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Durham University changed David Heller’s life twice. The Nebraskan native had first earned a Master of Arts in International Marketing here in 2013. Despite already holding an MBA, his experience as a student-athlete for Team Durham challenged him to leave his comfort zone and take advantage of the rigours that the World Top 100 university was known for. By doing so, Heller bettered himself and his resume — all whilst taking part inlife-changing experiences. “I remember playing in the facility where Volleyball England trained for the 2012 Olympics. I remember the kindness of the people of County Durham,” he says. “So many of the experiences that I had while a student at Durham have shaped me into who I am today.”
After graduating, Heller returned to the US to start a career in coaching university-level volleyball. It was then that a Durham faculty member visited him to talk about the opportunities available to American students to continue their education in the UK. “I will remember that meeting forever as it led to Durham University changing my life for a second time,” he says. “We stayed in touch and a few months later, they let me know of a new role at Durham and I hopped at the chance to work for my alma mater and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.”
Today, Heller is an International Officer focusing on student-athlete recruitment. He gets to use his knowledge of NCAA, NAIA, and US sport eligibility rules to help recruit students from North
America to continue to study at a world-class institution and compete in the sport they love. “Durham has a unique distinction of being one of the top academic universities in the UK as well as being one of the top universities for sport in the country,” he says. “Moving across an ocean is not an easy decision to make, and I feel that our bond over sports is a great way to establish trust and they can ask specific questions about being a North American student in the UK that I can readily answer.”
With Durham’s rich and historic setting, students will have the chance to explore opportunities both in and out of the university. Source: Durham University
Ranked among the world’s top 100 universities (QS World University Rankings 2025), American students love Durham for many reasons. There are over 330 undergraduate and postgraduate courses that inspire the extraordinary. Campus is home to over 120 nationalities. Then there’s the rich history and picturesque location.
To Heller, however, Durham’s greatest strength is its diversity. Being part of a student body with 129 countries represented was a huge benefit to him. “You are getting to not only learn about customs and culture from the UK, but I have great friends to this day who helped me learn more about countries I had only read about in books and seen on television,’ he says. “I have friends who helped me learn more about Pakistan and Indonesia and Czech Republic and China that I did not have growing up in Nebraska or when I attended my undergrad in Chicago.”
Coming from all walks of life, this vibrant group of students live and learn in a university nestled within a UNESCO World Heritage site surrounded by majestic cathedrals dating back to 1093 and other buildings of significant stature and architecture, such as the Durham Castle.
It’s within these mighty walls that have stood for nearly 1,000 years that students and staff achieve excellence. Ten subjects are ranked highly in the world’s top 50 with Archaeology, Ancient History, and Theology and Religion placing within the global top 10. Other exemplary subjects include Geography, Anthropology, English Studies, Philosophy, History, Earth Sciences and Law.
Durham welcomes over 4,500 international students from 156 countries. Source: Durham University
With the Durham name attached to resumes, graduates instantly signal their value and calibre. This can be seen in how the university is ranked in the top 100 in world for employer reputation according to the QS World University Rankings 2025 and how 90% of graduates find work or further study within six months of graduating. International graduates do just as well — according to the latest Graduate Outcome Data 2020-21, 92% of them are working or in further study within 15 months of graduating.
Such achievements are due, in no small part, to the powerful combination of theory and experience. Durham students engage, reflect and apply their knowledge to real-world settings. With sharpened technical know-how and many soft skills honed, the career centre then steps in to help students land their dream job, apply for a graduate visa to stay and work in the UK, and more.
“Durham offers so many competitive programmes that allow the industry to present in certain modules where students can meet with the people who will be hiring one day,” says Heller. “There are international study opportunities at both the undergraduate and postgraduate level that give our students an immersive experience not just in a work culture, but in another country completely.”
Looking ahead, Heller and his colleagues are making the university even more friendly for international students. At the undergraduate level, they are offering help through a foundation year that prepares students for their transition to the UK system. “There’s care and support for every step of your journey from the US to Durham. “We offer interactive webinars to allow students to see all of the steps before arriving in Durham and ask current students and alumni about their experiences to help calm any last minute nerves they may be feeling,” says Heller. “We want international students to feel comfortable and confident when arriving on campus that they will be accepted for the great student that they are so they can focus on receiving a world-class education.”
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