understanding political events and the world beyond them. Research news

Why the Catholic Church should listen more to victims and survivors of abuse

New research by our Centre for Catholic Studies finds aspects of Catholic culture were implicated in how clerical child sexual abuse happened.

Lots of colourful fabric ribbons in bows tied to a fence.

Understanding moral injury in war veterans

On 11 November, millions of people in the UK and beyond remember the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces on what is known as Remembrance Day. A group of soldiers dressed in camouflage clothing.

A group of soldiers dressed in camouflage clothing.

'A texture into worlds far removed from us': Radha Kapuria on music in colonial Punjab

On the launch of her book, Music in Colonial Punjab: Courtesans, Bards, and Connoisseurs, Radha Kapuria tells us how she developed an interest in this subject, and wider significance of social histories like this in understanding political events and the world beyond them.

Strengthening our North American partnerships
In April we celebrated our long-standing partnership with the University of Notre Dame in North America. Global research
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
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

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

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. Durham news
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. Durham news
Britain’s new Faith Museum is the ideal place to set aside your preconceptions about religion
Professor Alec Ryrie from our Department of Theology and Religion visits the new Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland and explains how it provides a rare opportunity to set aside preconceptions about religion and faith. Durham news

Landmark Syriac Studies conference brings international research excellence to UK

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

An image of a crowd or people icons on a white background

Britain’s new Faith Museum is the ideal place to set aside your preconceptions about religion

Professor Alec Ryrie from our Department of Theology and Religion visits the new Faith Museum in Bishop Auckland and explains how it provides a rare opportunity to set aside preconceptions about religion and faith. Church window

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