GDip
GDip Theology and Religion
Studying on our conversion course in Theology and Religion will set you on the path to pursuing your interests in the study of religion and theology.
How to apply Apply via UCAS
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
GDip
Program Code
V6K022
Course length
9 months full-time, 21 months part-time
Typical offer
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £8,300 per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £18,900 per year
Overview
Our Graduate Diploma in Theology and Religion offers you the opportunity to pursue your interests in the study of religion and theology. This highly flexible conversion course gives you the control to select from a wide range of optional modules based on your intellectual curiosity and career aspirations. Successful completion enables you to go on and study for an MA in the field of theology and religion. We are a recognised global leader in the exploration of theology and religion and you will be able to choose from topics as diverse as Hebrew prose texts, the links between science and theology, New Testament ethics and the globalisation of Christianity. Within the Department, we offer a breadth and depth of theological and religious expertise through the Centre for Death and Life Studies, the Centre for Catholic Studies, the Michael Ramsey Centre for Anglican Studies and the International Centre for Moral Injury. You will also benefit from highly effective cross-departmental and interdisciplinary links between the department and, for example, the University’s Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies and the Institute for Medieval and Early Modern Studies. We also work in partnership with external theological institutions. This course gives you the means to explore the aspects of theology and religion which interest you, regardless of the subject of your graduation degree, delivered in the inspirational environment of the city of Durham itself where the magnificent Cathedral is evidence of the city’s own major religious role over nearly two millennia.
Course details
Start date
Degree Type
GDip
Program Code
V6K022
Course length
9 months full-time, 21 months part-time
Typical offer
Tuition Fees
- Home (Full-time): £8,300 per year
- Overseas (Full-time): £18,900 per year
What you'll study
Core modules
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This course does not feature compulsory modules and instead comprises six optional modules chosen from an extensive range of subjects.
Optional modules
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In recent years, optional modules have included: Literature and Theology of the Old TestamentNew Testament TheologySyriacDeath, Ritual and BeliefCreation and New Creation: Imaging GodReading the New Testament in GreekReligion in Contemporary BritainAtheism, Belief and the Edge of ReasonTopics in Christian EthicsEarly Christian Doctrine: Trinity and ChristologyChrist and the Human Mystery: Imaging GodMyth and Meaning: The Structural Analysis of MythologyResearch Project and Colloquium in Theology and ReligionGod and the Universe of FaithsCatholic Theology in the Modern WorldSacred India: Land, Politics and IdentityThe Reformation and its LegacyMedieval Theology and SpiritualitySects, Prophets and Guru’sJewish Religion in Antiquity: Belief Systems, Ethics, Political ConflictsFaith, Identity and Power in Latin AmericaCreate, Image, Enact: Christian Theology and the ArtsAugustine of HippoIntroduction to the theology of BonaventureEmotion, Religion and IdentityTheology and Culture in Atlantic HistoryAdvanced Greek TextsIssues in Old Testament StudiesNew Testament EthicsReligion and FilmEmotion and Identity in ReligionChristian Fundamentalism and the Modern WorldChristian Tradition and the Practice of PoliticsJesus Christ in the Twentieth CenturyThe Historical JesusReligious Diversity in African ContextsThomas Aquinas: Background, Context and LegacyReligion, Media and Popular CultureThe Globalisation of ChristianityTheology, Nature, EnvironmentFaith and the Experience of War: Byzantium and Eastern OrthodoxyMedieval Theology and SpiritualityThe Reformation and Its LegacyCompeting Gospels: Jesus inside and outside the CanonPerformative TheologyThe Cross of ChristThe Thought of St BonaventureTractarians and Modernists – Catholic Retrievals
Learning
Teaching includes a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials, giving you an average of 7.5 hours of timetabled contact per week and providing a launchpad for your growth as an independent learner. The classroom teaching and learning will typically amount to around 25% of learning time with the remaining 75% spent working independently. The flexible structure enables you to choose the equivalent of six modules from an extensive range. This includes the option to complete a Graduate Diploma dissertation for which you would have the support of a supervisor. The dissertation is the equivalent of two modules and would count for a third of your marks. You will also be encouraged to engage with the extensive programme of research-related activities in the Department, including research seminar series and public lectures by high-profile guest speakers and visiting scholars.Assessment
Assessment is rigorous and continuous with the majority of assessments based on coursework. Most of the modules from which you will be able to choose, are assessed by essays, presentations and oral examinations or any combination of those methods. The biblical language modules also include written examinations. The optional Graduate Diploma dissertation is an independent piece of research of up to 12,000 words in length. This is the equivalent of two standard modules.Entry requirements
Fees & Funding
Choose which fees you want to see:
Home / Island students
£8,300 per year
International / EU Students
£18,900 per year
Home / Island students
Part Time - £ per year
International / EU Students
Part Time - £ 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 -
