Durham University Health and Human Sciences: Course Guide
Thinking about studying Health and Human Sciences at Durham University? This guide explores the course’s anthropology-led approach to health, its modules and fieldwork opportunities, entry requirements, and the careers it can lead to. We also explain how it differs from Medicine and how thoughtful preparation can help you make a strong university application.
Contents:
What is Health and Human Sciences at Durham University?
What will you study on the Durham Health and Human Sciences Degree?
What are the entry requirements for Health and Human Sciences at Durham?
What is student life like at Durham University?
What careers can you pursue after studying Health and Human Sciences?
How to prepare for a competitive Durham University application
Durham University Medicine FAQs
What is Health and Human Sciences at Durham University?
Durham University’s BSc in Health and Human Sciences takes an anthropological approach to health and disease. The degree brings together biological, social and environmental perspectives, allowing students to explore questions about the human body, health inequalities, reproduction, global health and the relationship between people and their surroundings.
For students interested in health but not necessarily looking for a conventional medical degree, the course offers a different way to approach the subject. It is also worth noting that Health and Human Sciences is not Medicine and does not qualify graduates to practise as doctors.
The course focuses on the anthropology of health. Anthropology is a broad subject, and Durham’s programme draws on areas including public health, biology, sociology and psychology. Students examine health and disease from both social and biological perspectives, rather than concentrating solely on the diagnosis and treatment of illness.
This means that students might consider how the body functions, but also how health is influenced by culture, society and the environment. Questions about health inequalities, reproductive choices and illness in society sit alongside the study of human biology and evolution.
The course is organised around three main areas:
Individuals and Health
Communities, Place and Health
Environments, Ecology and Health
These themes provide a way of understanding health at different levels, from individual experience to the wider conditions in which people live.
What will you study on the Durham Health and Human Sciences Degree?
The first year introduces students to anthropology and the different ways in which it can be used to understand human life and health. In the second and final years, students move towards more specialised study of the anthropology of health.
The course includes both compulsory and optional modules, allowing students to develop a broad understanding of the subject before pursuing particular interests. The university also places a strong emphasis on practical experience, with many modules incorporating hands-on elements.
Year 1
The first year provides the foundations for the degree.
Compulsory modules include:
Health, Illness and Society
People and Cultures
Human Evolution and Diversity
Being Human: An Introduction to the History and Practice of Anthropology
Doing Anthropological Research
Students can also choose optional modules. Recent examples include Global Challenges, Decolonising Knowledge and Power and language modules offered by Durham’s Centre for Foreign Language Study.
Year 2
The second year develops students’ research skills and introduces more specialised questions within the anthropology of health.
Compulsory modules include:
Research Skills and Project Design
Global Health and Inequality
Sex, Reproduction and Love
Optional modules have included Human Bodies Past and Present, Primate Societies and Human Minds, Ritual, Religion and Belonging and Power and Inequality.
Year 3
The final year gives students the opportunity to pursue more independent research. Students complete a dissertation and take part in an anthropology field course, applying the methods they have developed throughout the degree.
Example optional modules include:
Social Lives of Hormones
Anthropology of Sport
Physical Activity for Health
Human Reproductive Ecology
Global Mental Health: A Critical Anthropological Perspective
Political Ecologies of Health
The range of options allows students to develop interests in areas such as reproductive health, mental health, physical activity, environmental health and the social and political dimensions of healthcare.
What Is the Teaching and Assessment Like?
Teaching takes place through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical sessions. The department describes its teaching as research-led, with an emphasis on developing both subject knowledge and transferable skills. Students also undertake independent study, supported by tutors and academic staff.
Assessment varies across the degree. Students may be assessed through essays, examinations, research projects, presentations, policy briefs, project design and writing for a broader audience. This gives students experience of communicating ideas in different formats, rather than relying exclusively on traditional exams.
In the final year, students complete a dissertation on a topic that reflects their interests. They work with an academic supervisor throughout the project, developing their own research question and carrying out an extended piece of independent study.
What Fieldwork Opportunities Are Available?
Fieldwork is one of the more distinctive features of the course. Students have the opportunity to put their anthropological training into practice through a residential field course, which takes place just before the start of the final year.
The field course lasts for a week and has previously included destinations such as Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Fuerteventura and Gibraltar. Students receive practical training in field-based research methods, including participant observation and interview skills. A virtual alternative is also available, and there are further opportunities for local fieldwork through second-year day trips.
This aspect of the degree may be particularly appealing to students who enjoy independent investigation and want to understand how anthropological research is carried out beyond the classroom.
What are the entry requirements for Health and Human Sciences at Durham?
For 2027 entry, Durham University lists AAB as the standard A-level offer for Health and Human Sciences. The contextual offer is BCC. Applicants taking the International Baccalaureate are expected to achieve 35 points, including 665 in higher-level subjects. The listed BTEC requirement is DDD.
One of the more accessible aspects of the course is that you do not need to have studied a scientific subject at A-level. Durham welcomes students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, reflecting the course’s focus on anthropology and its connections with public health, biology, sociology and psychology.
Students should also be aware that the university considers applications from those taking resits, and that resitting qualifications will not negatively affect an application. Deferred entry is also considered. Applicants with other qualifications should check Durham’s alternative qualifications information to see how their results compare with the standard offer.
The most important point for prospective applicants is that there is no requirement to have studied Biology or another science subject at A-level. The course is designed for students interested in health from a broader anthropological perspective, so a strong academic interest in the subject is more important than following a particular science-based combination of A-levels.
