Psychology and Anthropology

As a Psychology and Anthropology student, you will learn through a variety of teaching formats, such as lectures and smaller-group teaching in seminars, workshops and practical classes. All teaching is supported by independent learning outside of classes. 

Your module options span a diverse range of subjects including highly applied topics such as behavioural science, neurodiversity and mental health.

Small group seminars guide your learning of lecture-based material and that obtained through independent study by promoting discussions and critical appraisal, developing your ability to organise and present information both orally and in a variety of written formats. Workshops and practical classes enable you to gain first-hand experience of highly transferable research skills, including computing and statistical analysis.

Assessment

We use a diverse range of assessment formats including not only 'traditional' essays and exams but also those designed to assess more transferable skills such as presentations, research projects, popular science articles and outreach activities.

Our curriculum places a strong emphasis on practical and transferable skills, with a particular focus on learning how to carry out your own research. 

In your final year you will design and carry out your own interdisciplinary research project combining approaches from Psychology and Anthropology.

A level offer – AAA

Contextual offer – BBB

BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma/OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma – DDD

IB Diploma score – 37 with 666 in higher level subjects. No specific subjects are required, and a combination of arts and science subjects is acceptable.

Grade 5 (or Grade B) or above in Mathematics at GCSE (or equivalent) is required.

Contextual offer:

Grade 4 (or Grade C) or above in Mathematics at GCSE (or equivalent) is required.

In addition to satisfying the University’s general entry requirements, please note:

• We also consider other level 3 qualifications, including T-levels.
• Science A levels: Applicants taking Science A levels that include a practical component will be required to take and pass this as a condition of entry. This applies only to applicants sitting A levels with an English examination board.
• The Introduction to Psychology 2 module is available only for students who have passed Biology A Level at grade B or higher.
• We welcome applications from those with other qualifications equivalent to our standard entry requirements and from mature students with non-standard qualifications or who may have had a break in their study. Please contact our Admissions Selectors.
• You may be eligible for a contextual offer – see www.durham.ac.uk/contextualoffers
• If you do not satisfy our general entry requirements, the Foundation Programme offers multidisciplinary degrees to prepare you for a range of specified degree courses.
• If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take an International Foundation Year pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.
• We are pleased to consider applications for deferred entry.
  

Alternative qualifications

• Other UK qualifications

• EU qualifications 

• International qualifications

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

English language requirements

Country specific information

The fees for this academic year have not been confirmed yet.

Full-Time Study

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of full-time study and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

The tuition fees shown for overseas and EU students are for one complete academic year of full-time study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and will be subject to an annual inflationary increase expected to rise throughout the programme of study. The fee listed above is for the first year of the course only; fees for subsequent years will be confirmed not less than 3 months before the start of the academic year to which the increase is intended to apply and will be published on the Finance webpages.

In deciding the annual level of increase, the University will take into account inflationary pressures on the costs of delivery. Tuition fees will rise annually by up to the higher of:

• 6%, or
• the latest annual percentage increase in the Consumer Prices Index.

Part-Time Study

The tuition fees shown for home students are for one complete academic year of part-time study and are charged proportionately to the Full-Time fee. Fees for subsequent years of your course may rise in line with an inflationary uplift as determined by the government.

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

With a degree in Anthropology, you will be equipped with a diverse and practical knowledge base, including highly transferable skills in research and communication. Employers worldwide value this skill set, particularly where creativity, curiosity and the ability to understand human diversity are at a premium.

Our graduates apply their knowledge directly in fields as diverse as health, community work, conservation, education, international development, culture, and heritage. Many progress into careers that require a broad understanding of human society and behaviour as well as the interpersonal, organisational, problem solving and independent thinking skills that come with the discipline. Such careers include advertising, publishing, journalism, teaching, human resource management, law, consultancy and marketing.

A significant number of graduates progress onto higher level study with many pursuing further research in anthropology or other fields.

Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:

• 80% are in paid employment or further study

Of those in employment:

• 94% of those are in highly and medium-skilled employment.
• £26,750 is the average salary.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

Your degree will equip you with the academic knowledge and skills that are in demand across a wide range of professions.

