Admissions information for Anglican and Methodist students

Entry requirements

The following entry requirements concern programmes validated by Durham University for students sponsored for ministry in the Church of England and in the Methodist Church in Great Britain.

CertHE in Theology, Ministry and Mission

Name	Certificate of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission (120 credits
Entrance requirements	At least 1 pass at Advanced Level OR 2 passes at Advanced Supplementary Level OR other formal qualifications deemed to be equivalent to the above by the admissions committee
Entrance requirements for those who do not have 1 A Level of equivalent*	Most of our students do not have 1 A Level. Our entrance requirements then depend on whether you are sponsored by one of the Common Awards Churches or not. Those sponsored by a Common Awards Partner Church (see below):         - Recommendation by the appropriate Church selection committee and satisfactory performance at a formal interview, together with sufficient evidence to demonstrate ability to work at University level.       - Students may be asked to produce a piece of theological writing that demonstrates their capacity for working at Level 4 of undergraduate study.       - Further supporting evidence may be gleaned through, for example, the provision of references.         All of these criteria are tested by the relevant sponsoring church as part of their selection process. For Anglican and Methodist candidates the programme of study must also be agreed by the sponsoring church.
Language requirements	At least GCSE English at grade C or equivalent. Students for whom English is their second language who do not have a GCSE or equivalent from an English speaking country grade C or above should have achieved a score of 6.0 in an IELTS examination or equivalent. Separate rules apply for any student applying for a Tier 4 Visa.
Further information	See our Admissions Policy for Common Awards students.

 

* In order to be successful in obtaining sponsorship for ministerial training from the following churches (Church of England – including Readers, Methodist Church in Great Britain, United Reformed Church, Baptist Union of Great Britain) candidates will as part of their churches rigorous selection process have already had to demonstrate that they meet the entry criteria for the Certificate in Higher Education validated by Durham University. Evidence of successful sponsorship by these churches therefore provides initial direct entry onto this academic programme. For entry to different programmes additional evidence may be required.

CertHE in Christian Ministry and Mission (180 credits)​

Name	The Certificate of Higher Education in Christian Ministry and Mission (180 credits)
Entrance requirements	2 passes at Advanced Level OR 1 pass at Advanced Level & 2 passes at Advanced Supplementary Level OR Other formal qualifications deemed to be equivalent to the above by the admissions committee
Entrance requirements for those who do not have 1 A Level of equivalent*	Most of our students do not have A Levels. Our entrance requirements then depend on whether you are sponsored by one of the Common Awards Churches or not.  Those sponsored by a Common Awards Partner Church (see below):   - Recommendation by the appropriate Church selection committee and satisfactory performance at a formal interview, together with sufficient evidence to demonstrate ability to work at University level.   - Students may be asked to produce a piece of theological writing that demonstrates their capacity for working at Level 4 of undergraduate study.   - Further supporting evidence may be gleaned through, for example, the provision of references.         All of these criteria are tested by the relevant sponsoring church as part of their selection process. For Anglican and Methodist candidates the programme of study must also be agreed by the sponsoring church.
Language requirements	At least GCSE English at grade C or equivalent. Students for whom English is their second language who do not have a GCSE or equivalent from an English speaking country grade c or above should have achieved a score of 6.0 in an IELTS examination or equivalent.
Further information	See our Admissions Policy for Common Awards students.

 

* In order to be successful in obtaining sponsorship for ministerial training from the following churches (Church of England – including Readers, Methodist Church in Great Britain, United Reformed Church, Baptist Union of Great Britain) candidates will as part of their churches rigorous selection process have already had to demonstrate that they meet the entry criteria for the Certificate in Higher Education validated by Durham University. Evidence of successful sponsorship by these churches therefore provides initial direct entry onto this academic programme. For entry to different programmes additional evidence may be required.

DipHE in Theology, Ministry and Mission

Name	Diploma of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission
Entrance requirements	Students enter the Diploma in Higher Education programme under one of the following categories:              2 passes at Advanced Level OR 1 pass at Advanced Level & 2 passes at Advanced Supplementary Level OR             Other formal qualifications deemed to be equivalent to the above by the admissions committee         All applicants are required to satisfactorily complete a face-to-face interview either through the appropriate partner Church selection committee or through the Queen’s admissions process. Further supporting evidence may be gleaned through, for example, the submission of written work or the submission of at least two satisfactory references.    Entry to this programme for any student who does not meet these criteria may be obtained after successful completion of the Cert HE- this is admission by “progression”.   For Anglican and Methodist candidates the programme of study must also be agreed by the sponsoring church.
Entry by progression	Successful completion of the Certificate of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission.
Language requirements	At least GCSE English at grade C or equivalent. Students for whom English is their second language who do not have a GCSE or equivalent from an English speaking country grade C or above should have achieved a score of 6.5 in an IELTS examination or equivalent. Separate rules apply for any student applying for a Tier 4 Visa.
Further information	See our Admissions Policy for Common Awards students.

BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry and Mission

Name	BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry and Mission
Entrance requirements	Students enter BA (Hons) in Theology, Ministry and Mission programme under one of the following categories:             3 passes at Advanced Level OR 2 passes at Advanced Level & 2 passes at Advanced Supplementary Level OR             Other formal qualifications deemed to be equivalent to the above by the admissions committee   Entry to this programme for any student who does not meet these criteria may be obtained after successful completion of the Dip HE- this is admission by “progression”.   For Anglican and Methodist candidates the programme of study must also be agreed by the sponsoring church.
Entry by progression	Successful completion of the Diploma of Higher Education in Theology, Ministry and Mission.
Language requirements	At least GCSE English at grade C or equivalent. Students for whom English is their second language who do not have a GCSE or equivalent from an English speaking country grade C or above should have achieved a score of 6.5 in an IELTS examination or equivalent. Separate rules apply for any student applying for a Tier 4 Visa.
Further information	See our Admissions Policy for Common Awards students.

Grad Dip in Theology, Ministry and Mission

Name	Graduate Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission
Entrance requirements	Students enter the Grad Dip in TMM programme under one of the following categories: An upper second honours degree or above in Theology or any other subject OR Equivalent academic qualification. OR Completion of a Diploma of Higher Education or Foundation Degree in Theology for Ministry to distinction or merit level+.           All applicants are required to satisfactorily complete a face-to-face interview either through the appropriate Church selection committee or through the Queen’s admissions process. Further supporting evidence may be required for any applicant and will be required for those without a full degree. This will be gleaned through, for example, the submission of written work, evidence of other study, production of transcripts showing results, or the submission of at least two satisfactory references.
For all applicants	All applicants should complete an appropriate admissions form, and supply references if so requested. All information supplied is treated as confidential, and is shared with the relevant admissions staff as appropriate. If a student is not registered by the start date of their offered programme, the admissions file will be retained for 12 months, and destroyed after that period. Applications of registered students are held for the duration of their period of study. Students for whom English is their second language should have achieved a score of 6.5 in an IELTS examination, or equivalent.
Further information	See our Admissions Policy for Common Awards students.

PG Dip in Theology, Ministry and Mission and MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission

Name	The Postgraduate Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission and the MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission
Entrance requirements	Students enter the Postgraduate Diploma in Theology, Ministry and Mission and / or MA in Theology, Ministry and Mission programme under one of the following categories:         - A good degree (or other Level 6 qualification, such as a Graduate Diploma) in theology       - Graduates (classed as first class or 2:1 honours) in other disciplines with experience of Theology or Religious Studies to at least undergraduate Certificate Level (awarded with credit or distinction, or with an overall mark of at least 60%)         All applicants are required to satisfactorily complete a face-to-face interview either through the appropriate Church selection committee or through the Queen’s admissions process. Further supporting evidence may be gleaned through, for example, the submission of written work or the submission of at least two satisfactory references. For Anglican and Methodist candidates the programme of study must also be agreed by the sponsoring church.
Entry by progression	Successful completion of the Postgraduate Diploma allows progression to complete an additional 60 credits to gain the MA at the discretion of the college. This should be requested prior to the award of the Postgraduate Diploma. Such candidates’ must request to complete the additional credits within the overall time limits of registration (max overall for an MA of three academic years studying part time from date of commencement of the Postgraduate Diploma). For Anglican and Methodist candidates progression to the MA from an offer of a PG Dip must also be agreed by the sponsoring church.
Language requirements	At least GCSE English at grade B or equivalent. Students for whom English is their second language who do not have a GCSE or equivalent from an English speaking country grade B or above should have achieved a score of 7.0 in an IELTS examination or equivalent. Separate rules apply for any student applying for a Tier 4 Visa.
Further information	See our Admissions Policy for Common Awards students.

The following entry requirements concern PG programmes validated by Newman University for students sponsored for ministry in the Church of England and in the Methodist Church in Great Britain:

• Entry requirements for the MA: Normally a good relevant first degree (2:1 or above) or a relevant first degree (2.2 or above) and professional accreditation such as ordination or equivalent; or prior theological education to Diploma level together with relevant previous experience. Those who do not have a relevant degree may be asked to write a written piece to assess academic suitability.
• Entry requirements for the PG Diploma: Normally a good relevant first degree (2:1 or above) or a relevant first degree (2.2 or above) and professional accreditation such as ordination or equivalent; or prior theological education to Diploma level together with relevant previous experience; or successful completion of the PG Certificate. Those who do not have a relevant degree may be asked to write a written piece to assess academic suitability.
• Entry requirements for the PG Certificate: Normally a degree qualification together with relevant experience or prior theological education to Diploma level together with relevant previous experience. Those who do not have a relevant degree may be asked to write a written piece to assess academic suitability.
• Applications may be made to transfer in up to 60 University awarded Post Graduate Level credits (excepting the dissertation ) obtained within the last 5 years in a relevant subject area.