What is student life like at Durham University?
Student life at Durham is shaped by its collegiate system. Every student belongs to one of the university’s colleges, which provide a place to meet people, take part in activities and access academic and pastoral support. College membership is separate from accommodation, so students can remain part of their college community even if they do not live there.
There are 17 colleges, each with its own character, traditions and student-led activities:
Collingwood College
Grey College
Hatfield College
John Snow College
College of St Hild and St Bede
St John’s College
St Mary’s College
Stephenson College
Josephine Butler College
South College
St Aidan’s College
St Chad’s College
St Cuthberts Society
Trevelyan College
University College (Castle)
Van Mildert College
Ustinov College
Students can get involved in sport, music, theatre, volunteering and a wide range of societies, as well as college events and social activities. The university also has more than 200 Students’ Union societies, offering opportunities to pursue interests outside the degree.
For students studying Health and Human Sciences, the collegiate system offers opportunities to meet people from other subjects and become involved in activities beyond anthropology. Colleges also provide study spaces, common rooms and support services, making them an important part of the wider university experience.
Durham offers a range of accommodation options, including catered and self-catered residences. The university guarantees an offer of accommodation to new undergraduates who apply by the relevant deadline, although the type of room and college will depend on availability and allocation.
The university also places emphasis on activities that develop skills beyond academic study. Students can take part in leadership programmes, volunteering, student enterprise and research opportunities. These experiences may be particularly valuable for students interested in careers involving public health, research or work with communities.
For prospective students, Durham’s student experience is therefore about more than the course itself. The combination of college life, subject-based study and opportunities to get involved elsewhere in the university can make it an appealing environment for students who want a strong sense of community alongside their academic work.
What careers can you pursue after studying Health and Human Sciences?
Health and Human Sciences does not prepare students for one particular profession. Instead, it provides a broad foundation for careers that involve health, people, research and the wider social and environmental factors that affect wellbeing.
Durham lists a range of destinations for graduates, including government, healthcare, finance, education, research, marketing, environmental sustainability and law. Some students also continue to postgraduate study.
The course’s emphasis on anthropology is particularly relevant to students interested in public health and health inequalities. Studying health from both social and biological perspectives can help students understand why health outcomes differ between communities, how cultural differences influence health-related decisions, and how wider conditions shape people’s lives.
Students interested in research may find the course’s practical training especially valuable. The degree includes research methods, project design, fieldwork and a final-year dissertation, giving students experience of investigating questions independently and working with evidence.
The skills developed are also relevant beyond health-related employment. Durham highlights project design, ethics and navigating cultural differences as transferable skills, which may be useful in areas such as policy, education, marketing, environmental sustainability and law.
For students considering a career in healthcare, it is important to understand what the degree does and does not offer. Health and Human Sciences is not a medical degree and does not qualify graduates to practise as doctors. Its value lies in the opportunity to study health in depth while developing the research and analytical skills that can be applied across a range of professional and academic settings.
How to prepare for a competitive Durham University application
A strong application to Durham begins with understanding the course itself. Health and Human Sciences is not simply a Biology degree: it explores health through anthropology, drawing on biological, social and environmental perspectives. Applicants should be able to explain what interests them about this approach and why it suits their academic interests.
For a course with this breadth, preparation should go beyond achieving the required grades. Reading around topics such as health inequalities, reproductive choices, global health and the relationship between people and their environments can help students develop a more informed understanding of the subject. The aim is not to collect impressive titles for an application, but to find questions that genuinely interest you and explore them further.
It is also worth considering how the course connects with your longer-term interests. Durham’s degree includes research methods, fieldwork and a dissertation, so students who enjoy investigating questions, evaluating evidence and working independently may find these aspects particularly appealing.
How U2 Tuition Can Help
At U2 Tuition, we offer bespoke universty admissions mentoring for students applying to competitive UK universities.
For an applicant to Health and Human Sciences, this could involve exploring the anthropology of health, identifying useful wider reading, discussing related academic questions or helping the student understand how their interests connect with the course.
Our tutors can also support students with UCAS applications and personal statements, helping them communicate their academic interests clearly and develop their own ideas. The aim is not to give every student the same application formula, but to help each applicant understand what makes their interests and ambitions distinctive.
Some students may benefit from subject-specific tuition, while others may need support choosing between courses, developing their wider reading or structuring their application. We can discuss the most appropriate approach during a complimentary 20-minute consultation
Find out more about U2 Tuition university admissions support
Durham University Medicine FAQs
Does Durham University offer Medicine?
Durham University’s Health and Human Sciences degree is not a medical degree. Students who want to become doctors should apply to a medical school offering an undergraduate Medicine course.
What is Health and Human Sciences at Durham?
It is an interdisciplinary BSc focused on the anthropology of health. Students explore health and disease from biological, social and environmental perspectives.
Do I need Biology A-level to study Health and Human Sciences?
No. Durham states that students do not need to have studied a scientific subject at A-level.
What can I study on the degree?
The course includes topics such as health and illness in society, global health, human evolution, reproductive choices and the relationship between health and the environment.
Does the course include fieldwork?
Yes. Students have the opportunity to take part in a residential anthropology field course, with a virtual alternative also available.
What careers can the degree lead to?
Durham lists graduate destinations including government, healthcare, finance, education, research, marketing, environmental sustainability and law. Some graduates also continue to postgraduate study.