How to Apply

Admissions Criteria for Research Programmes:

• A II.1 or equivalent in your first degree
• For PhD applicants, a Masters level degree in a relevant subject
• Evidence of proficiency in English.
• Two academic references from people familiar with your work
• A clear and credible research proposal of around 750 words.  You are strongly encouraged to discuss your research proposal with your prospective supervisor(s) before submitting your application.

We welcome applications from overseas students and you can check our country information pages for details on how your qualification compares to the UK system, or contact Recruitment and Admissions for advice. For further information, please contact classics.pgadmin@durham.ac.uk

Application Materials

The application process requires you to complete the online application form and upload supporting documents. (If you are unable to use the on-line form, please contact the Graduate School for advice.) We do recommend that you contact the Department of Classics and Ancient History if you are applying for a research degree before making your application, so that you can discuss your proposed project with a potential supervisor.  

• Transcript(s) of your qualifications.

• If available, a copy of the transcript and/or certificate from your undergraduate degree and/or postgraduate programmes, if the degree has already been attained. Please note that although we will accept unofficial transcripts for courses still being studied, these transcripts should be on University letter headed paper. If the transcripts and certificates are not in English, we require the original and a certified translation. 

• Your 750-word research proposal

• Your proposal should concentrate on the research problem you will address, the research context in which it is situated, and the methods, critical approaches, and sources you will use. You can upload this as part of the online application form.

• An academic CV

• This should be no longer than 2 A4 pages and should contain information about your academic achievements to date and any related work experience you have.

• Two academic references 

• Please ask your referees to upload their references directly to the portal. If you experience any problems with this, references can also be emailed directly to pgadmin@durham.ac.uk. Please ensure that you have checked in advance that your referees are able to provide a reference, and have warned them of any relevant deadlines.

Deadlines

The department will consider applications for our PhD programme throughout the academic year, and you can start your PhD either in October or January. The application deadline for overseas students is 8 weeks from the intended start date to allow sufficient time to process the application and Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), and 4 weeks for Home Students.

Funding

There are some studentships and bursaries available to fund or to contribute to the costs of doctoral study. If you wish to be considered for these, you must make sure that you apply by the relevant deadlines - usually in January or February (see Funding and Fees for more information). Please indicate on your application form which (if any) of these schemes you wish to be considered for.

Previous Qualifications

Since all postgraduate degrees are meant to build on your undergraduate work, we ask for a previous degree in a 'relevant' subject. Note that this need not be 'Classics' (so named). If your plan is to specialise in ancient history, literature, or philosophy, for example, it might be perfectly natural to apply with an undergraduate degree in History, or English, or Philosophy; or you might just have taken a substantial range of Classical options along the course of your previous studies.

English language

You must be fluent in spoken and written English. If English is not your first language, or the principal language of tuition in a previous degree, you should take a language test. Our preferred measure is the IELTS, in which we require an overall score of at least 7 (with at least 7.0 in all components). If you narrowly fall short of the required English as Foreign Language test grade, we may make you an offer conditional on attendance at and satisfactory completion of one of the language courses held at Durham over the Summer before you would be due to begin your studies.

Apply

Please visit Durham’s Application Pages for more information about the process of applying for a place on our PhD programme, as well as a link to the online application portal.