Please explore the categories below for commonly asked questions about Ustinov and Durham.
If your questions remain unanswered, please contact the college office via [email protected]
For private accommodation advice and guidance, contact the University's Accommodation Office. Further house-hunting information can also be accessed through the Durham Students' Union. Please check out the private renting section, which includes a map detailing the areas of Durham.
College transfers are unusual, and are on the basis of exceptional need. Ensuring the provision of multi-disciplinary academic communities is important to the University's unique collegiate experience and the college allocation process is designed to ensure this balance.
College transfers are therefore limited to clearly defined criteria. Further information on college transfers and the process to be followed can be read here.
Some students initially request a transfer because they have friends in another college or wish to to participate in activities from other colleges. If you are open to new experiences and meeting new people from all walks of life, you will find that your circle of friends grows and your college experience is much richer as a result. You will still be able to meet friends from other colleges!
Additionally, the majority of activities in colleges are open to members of any Durham University college, so you can take advantage of and involve yourself in many events during your time at Durham
We receive a considerable number of requests for transfer to Ustinov and adopt the same policy as outlined in the FAQ entitled 'Can I transfer to another college at Durham University?'.
The majority of Ustinov's activities are open to any member of the university and we welcome any student to take advantage of our academic and cultural activities.
By rail: 14 trains per day travel from London and Edinburgh to Durham. The journey takes less than three hours from London, one and a half hours from Edinburgh and forty-five minutes from York.
If you are living in Ustinov College accommodation, the residence charge for rooms / flats includes reasonable use of utilities (gas / electricity), water rates and internet charges. The residence charge varies, depending on the room occupied. The amount is shown on the email containing your College accommodation offer.
Typically there are three instalments for annual charges, usually on 1 December, 1 February and 1 June. New students will receive invoices approximately one month after taking up residence at Ustinov. You do not need to provide any information for this process.
For further details on paying your accommodation fee, please refer to the Ustinov College Handbook. For any finance queries, please contact Ustinov's Finance team.
You will be charged an annual tuition fee for each year of supervised study at Durham University and doctoral students will also be charged a continuation fee if they have not submitted their thesis three months after the end of supervised study. Your tuition fee will differ depending on the programme you study and whether you are a home or overseas fee-paying student, and whether you are studying full-time or part-time.
Your tuition fee amount is quoted on your offer letter from Postgraduate Admissions. Further information for postgraduate students can be read here.
Please also refer to the information from the University's Finance Department about tuition fee payments. These webpages cover a range of topics from information on tuition fee charges to how to pay your invoice.
Residents may not allow guests to stay overnight in their room without informing the Membership Team by sending an email to [email protected] giving the name of the guest and proposed length of their stay (typically, there is a maximum stay of three nights on two occasions in any given term). College Officers reserve the right, (acting reasonably), to refuse such requests and to charge you a fixed sum per night for each guest who stays for more than three consecutive nights or to prohibit any such stays (details of applicable charges may be obtained from the College Office on request). Any guests or visitors to the College must sign the Visitors Book which is in reception, providing details of any vehicle registration information, if appropriate
Yes. You must have a UK TV licence if you;
1) watch or record programmes on a TV, computer or other device as they are broadcast or
2) download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer - either live or using a catch up service
Please refer to the College Handbook for more information.
No. Animals and pets are not permitted on College premises under any circumstances.
Durham University strongly discourages the unnecessary use of cars and other motor vehicles. This is not only due to environmental considerations, but also due to the lack of parking provision on the University estate. Durham is a small city and the majority of locations can be accessed on foot or by bicycle.
Students wishing to bring their car to Durham should familiarise themselves with the University's car parking regulations and permit application restrictions, which can be read here.
Students are not entitled to apply for a permit to park on University premises unless they:
No. Smoking is not permitted in any part of the University or College premises. As such, Ustinov operates a strict no smoking policy within the buildings (this includes e-cigarettes and shisha pipes).
In addition, smoking is not allowed immediately outside any College building and specifically is not allowed in the immediate vicinity (a range of 5 metres) of any entrance door or window.
Staff and students wishing to smoke may smoke only in the designated smoking areas.
Yes. There is a Meet and Greet Service from Newcastle International Airport. Further information about the Meet and Greet Service can be found here.
The booking form TBC.
Yes. Durham is generally a very safe place to live and study. The University has its own Police Liaison Officer who is very keen to help students with any concerns and offer advice about staying safe and secure.
To find out more about what life is like in Durham city and the surrounding area, as told by students, head to the student blog.
Durham University is situated at various locations over the city. The table below summarises walking times to key locations from Ustinov's Sheraton Park and Dryburn Court sites:
You can find the location of your department on this map of the University estate.
You can find out everything you need to know about the enrolment process for PGT here and PGR here. If you have yet to receive these emails, please contact our Computing & Information Service team on [email protected] / +44 (0) 191 334 1515.
Campus cards collection - if you complete your enrolment and provide a photograph before
The GCR stands for Graduate Common Room and is the student representative body of Ustinov.
Other colleges take in both undergraduate and postgraduate students and hold two student bodies:
Ustinov's student body consists of postgraduates only, so we have no need for a JCR. Our GCR is the equivalent of other colleges' MCR.
The GCR Committee is elected by the student members of the college and meets regularly. All students, whether they live in or live out of College, are encouraged to become involved in running and/or participation in student events. As well as representing and providing a voice for Ustinov's student body, the GCR also runs the bar, social events and entertainment, and helps organise sports clubs and societies.
You can read more on the GCR, its aims and current team on its website.
DSU stands for Durham Students' Union. It represents all students at Durham University, within the University government and campaigns on issues relating to students.
All students of Durham University automatically become members of the DSU. The Union is located in Dunelm House, New Elvet and provides a wide range of services to students. These include a bar, a cafeteria (the Riverside Café, open Monday-Friday, 09:00 - 17:00), entertainment, and spaces to hold meetings.
DSU runs over 100 student societies, which give students the opportunity to join with others who share their interests and try new activities. Many activities and interests are represented from the sensible to the downright bizarre. Join a society that aligns with your course, like the Hispanic Society. Try something new, like the Guitar Hero and Rock Band Society or the Aerial Arts Society. Or simply indulge with societies like the Chocolate Society or the Glitter Society (yes, there really is a society just to celebrate everything glittery).
Explore the DSU website here.
The Disability Support webpages and contact details can be found here.
The College Mentor programme is one of the best features of College life.
As a new member of Ustinov College you can opt in to have a College mentor, to help you make friends and settle in to postgraduate life at Durham, acting as a source of information and advice.
Many of Ustinov's mentors have worked at the University or lived in the local area for a long time, and look forward to helping you with any questions you may have, or point you in the right direction. Whether you take up their invitations to dinners and trips, or just meet for a coffee and a chat, it is reassuring to know that someone is there for you if you need them.
If you have not already done so, you can choose to have a College Mentor by emailing the Membership Office.
If you have requested to have a College Mentor ahead of your course start date for the 2023-2024 academic year, you will be contacted with the name of your allocated Mentor in September 2023.
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