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Climate Science at Durham University - UCAS

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2025 - 2026
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Durham University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

Course summary

Climate change and humanity’s response to it will define life on the planet for billions of people but despite this there are few undergraduate degrees that focus on the broader climate problem. This BSc in Climate Science uniquely offers a big-picture approach encompassing both recent and past climate change and its impact on Earth and human systems. It provides a holistic overview of climate science and equips you with the knowledge and skills to lead society towards the mitigation of this emergency. Our flexible degree puts you in control. It gives you both the fundamentals and increased specialisation as you progress through the course, allowing you to choose a pathway of most interest to you. The degree acknowledges the breadth of the field of climate science and provides you with a solid background in diverse aspects of climate science that span geological time. In the first year, you will learn about climate change and develop your understanding of Earth processes and resources. In Year 2, you will learn about isotopes and can opt to study glaciers, the carbon cycle, how the Earth’s climate has varied in the past and how scientists reconstruct past climate change. In your final year, you will study Earth Systems and can choose to learn about how climate change impacts coastal and alpine environments, atmospheric circulation, how it affected ancient civilisations, or explore the geochemistry of the environment. You will also undertake a dissertation and conduct fundamental research into an advanced topic of your choice related to climate science.

Modules

Year 1 Core modules: Environmental Earth Science covers the Earth’s water cycle in terms of both quantity and quality. You will learn about the composition and materials of the Earth, the mode of formation, distribution and extraction of the Earth's resources and energy. Introduction to Climate Change introduces you to contemporary climate change, incorporating the physical science underpinning our understanding of past, present and future climate change. It also explores some of the most serious impacts and competing perspectives around major climate change controversies. Introductory Data Science introduces the fundamentals of data acquisition and analysis in a geoscientific context. You will learn how to apply computational tools to manipulate and visualise a range of scientific and geospatial data. Sustainability introduces global issues and concepts around sustainability, with an emphasis on aspects most relevant to Earth Sciences such as water, climate, energy and mineral resources, food resources, and natural hazards, and is thematically taught around the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In recent years, optional modules have included: Field Studies Mathematical Methods in Geosciences Further Mathematics for Geoscientists Understanding Earth Sciences Planet under Pressure.

Assessment method

You will be assessed through a combination of coursework, class tests and end-of-year examinations. A significant proportion of your final assessment will be through your research dissertation in the final year. The dissertation is worth one-third of your final-year marks. The range of assessment methods is designed to assess your knowledge and understanding of climate-specific knowledge, alongside transferable skills in mathematics, scientific writing, informatics, policy, critical analysis and project management.

How to apply

29Jan

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
F645
Institution code:
D86
Campus name:
Durham City
Campus code:
O

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

International applicants

Durham has a long and proud history of welcoming students from countries across the globe.https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/international/

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Our contextual offer for this programme is A level BBB/ABC (or equivalent, to include 2 science subjects from Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Further Maths, Geography, Geology, Maths, Physics, Psychology or Environmental Science at grade B or above). To find out if you’re eligible, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/how-to-apply/what-happens-to-your-application/contextual-offers/

Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course

https://www.dur.ac.uk/study/ug/apply/entry/

English language requirements

Durham University welcomes applications from all students irrespective of background. We encourage the recruitment of academically well-qualified and highly motivated students, who are non-native speakers of English, whose full potential can be realised with a limited amount of English Language training either prior to entry or through pre-sessional and/or in-sessional courses. It is the normal expectation that candidates for admission should be able to demonstrate satisfactory English proficiency before the start of a programme of study, whether via the submission of an appropriate English language qualification or by attendance on an appropriate pre-sessional course. Acceptable evidence and levels required can be viewed by following the link provided.

English language requirements

https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/international/entry-requirements/english-language-requirements/

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
40%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
90%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
EU £33250 Year 1
International £33250 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

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 and are set according to the academic year of entry. Fees are subject to an annual inflationary increase. 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. There may also be additional course costs for things like books (if you want to purchase them), field trips etc.

Sponsorship information

We're committed to supporting the best students irrespective of financial circumstances. https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/

Climate Science at Durham University - UCAS