Our department will support you through your journey to find the right career for you. From Year 1 you will have an academic advisor who can offer careers support, and you will be invited to attend graduate careers fairs.

You can opt in to do a placement year in between your second and third years of academic study.

We offer optional modules focused on careers and placements in fields relevant to a psychology graduate.

Our graduates also progress to postgraduate courses and have qualified in areas such as teaching, law, and speech and language therapy.

Of those students who graduated in 2020-21:

• 90% are in paid employment or further study.

Of those in employment:

• 94% of those are in high and medium skilled employment.
• £28,400 is the average salary.

(Source: HESA Graduate Outcomes Survey. The survey asks leavers from higher education what they are doing 15 months after graduation. Further information about the Graduate Outcomes survey can be found here www.graduateoutcomes.ac.uk)

Studying Anthropology at Durham allows you to gain a deep understanding of humanity in all its rich diversity and complexity, helping to navigate the biggest challenges our societies face today.

Join a dynamic and welcoming Department that takes a distinctly broad-based approach to the study of humanity. We are among the largest Anthropology departments in the UK with around 110 students in each year group, and one of the few to combine social, biological and medical aspects of Anthropology. This gives you the chance to explore humanity from multiple perspectives, covering our species' evolution over millions of years up to the present day diversity of human societies.

You can choose from one of three single-honours programmes or combine Anthropology with Sociology, Psychology or Archaeology as a joint-honours degree. You can also study Anthropology as part of an even broader degree programme including Liberal Arts, Natural Sciences or Combined Honours in Social Sciences. Since Anthropology is such a broad subject, it works just as well as a single honours programme or combined with other subjects.

Our lecturers are passionate, dedicated teachers and researchers, and our modules cover a huge diversity of topics, including culture, environmental issues, evolution, genetics, forensics, literature, health, music, politics, primate behaviour, religion, reproduction, skeletal anatomy and many others still. And with a research-led approach, our teaching is constantly evolving to incorporate the latest findings into the curriculum.

Our flexible courses offer the opportunity both to explore the breadth of Anthropology and to specialise in one of our sub-disciplinary areas.

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• 5th in the Complete University Guide 2025.

• 5th in the Guardian University Guide 2025.

• 29th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see our department web pages.

Facilities

We are based in the Dawson Building, conveniently located next to the main library, and close to lots of other departments and university services. We have a common room which students are welcome to use for studying and socialising.

The Department’s research facilities include skeletal, fossil cast and material culture collections available for students to use as part of their learning activities and research projects.

We also house a number of research centres and laboratories including an Infancy and Sleep Centre, a Physical Activity Lab and an Ecology and Endocrinology Laboratory which is equipped to analyse human samples.

What is the link between the brain and behaviour? How do we develop empathy? How does culture affect our behaviour? Where does prejudice come from? Learn from leading researchers in their fields as you explore some of the most challenging questions in psychology today.

Psychology is concerned with understanding the brain, the mind and behaviour. Learning from academics with real enthusiasm for their subject, you will explore topics such as social behaviour, childhood development and cognitive neuroscience.

Our psychology degrees offer research-led education, offering you the opportunity to work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will have access to the department’s cutting-edge facilities which include motion capture, neuroimaging, eye tracking and biophysical recording laboratories.

Our innovative approach to learning includes a combination of lectures, practical teaching sessions, and small-group tutorials, in addition to optional modules focused on careers and placements in psychology. In the final year of our program/degree, you complete a research project under the supervision of an academic.

Furthermore, you can gain additional research experience with our popular Research Assistant Scheme. You can also apply for a placement year or year abroad.

Students who graduate with a 2.1 or higher are accredited by the BPS as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership – the first step towards a career as a psychologist.

Please see the following video that looks closer at studying psychology at Durham: Look Closer at our Department of Psychology

For more information see our department pages.

Rankings

• Top 5 for Graduate Prospects in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

• 11th The Complete University Guide 2025

• Top 100 The QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025

Staff

For a current list of staff, please see our department web pages.

Facilities

You will be ideally located in a dedicated psychology learning space, adjacent to many university departments and services on the main University campus, and within walking distance of Durham’s historic centre.

Find out more: