PCert
PG Cert Catholic Theology (Distance Learning)
Our distance learning Postgraduate Certificate in Catholic Theology offers you the freedom to explore Catholic theology with intellectual rigour and in depth, wherever you are in the world.
How to apply Apply via UCAS
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
PCert
Program Code
V8K814
Course length
1 year
Typical offer
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): per year
- Overseas (Full-time): per year
Overview
Led by the University’s world-renowned Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS) within the Department of Theology and Religion the PG Cert in Catholic Theology provides an in-depth knowledge of individual figures, periods, themes and areas of Catholic theology. This course is particularly suitable if you have an undergraduate education in Theology, Religious Studies, or a related discipline. It is an excellent foundation for progression to the MA, and for those pursuing ongoing personal and professional development. You will undertake a ‘Preliminary Tour’ as a core module plus one further module of your choice from options including faith and reason, twentieth century Catholic theology and conceiving change in contemporary Catholicism. The course is offered full-time over one year via distance learning. It has been set up to enable you to study from wherever you live regardless of your time zone. There will however be a residential session of 2-3 days in the University. The residential is an important part of the course. It offers a valuable opportunity to connect with fellow students and lecturers and to attend a series of tailored lectures and seminar sessions. For those attending the residential, there is an additional fee to cover room and board for the days in Durham. As a distance learner, you will be considered a valued and engaged member of the CCS and the Department’s student body as whole. You will be encouraged to participate in the Department’s research seminars where possible and other online events. We also hold an early career conference in Catholic Studies which in some years is run online. We are fully committed to making the high-quality academic study of Catholic theology available to students in different parts of the world and in a wide variety of life situations. A limited CCS Bursary Fund specifically for this programme in Catholic Theology by Distance Learning is now available. For full details see Funding - Durham University
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
PCert
Program Code
V8K814
Course length
1 year
Typical offer
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): per year
- Overseas (Full-time): per year
What you'll study
Core modules
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Catholic Theology: A Preliminary Tour
provides a strong intellectual foundation to help you move from undergraduate studies in theology and religious studies or in related subjects such as classics, philosophy, history or literature to the study of Catholic theology at a more advanced level. You will also gain training in research methods and resources that are used in the academic study of Catholic theology.
Optional modules
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In recent years, optional modules have included: Conceiving Change in Contemporary CatholicismTwentieth-Century Catholic TheologyCatholic Social Thought and PracticeThe Theology of Thomas Aquinas Selected TopicsFaith and ReasonHigh Medieval Franciscan Theology
Learning
Teaching will be delivered using a carefully arranged mixture of written and recorded material, asynchronous online discussion, optional co-ordinated webinars and occasional tutorials. There will be a 2-3 day residential in Durham each year, with the remainder of the course offered as distance learning. It is possible to complete the course entirely at a distance, but we strongly advise on coming to the residential, as most students do. The study resources that you will need for the course, including all reading materials, will be available online and all video and audio-recorded material will be accompanied by a transcript. Timetabling of optional seminars and office hours will take the varying time zones into account while the other components of the modules will be asynchronous or organised individually. Convenors have been allocated to the course modules and, as a minimum, they will be available during University term time to answer questions, give feedback on written work in tutorials and lead the optional webinars.Assessment
The majority of modules are assessed by essays, with two including an oral exam.Entry requirements
Fees & Funding
Choose which fees you want to see:
Home / Island students
per year
International / EU Students
per year
Home / Island students
Part Time - 4,800 per year
International / EU Students
Part Time - 10,400 per year
The tuition fees shown are for one complete academic year of study, are set according to the academic year of entry, and remain the same throughout the duration of the programme for that cohort (unless otherwise stated).
Find out moreDepartment Information
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Durham University’s Department of Theology and Religion is a supportive and vibrant international teaching and research community where ‘belief’ and ‘beliefs’ are studied in detail, whether those beliefs are atheistic, humanistic or religious. We are a recognised global leader in the field of theology and religion. Delivered by researchers at the forefront of their disciplines, our range of highly regarded postgraduate degrees enables students to pursue their interests in the fields of theology, philosophy, religious studies, biblical studies, and ethics, through the exploration of diverse and contemporary issues such as the migrant crisis, homelessness and Catholic identity. In the Department we have an intellectual community of more than 30 academic staff and 150 postgraduate students and researchers who join us from across the world, giving our courses a highly international focus. The local, national and international contexts in which we work and study help to build a more joined up picture of the complex world in which we live. The Department is home to a range of research centres and projects, including the Centre for Anglican Studies, the Centre for Catholic Studies, the Centre for Death and Life Studies, International Centre for Moral Injury, Centre for Theology and Qualitative Research and the Centre for Early Christianity. These all help to foster a vibrant research culture, of which our postgraduates are an important part. Our postgraduate provision is designed to develop the academic and personal qualities that are valued in the workplace and in higher-level academic research. This includes a professional development and training programme with opportunities to work as a teaching assistant. For more information see our department pages.
Read moreFacilities
We are a leading Department in the field of Theology and Religion, uniquely situated within a World Heritage Site next to Durham Cathedral and within easy walking distance of the Students’ Union, colleges and Durham Castle. Our home, Abbey House, is an inspiring place to study and research the field of theology and religion. We hold extensive library resources. As well as the University’s well-equipped central library which includes wide-ranging collections of rare books and manuscripts of particular interest to theology and religion students, we also hold the largest collection of German language theological materials in Britain. Next door, Durham Cathedral is home to Sharp Library, which focuses on modern and pastoral theology, while a number of college libraries also hold theological collections.
Find out more -
