Your Checklists

• Before You Arrive
• Once Term Begins

Before You Arrive

Before you arrive in Durham you will receive your CIS (Computing and Information Services) username and password. If you have not received this by the middle of September, please contact our Learning and Teaching team at [email protected] or by phone on 0191 334 3050.

With these you will be able to access:

• Blackboard Learn Ultra, which your course director and lecturers will use to communicate with you, and where you will find all the information about your modules.
• Sharepoint, our internal pages for registered students only, where you can find information for our PGT students, as well as about the Department more generally.

We recommend that you look through the following before arriving in Durham:

• The Mathematical Sciences Handbook, which contains information about the Department, our staff and key contacts, teaching and learning policies, assessment policies, progression regulations and student support.
• Your course booklet and information on how to make the most of our online materials via Learn Ultra.

Once you have your CIS username and password you can:

1. Enrol with the University,
2. Register for your optional modules.

You can find detailed instructions explaining how to do this on the PGT Checklist for New Students. Note that the Department needs to approve your choice of optional modules before they are confirmed.

Once Term Begins

Lectures, tutorials and practicals

Week 1 of term starts on the first Monday of October. Lectures start right away, so make sure you are familiar with the timetable and room locations by this point. More information can be found on Sharepoint here.

Tutorials and practical classes begin (with some exceptions) in week 2. You will be allocated to specific tutorial groups at the start of term, so please be aware that these classes will not appear on your timetable until then.

Academic Advisors

We hope that one of the highlights of your time studying Maths in Durham will be interacting with the academic staff, who are hoping to share their passion for the subject with you.  

One particularly important person is your academic advisor, who will be the Course Director for your chosen course. You will meet your academic advisor in the first week of term.

Over the year, they will be able to help you with your module choices, provide academic guidance, and can often provide you with a reference towards the end of the course. You can find more information about what to expect from your academic advisor here.

Further questions?

We are all looking forward to meeting you in the Department of Mathematical Sciences in October. If you have any other questions, then please feel free to contact the Department and we will help you:

• Email: [email protected]
• Main office phone: 0191 334 3050

Once you arrive in Durham, you are also welcome to come and talk to us in person in the Maths Office, MCS 2093. We are located in the Mathematical and Computer Sciences building on the second floor. If you reach the second floor by the main stairs then go straight ahead and you'll see the sign for Mathematical Sciences Reception on your right.