Thank you for your email. 

If you have submitted a Freedom of Information Request or Subject Access
Request, please accept this as acknowledgement of your request.   

All other enquiries will be responded to in due course. 

Yours sincerely 

Information Governance Unit  

University Secretary’s Office 

The Palatine Centre
Stockton Road
Durham
DH1 3LE 

w: [1]https://www.dur.ac.uk/university.secreta...

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Dear Requester

Thank you for your request for information from Durham University.
Colleagues have provided the information below/attached in response to
your questions.

I would like to know for the following programs:

- Philosophy BA

- Philosophy and Politics BA

- Liberal Arts BA

for the 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22, 2020/21, 2019/20, 2018/19, 2017/18,
2016/17 and 2015/16 admission cycles:

- the number of applications,

- the number of offers made,

- the number of acceptances.

Please note the following about the information provided:

• All data has been rounded to the nearest 5 as per HESA guidelines
• Data for admissions cycles 2015/16 (entry 2016) to 2023/24 (entry
2024) have been provided
• Number of applications includes all who applied to the courses
regardless of the outcome of the application
• Number of offers includes conditional and unconditional offers

Q1. the number of applications

Programme Admissions Cycle
& Code 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
Philosophy
BA -V500 240 270 295 320 300 285 330 290 265
Philosophy
and
Politics
BA -LV25 115 105 140 130 145 190 180 185 150
Liberal
Arts-LA01 490 475 460 510 470 400 610 385 410

Q2. the number of offers made

Programme Admissions Cycle
& Code 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24
Philosophy
BA -V500 190 250 245 240 210 205 160 235 220
Philosophy
and
Politics
BA -LV25 45 75 65 75 95 125 45 55 75
Liberal
Arts-LA01 275 320 340 370 375 345 255 325 385

Q3. the number of acceptances –

The University confirms that it holds the information that you have
requested. However, the University declines your request for release under
section 43(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA). Section 43(2)
of the FOIA exempts information from release where its disclosure under
the Act would, or would be likely to, prejudice the commercial interests
of any person. As section 43(2) is a qualified exemption, the University
has conducted a public interest test and has concluded that release of
this data would be likely to prejudice the University’s commercial
interests.

The University recognises that there can be a public interest in
understanding student enrolment patterns and trends. However as release
under FOIA is a disclosure “to the world”, release of the requested
information would be likely to significantly weaken our current position
by allowing competitors to have a better understanding of our market share
strategies and adapt their own plans accordingly. Consequently, the
University’s position in this specialist market would be undermined as
competitors would be able to tailor their own admission’s strategies to
match or exceed our own targets.

If you are dissatisfied with the University’s response to your freedom of
information request, you can ask us to internally review our handling of
your request, including the application of any exemptions applied. This
must be within 40 working days from the date of our response to you.

To do this, please email [1][Durham University request email].

Please state the grounds on which you wish the decision to be reviewed and
enclose any other information that may be useful in considering the matter
further. We aim to inform you of our decision within 20 working days from
the date your request for internal review is received.

If you are not satisfied with the results of the internal review you may
apply to the Information Commissioner's Office for an independent review.

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

[2]www.ico.org.uk

Yours sincerely

Information Governance Unit

Durham University

──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Information Governance Unit, University Secretary’s Office

e: [3][Durham University request email]

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CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE:
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References

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