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Student looking away smilingLast updated January, 2021

The University

Durham University St Hild & St Bede College

Durham University is a busy research and teaching community located in the historic cathedral city of Durham in the North-East of England. Founded in 1832 Durham is the third oldest university in England. Durham is a collegiate institution, with 17 Colleges which provide a social, domestic and pastoral focus for students, as well as University accommodation. The University has long since grown beyond the historic centre of Durham to include a modern science site, a computer network, student accommodation, libraries, and sports and social facilities.

The City of Durham is located in the North East of England. Durham is a compact city yet offers a wide range of facilities. A wide range of shops and restaurants co-exist happily with the Victorian Market. Much of Durham's shopping area is closed to traffic, making for a more relaxed atmosphere. Take time to sit in the cobbled Market Place and enjoy some of the street entertainment, particularly during July and August.

Dozens of regional attractions are easily reached from Durham, making it an ideal touring base. The largest open-air museum in England is to be found at Beamish where you can see life as it was at the beginning of the last century. Fine art treasures can be seen at the John and Josephine Bowes Museum, a French-style chateau in Barnard Castle. Combine funfairs and shopping, all undercover, at Metroland, the biggest indoor theme park in Europe and the MetroCentre, a huge shopping centre. Both are in Gateshead, half an hour by car from Durham.

Exchange information

  • Undergraduate level exchange only.
  • Only Music students may apply for a one semester exchange. All other majors must attend Durham for a full academic year (October to June).
  • Academic Year: October - June (Michaelmas term: October - December; Epiphany term: January - March; Easter term: April - June)
  • The normal workload for a full-time student is 120 Durham credits per academic year. This normally equates to 6 modules per academic year at
    20 credits each. Durham University has not adopted ECTS as the credits system, however, Durham credits can be translated into ECTS as follows: Durham credits x 0.5 = ECTS. E.g. 20 Durham credits x 0.5 = 10 ECTS. While the Module handbooks will list ECTS credits, all other University publications will list Durham credits.
  • Classes within the English department are very limited. Acceptance into the English department is not guaranteed.
  • You may choose courses from up to three departments across the University, however, certain restrictions and prerequisites may apply and you might not be able to take courses in all departments. The final decision for enrolment onto modules rests with the School or Department.
  • The department / subject area you choose determines the campus you will be based at.
  • Durham has 17 colleges. All full year exchange students are guaranteed a place in one of the University residential colleges if they apply for the programme by the deadline.

Relevant links

Durham Cathedral and Castle

Exchange Experiences

Further Information

For further information about Otago Global Student Exchange, please contact an Exchange Adviser.

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